How does one determine a “hunt of a lifetime”? Is it the quest of harvesting a certain type of animal, or can it be more general, like hunting in an area that relatively few Americans have had the opportunity to hunt? For me, it was both. Ever since I was young, I had a burning desire to hunt what used to be called, “The Dark Continent”. I read hunting adventure books by Ernest Hemingway, Theodore Roosevelt and Peter Capstick, which described in detail the challenges of traveling to Africa to hunt dangerous game, large mammals and plains game. The latter being my hunt of a lifetime.
Thankfully, the “Dark Continent” moniker is no longer used, nor appropriate. Africa is now open to hunters and many outfitters offer package hunts that include tough hunting, but comfortable accommodations and an incredible experience! Knowing my eagerness to hunt Africa, my wife bid on and won a hunt that was being auctioned off for a large school fundraiser in my small town here in Idaho. The guide had been well recommended by others who won the hunt package in years past. I was left in disbelief at first, but as I started to grasp the significance of the purchase, I began to plan.
Choosing the .300 PRC and Howa 1500 HS Precision Rifle:
When Hornady released the .300 PRC in 2018, I researched the cartridge as a replacement for the .300 Winchester Magnum and the .30 Nosler I currently owned. While these are both very effective cartridges, each on had cons that I wanted to move past. Starting with the .30 Nosler, I found that factory support was lacking and at one point, it was very difficult to find factory ammunition or components for the cartridge, just weeks before a planned moose hunt in British Columbia. Thankfully, this was resolved at the last minute, but I did not want to run into that issue ever again. The tried and true .300 Winchester Magnum is and was a great option, but the rifle I had chambered in the .300WM shot well using 150 grain to 180 grain bullets, but did not shoot the heavier bullets I planned to use (200 grain Nosler Partition). I felt that the .300 PRC resolved the personal issues I had with those cartridges and offered plenty of factory components for me to handload a great load for the plains game I would encounter.
While I searched for a rifle, my focus kept coming back to the Howa USA line of rifles. Particularly their 1500 action offerings. A lighter rifle, with the ability to shoot accurately and a sturdy stock, were at the top of my necessities list. After all my research, the rifle that stood out to me for my needs was the Howa Model 1500 HS Precision model in .300 PRC. It is the tried and true Howa 1500 barreled action, sitting in an aluminum bedding block is CNC machined to the specific dimensions of the Howa 1500 barreled action sitting in a HS Precision stock. Their stock consists of an aluminum bedding block that is then placed into a mold, both sides of the mold are hand laminated with Kevlar, fiberglass, and carbon fiber. Next the mold is injected with a proprietary mixture of a dense polyurethane foam. This makes for a sturdy stock, with a great cheek weld and a comfortable, soft, recoil pad.
I am very familiar with the Howa 1500 rifles. I currently own four other rifles in the line. The 1500 rifles are very well made and I have experienced consistent, good accuracy with the ones I own. These are the features of the .300 PRC barreled action:
- Tool-less Firing Pin Removal
- Machined Receiver and Forged Bolt
- Large Internal Bolt handle and pressure vent holes
- Reliable M-16 Style Extractor/Ejector
- Stringent and Exacting Headspace specs
- Bolt Faces are True and Square to Chamber
- Two Stage Match Trigger
- 3 Position Safety
- SUB MOA Guarantee – 3 Shot Group @ 100 yds with premium factory ammo
Besides the accuracy guarantee, I have always been a fan of the Howa extraction system. Even with some of my over-pressured handloads, I had never run into an issue of a case not extracting. That was important factor, considering I would be hunting in the mid to upper 80s while in Africa. Little things, like the tool-less firing pin removal, the two-stage, adjustable trigger and the three position safety (extract loaded shells while on safe), made for an excellent rifle set-up while hunting.
As mentioned before, I developed and tested a handful of different loads using the 200 grain Nosler Partitions and Vihtavuori’s fantastic N570 powder. It only took one range trip to find a load to focus on. After making a few tweaks to the powder charge and bullet depth, I was extremely pleased with the accuracy results and was ready for any animal opportunity I would have in Africa.
Africa – The Hunt:
Meeting the Outfitter and Arriving at the Lodge:
The outfitter for the hunt was Mount Carmel Safaris, located in the North Cape of South Africa, about two hours from Kimberley. We left Boise, Idaho on a cool April day. The flights took 23 hours (including layovers), but as I got closer to my destination the anticipation took over the monotony and started to build into excitement. After arriving at the airport, Darryn picked us up. I should mention that I was accompanied by my wife, Connie and another family friend. During the drive to the ranch, Darryn discussed the outfitting business, run by his father and mother, as well as the type of hunting we would be doing. Like most places in Africa, it would be a drive, then “walk and stalk” the animals we were after. Shooting would be done in the field, off shooting sticks or off-hand. He explained the history of the ranch and the diversity of animal populations that traveled on their property. It was nice to have a discussion that answered so many questions and it made the short drive from the airport seem even shorter.
When we arrived at the lodge and after some introductions, were shown our accommodations. The lodge was stunning and included all modern amenities. King sized beds, full bathrooms, A/C for the warm parts of the day and heating for the chilly nights. In this area, Fall was beginning and that made for perfect hunting conditions. Everything was top notch, including the food, drinks and hospitality. I think Hemingway and the rest of them would be impressed.
Day One – The Hunt Begins – Black Wildebeest
After a nice evening and some much needed sleep, we headed out in the early afternoon to try and find one of the top animals on my list, the Black Wildebeest. We drove for a while, picking apart the brushy hillsides and grassy flatlands, spotting so many different animals, until we saw what we were after, “Wildebeest!” Darryn said. He and I got out and started to make the short stalk to get into shooting position. My brain was in overdrive, remembering to be extremely safe, where I would shoot and controlling my breathing, despite my excitement! After getting set-up on the shooting sticks, the Black Wildebeest stepped out into a shooting lane at 90 yards. He turned to face us, giving me a head-on shot. I found him in the scope and placed the crosshairs directly below its chin, then squeezed the trigger. The “thump” of the bullet hitting sounded like a solid hit. I racked another round into the chamber and watched him walk in a circle, then drop about 30 yards from where I shot him. At that moment, I felt the days, weeks and months of anticipation leave my body. I had my first African game animal on the ground in front of me. A lifetime of reading, dreaming and studying the plains game of Africa brought me to this moment. I was ready for more!
Day Two – Southern Springbuck and Warthog
Day two had us in the field in the early morning. We were going to try and take two of the animals on my list, so time was of the essence. As we headed into the field, I felt a sense of calm. The focus of being a life-long hunter had taken the place of anticipation and excitement, it was now all about finding game and making the shot. After a short time, we spotted some Southern Springbuck. Almost like the day before, we made a short stalk to get into position, waiting until a shooter buck stepped into a clear shooting lane. We spotted a good one at about 110 yards, so I pulled up my Howa rifle, dropped the crosshairs on his broadside body, found a spot low and behind the shoulder and fired. The Nosler bullet hit exactly where I was aiming and the Springbuck dropped in its tracks.
After gathering up the Springbuck and getting it back to the lodge, we had lunch, then headed out for the chance at another animal. This time, we spotted a big, battle worn, warthog trotting away from us. I got out and set-up quickly. The warthog was close and on the move. At 85 yards, it still had not come to a stop, but its trot continued, broadside to my shooting position. I had been following it in my scope, so I made the decision to take the shot. At the crack of the rifle, the warthog took about three steps, then crumpled onto the ground. Another heart shot, another quick kill. As we approached him, we saw that his body was extremely scarred up, including a large gash on its shoulder. He was a fighter and typical of warthogs, a no nonsense, stand your ground, tough guy!
Day Three – Blesbuck
We left about mid-morning on day three to look for a Blesbuck. They were on my list and we knew where there was a nice herd hanging out. After we spotted them, just like the days prior, I grabbed my rifle and shooting sticks, then followed Darryn to a spot where we could pick one out to shoot. He pointed out one at 130 yards, so I got on it and made the shot. It ran about 40 yards and just died. Again, the .300 PRC and Nosler bullet did the job.
After getting the Blesbuck loaded up he and I got to talking about the .300 PRC. At first, he and the trackers thought it was just overkill for these plains game animals. After having the animals drop almost in their tracks, they were glad the .300 PRC was doing such a good job on them. I don’t think I changed their minds, but they sure did appreciate not having to track animals very far from where they were shot. That might have been a bad omen, because the last two animals were not going to be DRT.
Day Four – Impala Ram
Today was the day to try and harvest an Impala Ram. We got started mid-morning again, searching the grasslands/brush and looking for one of the other top animals on my list. We finally spotted some, but everything happened very quickly. The stalk, the set-up and the eventual bad shot on my part. I can’t tell you exactly where I failed, but it resulted in clipping the right shoulder of a very nice Impala Ram. The animal stumbled, but continued on without giving me another chance at a shot. The trackers did the best they could, but after all of us looking for hours, we had to call it a night. The Impala was found the next day, with very little left of the meat, after the black backed jackals got to it during the night. It was not taken down by the jackals, as it was clearly dead within a couple of hours after the shot.
Day Five – Blue Wildebeest and a Wrap-Up to the Hunt
The last day of hunting found me setting up for a shot on a Blue Wildebeest at 325 yards. I felt very comfortable with the shot and punched him in the low chest area, but farther back than I aimed. He lurched at the shot and slowly made his way through the grass and brush for another 200 yards. We were able to sneak up to him, where I put the finishing shot into his shoulder, stopping him at 100 yards. All of this taking place within 20 minutes of the first shot. It was a bittersweet end to a successful hunt. This magnificent animal, was the culmination of an incredible week of hunting this far off land.
Day Six – Winding Down and Experiencing History and Awe
Our last full day in Africa was spent checking out some of the local historic spots. We visited the famous Boesmansgat which is the 3rd deepest natural sinkhole in the world. We also visited the Wonderwerk Caves, which are the oldest cave occupied by man. Here we saw the ancient Bushman paintings and learned in detail about the history of this area. Lastly, we ended our adventure in South Africa with a visit to the “Big Hole” in Kimberley, renowned for the diamond rush and mining. It was quite the experience and education.
Final Thoughts on Rifle and Hunt:
After five days of hunting and harvesting every plains game animal on my list, my “once in a lifetime” hunt was over. Here are my thoughts on the Howa 1500 HS Precision rifle, the .300 PRC cartridge and how each performed on the hunt.
Howa 1500 HS Precision Rifle:
As expected, the Howa 1500 HS Precision Rifle performed flawlessly! Even with the dust, rough/bumpy roads, rain and everything else Africa could throw at it, I did not have any issues during my hunt. I was VERY happy with my choice of rifles and would highly recommend it for anyone planning a State-side or out of country hunt. The HS Precision stock offering made this rifle easy to shoot off a set of shooting sticks. It’s solid aluminum bedding block, As expected, the Howa 1500 HS Precision Rifle performed flawlessly! Even with the dust, rough/bumpy roads, rain and everything else Africa could throw at it, I did not have any issues during my hunt. I was VERY happy with my choice of rifles and would highly recommend it for anyone planning a State-side or out of country hunt. The HS Precision stock offering made this rifle easy to shoot off a set of shooting sticks. It’s solid aluminum bedding block, dense polyurethane foam with Kevlar, fiberglass, and carbon fiber coating, left no flex in the stock, even while shooting from odd positions and sometimes leaning my body-weight into the rifle for stability on the rough surface/terrain. What a great combo!
Hornady .300 PRC Cartridge:
After arriving, I was informed that most of the guides and hunters who visit this ranch, hunt with smaller calibers and cartridges. Mainly the .243 Winchester. However, after days of dropping animals with the .300 PRC, the guide was very happy that they did not have to track very many animals. With the added energy of the .300 PRC, the majority of the animals I shot were dead within seconds and close to where I connected with the shot. I saw that it performed very well and would not hesitate to take other large game with it. Because I live in Idaho, future hunts for large Elk, or out of State Moose, is a strong possibility and you can guarantee I’m taking the Howa 1500 in .300 PRC along on those hunts.
The Hunt:
I cannot say enough about the excellent experience I had hunting with Mount Carmel Safaris. Every day we saw so many game animals. I had opportunities on every plains game animal on my list, with all of them being harvested. Darryn, the PH, was very knowledgeable and got me into shooting positions where it was left up to me make the shot, from a reasonable distance and with a 100% success rate. My wife also thoroughly enjoyed her time at the lodge and coming along on the hunts. After so many years together, we can honestly say that this was one of the best experiences of our lives.
After the hunt, we visited the local taxidermist and I checked out her work. She was very talented and I chose to have my mounts completed by her, then shipped to me in Idaho. Although taxidermy fees are much lower in Africa, the shipping of mounts is expensive. However, to ship back animals and have the taxidermy work done here in the States, you are still looking at a huge shipping cost. I’m glad I had mine done through the taxidermist the outfitter recommended and my mounts are now home.
Conclusion:
If you have the means to hunt Africa, I urge you to do so. Do it early in life, so when you leave Africa, you are young enough to return, again and again. After leaving the African continent, I felt fulfilled. My dream hunt was complete and successful. However, even while in Africa, as the hunt started to wind down, I also felt like I needed to come back. There were other animals I wanted to hunt and new things I wanted to experience. After experiencing other hunts where the longer I go between seeing and engaging in a hunt or an area, the harder it is to ignore the ache to return. In this case, hunting utopia is 15,000 miles away. What distance would you travel to experience something that drove hunters like Hemingway, Roosevelt and Capstick to write novels in order to explain their experiences in the far off land in Africa?
“I never knew of a morning in Africa when I woke up that I was not happy” and “All I wanted to do was go back to Africa. We hadn’t left it yet, and when I woke up in the night I was already listening to it and already homesick for it” – Hemingway – Green Hills of Africa
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