Safari Match AAR, part 1

Well, this spring's Safari Rifle match is in the bag, and a great time was had by all.  This is my third time shooting the match, and while some of the novelty has worn off, I've been able to use it to fine-tune some of my gear choices and techniques, while having a very enjoyable time at every turn.  The gentleman who runs the match, Bill Poole, is a friendly and cheerful guy who puts a ton of time and effort into running the event.  The folks who participate are also a great bunch of guys, always willing to share knowledge and tips with new arrivals like myself.  I've been in competitions both friendly and unfriendly over the years, and it's a breath of fresh air to shoot with a group like this.  This year we fought the wind to keep our targets upright, but we managed to persevere with a little adaptation and ingenuity.

Let's start with my equipment setup, since testing that is my primary reason for competing.  I ran my Ruger Hawkeye African in 9.3x62mm, topped with an SWFA SS 1-6x in Warne QD rings, shooting my reloads. Because the 9.3 was considered undersized for the final elephant stage, I brought along my old large-frame Ruger Vaquero revolver in .44 Magnum.  It seemed silly that a .44 Magnum handgun would be acceptable where a 9.3x62mm rifle was not, but the rules only considered bullet diameter and I wanted to compete in every stage.  So the 5.5" stainless Vaquero rode on my right hip, with the Wilderness TwinLoader in front and the Westley Richards 5-round ammo pouch behind.

From my experience in the match, I have determined two things:  First, I need a better holster for the Vaquero.  This Hunter holster is rudimentary at best, and though it did suffice for the day, I would want something of far better design, fit and quality if I ever take this piece on a hunting trip.  Second, while my shirt is one of the most comfortable that I own, being a lightweight, long-sleeve soft cotton chamois, the shirt tails are too short and it frequently came untucked under exertion, fouling up on my cartridges.  The WR pouch was a little less affected, as the leather flap helped keep most of the shirt out of the way, but the TwinLoader would frequently be covered by the shirt.  I need to see if Cabela's has the same shirt in a Long/Tall size, as I am otherwise very fond of the material and pocket placement/design.  I avoid shirts with unflapped pockets when shooting rifles, as I find the toe of the stock will often get hung up there during the dismount.  If the pockets have a button flap, the stock will just slide off and all is well.

On my left side, I had my SureFire G2 flashlight and my Leatherman tool, along with an interesting little knife called a Clinch Pick.  The Clinch Pick looks like a small caping knife, but the edge is on the back of the blade rather than the belly.  It's designed as a defensive weapon for use in a grapple (hence the name), and I've been experimenting with where and how to carry it.  Suffice to say, it's not really germane to this forum, so we'll leave it at that.

The only real issue I had with my left-side setup was that the upgraded metal bezel on my SureFire kept banging on my rifle when I had it slung.  I have an old nylon flap sheath for it that I will use in the future to protect my rifle from such abuse.  My Wilderness Frequent Flyer belt, Smartwool Trekking Heavy Crew socks and Cabelas Trail Hiker II pants performed well as always.  I've got no reason to change them at this point.

One interesting bit of equipment issue to note:  headgear.  Being a pale-skinned redhead, the sun is my natural enemy.  I go from zero to lobster in about 15 minutes in the AZ summer, so I take care to dress accordingly.  Thus the long pants and long sleeve shirt even in the desert heat; I can keep myself reasonably cool via hydration and sweating through the loose cotton.  But this being the safari match, previous winners are encouraged to wear their prize pith helmets.  In the spirit of the match, I started out with my helmet, but it meant I had to wear earplugs instead of my electronic muffs.  That makes it harder to hear, and started to irritate my ears in fairly short order.  During the first stage, my scope recoiled into the brim of my helmet, knocking it clean off my head.  I let it lie in the dust and drove on to finish the string, and after that I switched back to my muffs and my soft boonie hat.  The final bit of clothing I used was a thin cotton neckscarf that my good friend bought as a souvenir from his trip to Vietnam and gave to me.  It's similar to a shemagh, but thinner and rectangular as opposed to square.  Wrapped around my neck, it kept me from getting sunburned and still maintained excellent breathability.  I've long found a large bandana to be a great utility item in the field, and this is just an extension of the concept.  This one's definitely going to Africa with me.

Now, I mentioned my shooting sticks in the last post.  I got to really put them through their paces for the first time yesterday, and I'm very pleased.  I also developed an ad-hoc support technique that controls the sticks, insulates the gun from the hard body of the sticks themselves, and allows me to use the push-pull recoil mitigation technique to better control the gun.  It just kind of naturally developed as I was testing the sticks out while I was developing my handloads, and I gave it the acid test at the match.  I'm happy to say that it works great, and I'll be using the technique from here on out (unless, of course, I find something that works better!).  The proof is in the pudding:  I shot dramatically better off the sticks this time around compared to my last two matches.  My only miss was when I got up close to the targets and dumped the sticks thinking I didn't need them.  Sure enough, El Snatcho snuck up and I launched my shot six inches low, missing entirely.  Every single other shot was directly in the heart.  Here I'm demonstrating the technique to another competitor (behind the firing line, so I had to do it without my rifle)

I found my choice of caliber had a lot of advantages in this match, save for the limitation on the elephants at the end.  I was able to load up 5 rounds at a time, and never had to reload on the clock, unlike the folks with single shots, doubles or larger-caliber bolt guns.  I was also able to quickly work the bolt on the charging buffalo.  Nobody managed to get both shots into the brain box on that particular target, but my error was simply rushing the shot.  If I'd had better trigger control, I had the time to make the second hit.  On a non-scored practice run afterwards, I was able to put both rounds into the buff, draw the Vaquero, and still make a headshot with the handgun.  All that time practicing transitions with my carbine and Beretta paid off!

Here's a shot of the match director, Bill Poole, engaging the buff as it charges.  This is probably my favorite part of the match.  That buff moves deceptively fast, and the rocky terrain makes the small brain shot zone bounce all over the place.  Of course, it's nowhere near having a real live buffalo charge you with murder in his eyes, but it's a lot more challenging than simply busting a stationary target.  I have some video that my good friend Michael Novack shot, but I have to take care of some logistical issues to get it hosted and available.  Rest assured, it's coming :)

In the end, my preparations paid off, and I either validated my choices or learned where I needed to improve.  I've got a good handle on where I need to go from here.  And the proof, as I said, is in the pudding.  I was able to keep things together and win the match.  I received the winner's pith helmet!  And of course, I had to wear my previous helmet for the award photo :)  It's just how it's done, old chap, what?

Testing my gear under pressure

Now that I've got at least a semi-acceptable load dialed in, I can use it for practice far cheaper than even the Prvi factory ammo.  That's a good thing.  I still need to get a chronograph and see how the velocity compares to factory ammo, but based on the shot placement, it should be about right.  I reckon I'll load up about 40 or so rounds of this current load in preparation for the PR&GC Safari Rifle match at the end of the month.

The first time I shot this match was a year ago, and my rifle was brand new and just barely sighted in.  I hadn't gotten any real accessories for it, just the rifle, scope, sling and some ammo.  My goal then was to get used to the rifle and optic, and I was pleased as punch with both.  Now, my goal is to practice with my shooting sticks and fine-tune my walking-around loadout for the safari itself.  So let's make a short list of things I know I'll be lugging around on my own person:

1.  Rifle
2.  Ammo
3.  Water
4.  Snacks
5.  First aid kit
6.  Multi-tool
7.  Knife
8.  Flashlight
9.  Compass
10.  Rangefinder
11. Survival/possibles kit

I won't have all of these on my belt, of course, but I do want to fine-tune my belt setup further than I have in earlier posts/thoughts.  That generally means ammo, water, snacks, multi-tool, knife and flashlight.  My daily carry rig, as I mentioned before, is a Frequent Flyer belt from the Wilderness.  I've worn this for years, and it's comfortable, yet rigid enough to carry a pistol and all my daily accessories, and bomb-proof durable.  I see no reason to try anything else on this trip.  On the belt will be my Leatherman Wave (11 years old and still going strong) in the factory leather belt sheath, my Sure-Fire G2 (nearly as old, albeit with a replacement KX4 LED conversion head that makes it significantly brighter and longer-lasting) in an even more ancient Blade-Tech scabbard, a Twin Loader (also from the Wilderness) for two fast rounds, and my Westley Richards belt carrier for five more rounds.  For the purposes of the match, I also plan to carry a sidearm as I do when deer hunting.  In this case, it'll be a Beretta 92G in a Wilderness Safepacker holster.

So, how well does all this kit work on a single belt?  I'm used to having the Beretta on my strong side hip, plus the G2, Wave and a spare magazine on my left hip.  All I have to do is find room for the rifle ammo.  Now, ordinarily I like spare ammo on my left hip, but the manual of arms for a bolt-action hunting rifle generally means I reload with my dominant hand.  As such, I'll put the TwinLoader just in front of the pistol, and the belt carrier just behind it.  I'll give it a whirl at the match and see how I like it.  Since none of the stages are more than 5 rounds, I will download my rifle a bit so that I have to reload on the clock and put my setup to the test.  I have a set of suspenders designed for military 'war belts' if I need any support with all that gear as well.

Where does that leave the rest of my gear?  Well, my folding knife will live where it always does, in my right front slash pocket.  As for the rest, right now I'm looking at either a small daypack or using my existing Maxpedition Jumbo EDC Versipack.  The Versipack can hold quite a lot of gear, and is actually quite comfortable to wear over long periods (I use it a lot when hiking or even just going to the zoo with my family).  My concern is that it is not tied down (though I could conceivably lash it to my belt if I so chose), and I worry that it will get in the way of my right-side gear if I position it so the strap isn't on my shooting shoulder.  I may end up looking at a fanny pack of some sort.

I'll also test out some clothing choices at the match.  I've got a pretty solid choice of hats, either boonie-style or baseball-style.  I tend towards the former because I've got fair skin and get sunburned rather easily, so I appreciate the extra coverage.  I'll likely bring both in case the boonie proves too cumbersome in the brush.  I also tend towards long pants and sleeves when outdoors, for the same reasons.  I live in a desert, so it's not as punishing to have my lower limbs covered as it would be in, say, Houston.  Since I'll be hunting in the dry season, I hope South Africa will be similar.  For the past few years, I've been wearing Cabela's Trail Hiker pants.  They're a bit heavy and hot in the summertime, but they wear like iron and are very comfortable for me.  Everyone's a bit different when it comes to fit and cut, so your mileage may vary, but for me the Trail Hikers have the best wear, best pocket placement, and least chafing in long use of any pant I've worn in the past decade (which admittedly, isn't a lot of them).  Of course, footwear is also crucial, and until my Russell Joe's PH boots get here, I'll stick with my comfortable New Balance sneakers with Smartwool medium hiker socks for the match.

Ounces are pounds

Like a lot of people, I tend to believe in the old adage "Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it."  I'm always on the lookout for new gear that will let me do more, or stuff that's just interesting.  I'm always forgetting something on every trip, and I tend to compensate by incorporating redundancy in my equipment.  Maybe it's my IT background, but I am firm believer in the notion that "Two is one, and one is none."

That can get one into trouble when dealing with a lot of physical activity.  As a boy, up through my early 20s, I was an avid hiker and camper.  I grew up tromping around the hills of northern West Virginia, both alone and with friends and family.  At first I carried everything but the kitchen sink, finding an excuse for anything if I had room in my monstrous expedition pack, but hiking up and down those endless hills taught me rather quickly that less is often more.  By the time I was 16 or 17, my warm-weather overnight kit consisted of a bolo knife, an old rubberized Army poncho and liner with some pre-cut lengths of paracord for a shelter, a first-aid kit, some MREs and a canteen or two.  I'd eat local plants and occasionally animals if it was the appropriate hunting season, and purify water by boiling it in my canteen cup.  I was young, and agile, and glad to be unencumbered.

Life has its ways of intervening, and I don't get out camping much anymore, much to my dismay.  I've come to like my creature comforts, even when camping.  But I still remember how on a long hike, every ounce felt like a pound by the end of the day.  Considering a proper safari consists of a whole lot of walking, I'm taking a hard, hard look at what I really and truly 'need' outside of base camp.  What I carry, and how I carry it, will become critical.

So first thing's first:  a belt.  I carry a decent amount of stuff on my belt on a daily basis.  Thus, I need a solid, stiff, and durable belt that adjusts to the situation as necessary.  For about 15 years, I've been using belts from The Wilderness.  Their original Instructor Belt is a classic for a reason, but with weight an issue, I opt for the polymer-buckle "Frequent Flyer" model.  With the 5-stitch reinforcement, I've found it plenty stiff for holding up my pistol and accessories all day.  I also like that the nylon and polymer construction is unaffected by rain, snow, sweat or other environmental conditions like leather.  There are a lot of good belts on the market today, but I've not yet had any reason to switch.

Now, what to carry on that belt?  For daily use, I generally have a Leatherman Wave, a SureFire G2 flashlight (though I've upgraded it to a higher-end head and bulb assembly), and my pistol and spare magazine.  When hunting, I add a belt knife for field-dressing game and a spare ammo carrier for my rifle or revolver.  I don't anticipate taking a pistol to Africa (the laws are a bit Byzantine in that regard, from what I'm told), and the safari company will have skinners that are far better at their trade than I could ever hope to be, so I won't likely bring a belt knife (though I'll still have a folding knife, because a blade is useful). 

I've been experimenting with a belt-mounted ammo carrier.  Initially I bought a Rifle Ammo Pouch from Triad Tactical, because I liked some of the features.  I figured I could keep rifle data and hunting licenses in the see-through flaps, and ten rounds each of .30-'06 and 9.3x62mm.  I have no complaints about the quality of this piece of gear, but I just found it to be a bit more than I wanted to carry on a long hunt.  I think it's a great piece of kit for carrying additional ammo on a backpack, or for laying out when you're in a hide or other stationary spot, but it's bulky on my belt and not all that quick to access when it's all folded up and buckled shut.

I also had a Twin Loader from The Wilderness, and I like it quite a bit positioned around 2:00 for a quick reload of the magazine.  But that only holds two extra rounds, and I want a few more.  At a recent safari rifle match, I noticed many competitors with simple, flap-closed cartridge carriers that held four or five rounds.  While attending the Safari Club International convention earlier this month, I happened across several similar items.  I found one from Westley Richards that suited me, and bought it for a reasonable price (they were liquidating some old stock due to a logo change).  I think when combined with the Twin Loader, it'll give me sufficient ammunition on my person for most situations.  

So that takes care of blades, tools, light and ammo.  Next time, I'll talk about one of the most important things you can carry with you into the wild:  water.