Here is what I finally feel to be my definitive statement on proper barrel break-in procedures for a hunting rifle.
First, you buy yourself one of these chambered in .270 Win, and mount a Leupold 3.5-10x40mm VX-III on it.
Then you fly here:
Then on Day 1 you shoot one of these at 280 yards. Of course, being the first day, you completely screw up and shoot the 37" bull right in front of the much bigger bull the PH was trying to get you to see. Still, it's your first kudu and your first African big game, so you're on top the world no matter what.
On Day 2, go out and shoot one of these at 328 yards after a 2-3 mile stalk:
Then have a quick lunch and go get yourself one of these at 194 yards:
And wind up Day 2 by taking a 282 yard running shot on a big male baboon and making it on the first try. [Editor's note: You may want to consider ending your hunting career right here and now -- as it's only downhill after a shot like that].
Start Day 3 with a 175 yard shot on a 28" blue wildebeest:
And follow that up with a 25 yard snap shot at a 4 1/2" duiker:
End Day 3 on a down note by getting a bit too cocky and taking a frontal shot at a magnificent impala at 195 yards. Break shoulder and lose animal
On Day 4, switch to your trusty 30/06 and shoot a 35" eland at 175 yards. Then shoot it again. And again. And again. And again. Make a note to bring either a 338 Win Mag or a 375 H&H for your next eland hunt.
Switch back to your .270, and then have a 50 yard encounter with your #2 favourite African antelope -- a 25 1/2" nyala!
Then wind up the day by shooting a nice 21" impala.
Get back to the lodge that night, only to find that another one of the PH's ran into your wounded impala and finished it with a 200 yard shot. Thank the gods of hunting for that one. No pictures available, but it's a good 4 inches longer than the one pictured above.
On Day 5, things get serious. Shoot a zebra at 250 yards, hitting it a bit too high. Then chase the damn thing for a couple hours, and get two more shots into it before finally putting it on the ground. In the end, zebra would prove the toughest game for our entire group (of the five shot, one went down with a single hit after 500 yards, 3 led the hunters on a merry chase and required follow-up shots, and one was unfortunately lost).
On Day 6, take a nice 7 1/2" moutain reedbuck at 214 yards.
Then, on Day 7, win the lottery. Run into your No. 1 fantasy animal, a waterbuck. Then realize that it's big enough to land a place in the Rowland Ward record book. Now that you're all wound up with waterbuck fever, somehow manage to put a round through the vitals at 180 yards, then hit it again with a running shot at 250 yards. When the dust settles, let it sink in that you've just shot a record book 30 1/2" specimen of the one animal you most wanted to hunt.
Continue crapping out horseshoes on Day 7 by shooting a 14" Kalahari springbuck at 289 yards 45 minutes later.
Wind up the day with a nice steinbuck taken at 125 yards.
On Day 8, start things out with a nice red lechwe at 150 yards.
And follow that up with an equally nice blesbuck at 318 yards in a stiff crosswind.
On Day 9, with the wind finally dying down (it had started blowing hard on Day 6), go out and try to upgrade your kudu. Begin with a 70 yard shot on a much better 42" specimen.
Then, one hour later, unexpectedly run into a group of 4 excellent kudu bulls at 250 yards. Upgrade again to a nice 46" animal.
And a split second later upgrade yet again to a massive 48" bull.
Let the other two run off, since the truck is only so big!
Finish off the rest of the day by making several failed stalks on red hartebeest until finally taking a nice bull at 175 yards just before dark.
On Day 10, spend the morning on a springbuck cull hunt and take a nice ram at 175 yards.
Then take another nice ram with a 150 yard running shot.
And just for good measure, add another 10 non-trophy animals to the collective pot.
Then, while everyone else spends the afternoon packing, head out and start looking for a bushbuck.
And with continued good luck, shoot a nice 12 1/2" ram at 150 yards.
Then, with your barrel now properly broken in, watch the sun set and start planning your next trip.
A very special thanks to everyone who provided the inspiration and support needed to make this trip happen (especially Dogleg, Redfrog, and above all A-zone!). For anyone who's currently on the fence with respect to a South African hunt, please take my advice and just do it already! I shot as much game in 10 days (34 animals) as I have in Canada in the last 10 years! And without a doubt, the hunting conditions and animals were considerably more challenging than what I've typically done here in Alberta. And please don't worry about the concessions being "fenced". There was absolutely no "put-and-take" involved in our hunt, and most of our time was spent in a concession area of over 1000 square kilometres, at least half of which *did not* have a game proof fence.
Now it's time to start planning the next trip. Just a soon as I figure out how to get the taxidermy bill past my wife!
First, you buy yourself one of these chambered in .270 Win, and mount a Leupold 3.5-10x40mm VX-III on it.
Then you fly here:
Then on Day 1 you shoot one of these at 280 yards. Of course, being the first day, you completely screw up and shoot the 37" bull right in front of the much bigger bull the PH was trying to get you to see. Still, it's your first kudu and your first African big game, so you're on top the world no matter what.
On Day 2, go out and shoot one of these at 328 yards after a 2-3 mile stalk:
Then have a quick lunch and go get yourself one of these at 194 yards:
And wind up Day 2 by taking a 282 yard running shot on a big male baboon and making it on the first try. [Editor's note: You may want to consider ending your hunting career right here and now -- as it's only downhill after a shot like that].
Start Day 3 with a 175 yard shot on a 28" blue wildebeest:
And follow that up with a 25 yard snap shot at a 4 1/2" duiker:
End Day 3 on a down note by getting a bit too cocky and taking a frontal shot at a magnificent impala at 195 yards. Break shoulder and lose animal
On Day 4, switch to your trusty 30/06 and shoot a 35" eland at 175 yards. Then shoot it again. And again. And again. And again. Make a note to bring either a 338 Win Mag or a 375 H&H for your next eland hunt.
Switch back to your .270, and then have a 50 yard encounter with your #2 favourite African antelope -- a 25 1/2" nyala!
Then wind up the day by shooting a nice 21" impala.
Get back to the lodge that night, only to find that another one of the PH's ran into your wounded impala and finished it with a 200 yard shot. Thank the gods of hunting for that one. No pictures available, but it's a good 4 inches longer than the one pictured above.
On Day 5, things get serious. Shoot a zebra at 250 yards, hitting it a bit too high. Then chase the damn thing for a couple hours, and get two more shots into it before finally putting it on the ground. In the end, zebra would prove the toughest game for our entire group (of the five shot, one went down with a single hit after 500 yards, 3 led the hunters on a merry chase and required follow-up shots, and one was unfortunately lost).
On Day 6, take a nice 7 1/2" moutain reedbuck at 214 yards.
Then, on Day 7, win the lottery. Run into your No. 1 fantasy animal, a waterbuck. Then realize that it's big enough to land a place in the Rowland Ward record book. Now that you're all wound up with waterbuck fever, somehow manage to put a round through the vitals at 180 yards, then hit it again with a running shot at 250 yards. When the dust settles, let it sink in that you've just shot a record book 30 1/2" specimen of the one animal you most wanted to hunt.
Continue crapping out horseshoes on Day 7 by shooting a 14" Kalahari springbuck at 289 yards 45 minutes later.
Wind up the day with a nice steinbuck taken at 125 yards.
On Day 8, start things out with a nice red lechwe at 150 yards.
And follow that up with an equally nice blesbuck at 318 yards in a stiff crosswind.
On Day 9, with the wind finally dying down (it had started blowing hard on Day 6), go out and try to upgrade your kudu. Begin with a 70 yard shot on a much better 42" specimen.
Then, one hour later, unexpectedly run into a group of 4 excellent kudu bulls at 250 yards. Upgrade again to a nice 46" animal.
And a split second later upgrade yet again to a massive 48" bull.
Let the other two run off, since the truck is only so big!
Finish off the rest of the day by making several failed stalks on red hartebeest until finally taking a nice bull at 175 yards just before dark.
On Day 10, spend the morning on a springbuck cull hunt and take a nice ram at 175 yards.
Then take another nice ram with a 150 yard running shot.
And just for good measure, add another 10 non-trophy animals to the collective pot.
Then, while everyone else spends the afternoon packing, head out and start looking for a bushbuck.
And with continued good luck, shoot a nice 12 1/2" ram at 150 yards.
Then, with your barrel now properly broken in, watch the sun set and start planning your next trip.
A very special thanks to everyone who provided the inspiration and support needed to make this trip happen (especially Dogleg, Redfrog, and above all A-zone!). For anyone who's currently on the fence with respect to a South African hunt, please take my advice and just do it already! I shot as much game in 10 days (34 animals) as I have in Canada in the last 10 years! And without a doubt, the hunting conditions and animals were considerably more challenging than what I've typically done here in Alberta. And please don't worry about the concessions being "fenced". There was absolutely no "put-and-take" involved in our hunt, and most of our time was spent in a concession area of over 1000 square kilometres, at least half of which *did not* have a game proof fence.
Now it's time to start planning the next trip. Just a soon as I figure out how to get the taxidermy bill past my wife!
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You're hooked now, so you may as well go out and grab a three seven five for your return. They look real cool propped up against an eland or buffalo as well.
