mikeh416Rigby
.450 member
Reged: 24/02/03
Posts: 6051
Loc: The beautiful Oley Valley, PA....
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This male Warthog was shot from 120 yards away. He's considered excellent for Namibia, and had 13" tusks.
Edited by mikeh416Rigby (29/05/05 12:21 PM)
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mikeh416Rigby
.450 member
Reged: 24/02/03
Posts: 6051
Loc: The beautiful Oley Valley, PA....
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This Mt. Zebra stallion was shot from @ 225 yards away after a stalk of over a mile. He was standing under a Mopane tree while his harem of 5 mares fed a short distance away. He was quartering away, downhill, and the photo shows the entrance wound. The bullet lodged in the off shoulder, and was the only bullet recovered. All other shots were pass throughs. He ran in a circle after being shot, and dropped over. I'm having a pedistal mount done. 
This picture shows gemsbok tracks in the dry river bottom. The smaller tracks are those of a Jackal.
Edited by mikeh416Rigby (29/05/05 12:23 PM)
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NitroX
.700 member
Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 40636
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
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Fantasic warthog. Is this your best to date?
I guess the sandy soils are conductive to less wear on the tushes and tusks. Certainly I have never seen one that size except in a National Park.
***
Great idea for a zebra, a pedastal mount. My last one was a shoulder mount to contrast against a deep blue wall.
The tracks, I thought they might be gemsbok as zebra are a little more rounded I think, but went for zebra. Wrong.
The roads are great for telling a story about what is moving around. In the Matapos Hills I found a track with bamboon and a leopard following them.
Did you follow up these tracks and eventually take your trophy?
--------------------
John aka NitroX
 ...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"
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mikeh416Rigby
.450 member
Reged: 24/02/03
Posts: 6051
Loc: The beautiful Oley Valley, PA....
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This is my 2nd Warthog, and certainly my best so far. I'm going to have him done life size.
I have a pedestal mount done of a Burchells Zebra on one side of my fireplace. This one will be put on the opposite side. I think they'll make a nice pair.
Zebra tracks are very much like those of a horse. Rounded, and not split.
Didn't follow up on these tracks, as they were heading in the opposite direction from where we were going.
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rgp
.333 member
Reged: 17/06/04
Posts: 373
Loc: TX & VIC
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Mike,
Nice (if warthogs may be referred to as "nice").
May I ask what modifications were done to your rifle given that it does not appear to be a stock Model 70?
Thank you,
Richard.
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mikeh416Rigby
.450 member
Reged: 24/02/03
Posts: 6051
Loc: The beautiful Oley Valley, PA....
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Thanks. I had it restocked in AAA Claro Walnut, the action glass bedded, four panel Westley Richards 22 l.p.i.checkering, modified tung oil satin finish, and had a proprietary metal finish applied-all by Serengeti Stockworks. I also had it rechambered from 375 H&H to 375 Ackley Improved. The factory sights were replaced with a fixed blade express rear sight, and a barrel banded front bead with a flip up ivory night bead from N.E.C.G.. The Leupold 1.75 X 6 scope sits in Talley Q.D.rings and bases.
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rgp
.333 member
Reged: 17/06/04
Posts: 373
Loc: TX & VIC
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Mike,
Thank you for those details on the gun and the gunsmith, that rifle looks VERY nicely done.
Richard.
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mikeh416Rigby
.450 member
Reged: 24/02/03
Posts: 6051
Loc: The beautiful Oley Valley, PA....
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Thanks. The rifle is very nicely done, and looks even nicer in person. Serengeti is a good company to work with. It took about 4 months from the time I sent them the barrelled action until I had it back in my hands. The stock blank was selected by me from their website.
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rgp
.333 member
Reged: 17/06/04
Posts: 373
Loc: TX & VIC
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Mike,
4 months is a fast turnaround! Most smiths seem to have inherited their speed genes from snails. I'm browsing the Serengeti Rifle website now.
Thank you,
Richard.
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mikeh416Rigby
.450 member
Reged: 24/02/03
Posts: 6051
Loc: The beautiful Oley Valley, PA....
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Richard, I neglected to mention that I had the stock done up in their Merlin configuration which is a more classic design. I also had the slimline cheek piece, and cross bolts added, and also a Pacmeyer Decelerator pad.
Edited by mikeh416Rigby (30/05/05 10:37 AM)
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mikeh416Rigby
.450 member
Reged: 24/02/03
Posts: 6051
Loc: The beautiful Oley Valley, PA....
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Richard, I neglected to mention that the stock you see in the photo is actually a laminated stock. Serengeti's unique process assures that the beauty of the blank is maintained, and you avoid the stereotype look of other companies laminates.
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rgp
.333 member
Reged: 17/06/04
Posts: 373
Loc: TX & VIC
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Mike,
If the stock is a laminate then the laminate must be made from a single piece of wood to keep the appearance of a normal stock?
Also have you used the Merlin stock configuration with the open sights yet and if so, is it comfortable to shoot when using the open sights?
Richard.
ps, .375's are one of my weaknesses, and when I see a nice .375, I act like a fat kid in a candy shop.
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mikeh416Rigby
.450 member
Reged: 24/02/03
Posts: 6051
Loc: The beautiful Oley Valley, PA....
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Your right. Their process takes a customer selected, or provided blank and uses nothing but the selected blank to build the stock. This enables them to keep the "show" sides visible and avoid the "plywood" look of most laminated stocks.
I've used the open sights with the Merlin configuration, and it is a slight compromise using them. The stock is mainly designed for scope use, but with a bit of experimenting with different sight heights, I found a set that fits my chubby face. It's much more comfortable to shoot with open sights than the original factory stock was.
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BigBullet
.224 member
Reged: 06/03/04
Posts: 22
Loc: Yulee, FL USA
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Mike,
Great warthog! I have been searching for one like that for 3 safaris. Will try again this August.
Congratulations on your hunt,
BigBullet
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"But I have always held it little short of criminality to anticipate evils, I will allow it to be a good, comfortable road until I am compelled to believe otherwise." William Clark May 1805
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mikeh416Rigby
.450 member
Reged: 24/02/03
Posts: 6051
Loc: The beautiful Oley Valley, PA....
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I wish you all the best on your quest for that big Warthog.
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mikeh416Rigby
.450 member
Reged: 24/02/03
Posts: 6051
Loc: The beautiful Oley Valley, PA....
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Richard, I sent you a PM.
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DPhillips
.375 member
Reged: 09/10/03
Posts: 819
Loc: Alaska
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I think Mike's stock and mine are similar in construction. Serengeti takes a solid blank and makes 5 "layers" from it. The two exterior layers are a bit thicker than the internal layers. The blank direction is reversed in the alternating layers. The stocks, if the blanks are properly selected, can be very nice.
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mikeh416Rigby
.450 member
Reged: 24/02/03
Posts: 6051
Loc: The beautiful Oley Valley, PA....
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I just wanted to wish you all the best on your upcoming Safari in August. Where will you be hunting, and with whom?
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