Dinsdale

Follow up. Good advice to buy this reel. Thanks all. Used it during the summer and although plans evolved and I dropped the saltwater portion of my trip, it’s performance is top notch. Well worth taking it as outfitters equipment is tired and needs an upgrade. Tigerfish, Lower Zambezi, It was warm especially in ‘the Gorges’ well into the 100’s everyday. This is fed from Kariba dam and water runs cooler with a fair amount of current. Ranged from fingerlings to a 9lb’er (with the boga) Lots of Hippo attracts lots of baitfish the feed on the dung and provides plenty of tigers around to snack on them. Snagged one Hippo with a Yozuri and it almost spooled my braid line, it was not happy.

Yep. Sure gonna try anyway.

I am so ready, but waiting on delayed charter into camp as previous group is recovering a buffalo shot at last light yesterday. Its all good, tomorrow is first hunting day other then a few minutes to check rifle at camp all is well. So im working on a new knife for this hunt with a stone i have along. Still needs some sanding and stone work, but getting there. Maple and tool steel.

Best way to social distance in modern international flying..... Put 38 people on a plane that seats 286 and 10 flight attendents. Cargo is paying the way. Just a side observation, Emirates hands down best looking fligjt attendents ever. Singapore Air right there too.

Im at JFK right now ready to go. 5 kg or 11 lbs. Now thats supposed to be for ammo and a case, but many weight those together. Print rules most supervisors will do correct that. On international it has to be seperate from firearm. But some domestics allow it in check case with gun. Im flying Emirates and they require prior approved permit. Submitted passport, customs 4457, letter of invitation providing proof i needed a rifle at my destination. Submitted at 30 days, got confirmation from Dubia Police all ok 3 days before departure. If you transit some countries you need permission. Im going through Milan Italy and dont need anything. But Dubia and airline do. Cant be in a ziplock. Has to be in oem, OR secure packaging, thats domestic and international. I use mtm slip cases all the time no issue. Ive checked just a small ammo case for both domestic and international with 80-100 rounds no problem. And obvious it has to be checked.

I shoot both open, biggest benefit for me has been calling my shots. More often then not seeing a bullet hit and being able to stay on an animal even in a herd situation with mulriple animals dispersing at the shot.

Im happy to read so many posters talk about good bullet choice. Most 22 250 commercial are varmint rounds. Also in context, its not uncommon for deer to be head shot for the meat market in European countries, body shots are not allowed. That tradition enters into even personal hunting shot choices not intended for market. Fallow are outstanding table fare, highly prized in both market and for personal use. Here we are agast at the mear mention of head shots, but i can say a super accurate 22 cal fast centerfire is an efficient killer when used in that application. With the right bullet a body shot not an issue either. I have some 22 250 with Nosler partitions that kill deer sized game quite well, i happen not to use it much as i have many choices. But its done its job without fuss.

Ya, that’ll work.

"The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber" ,although a short story, is a good read. "Snows of Kilimanjaro" written at same time.

And Id love to help you out too. But 11 days left of my boss giving me a to do list and I'm on a plane for my opening day. .

Last 2 years I haven't done any big game and hardly any hunting at all. Lost my mojo for a bit with other things complicating life. Still enjoy reading others posts here and elsewhere. Tracked a very nice deer last year during regular season for a day, didn't even have a rifle with me. Started out the day set for a long hike. Had a ball in some fresh snow. Booked a 2 week hunting/ fishing trip in spring this year for 2 weeks to get back into it. I'm just a couple weeks away now. You'd think it was my first opening day coming up. I have slept in a week now that I'm so close. Enjoy the diversion, this will all still be here.

Butchering a pig is by far the easiest animal I have ever cut up, even more so if curing the rear quarters for ham. Now to live stick a pig, that'd be pretty tough for most, even veteran hunters I know are pretty wide eyed when they have watched me. Slide a knife in from the front of the chest, severing the top of the heart with a side slicing motion. Old school is to collect that blood in a bucket for sausage as it pours out. There's a reason the British SAS trained on pigs to get soldiers used to the feel, sights, smell, and sounds of an upclose death. Never changed a diaper. Never will. I feel diminished.

Common practice in places where tracking hunts happen is to drag brush on a rope behind a vehicle on 2 tracks/roads to sweep them clean to check for prints. And you now have a timeline started to age them. Lots of interesting info learned from reading tracks. Sweeping paths into blinds a common occurrence when predator hunting baited set ups in other places . I usually get that job, and not uncommon to do 150 to 200 yds so you can walk quietly in the dark. Good to see NY making changes. Get rid of back tags and they might catch up to the rest of the states.

Duplicate

And with just a bolt body swap, it can be a lefty in about two minutes! You shot the tupperware stock i think with a 30 06 barrel. But I had a 8x57 with us too. I've never shot anything with that 8mm barrel other then paper. I have a pile of ammo for it, but its neither fish nor fowl for me as a medium bore. Blaser ain't the only choice in the safe, and I'm ok with some of the others too

Gone from a political post to a Blaser rifle discussion, this thread is all over the place. I've own a couple R 93's for about 20 years. Terrific travel rifle, shot a fair amount out of a pile of different barrels. Favorites are a 270 win,300wby, and a 28ga. All three have been packed more then a few times for a hunt. That'd be my one gun.

There's one you don't see to often listed. Had one that shot 180gr Swift Scirocco's into tiny groups. One of 2 rifles I wish I didn't sell.

Was in 8" rain total, now more like 4". Just sprinkles so far. I have 2 of the Honda 2200 and the kit to connect them along with the extended run external fuel tank. Run great, use one as a single out on the property or together they run enough for the house. I like it better then a larger same output unit. Sips fuel too.

I have a fair amount of taxidermy done by a couple of folks. The running the business end is huge. Most are overwhelmed by this in my experience. Keep prices and quality high. If you're going to be a pro, get paid like one and there will be enough in it to cover the expenses of running a business, even if that means paying a little for some help on that end. Keep clients in the loop. Most are smart enough if they are paying top dollar that its a long term product they will view for years. No one wants silence on the other end and ignored communications. Good luck.

In the same boat for a fall hunting trip, still checking boxes and prepping like its going to happen. Fingers crossed.

Guess I'm a douche bag too. I've used a forum just like this one to chase down a deal going bad, got myself a pm from a member who was also struggling with the same person, and we got our situation fixed. I wasn't going to drive to Arizona. Hopefully saved someone else the same issues in the process.

If you Google it, Jim Shockey penned an interesting read on outfits and clients and the covid effects the business is having now and going to have. Mostly based around tags, down payments and the jam both sides can be in when things go south. Good perspective to understand for those looking at booking a hunt.

I was in Spruceton today doing final touches on a cabinet job. Good place for this, hate getting in there to work; and we have another major project coming up. Number of $3 million plus homes going in these out in the middle of nowhere places is staggering.

First CZ was a Brno 602(458 lott out of a reamed win mag) and i traded for a CZ 550 full stock in 6.5x55. Added a 9.3x62, and a few rimfires in full stock. Couple are still nib. Discontinued 550 for a push feed version as the vintage ww2 machinery is wore out and too much to replace. Some of the calibers are commanding a significant premium. Thats a very nice stock on that rifle above.

Thanks a cool list. Be interesting to know some years in general.