Dec 2023 - ONE HORN meets his his end.

Here is the Impala Cody speaks of, we going again, taking 2 adults two young boys. Cody takes all these folk hunting, while he searches for this mythical beast.
The amount of times I have seen Cody walking back to play out the same " Yo boy!" - " Yuuuuu ! Dad you should have seen, I got ........................................"

Everyone gets their hunt, but one horn ???

Screenshot_20231213_181828_Gallery by David Frank Allen, on Flickr

Good luck!

Big body and thick neck. Go for it !!!!!

Years ago on Gun Site someone wrote regarding a large Impala they had hunted, someone added something about weights of 36 - 38 abouts animals. I wrote in that thread that we sometimes got 33 kg skin on ewes (I think it was about there)
I saw this ram twice now and I am thinking 38 KG skin on.

TStone wrote of an 40 kg animal I believe ?

Alldays area - I have seen a 42kg carcass (no skin) that was shot there.

Do I get this right:

Eastern Cape kudu is smaller than RSA average?

Eastern Cape impala is larger than RSA average?

Or is it only the Impala in that area?

And what is taking so long?

Where is the photo?

;D ;D ;D

I'm so clueless about furred game I doubt I would have guessed the average weight of an Impala of either sex to within 10kg.

Good luck with your quest Bonsai!

Do I get this right:

Eastern Cape kudu is smaller than RSA average?

Eastern Cape impala is larger than RSA average?

Or is it only the Impala in that area?

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The average size of both animals are smaller E/cape, but the big trophy's seem to be the same size. I think game farming and transportation has changed the old rules.
We always got some Very big kudu done here though.

We just got back from the hunt at 10h00, and finished working meat into portions an hour ago. I will post photo's later as I am super tired. Cody did not get one horn, but he did get a Impala that weighed 35 kg clean carcass, head skin all off. This Impala has its own story, never seen the likes of what happened here.

I will try convince Codes to post a post, but he is dead to the world tired and teenage grumpy.
I will download photos, he can write his story, I will write the other story, never seen this before NEVER.

Looking forward to it! Thanks.

We always got some Very big kudu done here though.

You only got to take a drive thorugh Addo National Park to see how big Eastern Cape kudu (that haven't been shot at for a few generations) can actually get.

https://jetonomy.lambdacode.com/index.php?topic=493.msg2972;topicseen#msg2972

posted here.

Cody let me know when you get him, I will help you again with the mounting board, I have this idea I wish to try.

Congratulations my boy you finally got your target. You paid the farmer early 2023, posted about animal Dec 2024 and got him yesterday 08 Feb 2025. I know you and I hunted him a few times in 2023 before the big Dec on holidays, will get him 3 day hunts.
Then the whole of 2024 you hunted only him, turning down other animals as not to spook one horn. We did not see him all this Dec and Jan I stated that something must have happened to him, and then he just steps out in front of you - 08/02/2025.
Likely your most challenging thing you have ever done - many lessons learnt.
20250208_184854 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr

20250208_184731 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr

Congrats. Give us the details on carcass weight etc

43.2 Kg - teeth show well worn signs, but still good amount left. What was unusual was both front feet were badly worn, the left hoof being quite deformed and the right a bit more worn away than one would think appropriate.
Cody and I have watched him on many occasion when in a herd or behind twigs and branch's - occasions where we got within 40 - 50 m from him, but Cody would not take the shot. He really had a affect on me and I kinda rooted for him to live, the muscles in his body were perfect and he was the pinnacle of golden beauty, proud big, haughty and magnificent.

Cody said two things in quick succession when I got to him , "got him Dad, finally!" and then " Daaad, Daaaad, he looked kind of tired this time".

We measure horns because its interesting, I am not a trophy hunter by any measure, but ya! A big one still is impressive ;D

The horns were 4 inch and 23.2 inch

Well done!

Whta is the barrel length on the rifle?

Congratulations Cody!

Was that the 7mm-08?

A carcass weight of 43kg is a "oom" Impala. Enjoy the meat.

Congrats! That must have been hell of a satisfying.

Well done!

Whta is the barrel length on the rifle?

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16 inch if I recall correctly. It has stood unused for about 8 years now.

Congratulations Cody!
Was that the 7mm-08?

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No, its the 458 American, the first rifle Cody knew and basically grew up with till he was about 11 years old. I think it has always been a thing for him to use this rifle, the one his hero shot so many hogs with. The rifle is mythical to him from memory and photo's, but it was also a monster, dragon thing only for big tough guys (me when he was a 6 year old). He asked this year if I think he was old enough to shoot it, the trepidation was real. After much explaining he tried it at the range and you could see the " huh ? I thought it was much worse " reaction. He shot Impala with it last month and he is now like super hooked on the short stumpie gun.
He said Saturday that this gun makes free hand so easy, "I shoot the other guys Impala free hand as it runs away Dad"

I think its also a thing for at school ;D ;D ;D

I'd imagine a 458 WM must be pretty decisive on an impala.

.458x2 inch American - what weight bullet and powder used?

.458x2 inch American - what weight bullet and powder used?

Aha! I thought it was referring to a Ruger American in 458 Win Mag. Hadn't heard of the calibre before. I'd imagine that it still puts the hammer to something in the impala class.

Remembered vaguely that Treeman mentioned him building such a gun. Gunsite postings.

Remembered vaguely that Treeman mentioned him building such a gun. Gunsite postings.

It sounds like an interesting thing. Ballistics in the 45/70 range apparently.

Remembered vaguely that Treeman mentioned him building such a gun. Gunsite postings.

It sounds like an interesting thing. Ballistics in the 45/70 range apparently.

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Yes about a ballistic twin that. In my hayday I called 220 m an absolute max with it and could in a few seconds recite exact drop all the way in between.
Problem was that when you got to 220 m you were dropping in on the target and hitting a warthog mid body was not a good shot because the exit was visibly far too low, it was dropping like 4 -5 fingers across a hog.
It started out as a on foot, at 20 m or less, full moon man on bushpig gun - we would sit and look for a pod from a hill side on a full moon and then stalk them to a few meter, mostly by their feeding noise's.
It then got tried as a Warthog gun because a lot of hog were shot at inside 50 m and the .270 was destroying too much meat. Eventually kudu fell to it.
0 - 160 m is brilliant, but things change by the meter after that.

What bullet, propellant and speed?