[powerstrk]

Injured big-game hunter takes aim at bullet manufacturers
Howie Padilla, Star Tribune

Published April 16, 2003 LION16


When a professional big-game hunter on safari in Africa shot a charging lion from about 30 yards away, he expected that the cat would die, or at least be stopped.

Instead, the lion mauled the marksman.

It wasn't bad aim, but bad bullets that allowed the lion to take Rolf Rohwer temporarily out of the hunting game, according to a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday against the bullet manufacturers, one of which is the Federal Cartridge Co. of Anoka.

Rohwer, of Scotland, is a wildlife biologist who has more than 30 years of African hunting and wildlife management experience, according to his Web site. He suffered permanent damage to his legs, arm and back, said his attorney, Louis Franecke. Rohwer was trying a new type of ammunition on Aug. 11, 2000, the day of the attack, he said.

"We think the company makes good ammunition, but not all of it is good for every application," Franecke said from his office in San Rafael, Calif. "Therein lies the problem. This bullet is not suitable for all big game."

Although the bullet might be good for hunting the majority of big game animals -- including rhinoceros, elephant, buffalo and hippopotamus -- the lion's thin skin allowed the bullet to pass through with minimal damage, he said. On a thicker-skinned animal, the bullet -- a .458 Winchester Magnum, 500 grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claw -- would expand, killing the animal quickly, according to the suit.

A lion shot with the bullet is still a dangerous and "harmful beast capable of causing severe personal injuries to human for a substantial period of time," the suit said.

Officials at Federal Cartridge hadn't seen the suit and were unable to comment on it, said Rod Bitz, spokesman for Alliant Techsystems Inc., Federal's parent company. The other company named is Trophy Bonded Bullets Inc. of Houston, according to the suit.

"This bullet is not suitable for killing a charging lion," Franecke said. "It's suitable for killing a lion over a period of time."

Before the lion reached Rohwer, who has since returned to hunting, he shot it a second time, Franecke said.

"The lion died basically while chewing on my client."

Howie Padilla is at hpadilla@startribune.com.

:what:

[USGuns]

Ouch! Bad kitty, bad!
Maybe he should have used his 9mm... ;) ;)

[Delmar]

30 years experience in being a kitty snack?? What would possess this person to make a switch like that and not test it out before taking it afield? Gee, if he wins, I'm going to tell one of my hunting buddies who shot 3 deer in one morning with his 243-all the bambi's scampered off as if nothing happened. Turned out he was using Federal full metal jacket loads. Maybe he can sue as well because the deer didn't drop in their tracks:rolleyes:
What a maroon.

[Selfdfenz]

Hunting can a dangerous undertaking.
Hunting dangerous game on the same footing and at close ranges is always a dangerous undertaking. They don't always just up an fall dead in their tracks when shot and even when shot very well.
And...he went back a hunting did he not?
Federal's attorney will have a field day with Rolf and Loius.
(Unless they use one of the same ones the tobacco company used)



S-

[Mike Irwin]

Sounds more like a failure of logic in the trigger activation computer...

[KMKeller]

Federal .458 Winchester Magnum, 500 grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claw eh? Hmmmm, let's see...


Federal Load No. Factory Primer No. Caliber Bullet Weight
Grains / Grams Bullet style
P458T2 215 458 Win. Magnum 500 / 32.4 Trophy Bonded Bear Claw


Velocity in Feet Per Second (To Nearest 10 FPS)
Muzzle 100 Yds 200 Yds 300 Yds 400 Yds 500 Yds
2090 1870 1660 1480 1310 1180

Energy in Foot Pounds (To Nearest 5 Foot-Pounds)
Muzzle 100 Yds 200 Yds 300 Yds 400 Yds 500 Yds
4850 3870 3065 2420 1915 1550


Looks like a wee bit of overkill...

[DJJ]

No mention of shot placement.

Isn't it the general consensus that at that distance, the only sure stopper is a CNS hit?

Dude also forgot to sue the safari outfitter and the PH.

[Delmar]

Gee, ft/lbs does not equal dead kitty?

[Jmurman]

some of these guys that ask the question what round will stop bears or whatever...they should certainly take note of this.

[Black_Talon]

Posted by DJJ:
Dude also forgot to sue the safari outfitter and the PH.

Ever heard of "Deep Pockets"?

FCC has the $$, the outfitter/guide probably doesn't.

Slimey effing lawyers...

[Delmar]

PITA is going to represent the Lion in a wrongful death suit....

[Frohickey]

Maybe after this big game hunter wins his lawsuit, wives and husbands of police officers who shot at and were subsequently injured/killed by criminals firing back should sue ammunition manufacturers as well.

Then, after that, the family of alleged criminals who died (prior to trial) in the commission of a crime should sue ammunition manufacturers for failing to ensure that police and other citizens were able to kill them. :scrutiny:

Shakespear had it right. Kill all the lawyers!

[M1911]

So why did he take a round that sounds as though it was designed for a very tough, large critter like Buffalo and use it on a much smaller, softer critter? Is it a surprise that a bullet designed to hold together when hitting a tough-skinned, large critter doesn't expand when it hits a soft-skinned, small critter?
Sounds more like a failure of logic in the trigger activation computerAmen to that. Unfortunately, it sounds to me that this Darwin-award nominee is likely to have already had offspring.

[ball3006]

it is obvious to me he was using the wrong ammo. I guess he did not learn anything in the past 30 years.....chris3

[KMKeller]

Well, it says he shot a charging lion, but was the lion charging directly at him? If that were the case and the round passed end-to-end completely through the lion, maybe he has a case. If the lion was shot at an angle or from the side and no bones were hit, then tough noogies. That kinda horsepower behind a 500 grain .458 slug and that sucker's gonna pass on by.

[Soap]

Kill the lawyers? If some jerk didn't come up with the idea of the lawsuit, no lawyer would have taken it. There are some lawyers that keep people like me and you out of jail everyday for self-defense. Blame lawyers, Jews, blacks, whites, etc. but never blame pure idiocy. :rolleyes: You're hunting lion for goodness' sake, you might die.

[Standing Wolf]

I certainly hope my cute little, fuzzy little imaginary kitty doesn't find out about this!

[WonderNine]

Um, as far as I know Federal Cartridge Company has made no promises as to whether their bullets would stop a charging lion from mauling you.....:rolleyes:

I see no legal writing on the box that says anything to the effect of, "If you use our ammunition, you will not be in danger while hunting African lions."

[Shalako]

Personal responsibility is dead.

To Mr. Lion Hunter: "There are no guarantees in life. Stop blaming everyone but yourself for your own cranial rectitus."

[M1911]

I thought the whole charm of hunting dangerous game was that sometimes you get the game, and sometimes the game gets you...

[WonderNine]

:uhoh:

ROFL :D

[feedthehogs]

:confused:
Another usless idiot who blames others for his stupity.

End result, higher costs for everyone.

Drop him a line.
www.rohwersafaris@hotmail.com (http://.rohwersafaris@hotmail.com

[Jmurman]

I thought the whole charm of hunting dangerous game was that sometimes you get the game, and sometimes the game gets you...

Yeah..baby!:D

[HankB]

Federal's lawyer:

"Your Honor, we demand that the plaintiff produce the carcass of the alleged lion for independent forensic examination. We further demand that said lion carcass be produced fully intact without any tampering so that said independent forensic examination may be conducted without any question of tampering. If plaintiff cannot produce an intact carcass of said lion, we ask that he be cited for tampering with evidence and prosecuted."

Actually, a Trophy Bonded Bear Claw should expand on a lion. I wonder if the bullet was recovered, or if the guy used a Trophy Bonded Sledgehammer Solid instead.

But even a solid in .458 caliber should make a kitty mighty sick if shot lengthwise . . . provided the bullet is placed correctly.

[Shalako]

Jeez, HankB. Its about time you showed up. :D

(You do know me or anything, but I liked your posts on TFL)

[powerstrk]

Correct me if I am wrong, but wouldn't a properly placed shot in the major bone sections like a shoulder etc drop him like a rock? Otherwise it would pass through like a light saber. It takes a lot a cajones to sue for stupidity. :banghead:

[Preacherman]

In South Africa, we had a name for hunters like this - we called them "kitty food"... :D

Seriously, there are all too many documented cases of lions being hit up to ten times by major-caliber rounds, that performed exactly as their manufacturers intended, and still taking several pounds of hamburger off some hunter's favorite posterior. They are really tough animals, and in a charge situation, with adrenaline flowing and the normal agressive instincts of the lion in hyperdrive, you're going to have to take out the brain or spine, or some major bone structure, to stop him reaching you. Once he's reached you, he's likely to die chewing on your favorite body.

There have been all too many professional hunters killed by lion, who did everything right, shot the lion repeatedly with hits that ultimately proved fatal, but still got chomped because the lion didn't know he was dead. That's what dangerous game hunting is all about, although this idiot doesn't seem to have realized it... And, by the way, a .458 is NOT a superior lion round, particularly in a deep-penetrating round like that described here. It won't have enough expansion to make a bigger hole and break bone and blood vessels as well as will a softer-point, better-expanding round. It's also a case of overkill, in that it will probably penetrate right through the critter and expend most of its energy on African dirt on the other side. Rather choose a bullet that will stay in the body and expend all those foot-pounds of energy where they'll do the most good (or harm, depending on your point of view!).

[Frohickey]

50BMG for big kitty?

[Bruce H]

To those who say it isn't the lawyers fault. Wrong, now the question is how many did Mr. idiot lion hunter talk to before one took the suit?

[clem]

I'd love to be setting on that jury.:D

[DeltaElite]

He picked the wrong ammo, got his butt chewed up and he aint man enough to take his butt chewing and get on with his life.
He has to sue somebody, what a loser.

[Dave R]

Sounds to me like the ammo performed exactly as it should. It fired, it penetrated through and through. May have expanded, may not. Who knows? If it didn't, thin-skinned game on that bullet is a pretty good excuse...

I would have a real hard time finding for the plaintiff.

[SteelyDan]

Gees, I was fishing with South Bend hooks last summer and didn't catch any fish; maybe I should sue the manufacturer. Or maybe it was the Shimano reel, excellent, two deep-pockets. Then again, maybe it was the boat, so I'll sue Lund, too.

These kinds of suits are so ridiculous they make me sick. And I'm a lawyer.

[Skunkabilly]

Scotsman goes to Africa to whack a lion.

Then comes to California, of all places for a lawyer! Supplies!! :D

[PATH]

It would be funny except some group of jurors might give this dolt an award! Shoot! Reload! Repeat!

Works evertime!:D

[rock jock]

What an idiot. Everyone knows that the best way to stop a charging lion is..............................





















TAKE AWAY HIS CREDIT CARDS!!!:D

[griz]

I hate to say this about a fellow hunter, but it's a shame the lion didn't win this time.

Wonder what it will take to get tort reform?

[Delmar]

Never hunted a cat that big before, but I would suspect a 12 gauge 3" slugs from a semi auto or pump would have done a better job.

[tyme]

Tort reform in the form of strict punitive damage caps is not needed. There are good reasons for allowing high punitive damage awards in _valid_ lawsuits. The problem is idiotic lawsuits that end up with juries who think Rosie, Oprah, etc. are moral demigods.

[anchored]

Wonder what it will take to get tort reform?
Common sense on the part of juries, since they are the ones who make the big awards, and on the part of voters, who elect the politicians who write the laws that lawyers use to advocate for their clients.

Oh, and the shakespeare quote? read the rest of the play, turns out the villains made the anti-lawyer comment as the first part of their plan to remove obstacles to lawlessness and oppression. That said, keep in mind even the worst law student to graduate is still a lawyer . . .

[meathammer]

It was my understanding that a person hunting dangerous game usually has a guide who is also armed to back him up?

Lack of preparation.

This lawsuit is a complete joke. What part of "dangerous game" does this guy not understand? He took a chance. He got mauled. Cry me a river. Maybe he should switch to hunting ducks or pheasants.

[Frohickey]

Scotsman goes to Africa to whack a lion.
Actually, its Scottish professional hunter/guide gets chewed on by lion. Here is his photograph and website (http://www.rolfrohwersafaris.com/company.html).
http://www.rolfrohwersafaris.com/rolf2.jpg

In the main page of his website, is a picture of the African continent, with a lion in the middle. I wonder if thats the lion that chewed on him. :D

[KMKeller]

I think he should be suing his sneaker manufacturer... 'cause dang skippy he wasn't running fast enough!

[Master Blaster]

They could test the bullets in court to see how well they work.

My suggestion:

Line up the plaintiff and his lawyers front to back, Fire one shot and see how far it penetrates, If the plaintiff and lawyers fall over dead, Bullet works as designed, case dismissed with prejudice.

If they survive, repeat.

Justice served.

Judge MasterBlaster has spoken.

:rolleyes: