Shooting The Gaur
Naturally , when 1 has to contend with an extremely aggressive ,thick skinned , 2000 pound bovine with pin sharp curved horns , ample consideration must be given to proper shot placement , the appropriate firearms and the appropriate ammunition for use on these brutes .
> Shot Placement
On account of those imposing looking horns on the heads of these large brutes , you can immediately discount a head shot as a potential option for bringing down a gaur. It will not work .
For the shikaree who is taking a shot at the gaur from a broadside position , 2 shots are ideal :
1) The double lung shot .
2) The heart shot.
For the novice , the double lung shot is , without a doubt the SAFEST shot to attempt on a gaur , on account of the very large and easy target which it presents for the shooter . A professional shikaree should always advise those of his clients who are new to the game of hunting gaur , to opt for this shot . It is the work of the professional shikaree to help the client to get within a suitable position where he can take the double lung shot on a gaur .The objective is to ensure that both the lungs of the gaur are pierced . A wounded gaur struck through both lungs seldom thinks of charging . It will run a short distance of say , 80 yards , coughing blood from it’s mouth and through it’s nose .Then , it will drop dead ; lifeless on the green Indian forest floor.
The red X on the photograph below marks the general point of aim for the shikaree who wishes to secure a gaur with a double lung shot .
For the more experienced shikaree , the heart shot is preferred . In order to be able to reach the gaur’s heart from a broad side position , the shikaree’s bullet must be able to pierce the animal’ upper fore leg bone and still hold together to reach the gaur’s heart . A gaur struck in the heart , will not go more than 50 yards before expiring .
The red X on the photograph below marks the general point of aim for the shikaree who wishes to secure a gaur with a broadside heart shot .
When trying to shoot a gaur from the frontal position , only 1 shot is offered to the shikaree : The frontal heart shot . It must be borne in mind that the heart of a gaur is tucked in the base of the brute’s chest right between it’s 2 fore legs . When a shot is taken from a frontal position , the shikaree’s bullet must traverse through the strong chest muscles of the gaur , before reaching it’s heart .
A final note is worth mentioning . While an elephant with 1 broken leg will be unable to move ( on account of it's massive weight ) , a gaur with 1 broken leg will still be able to affect an escape ... or worse ; charge the shikar party. The only way the shikaree can immobilize a gaur is if your bullet manages to hit it in it in the spine , or if your bullet manages to break both shoulders of the gaur.
> Adequate Armaments
So what makes the best rifle calibre to dispatch a gaur ? At 1 extreme end of the spectrum , there was my client , Mr. Tom Bolack ( Former Governor of New Mexico . ) who used a single .30-06 Springfield calibre Winchester brand 220 grain round nosed solid metal covered bullet to land a fatal heart shot on a 2024 pound male gaur in 1964 . His rifle was a Mauser Oberndorf bolt rifle , originally chambered in 8x60 mm , which had been rebarrelled to .30-06 Springfield . This was also coincidentally Mr. Bolack’s favorite rifle .
Here is a photograph kindly provided to me by my good friend , Sergeant Kawshik Rahman of Mr. Bolack in 1963 , when he received Allwyn Cooper Limited's " Tiger Of The Year " award.
On the other extreme end of the spectrum was His Royal Excellence , the Maharajah of Sirguja . His Royal Excellence favored a behemoth weapon for shooting gaur bison. He had the English company, Holland & Holland built him a bespoke .600 Nitro Express calibre double barreled side by side rifle with 24 inch long barrels , double triggers and no automatic safety.Propelling a 900 grain round nosed ICI Kynoch solid metal covered bullet , this miniature cannon , no doubt made short work of any gaur !
Here is a photograph kindly lent to me by my good friend , fellow former professional shikaree and fellow forum member , Sergeant Kawshik Rahman of His Royal Excellence’s .600 Nitro Express calibre Holland & Holland side by side rifle . The photograph was taken by young Kawshik at an auction house in Sirguja in 1958 , where a great many of His Royal Excellence's personal possessions were being auctioned.
Mr. Bolack’s actions have proven that it IS possible to use a .30-06 Springfield calibre rifle and 220 grain round nosed solid metal covered bullets to kill a gaur successfully. However , it is not fair to use Mr. Bolack as an example to represent the mere mortal man. Bear in mind that Mr. Bolack was also my client who dispatched a 503 pound male royal Bengal tiger with a single 130 grain Winchester Silvertip soft point bullet , fired from his .270 Winchester calibre pre 64 Winchester Model 70 bolt rifle in 1963 . His level of surgical proficiency with a rifle cannot be expected from the mere mortal man.
Under ideal situations, any of the 4 calibres mentioned below can be used to successfully take a gaur , provided that picked shots are used and that shot placement is extremely critical . I have listed them below , in ascending order .
1) The .338 Winchester magnum , using 250 to 300 grain bullets.
2) The 9.3 x 62 mm Mauser , using 286 grain bullets
3) The 9.3 x 74 Rimmed , using 286 grain bullets
4) The .375 Holland & Holland magnum, using 300 grain bullets.
However , when dealing with ANY dangerous animal , let alone 1 which weighs 2000 pounds , has thick hide and unmatched aggression , can we always hope for ideal situations ? I think not . I can tell you all right now , that when a wounded , maddened gaur charges at you , your .375 Holland & Holland magnum calibre rifle will begin to look rather small. Therefore , it is imperative that a larger calibre be used . A .375 Holland & Holland magnum calibre 300 grain round nosed solid metal covered bullet makes for too minute a hole in the heart of a gaur . It can take an adult male 2000 pound gaur up to 22 minutes to expire , with a .375 bore sized hole in his heart . During those 22 minutes , he can ( and WILL ) remain very much a threat . A gaur shot through both the lungs with a .375 Holland & Holland magnum calibre 300 grain solid metal covered bullet can still go on for up to 12 hours without slowing down , due to the .375 sized bullet hole in it's lungs being too small .
During my career as a professional shikaree in the 1960s , the only commercially available calibre which was larger than the .375 Holland & Holland magnum was the .458 Winchester magnum . It was advertised as being capable of propelling a 500 grain bullet at 2150 feet per second . When it accomplished this , it was an excellent calibre .
Here is a photograph kindly lent to me by my good friend , fellow former professional shikaree and fellow forum member , Sergeant Kawshik Rahman of 1 of his clients who used an English Holland & Holland double barreled side by side rifle , chambered in .458 Winchester magnum to dispatch this large male gaur which weighed in the excess of 2000 pounds .
However , l have had enough narrow scrapes in my career with dangerous game wounded by client's .458 Winchester magnum calibre rifles ,to know that the .458 Winchester magnum was certainly not always propelling those 500 grain bullets at it's advertised velocities .
At any rate, l do not believe that a cartridge case which has 0.5 inches less powder space than a .375 Holland & Holland magnum cartridge case , yet fires a 200 grain heavier bullet can ever be anything except conceptually wrong .
The .458 Winchester magnum factory loaded ammunition ( regardless of manufacturer ) had a very definite shelf life compared to other calibres . Ammunition which was 3 to 4 years old would begin to develop erratic velocities. Another very serious problem was that , in old ammunition , the bullets would slowly get pushed out of the cartridge cases . This could cause feeding problems in short action rifles , such as the Fabrique Nationale Mauser / Browning Safari Hi Power bolt rifles .
If you wanted the very best results from a .458 Winchester magnum calibre rifle , the the trick was to ALWAYS use VERY FRESH ammunition (preferably loaded no more than a year prior to the client coming to India for shikar . ) . This would ensure that the 500 grain bullets were being propelled at the advertised velocity of 2150 feet per second. A 500 grain bullet being propelled at a velocity of 2150 feet per second could crumple even the largest gaur from any angle , with a reasonable shot in a vital region.
In 1983 , the American company, Winchester decided to reduce the velocity of their .458 Winchester magnum calibre factory loaded ammunition from 2150 feet per second to 2040 feet per second , in an attempt to increase the shelf life of their .458 Winchester magnum calibre ammunition. This came as the cost of reducing the original penetrating potential of the .458 Winchester magnum calibre even more.
Personally , however ... I never really liked the .458 Winchester magnum calibre , because l found the fluctuations in velocity to be a little too frequent for my taste. To me , the very BEST rifle which l had ever seen being used on a gaur was a Westley Richards side by side double barreled rifle chambered in .476 Westley Richards . A client once brought such a rifle to India for a gaur shikar , along with old stocks of ICI Kynoch 520 grain round nose solid metal covered bullets . The effect which a shot from this rifle had on a 2037 pound male gaur was monstrous . That single shot completely anchored the gaur by breaking both it’s shoulders , while piercing the heart .
Thus , if l had to name a rifle calibre which l would confidently use against any gaur in any situation from any angle , it have to be hands down , the .476 Westley Richards utilizing a 520 grain bullet . The rifle built for this calibre would have to be a double barreled side by side rifle built by the Belgian company , Lebeau Courally ( I love their work ! ) with 24 inch barrels , double triggers and no automatic safety .
I have also had a client who came to India for shikar with a double barreled side by side rifle built by the British company , W J Jeffery , chambered in .450/400 Nitro Express . With this rifle , he had brought some old stocks of ICI Kynoch 400 grain solid metal covered round nose cartridges. He took a male gaur with a single heart shot from this rifle from the broadside position . The rifle worked impressively on the gaur , but the gaur itself was a relatively light 1 , weighing only 1783 pounds .
Therefore , for the largest and heaviest gaurs weighing upwards of 2000 pounds , my preference would always be for a calibre utilizing at least a 500 grain bullet , providing a velocity of 2150 feet per second or thereabouts.
Today , the modern sports man is blessed with a wide array of choices available to him . There is the .404 Jeffery using a 400 grain bullet ( which , l understand is ballistically identical to the .450 / 400 Nitro Express , but in a bolt rifle . ) , the .416 Remington magnum using a 400 grain bullet , the .416 Rigby using a 410 grain bullet , the .425 Westley Richards using a 410 grain bullet , the .450 Nitro Express using a 480 grain bullet , the .450 Rigby using a 480 grain bullet , the .500/465 Holland & Holland using a 480 grain bullet , the .458 Lott using a 500 grain bullet , the .470 Nitro Express using a 500 grain bullet , the .505 Gibbs using a 525 grain bullet , the .500 Jeffery using a 535 grain bullet , the .500 Nitro Express using a 570 grain bullet , the .500 A Square using a 600 grain bullet and the .577 Nitro Express using a 750 grain bullet . It is my belief that any of these fine calibres today would make for an excellent choice to tackle even the largest gaur . Personally , l am really intrigued by the .500 A Square and would love to know more about it. I would really be interested in seeing how a custom built .500 A Square rifle built on an Enfield 1917 action would perform on a gaur with it’s 600 grain bullet .
> Choice of Bullets .
During our time , there was unfortunately no such concept as “ controlled expansion “ bullets . We only had soft nose expanding bullets and solid metal covered bullets . The traditional practice during a gaur shikar ( among users of bolt rifles) was to load most of the rifle magazine with solid metal covered cartridges , except for the cartridge on top ( which would be fired 1st . ) This cartridge would be a soft point . Among users of double barreled rifles , the 1st barrel to be fired would invariably be loaded with a soft point cartridge , while the barrel to be fired 2nd would always be loaded with a solid metal covered cartridge .
The best soft point ammunition available during our time was the classic Winchester Silvertip soft point bullets . The way that these would open up and expand inside the vital organs of a game animal was completely unrivalled by anything else which we had seen at the time .
Below , is a pair of photographs taken from the internet of a box Winchester Silvertip soft point cartridges . Chances are , that if any of you fine gentlemen remember these , then you are at least 50 years old.
There was another extremely popular make of soft point cartridges available during our time - The Remington Core Lokt soft point cartridges . These were every bit as efficient as the Winchester Silvertip soft point bullets. As a matter of fact , they are still in production today . Here is a photograph taken from the internet of a box of Remington Core Lokt soft point bullets.
Another excellent manufacturer of quality soft point bullets , during our time was Hornady . Yes... Hornady actually used to be an A grade brand , during our time . The steel " jackets " with which their bullets used to be constructed were of an extremely fine quality . Unfortunately , the Hornady of today no longer holds a candle to what the great company once used to be . There have been over a hundred independent reports of Hornady dangerous game ammunition failing miserably in the shikar field in modern times ( many of these reports were by our very own African Hunting forum members ).
Below , is a photograph taken from the internet of a box of Hornady soft point cartridges.
Among European companies , the German company , RWS was particularly renowned for their soft point bullets.
Here is a photograph taken from the internet of a box of RWS soft point cartridges .
The idea was that the professional shikaree would get the client close enough to the gaur , so that the client shikaree could shoot the Gaur from a broadside position . The client would then opt for a double lung shot on the gaur , by utilizing a premium soft point bullet .
Let us use a .375 Holland & Holland magnum calibre 300 gain Winchester Silvertip soft point bullet , as an example . If the shooter is facing the gaur from a complete broadside position , then a double lung shot on the gaur with the aforementioned bullet , will guarantee you 1 very dead trophy . The 300 grain Winchester Silvertip soft point bullet will take out both the lungs of the gaur by opening up nicely inside the brute's lungs . A gaur with both lungs pierced will seldom charge . Rather it will run a short distance of say , 80 yards , coughing blood from it's mouth and blowing it through it's nose before expiring , lifeless.
If , however , the 1st bullet ( for whatever reason ) is improperly placed , then that would mean that the shikar party would need to deal with a wounded Gaur , which is either escaping ... Or worse : charging the members of the shikar party .
During these times , the gaur would only offer 1 of 2 shots available for the shikaree to take :
1)A heart shot from the frontal position , or
2) A heart shot taken from the rear position with the point of aim being the brute's shoulder .
For this purpose , solid metal covered bullets were indispensable . As mentioned previously , a 300 grain .375 Holland & Holland magnum calibre solid metal covered bullet makes for a very small hole in the heart or lungs of a gaur .
Therefore , when using solid metal covered bullets on gaur , a larger calibre should always be used in order to punch larger holes through the heart and lungs of a gaur .
During our time , solid metal covered bullets from the American company , Hornady were the most revered , especially among my American clients . The " jackets " of their solid metal covered bullets were made from a very high quality and thick steel . It is a real shame that the Hornady brand no longer enjoys the same sterling reputation today that it did , during my time in the 1960s.
Below , is a photograph taken from the internet of a box of Hornady 500 grain .458 Winchester magnum calibre solid metal covered bullets .
Another extremely popular brand for manufacturing solid metal covered cartridges was the American company , Winchester. Today , Winchester no longer manufactures factory loaded ammunition in the .458 Winchester magnum
Here is a photograph taken from the internet of a box of Winchester 500 grain .458 Winchester magnum calibre solid metal covered cartridges .
A 3rd company known for producing quality solid metal covered cartridges was the American company , Remington.
I believe that just like Winchester , Remington no longer manufactures factory loaded ammunition for the .458 Winchester magnum calibre .
Unfortunately , l have not been able to find a photograph on the internet of a box of Remington .458 Winchester magnum calibre solid metal covered cartridges to use as reference . So , you will forgive me dear readers .
Among these , l liked Hornady solid metal covered cartridges the most , due to to their strongly constructed design . During my career as a professional shikaree , l have seen the solid metal covered bullets from the following companies distort at least once : Winchester , RWS , ICI Kynoch and Remington ( only once , in the case of Remington . ) However , l have never seen a Hornady solid metal covered bullet during my career , which got distorted upon being fired at large game. Their steel " jackets " were extremely strongly constructed.
Today , the modern sports man is spoilt for choice ! The invention of " controlled expansion " or " semi soft point " bullets has , for the most part completely pushed the practice of loading a rifle magazine with both soft point bullets and solid bullets into obsolescence , as my good friend
@Shootist43 kindly informed me . Today , the bulk of sports men who hunt cape buffalo in Africa do so with soft point bullets exclusively ; bullets which have a controlled rate of expansion .
Unlike the Winchester Silvertip soft point bullet of our time ( which would only work for broadside double lung shots on a gaur) , these modern semi soft point bullets can be used by the shikaree to shoot at an African cape buffalo from any position or angle and can be expected to reliably penetrate into the cape buffalo's vital organs , before opening up inside the brute's vital organs and inflicting massive amounts of damage .
Some of the modern soft points which l hear the most praise about are the Swift A frames and Barnes TSX soft point bullets . My brother sports men on African Hunting Forums speak quite highly about the performance of Swift A frames and Barnes TSX soft point bullets on even the heaviest of African cape buffalo. And l am inclined to believe them .
I have read reports about an excellent modern bullet named the " Rhino Solid Shank " . This innovative modern design has the capacity to hold together as it pierces the fore leg bone of even the largest African cape buffalo , before opening up to form 4 points inside the cape buffalo's heart or lungs. The damage which such an ingenious design could inflict on a gaur's vital organs can easily be imagined.
Solid bullets in modern times are no longer the metal covered bullets with a lead core , which was the standard " solid bullet " of our time . The modern " Monolithic Solid " bullet is constructed entirely from a single homogeneous piece of metal ( usually brass . ) These modern " Monolithic Solid " bullets are by design , far less likely to distort when traversing through a gaur's body , than a traditional metal covered bullet . As noted my my fellow forum member and African White Hunter ,
@IvW , the modern " Monolithic Solid " bullet has , for the most part completely pushed the traditional solid metal covered bullet of my time into obsolescence in modern times.
I would like to conclude this portion of the article with another speculation , dear readers . I know that the vast majority of you gentlemen prefer to use a .375 Holland & Holland magnum calibre rifle of some sort for ALL your African game.
However , could such a rifle reliably stop a charging Gaur ? I can personally attest that with the solid metal covered bullets of my time , you cannot do so with 100 % reliability. However , today many modern bullets exist which has greatly helped the .375 Holland & Holland magnum calibre boost it's ( already stellar ) performance . Unlike the 300 grain standard bullet weight during my time , today .375 calibre bullets exist on the market which can weigh up to 340 grains ( l also recall reading a book once which gave passing mention to a 380 grain .375 calibre bullet, which is available for those sports men who hand load their own cartridges. )
No doubt , these heavier weight .375 calibre bullets have greatly increased the .375 Holland & Holland magnum calibre's usefulness against a charging gaur greatly . Nevertheless , l would personally prefer a larger calibre , using a 500 grain bullet at the very least .
Hopefully , the last 2 sections of this article shall be completed by tonight.
