Walter Locke 8-bore in Africa

[gprippers]

I Picked up an 8 bore Ogilvie custom a couple years back but have not fired it or hunted it yet. Need to get it out and do something with it!

Congrats on your hunt!

 

[AZDAVE]

@cal pappas Really enjoyed the writeup and videos. Congratz on vintage bore rifle in action!
a quick question for developing the nitro for black loads do you fine unique better than blue dot?

 

[cal pappas]

Hi Dave: This summer was to be the summer I made the switch from Ble Dot to Unique but two trips to South Africa and three to the Lower 48 plus hunting in Alaska took too much of my time. I hope to revisit the issue in 2022. I have found Unique to burn cleaner, use less grains for the same velocity, and have less recoil for the same velocity. This is for the bore rifles, not the express rifles.

 

[Rell]

Wowza, awesome trophies! Thanks

The ranch I hunted is Haakdoorn Safaris and is about an hour’s drive north of Thabazimbi; very close to the Botswana border. While the property is fenced (as is all private hunting property in South Africa) the perimeter fence is 57 kilometers or 35.5 miles and hunting there is truly “fair chase.”

Great story and amazing pics. Simply unbelievable rifle!

I’m not sure what you mean by the fenced comment though. I’ve hunted 8-9 times in RSA on private land with no game fences. Am I missing something?

 

[Red Leg]

Great story and amazing pics. Simply unbelievable rifle!

I’m not sure what you mean by the fenced comment though. I’ve hunted 8-9 times in RSA on private land with no game fences. Am I missing something?

The vast majority of South African hunting opportunities are fenced game ranches (private land as well). It is how one has an opportunity for sable, waterbuck, or nyala among other species outside their traditional range. There are indeed low/no fence concessions and conservancies in South Africa that do specialize in indigenous species. I assume one or more of those operations are where you have hunted. Those operations are a minority.

 

[cal pappas]

Rell: Red Leg is correct. The vast majority of SA properties are private and fenced. The fence also protects their investment. Some fenced properties are small and some, like the one I hunt, is huge and fair chase. As mentioned, the perimeter fence is 35 1/2 miles. That is a very large enclosure.

 

[1dirthawker]

nicely done cal! good shooting.

 

[Rell]

Rell: Red Leg is correct. The vast majority of SA properties are private and fenced. The fence also protects their investment. Some fenced properties are small and some, like the one I hunt, is huge and fair chase. As mentioned, the perimeter fence is 35 1/2 miles. That is a very large enclosure.

What is the definition of fair chase then? I thought no fence?

 

[Rell]

The vast majority of South African hunting opportunities are fenced game ranches (private land as well). It is how one has an opportunity for sable, waterbuck, or nyala among other species outside their traditional range. There are indeed low/no fence concessions and conservancies in South Africa that do specialize in indigenous species. I assume one or more of those operations are where you have hunted. Those operations are a minority.

I took Nyala south of Durban on a series of farms, no game fences at all. Waterbuck was there as well. Took cape eland in the Stormburg mountains, again no fence. I’m not apposed to high fence, but I’m just not sure it’s really fair chase?

 

[cal pappas]

If the fenced property is 20-50,000 acres or more, I guess it is in the eye of the hunter. I'm writing an article about fair chase and what exactly is it? I have seen so many open area hunts in Tanzania, Botswana, and Zimbabwe where the hunter and PH drive all day waiting for a shot at game from the vehicle--no walking or tracking. No fence either, but is it fair chase? And there is the endless shooting at water holes or feed stations. For me, I feel comfortable in my definition if the game can get away. An example is a few years ago I was observed a buffalo hunt on the property I posted on here. The hunter took his first shot at 8am and wounded a buffalo bull. We followed for ten hours and he killed the buffalo at 6pm's last light. If one follows and tracks an animal for ten hours then IMHO it is fair chase even if the perimeter is fenced. But, again, that's just me.

 

[Rell]

I’ll hunt bushbucks anywhere. Doesn’t matter how small a place because I think they can get away in a rose garden so I get your point about that.

It’s not a moral issue for me, fences have a place in conservation and hunting for sure. Protecting animals as a resource and as a harvestable asset are crucial to keeping populations up and viable.

As long as it’s hunting and not shooting I’m all good. I just don’t really like them I guess.

 

[AZDAVE]

Cal thanks for the info, I will look into the unique, I have helped develop some bore rifle loads with blue dot but never tried unique. I did pull alot of info from your bore rifle book as a base to start from.

 

[cal pappas]

Dave: I don't have my work done as mentioned above. But, early findings show Unique at about 70% of the Blue Dot charge. Again, this is not carved in stone and what I have found that works in my rifles. When done, I will publish my results on the forums but it won't be until spring as winter is here.