You and a Man Eating Tiger - What Rifle?

You can still go on Safari in Open Jeeps in many national parks in India, and often you encounter Tigers roaming the road 20-30 feet away - the Tiger's seemingly oblivious to the clicking Cameras and jeep mounted observers. November is the mating season though and things can become a little tense. One of the game wardens at Ranthambhor told me there was one male Tiger in the park (late 1990s) whom they called "Charger" for obvious reasons .... and on a couple of occassions managed to catch the jeep and get a meat hook in before they could get the vehicle up into the upper gears and pull away. So it can happen do to the free and open form of safari that is still permited.


This particular video seemed grainy and broken .... was that my archaic dial-up/windows 98 configuration or is the video fairly detailed?
 
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12ga sxs for sure. Probably only get one shot off, but with sluggos you only ever need one.
 
In the case of the big cats in general, and tigers in particular - it important to understand that cat's have a highly developed nervous system and light frames. Therefore I would want a high velocity fast expanding bullet. Perhaps a 235 gr. TSX if I could get it to shoot in my .375, and if not a 260 gr. Nosler which I know does. The rifle is a no brainer - my .375 Ultra, Brno 602 carbine.

What does pose an interesting problem is the type of country tigers are normally found in. Anybody remember the tiger scene in Apocalypse Now? Chances are, unlike the movie, you will never know the cat is there until it makes it's move. Much better to have a native tracker out in front!
 
I'd take a biggish rife, 375 H&H and up, loaded with Nosler Accubonds:cool:

No way would I take a shotgun, especially not one loaded with buckshot...:runaway:

Isn't buckshot for dangerous game sooooooo CGN circa 2003, anyway?:dancingbanana:
 
Jim Corbett <---- Balls of Steel

I personally would want something that i was comfy with.

if i had time to practice, and a crap load of cash, id take something along the lines of a over under 50 bmg with expanding ammo.

sights would be whatever i could use the quickest, if i practiced id use iron, without practice reddot. mabye have a very bright lasersight on there. on/off switch of course. Not sure how the tiger would react to it though.

(on a side note, people have started to wear human face masks on the back of their heads, it has cut down tiger attacks signifigently)
 
PeakXV said:
A 500lb Tiger suddenly charges out of a thicket 50-yards away he's on the
dead run and one thing is clear - it's him or you. In memory of the great Tiger Hunter Jim Corbett(see below) you only have two rounds :eek: - what rifle are you bringing to this big showdown?
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Something with a short Barrel........so I could still reach the trigger with it stuffed in my mouth !:runaway:

I'd take a Nice Double Rifle, NO way you're getting off 2 shots with a repeater anyways.....open sights, although it would be more of a "point and shoot" affair I'm sure given the range and the Tiger's speed.

Anything with a Flat Nosed 458 Bullet would do ! (45-70,458 Mag, lott etc. :cool: )

Aim for centre of mass, close eyes, yank Both triggers.....& Hope for the Best ;)
 
Amongst other cartridges, Corbertt used a 275 Rigby (7X57 mauser). He was so close to one tiger that the muzzle was almost touching the tiger when he shot it.

That is too close for me!

He also used a .500 MC rifle; a 577/450 Martinni; a 450/400 double, and to dispatch the Panar Leopard, a double barreled shotgun! I think that his favorite was the Rigby however.
 
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If it can see me, Im too close for my comfort. I would prefer to have a good stand off distance, such as at least 250m.

Why for dangerous game is a huge bullet at slow velocities more favorable than a medium size at high velocity? "300 win mag"
 
I've had a rethink on this one.
Here in Oz 2 guys developed a group of wildcats they named the Australian Stalker cartridges.
They are essentially the WSM case necked up to 375, 404(.423"), 416 and 458 cals.
The aim was to create in a short action the same power as the magnum length cartridges and looking at their figures they seem to have achieved it.
They keep the pressure down to sub 50k psi like African loads too.
I think a BAR in 404 or 458 Australian Stalker with a 20" bbl would be a good choice for this job.
Three quick rounds in the mag and one in the chamber should be enough to put down that tiger.
 
A single shot Cooey in .22 short. I'm just that much of a bad-ass

Or how about a Martini henry in the original boxer cartridge chambering. That ought to do some damage
 
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