An extract from:
“WILD SPORTS OF BURMA AND ASSAM” by COLONEL F. T. POLLOK.

It is absolute folly attempting to use small-bore express rifles upon such thick-skinned, muscular, big-boned, and massive beasts as gaur. Many sportsmen have, I have no doubt, been, fairly successful with small bores, but one day in thick cover with a charging gaur, bull elephant, or tsine in his immediate front, he will discover his mistake. An article in the Field of September 10, 1898, entitled "Jungle Experiences in Pahang," gives a very good instance of how an experienced sportsman, Captain Syers, Commissioner of Police for the Federated Malay States, lost his life through having pinned his faith to a -577 express double rifle. I shall here quote an extract from the above article for the benefit of those sportsmen who may still be of the same opinion with regard to a '577 and other small-bores upon huge and dangerous game, who may not have seen the publication I refer to.

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" We started down-river, reaching Knala Klan about mid-night on the 1 2th. Next morning (July 12, 1897) we went up the Klan river and landed at Padaung Ali. I landed here at a grass plain on the river bank, and found eleven bison and a calf feeding. I went back to the boats and informed Syers. He was armed with a '577 express, and on his recommendation I carried a similar weapon, leaving my l0-bore in the boat. We started the bull through grass about five feet high, and we both gave him the contents of both barrels ; he made off at a terrific pace into the jungle. The remainder of the herd cantered past slowly, and we managed to put the contents of another two barrels each into a cow as she passed us. She ran into a patch of undergrowth, where Syers finished her. In the meantime my Malay tracker, Awang, came up with my l0-bore, but stupidly only brought two cartridges. We then proceeded to follow the wounded bull. We tracked for three hours, when we unexpectedly heard a bison stamping, knocking off the flies from his legs. We made for the spot from which the noise proceeded, and came across a fresh bull in big jungle. He was about 30 yards from us, and we agreed to fire simultaneously. I gave him both barrels of my 10-bore and Syers both barrels from his -577.

" The beast bolted ; we followed up, and about half-an-hour afterwards heard him moving in the jungle ahead. We made a detour, but the bull had been watching us, and charged Syers, who gave him one barrel, turning him ; he again charged, and Syers gave him his left barrel ; the bull, on receiving the bullet, reared clear on his hind-legs and dashed past at an angle. He then made for me, and I gave him both barrels from my '577, having in the meanwhile handed my l0-bore to Awang, as I had no more cartridges for it. All these shots had taken effect, but the bull was not disabled. Syers used a '577 express throughout. The bull went on for about 300 yards and then waited for us ; as we came up to him he again charged at a terrific pace. I heard him coming and stepped aside; Syers waited for him, and fired his first barrel at a distance of 20 yards, and his second at a distance of only two yards. Neither shot turned him, and the bull caught him clean in the back, rearing up into the air with him. Poor Syers, still clutching to his rifle, turned three complete somersaults before his head struck the branch of a tree some 35 feet from the ground. He fell straight down on his back. The bull till now had not touched him with his horns, but waiting for him the moment he touched the ground again, tossed him with his right horn, the horn penetrating below his ribs in the right-hand side. I was close at hand, and fired two simultaneous shots, not even putting the rifle to my shoulder, and was knocked endways.

All this occurred in a few seconds, and I had been unable to put in a shot sooner. The bull left the spot and lay down in the undergrowth close by, kicking and bellowing where he lay. I went at once to Syers' assistance, and found him terribly injured ; the lining of the stomach protruding from the wound in his right side. I at once sent Awang to get assistance, and he returned in an hour and a half's time with some sakies, whom he met coming down-river in their dug-outs. In the meantime, I did all I could to bind and dress Syers' wound. We made a stretcher and carried him to the boat.

"At Syers' urgent request I returned to despatch the bull, leaving him in the care of his old servant, Yacoob. I had some difficulty in finding the spot where the bison was lying, but, on finding him, I stalked close up to him. He tried to rise but was unable to do so. I gave him five shots before he was finished. I counted fifteen bullet wounds, mostly on the shoulders, some of them penetrating clean through the body. Yacoob, in the meanwhile, had sent on news of the accident to Knala Semantan by a fast sampan. I left two men to gather the head, and immediately proceeded down-river with Syers. It was about 11 a.m. when Syers met with his injury, and we commenced our way down-stream about 2 p.m. Before proceeding down-stream I dressed the wound with carbolic bandages, and gave him small doses of brandy-and-water. He complained of great pain in his bladder, and I applied hot fomentations and opium.

We reached Knala Semantan at 9.30 p.m., where Mr. Townley gave me every available assistance. We moved Syers into a larger boat and gave him some chloroform. We left at 10 p.m. with a crew of twenty Malays rowing hard, in the hope of reaching Pekan, where the nearest medical aid was obtainable. Syers was in good spirits and complained of being sleepy, but at 12.45 a.m., on the I4th, he expired.

I reached Pekan on the I5th, where poor Syers was examined by Dr. Jesser Coope. On examination it was found that the muscles on the right side of his back were completely torn away from the spine, and Dr. Coope expressed the opinion that this alone would have been sufficient to kill B B Syers, apart from his internal injuries, which were extremely serious. In fact, he was surprised that Syers should have lived so long as eleven and a half hours after the accident. For the benefit of other sportsmen I may here state that Syers, who before his accident was a firm believer in the 577 express for big-game shooting, and with which weapon he had shot no less than thirteen bison and other large game, told me, shortly before he expired, that if he had been armed with an 8-bore the bull, in his last charge, would have been stopped ; and earnestly entreated me never to go after bison again with so small a weapon. With this sad experience before me, it is needless to add that in future I will follow out this last advice of the best sportsman who ever breathed."

The above narrative speaks for itself, and is a very sad instance of the folly of using small-bore rifles upon large and dangerous game, especially in thick cover where it is absolutely imperative to prevent an animal from making good its charge. I cannot point out too often the danger of using small-bores. 1 I remember on one occasion, shortly after the purchase of a "303 Metford rifle, having a very close shave from a huge solitary bull tsine or Bos sondaicus. I was walking along the top of a ridge covered with dwarf bamboo bushes, when, at a distance of only about twenty paces, I caught sight of a tsine looking at me through some bamboo shrubs, the chest and face only visible. I immediately fired, aiming for the chest with a Lee-Metford ; the tsine, on receiving the shot, dashed straight at me, and I had only time to step on one side ; as it was, the bamboo branches dashed aside by the animal in its charge knocked my hat off. I never saw this animal again, nor could I even make out if he had been hit, there being no blood-spoor by which to follow. This would never have happened had I been armed with a double 4 or 8-bore.

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