Lion charge!

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Seeing that impact on the final shot in the slow motion replay is mighty impressive. You can actually see the instant that the lion ceases to be a raging killer and becomes a fur missile at the end of its flight.
As it happens just last night I was re-reading Hemingway's "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber" which culminates in a tensely written wounded lion charge with catastrophic though wholly unpredictable results.
 
I have a strong hunch that the guy on the ground was the P.H.

No scope and shorts on gave it away. The paying hunter is probably the guy who shot first .. long pants, scope, pistol on his belt.
 
I have a strong hunch that the guy on the ground was the P.H.

No scope and shorts on gave it away. The paying hunter is probably the guy who shot first .. long pants, scope, pistol on his belt
Click to expand...
.
The fact that all he hit was a tree is also a dead giveaway.
 
The guy on the ground is a local PH who operates / operated from two Botswanian conservancies. His name is Johan Calitz, a seasoned PH often featured on "Under Wild Skies". All I can say is that you need big ones, and made of solid brass to do that kind of stuff. That is why you need a PH, to clean up the mess.

Hey RCMODEL. You missed my first attempt a photoshopping a pic. Thought I removed that kitty pretty well, was waiting for some response from you :D.
 
That's pretty old. I find it interesting that they most all crouched/kneeled down.. probably to maximize terminal performance.. it'll go through the whole thing even at point blank instead of perhaps just a whisker graze were you standing over the animal.
 
His name is Johan Calitz,
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The guy on the ground is named Ronny Kraus. I had breakfast with Johan not to long ago and unless he's shrunk about 6" that is definitely not Johan. he may well be on of the other two PH's (hunters) that are standing initially in view I can't tell. Both are shooting iron sighted rifles. The guy with scoped rifle is knelling next to Ronny and out of sight until he stands up after the killing shot was made. I don't know who made the killing shot Ronny or the hunter next to him. You can't tell from the video.

Fortunately cats are "soft targets". Doesn't take too much to put them down.
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Not true with a African lion. Unless you hit the goods, brain, spine, or break some serious bone like the pelvis you aren't going to immediately stop a charging lion. A lion is considered on of the most difficult African animals to stop on a charge due to their speed and the small target area available to effectively stop a charge. when I watch the video closely I think the first shot hits that cat through the chest and all it does is accelerate him. Hard to tell for sure though but unless you break some big bone as mentioned, that is the normal response from an African lion that is getting ready to charge. There are multiple documented cases of just that. The lion has a major caliber hole or two or three through the lungs and heart but in the minute or two it takes to die it inflicts serious to mortal damage on the human/s that he or she gets a hold of. Don't ever under estimate the danger and difficulty of stopping a wounded African cat. Have you ever noticed that there is lots of footage of charging buffalo and elephant being stopped but almost none of lions of leopard, not much "quality" video in any case. That's because you can set up your cameras and "play" with a buff or an elephant to get some decent charge footage. You don't mess around with lions or leopards.

I find it interesting that they most all crouched/kneeled down.. probably to maximize terminal performance.. it'll go through the whole thing even at point blank instead of perhaps just a whisker graze were you standing over the animal.
Click to expand...

You crouch if you have time when shooting a lion or a leopard, because it eliminates the cut off angle on the shot making your shot much easier to make. If you think about it if you are crouched you have a target that is coming straight for you you simply hold where you want and shoot. If you are taller than the target and shooting downward you have to lead the target as being above or below a moving target creates an angle to the target. IE if you want to hit him in the brain you need to hold just forward of the nose or depending on the distance maybe the tip of the nose. Crouching takes all the guess work out of it on a fast moving target that is below (shorter than) you. Same deal on a hog and I've had it happen I aimed for the head and hit him about mid neck from a standing position. It also maximizes terminal performance as you mentioned.
 
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H&Hhunter said:
..You crouch if you have time when shooting a lion or a leopard, because it eliminates the cut off angle on the shot making your shot much easier to make. If you think about it if you are crouched you have a target that is coming straight for you you simply hold where you want and shoot. If you are taller than the target and shooting downward you have to lead the target as being above or below a moving target creates an angle to the target. IE if you want to hit him in the brain you need to hold just forward of the nose or depending on the distance maybe the tip of the nose. Crouching takes all the guess work out of it on a fast moving target that is below (shorter than) you. Same deal on a hog and I've had it happen I aimed for the head and hit him about mid neck from a standing position. It also maximizes terminal performance as you mentioned.
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That's what I said, kinda. lolz
 
@H&H

Had seen the video some time back and did not bother to have another look which I have just done. Indeed you are correct, Johan has the gloves on and had the double rifle.

Cheers
 
H&Hhunter said:
The guy on the ground is named Ronny Kraus. I had breakfast with Johan not to long ago and unless he's shrunk about 6" that is definitely not Johan. he may well be on of the other two PH's (hunters) that are standing initially in view I can't tell. Both are shooting iron sighted rifles. The guy with scoped rifle is knelling next to Ronny and out of sight until he stands up after the killing shot was made. I don't know who made the killing shot Ronny or the hunter next to him. You can't tell from the video.



Not true with a African lion. Unless you hit the goods, brain, spine, or break some serious bone like the pelvis you aren't going to immediately stop a charging lion. A lion is considered on of the most difficult African animals to stop on a charge due to their speed and the small target area available to effectively stop a charge. when I watch the video closely I think the first shot hits that cat through the chest and all it does is accelerate him. Hard to tell for sure though but unless you break some big bone as mentioned, that is the normal response from an African lion that is getting ready to charge. There are multiple documented cases of just that. The lion has a major caliber hole or two or three through the lungs and heart but in the minute or two it takes to die it inflicts serious to mortal damage on the human/s that he or she gets a hold of. Don't ever under estimate the danger and difficulty of stopping a wounded African cat. Have you ever noticed that there is lots of footage of charging buffalo and elephant being stopped but almost none of lions of leopard, not much "quality" video in any case. That's because you can set up your cameras and "play" with a buff or an elephant to get some decent charge footage. You don't mess around with lions or leopards.



You crouch if you have time when shooting a lion or a leopard, because it eliminates the cut off angle on the shot making your shot much easier to make. If you think about it if you are crouched you have a target that is coming straight for you you simply hold where you want and shoot. If you are taller than the target and shooting downward you have to lead the target as being above or below a moving target creates an angle to the target. IE if you want to hit him in the brain you need to hold just forward of the nose or depending on the distance maybe the tip of the nose. Crouching takes all the guess work out of it on a fast moving target that is below (shorter than) you. Same deal on a hog and I've had it happen I aimed for the head and hit him about mid neck from a standing position. It also maximizes terminal performance as you mentioned.
Click to expand...
H&H. Do folks use the kneeling position ever for bear hunting? I haven't seen that up here in Idaho, but it makes sense to not have to lead the aimed shot.
 
I've never seen an Alaskan PH use it. I learned about it from African PH's in Africa.
 
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