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Hunting >> Hunting in Australia, NZ & the South Pacific
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TOBY458
.300 member


Reged: 23/01/14
Posts: 206
Loc: Georgia, USA
Australia Wide Safaris, December 2015 Hunt Results
      #275067 - 14/12/15 01:00 PM

I just returned from a 5 day safari with Matt Kelman at Australia Wide Safaris.
I had a great hunt and an exceptional time! Killed one trophy bull, two "non trophy" bulls, and one cow. All three bulls were taken with my Sako Kodiak 375 h&h with 300 gr Barnes TSX.
The cow was taken with Matt's Merkel 470 Double rifle, which he let me borrow for the hunt.
The 375 performed flawlessly on the bulls. The Barnes TSX is perfect for these tough buffalo, and penetration was excellent. We found several bullets just under the skin on the off side. Couldn't have asked for any better.
The 470 with Woodleigh bullets also performed perfectly on the cow, which weighed an estimated 800 lbs.
Matt runs a top notch operation, and I would highly recommend his company for a hunt of a lifetime!
Pictures to come.

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TOBY458
.300 member


Reged: 23/01/14
Posts: 206
Loc: Georgia, USA
Re: Australia Wide Safaris, December 2015 Hunt Results [Re: TOBY458]
      #275068 - 14/12/15 01:02 PM



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TOBY458
.300 member


Reged: 23/01/14
Posts: 206
Loc: Georgia, USA
Re: Australia Wide Safaris, December 2015 Hunt Results [Re: TOBY458]
      #275069 - 14/12/15 01:03 PM



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TOBY458
.300 member


Reged: 23/01/14
Posts: 206
Loc: Georgia, USA
Re: Australia Wide Safaris, December 2015 Hunt Results [Re: TOBY458]
      #275070 - 14/12/15 01:05 PM



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TOBY458
.300 member


Reged: 23/01/14
Posts: 206
Loc: Georgia, USA
Re: Australia Wide Safaris, December 2015 Hunt Results [Re: TOBY458]
      #275071 - 14/12/15 01:06 PM



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DarylS
.700 member


Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26992
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: Australia Wide Safaris, December 2015 Hunt Results [Re: TOBY458]
      #275072 - 14/12/15 01:12 PM

Nice!

What do the bulls run for live weight?

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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TOBY458
.300 member


Reged: 23/01/14
Posts: 206
Loc: Georgia, USA
Re: Australia Wide Safaris, December 2015 Hunt Results [Re: DarylS]
      #275075 - 14/12/15 01:19 PM

Matt estimates around 1800 lbs this time of year for the really big ones. Maybe 2000 lbs at the end of the dry season. It's been very dry there up until recently. The flood plains are just now beginning to get wet. Driving was easy and we hunted the property with no problems. It was hot, but not unbearable, unless you went for a long walk around mid day.

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4seventy
Sponsor


Reged: 07/05/03
Posts: 2210
Loc: Queensland Australia
Re: Australia Wide Safaris, December 2015 Hunt Results [Re: TOBY458]
      #275080 - 14/12/15 01:44 PM

Looks like you did indeed have a great hunt. Awesome photos too.
Thanks for showing.

But be aware that you were probably bitten by the Double Rifle Bug while you were there!



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TOBY458
.300 member


Reged: 23/01/14
Posts: 206
Loc: Georgia, USA
Re: Australia Wide Safaris, December 2015 Hunt Results [Re: 4seventy]
      #275087 - 14/12/15 08:57 PM

I already had a case of the double rifle bug that was in remission. This may have brought it back!

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PapaScarface
.224 member


Reged: 28/08/15
Posts: 40
Loc: NSW, Australia
Re: Australia Wide Safaris, December 2015 Hunt Results [Re: TOBY458]
      #275124 - 15/12/15 12:09 PM

Good to see you had a great time Toby!!

How did you find the lodge?

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TOBY458
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Reged: 23/01/14
Posts: 206
Loc: Georgia, USA
Re: Australia Wide Safaris, December 2015 Hunt Results [Re: PapaScarface]
      #275130 - 15/12/15 12:58 PM

The lodge was very nice! The sleeping quarters are air conditioned and very comfortable. Each cabin has a very comfortable bed and a nice bathroom with shower. The meals are very good as well. Definitely not roughing it!

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Rule303
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Reged: 05/07/09
Posts: 5061
Loc: Woodford Qld
Re: Australia Wide Safaris, December 2015 Hunt Results [Re: TOBY458]
      #275136 - 15/12/15 06:14 PM

Well done Toby. I bet that is one hunt you will not forget.

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TOBY458
.300 member


Reged: 23/01/14
Posts: 206
Loc: Georgia, USA
Re: Australia Wide Safaris, December 2015 Hunt Results [Re: Rule303]
      #275182 - 17/12/15 11:15 AM

I'll definitely never forget it. It just ignited the cape buffalo/double rifle fire that much more.

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Ripp
.577 member


Reged: 19/02/07
Posts: 16072
Loc: Montana, USA
Re: Australia Wide Safaris, December 2015 Hunt Results [Re: TOBY458]
      #275186 - 17/12/15 11:49 AM

Looks like a great hunt and a great time..

Congrats..

Ripp

--------------------
ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..

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Claydog
.375 member


Reged: 17/08/12
Posts: 934
Loc: Katherine, Northern Territory ...
Re: Australia Wide Safaris, December 2015 Hunt Results [Re: Ripp]
      #275193 - 17/12/15 03:10 PM

Good one Toby. Looks like a great hunt. Glad it all worked out.

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Gaff
.224 member


Reged: 05/08/11
Posts: 43
Loc: Darwin NT
Re: Australia Wide Safaris, December 2015 Hunt Results [Re: Claydog]
      #275232 - 18/12/15 10:50 AM

Good stuff Toby, your shirt looks a bit sweat free, did you put on a fresh one for the photos

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TOBY458
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Reged: 23/01/14
Posts: 206
Loc: Georgia, USA
Re: Australia Wide Safaris, December 2015 Hunt Results [Re: Gaff]
      #275284 - 19/12/15 05:03 AM

Oh believe me....there was plenty of sweating! Believe it or not, all of the kills were made on the easiest days of hunting. Two were killed early morning. The other two were killed in the evening, early in the hunt that day.
The days that we walked alot and sweated, we didn't kill anything!

Edited by TOBY458 (19/12/15 05:04 AM)

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NitroXAdministrator
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Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39877
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
Re: Australia Wide Safaris, December 2015 Hunt Results [Re: TOBY458]
      #275486 - 23/12/15 12:21 AM

Hell if I had been hunting in December my shirt would have been soaked with sweat.

The main difference between the trophy bull and the two non trophy ones seems to be the thickness? The first one in the photos of the two non-trophy bulls seems not too bad at all either.

--------------------
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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TOBY458
.300 member


Reged: 23/01/14
Posts: 206
Loc: Georgia, USA
Re: Australia Wide Safaris, December 2015 Hunt Results [Re: NitroX]
      #275511 - 23/12/15 01:09 PM

Yes. The thickness was the difference. I think he may have underestimated that second bull we shot a bit. He offered it to me at the non trophy rate and I took it! He even said that was a mighty nice bull for the price.
It actually wasn't that hot when we hunted. It got up to 90 or so most days. Only one day was it really uncomfortable.
I would go back in a heart beat!

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NitroXAdministrator
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Reged: 25/12/02
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Re: Australia Wide Safaris, December 2015 Hunt Results [Re: TOBY458]
      #275529 - 23/12/15 04:53 PM

While you were cooling it in the NT we had, probably a few days later, a heat wave down here in South Aust. Over ten days in excess of 35 degrees C (95F) and four days in a row over 40 deg C (104F) . At home the hottest it got to was 44 deg C (111F). Some of the nights were still at about 34 deg C (93F) ....


It did rain in the NT after you left, per the weather forecasts I saw. So it might be nice and wet now.
ffffing hot and sweaty here.

--------------------
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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TOBY458
.300 member


Reged: 23/01/14
Posts: 206
Loc: Georgia, USA
Re: Australia Wide Safaris, December 2015 Hunt Results [Re: NitroX]
      #275541 - 24/12/15 03:28 AM

Yes that is hot! The flood plains were dry enough to drive across when I was there,so I wasn't able to take a ride on the airboat. He says that will be up and going in a week or two. So, other than the heat, December is a good month for hunting. If I could just find a way to make the 30 hour plane trip a little less brutal.....

Edited by TOBY458 (24/12/15 03:29 AM)

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TOBY458
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Reged: 23/01/14
Posts: 206
Loc: Georgia, USA
Re: Australia Wide Safaris, December 2015 Hunt Results [Re: TOBY458]
      #275542 - 24/12/15 03:38 AM

https://youtu.be/DlZRXH7B6VU

Here is a video of my hunt for the second bull in the pictures above.

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stug
.275 member


Reged: 20/08/14
Posts: 69
Loc: Canterbury, New Zealand
Re: Australia Wide Safaris, December 2015 Hunt Results [Re: TOBY458]
      #275568 - 24/12/15 08:52 PM

Nice shooting!

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AnthonyA458
.224 member


Reged: 19/01/16
Posts: 2
Loc: Sydney, NSW, Australia
Re: Australia Wide Safaris, December 2015 Hunt Results [Re: stug]
      #276896 - 21/01/16 09:38 PM

Well done Toby. I'm glad you enjoyed the hunting in Australia.

--------------------
Meplat Firearm Services
anthony@meplat.com.au

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