Spring has sprung. Get out and shoot your Henry

Henry Returns to Africa

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Les
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Location: Runcorn, UK, via Africa and parts unknown.
South Africa

Re: Henry Returns to Africa

Post by Les » Sun Aug 26, 2018 4:01 pm

If you ever used a 45-70 on a Cape Buffalo, you would just end up with one very angry buffalo. They are by far the most dangerous of all of Africa's wild game.

Enjoy your trip - Zimbabwe is a beautiful country.
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tarbe
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Location: Romance, MO
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Re: Henry Returns to Africa

Post by tarbe » Tue Aug 28, 2018 10:21 pm

So, my Cape Buffalo hunting buddy has seriously fallen in love with my double rifle.

I have offered to let him hunt with it...and I will tote my Ruger No 1 in 450/400.

If he shoots a Buffalo before me, I can carry-on with the Searcy, if I want.

Which opens up a spot in my gun case. The Henry might be back in. Either it, or a Ruger No 1 in 30-40 Krag...another old-timer that deserves a crack at old Africa.

Right now, I am thinking the Henry 45-70. But with nearly 12 months to go, and the way I change my mind, who knows? :roll:
1 x
USMC 1976 - 1980 0351

Henry H010
Henry H010CC
Savage M99 308 (born in '57 like me!)
Browning M53 32-20
336 30-30
No 1 300 H&H
No 1 375 H&H
1895 30-40 Krag
Ruger American 308
Several Nasty Black Rifles :o

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tarbe
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Re: Henry Returns to Africa

Post by tarbe » Sun Sep 08, 2019 10:12 pm

Well, my last post above was rather prophetic!

I ended up buying an American Hunting Rifles 450 Dakota and that ended up being the only rifle I took to Zimbabwe.

Here is what I managed to take, on day 6 of the hunt:
IMG_5251 small.jpg
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0 x
USMC 1976 - 1980 0351

Henry H010
Henry H010CC
Savage M99 308 (born in '57 like me!)
Browning M53 32-20
336 30-30
No 1 300 H&H
No 1 375 H&H
1895 30-40 Krag
Ruger American 308
Several Nasty Black Rifles :o

User avatar
tarbe
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Posts: 156
Joined: Wed Jun 21, 2017 8:08 pm
Location: Romance, MO
United States of America

Re: Henry Returns to Africa

Post by tarbe » Sun Sep 08, 2019 10:15 pm

Here is the whole team...My PH John Sharp and the trackers Isaac and Lovemore (the two guys who probably deserve the most credit...and their tip reflected that!).
IMG_5275 small.jpg
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0 x
USMC 1976 - 1980 0351

Henry H010
Henry H010CC
Savage M99 308 (born in '57 like me!)
Browning M53 32-20
336 30-30
No 1 300 H&H
No 1 375 H&H
1895 30-40 Krag
Ruger American 308
Several Nasty Black Rifles :o

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JEBar
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Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2016 10:58 pm
Location: central NC
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Re: Henry Returns to Africa

Post by JEBar » Wed Sep 11, 2019 8:46 am

congrats on your hunt .... were you able to get any size / weight estimates .... what distance did you shoot .... where did you hit the Buffalo .... I'd really like to hear your comments on your Dakota rifle along with the ammo used ... when it was cleaned, what did you learn about the bullet's penetration .... sure appreciate you taking us along ...
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tarbe
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Location: Romance, MO
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Re: Henry Returns to Africa

Post by tarbe » Thu Sep 26, 2019 10:24 pm

JEBar wrote:
Wed Sep 11, 2019 8:46 am
congrats on your hunt .... were you able to get any size / weight estimates .... what distance did you shoot .... where did you hit the Buffalo .... I'd really like to hear your comments on your Dakota rifle along with the ammo used ... when it was cleaned, what did you learn about the bullet's penetration .... sure appreciate you taking us along ...
There is a detailed trip report at AfricaHunting.com...

On the day we took the bull, we hit tracks at 0700 and caught up with the Dagga Boys at 0900.

Then we played cat and mouse with the wind and the buffalo for 7 hours straight until we finally got into position on this bull where we could take the shot.

Many times we were sure we were busted, and I had to rush my shot a bit at the last second as we were certain another bull was about to smell us and take the herd with him.

One shot kill made at 40 yards. I was hoping to get closer, but if I hadn't taken the shot given, we would have been starting over from scratch the next day for sure!

Long story on the bullet, but the 550 grain Woodleigh Weldcore failed. It did not perform as designed or expected. It shredded the heart/lungs after breaking the near shoulder, but only retained 59% of its mass (designed to retain about 80-85%) and it stopped in the lungs!

Head man at Woodleigh admitted they were having some operational issue (bonding bullets at too low a temp for the bonding to take).

I wish they had recalled these bad bullets. Someone could get killed! Here is the recovered bullet next to an unfired specimen:
IMG_0987.jpg
All of that bare exposed copper jacket should have lead attached to it!
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Last edited by tarbe on Thu Sep 26, 2019 10:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
0 x
USMC 1976 - 1980 0351

Henry H010
Henry H010CC
Savage M99 308 (born in '57 like me!)
Browning M53 32-20
336 30-30
No 1 300 H&H
No 1 375 H&H
1895 30-40 Krag
Ruger American 308
Several Nasty Black Rifles :o

User avatar
tarbe
Cowhand
Posts: 156
Joined: Wed Jun 21, 2017 8:08 pm
Location: Romance, MO
United States of America

Re: Henry Returns to Africa

Post by tarbe » Thu Sep 26, 2019 10:28 pm

My load was 99 grains of IMR 4350 in Dakota cases with Federal 215 primers.

The muzzle velocity of the 550gr bullet was 2,170 fps.

The rifle was this AHR custom CZ550:
IMG_0524.jpg
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0 x
USMC 1976 - 1980 0351

Henry H010
Henry H010CC
Savage M99 308 (born in '57 like me!)
Browning M53 32-20
336 30-30
No 1 300 H&H
No 1 375 H&H
1895 30-40 Krag
Ruger American 308
Several Nasty Black Rifles :o

User avatar
tarbe
Cowhand
Posts: 156
Joined: Wed Jun 21, 2017 8:08 pm
Location: Romance, MO
United States of America

Re: Henry Returns to Africa

Post by tarbe » Thu Sep 26, 2019 10:33 pm

Here is the view from the dining table in camp.
IMG_0908 small.jpg
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0 x
USMC 1976 - 1980 0351

Henry H010
Henry H010CC
Savage M99 308 (born in '57 like me!)
Browning M53 32-20
336 30-30
No 1 300 H&H
No 1 375 H&H
1895 30-40 Krag
Ruger American 308
Several Nasty Black Rifles :o

User avatar
tarbe
Cowhand
Posts: 156
Joined: Wed Jun 21, 2017 8:08 pm
Location: Romance, MO
United States of America

Re: Henry Returns to Africa

Post by tarbe » Thu Sep 26, 2019 10:39 pm

No way to weigh the buffalo...here he is in the skinning shed just prior to getting the knife:

IMG_0167 medium.jpg
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0 x
USMC 1976 - 1980 0351

Henry H010
Henry H010CC
Savage M99 308 (born in '57 like me!)
Browning M53 32-20
336 30-30
No 1 300 H&H
No 1 375 H&H
1895 30-40 Krag
Ruger American 308
Several Nasty Black Rifles :o

User avatar
JEBar
Town Marshal / Deputy Admin
Posts: 19268
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2016 10:58 pm
Location: central NC
United States of America

Re: Henry Returns to Africa

Post by JEBar » Fri Sep 27, 2019 8:13 am

thanks for the info .... most interesting about the bullet's performance .... sounds like it still did a great deal of damage
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