SOUTH AFRICA: Frontier Safaris - Eastern Cape Safari 2022

[Philip Glass]

Frontier Safaris - Eastern Cape Safari 2022

It has been a real joy for me to organize groups of hunters to join me on safari. Whether it is South Africa, Namibia, or Zimbabwe I have enjoyed bringing others along with me to share this adventure of a lifetime.
This hunt has been planned for a couple of years and the members of this group have been planning and preparing for this for some time now. I was please to take my wife, Jennifer, and my youngest son, Jasper, on their second trips to Africa this time. I was not intent on a long list of trophies myself this time but taking a back seat to my family and my hunting partners in this group.

After our arrival we all got quickly settled into our rooms and headed to the shooting range. Some made some minor adjustments and we were all off in different directions to hunt this massive 75,000 game ranch. There was just a few hours of daylight left yet many trophies were taken. Jasper was able, after getting to the top of the mountain, to get on a blesbuck and take his first South African trophy (he hunted Namibia with me in 2019).

As many of you have seen from my video from last year’s hunt this area of the Eastern Cape is incredibly beautiful and rugged. Jasper was able to get a beautiful Nyala and a Burchell’s Zebra with our PH and friend Fred Burchell! Barry Burchell’s (Fred’s father) 7 times great uncle named many of the animals in Africa.

Jennifer got on an impala late one evening as we were hunting for kudu. Her new Tikka 6.5PRC knocked that impala ram down hard. He never moved and her first African trophy was headed to the skinning shed. She was on a big kudu bull one evening as the sun went down and sadly no shot was presented. Little did we know this would be an omen for our kudu wishes on this trip.

Springbuck were on the list and since there are no springbuck at Burchell Game Reserver due to the ticks and the diseases they carry we headed north. Our destination was Jules of the Karoo who are well known for springbuck. We were all able to take exceptional common springbuck with mine being 17.5”. I went on to finish the springbuck slam with copper, white, and black springbuck. I was able to add a white blesbuck as an animal of opportunity one day. With the springbuck in the salt we were on a mission for gemsbok and Jennifer and Jasper were up next. Jennifer took an old cow with the new rifle and the 6.5PRC passed the test. This one went about 30 yards and was down. Jasper was hunting now and after we looked over and got on many gemsbuck a very nice cow was located. His R8 in 7mm Mag sounded off and the Barnes 160g bullet went through and broke both shoulders. It was a dramatic scene as the animal rared up and then went head first into the ground with dirt going everywhere. If there was ever a shot to get on film it would have been this one. Sadly we were not filming this trip. We said our goodbyes to the wonderful family at Jules of the Karoo and headed back to Frontier Safaris.

There were some fun experiences along the way as always on this trip. After so many trips to Africa I finally saw a tortoise! Why I have never seen one is anyones guess. We encountered many on this trip and one was in my way as I got ready to kneel down behind a termite mound to take one of the springbuck pics!

Without exception my large group of 16 all did very well on this trip and took a tremendous number of quality trophies. This is a very difficult hunt and the shooting distances can be quite far. The terrain is unforgiving at Burchell Game Reserve. One day Jennifer asked if all my hunts were this physically challenging and I had to say “no not really”. Frontier is a tough place where you earn each and every shot opportunity. I can not wait for next year and another chance to hunt this beautiful and rugged part of the Eastern Cape of South Africa.

An evening at Barry's impressive trophy room. The painting in the background is of the animals his 7 times great uncle named and identified long ago.

Gear and Gun Notes:
Jasper’s Blaser R8, 7mm Mag, Barnes 160g TSX, Schmidt & Bender scope, Silencer Co Omega Suppressor - I can’t say enough about the R8 and the Barnes bullets we have been using. It just works.
Jennifer’s Tikka T3x 6.5PRC, 143g Hornady Eldx, Leupold VX5, Thunderbeast Ultra 5 Suppressor - We shared this rifle as I didn’t want to take 3 rifles. The performance was excellent but the velocity is so much that on smaller animals like the springbuck we had some wicked exit wounds. I will continue to hunt with this caliber and continue to see how it does on more animals. The Leupold VX5 I chose for this rifle is easily the best bang for the buck that met my needs. It has good glass, is illuminated, and most importantly has a locking elevation dial. Once again I had one hunter on this trip spin his turret and missed an opportunity. Please get a scope with a locking dial! The Thunderbeast Ultra 5 is easily the best suppressor for this type of hunting. It is very small and has good suppression and reduces recoil.
I can’t say enough about my Lowa Renegade boots. I may never wear anything else!

 

[BourbonTrail]

Congratulations on another successful safari Philip!

 

[Nyati]

Congrats Philip !

I also enjoy hunting with a group, although mine are smaller, around six, as you can share with the other´s successes !

 

[cls]

Congratulations to all, well done. Thanks for posting

 

[Rare Breed]

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Frontier Safaris - Eastern Cape Safari 2022

It has been a real joy for me to organize groups of hunters to join me on safari. Whether it is South Africa, Namibia, or Zimbabwe I have enjoyed bringing others along with me to share this adventure of a lifetime.
This hunt has been planned for a couple of years and the members of this group have been planning and preparing for this for some time now. I was please to take my wife, Jennifer, and my youngest son, Jasper, on their second trips to Africa this time. I was not intent on a long list of trophies myself this time but taking a back seat to my family and my hunting partners in this group.

After our arrival we all got quickly settled into our rooms and headed to the shooting range. Some made some minor adjustments and we were all off in different directions to hunt this massive 75,000 game ranch. There was just a few hours of daylight left yet many trophies were taken. Jasper was able, after getting to the top of the mountain, to get on a blesbuck and take his first South African trophy (he hunted Namibia with me in 2019).
View attachment 471757
As many of you have seen from my video from last year’s hunt this area of the Eastern Cape is incredibly beautiful and rugged. Jasper was able to get a beautiful Nyala and a Burchell’s Zebra with our PH and friend Fred Burchell! Barry Burchell’s (Fred’s father) 7 times great uncle named many of the animals in Africa.
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Jennifer got on an impala late one evening as we were hunting for kudu. Her new Tikka 6.5PRC knocked that impala ram down hard. He never moved and her first African trophy was headed to the skinning shed. She was on a big kudu bull one evening as the sun went down and sadly no shot was presented. Little did we know this would be an omen for our kudu wishes on this trip.

Springbuck were on the list and since there are no springbuck at Burchell Game Reserver due to the ticks and the diseases they carry we headed north. Our destination was Jules of the Karoo who are well known for springbuck. We were all able to take exceptional common springbuck with mine being 17.5”. I went on to finish the springbuck slam with copper, white, and black springbuck. I was able to add a white blesbuck as an animal of opportunity one day. With the springbuck in the salt we were on a mission for gemsbok and Jennifer and Jasper were up next. Jennifer took an old cow with the new rifle and the 6.5PRC passed the test. This one went about 30 yards and was down. Jasper was hunting now and after we looked over and got on many gemsbuck a very nice cow was located. His R8 in 7mm Mag sounded off and the Barnes 160g bullet went through and broke both shoulders. It was a dramatic scene as the animal rared up and then went head first into the ground with dirt going everywhere. If there was ever a shot to get on film it would have been this one. Sadly we were not filming this trip. We said our goodbyes to the wonderful family at Jules of the Karoo and headed back to Frontier Safaris.

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There were some fun experiences along the way as always on this trip. After so many trips to Africa I finally saw a tortoise! Why I have never seen one is anyones guess. We encountered many on this trip and one was in my way as I got ready to kneel down behind a termite mound to take one of the springbuck pics!

View attachment 471764

Without exception my large group of 16 all did very well on this trip and took a tremendous number of quality trophies. This is a very difficult hunt and the shooting distances can be quite far. The terrain is unforgiving at Burchell Game Reserve. One day Jennifer asked if all my hunts were this physically challenging and I had to say “no not really”. Frontier is a tough place where you earn each and every shot opportunity. I can not wait for next year and another chance to hunt this beautiful and rugged part of the Eastern Cape of South Africa.

View attachment 471772
An evening at Barry's impressive trophy room. The painting in the background is of the animals his 7 times great uncle named and identified long ago.

Gear and Gun Notes:
Jasper’s Blaser R8, 7mm Mag, Barnes 160g TSX, Schmidt & Bender scope, Silencer Co Omega Suppressor - I can’t say enough about the R8 and the Barnes bullets we have been using. It just works.
Jennifer’s Tikka T3x 6.5PRC, 143g Hornady Eldx, Leupold VX5, Thunderbeast Ultra 5 Suppressor - We shared this rifle as I didn’t want to take 3 rifles. The performance was excellent but the velocity is so much that on smaller animals like the springbuck we had some wicked exit wounds. I will continue to hunt with this caliber and continue to see how it does on more animals. The Leupold VX5 I chose for this rifle is easily the best bang for the buck that met my needs. It has good glass, is illuminated, and most importantly has a locking elevation dial. Once again I had one hunter on this trip spin his turret and missed an opportunity. Please get a scope with a locking dial! The Thunderbeast Ultra 5 is easily the best suppressor for this type of hunting. It is very small and has good suppression and reduces recoil.
I can’t say enough about my Lowa Renegade boots. I may never wear anything else!

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Awesome!!! Congratulations on a great hunt and family experience!!!

 

[Art Lambart II]

Congrats on another great safari.

 

[Shootist43]

Phil, I enjoyed the report and photos. You guys had a great hunt, thanks for sharing.

 

[Tucketed]

Great for you taking such a large group and having a super time. Well done!

 

[Doug3006]

All I can say is wow. What an experience! Your report is awesome Phillip. Great trophies. I’m planning a trip to Kwazulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape this time next year. So your report has me all fired up.

 

[buck wild]

Very nice springbok

 

[Uncle Sauce]

Looks like a great time for everyone Philip!

 

[Philip Glass]

Very nice springbok

Thanks, I was very fortunate to take a trophy like that. I rarely get the tape out but on that one I knew we would be measuring as soon as we got back!

 

[Philip Glass]

All I can say is wow. What an experience! Your report is awesome Phillip. Great trophies. I’m planning a trip to Kwazulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape this time next year. So your report has me all fired up.

Thanks Doug! I hope your next trip goes well.

 

[AZDAVE]

Looks like a fantastic trip for all involved. Having put together trips for large groups, I salute you for the tenacity of hearing the cats on all the small details. It is very special to share beautiful places and experiences with friends and family!

That ELDX is a very accurate bullet but as you found a bit soft, I experienced several pretty large exits with it in my 6.5creed, so with a couple hundred more FPS I would expect yours were a bit more explosive. I am still looking for a accurate but tougher bullet in 6.5 but with all the shortages in the supply chain that may take a while.

Tikka make a great rifle that gives a great value.

Congratz on a fantastic trip and taking us all along on the adventure.

 

[Art Lambart II]

Philip,

Why did you choose the 6.5 PRC over the 270 Win for your new Tika? How far where your shots in the EC, that may e my next safari destination and I'd like to know what I'm in for.

 

[Philip Glass]

Looks like a fantastic trip for all involved. Having put together trips for large groups, I salute you for the tenacity of hearing the cats on all the small details. It is very special to share beautiful places and experiences with friends and family!

That ELDX is a very accurate bullet but as you found a bit soft, I experienced several pretty large exits with it in my 6.5creed, so with a couple hundred more FPS I would expect yours were a bit more explosive. I am still looking for a accurate but tougher bullet in 6.5 but with all the shortages in the supply chain that may take a while.

Tikka make a great rifle that gives a great value.

Congratz on a fantastic trip and taking us all along on the adventure.

I would love a heavy Barnes 6.5 bullet. Someday

 

[Philip Glass]

Philip,

Why did you choose the 6.5 PRC over the 270 Win for your new Tika? How far where your shots in the EC, that may e my next safari destination and I'd like to know what I'm in for.

I don’t mean to be rude but are you pulling my leg?
Everyone had 300yard shots and some much further. At Frontier the terrain is mountainous and there can be times when you need to shoot far. You can certainly pass on those long shots and get closer but the further you can shoot proficiently the better. Actually between me and my family our longest May have been just Under 300yds.
the EC is a beautiful and challenging place to hunt!

 

[Art Lambart II]

I don’t mean to be rude but are you pulling my leg?

I'm not trying to pull your leg, I own a very accurate 270 and I can't justify buying a 6.5 PRC. I know with the same weight bullet the PRC is slightly faster and has a little more energy than the 270 at 300 yards but not enough that the animal would know the difference. You are a highly experienced hunter that can buy and use any rifle and caliber combination on the market, what attracted you to the PRC over the tried and tested 270. My son currently uses a 6.5x55 and the 6.5 PRC might be a good option for his next rifle, I'm hoping to get some insight on what looks to be a great hunting round.

 

[Philip Glass]

I'm not trying to pull your leg, I own a very accurate 270 and I can't justify buying a 6.5 PRC. I know with the same weight bullet the PRC is slightly faster and has a little more energy than the 270 at 300 yards but not enough that the animal would know the difference. You are a highly experienced hunter that can buy and use any rifle and caliber combination on the market, what attracted you to the PRC over the tried and tested 270. My son currently uses a 6.5x55 and the 6.5 PRC might be a good option for his next rifle, I'm hoping to get some insight on what looks to be a great hunting round.

Art there are many factors and it all goes back to my childhood. First of all when I was a teenager I was a rabid .30-06 fan and shooter and found the .270 to be a hyped up sissy round. You know teenagers know it all right!
Then on my first safari in 1997 I was hammering everything with my ’06 while my 2X1 hunting partner was wounding everything and costing us time with his .270. Don’t get me wrong I know the .270 is quite capable and has a great following but you can change my perspective and my biases. It just doesn’t work that way.
The 6.5 craze has been going for some time and I won a Ruger predator in 6.5CM a few years ago. It is fantastic on deer and coyotes and very accurate. When the 6.5 PRC and the .300PRC came out to such fanfare including recommendations from my friend and owner of FTW Ramch and SAAM shooting school Tim Fallon I decided to get on the band wagon.
The 6.5PRC has the capability of very accurate long range shots and carries The knockdown power with it to far distances. It is superior to the .270 at range but you are correct at closer ranges the animals won’t know much difference. The cool factor can grab you on new stuff and that is another answer to your question. Art also keep in mind although I have a R8 barrel in 6.5PRC the recent hunt was with my wife’s new Tikka. I could not have chosen a better rifle for her IMO. Power, accuracy, and little recoil.
Regards,
Philip

 

[sureshot375]

Looks like an awesome hunt!!

What’s the deal with taking suppressors over? I have some cans in jail that I was hoping to take over, but after some research it seems as though taking them internationally could be problematic? Also, it doesn’t look like I will get my approvals in time to take them anyways.

For this year I’m having a friend in South Africa pick up a suppressor for me that I will just leave there to use while I’m in South Africa.