Africa: .308 Scout on Safari, Zimbabwe- Part 1

In 1996, when my mining company sent me to Zimbabwe for four months, I immediately befriended a wonderful man who soon became my best friend. Having lived and hunted in Montana, he was just as interested in the hunting I did there as I was of all the hunting he had done throughout his lifetime growing up near Harare. We went together like salt and pepper; like hot fudge and ice cream. Through Stephan’s connections, my first time in Africa I was able to take around 20 head of plains game for less than the cost of a guided deer hunt out west.

We kept in regular contact after that, and I often sent him boxes of reloading equipment, as poor availability and high costs locally for him, was a challenge. At times, he could not even get basic components. With very hard economic times there, his rent had increased five-fold by 2001, and inflation was severely out of control. The Zimbabwean dollar dropped in value incredibly so. In 1996, a US $100 bill would get you $1,000 Zim dollars; by 2001, it took $30,000 Zim to equal the purchasing power of $100 US dollars. A call from him in June that year told me he saw no future for his children at all in his homeland, and by the end of the year he, his wife and three young children would immigrate to New Zealand.

“Ken, you must come hunting one more time with me, before we leave Zimbabwe forever.”

So plans were made for me to hunt one last time with Stephan. It had been almost five years since we had last hunted in his homeland. I purchased my tickets to leave in late August and would return home in mid-September. As before, he’d lined up fantastic local rates for me, and even with his work schedule, he’d be able to be with me during much of the time in safari camp.

I immediately got working on my battery of rifles. Though no dangerous game was on the list, I decided to still bring along light, medium, and heavy weapons. In .308 Winchester, I choose my Steyr Scout, my medium would be a .376 Steyr ProHunter, with its handy 20” barrel, and though scoped, I still liked that it also had adjustable sights. My last gun was really special. The prior year I had Wild West Guns in Alaska rebore my Marlin 1895 .45-70 to the .50 Alaskan cartridge based on a blown out .348 Winchester levergun round. Nothing like a .500 Nitro in power, it still drove a 450 grain jacketed bullet to around 1,900 fps and a 525 grain hard cast flat point to almost 1,800. This would be more than enough...

power for any African plains game.

In 12 days of hunting, just over thirty animals were taken for less than $7,000- an incredible value which could never be duplicated. The story of this trip is best told, I believe, by relating my adventures with each rifle starting out with the .308 Scout.

Chapter 1: Steyr Scout

I knew that hunting in the bushveld, shots would most certainly be under 200 yards with most shots being half that distance on light plains game. Under such circumstances, most any “deer rifle” would work just fine; no need for a large magnum. My light rifle was chosen more for its handiness than its caliber. I have long admired my Steyr Scout in .308 for its light weight and compactness. The trigger is excellent, I like the ergonomics of the stock, that it has a built-in bipod in the forearm, and that a spare 5-shot magazine is carried in the buttstock. Though I mounted a Leupold 2.5-8 scope on it with quick release rings, I also liked the backup, flip-up adjustable sights which were designed into the concept. Scoped, it weighted just over 7 lbs. and would be a great carry gun or also excel if shooting from the back of a truck at night.

Never before having hunted with a .308, when I lived out west at the time, I always carried something much faster for shots up to and beyond 400 yards. But for Zimbabwe, I felt the handy Scout would be just about the perfect light rifle. I had a lofty goal for the gun. I wanted to take along several 150 grain bullets to see what the differences might be on light game. Quickly, accurate loads were worked up for good all-around hunting with the 150 Hornady SST and the similar but bonded core 150 Swift Scirocco, both to around 2,700 fps using Accurate 2520 powder. I also started thinking about having a load that wouldn’t give as much penetration if I’m shooting in a herd of impalas- something that might stay in and not exit. A little ballistic testing was in order.

A good whitetail bullet in the .308 is the 150 Nosler Ballistic tip. At one hundred yards, it will blow through two gallon milk jugs filled with water but stop against the far side of the third. I wanted less penetration than that for my “herd” bullet. Looking on my bench, I noticed a box of Hornady 110 grain V-Max bullets. Well, as Hornady loads them in their tactical line, I figured they’re more than just a varmint bullet.

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Loads with IMR or Hodgdon 4198, or Accurate 2015 gave me just over 3,000 fps from the short 19” barrel of my Scout. When tested against milk jugs, the first and second were destroyed, but the base and jacket always stopped against the far side of the second jug, never exiting. Perfect, I thought, for taking an impala in a group without worrying about wounding one behind my target. All three of the preceding loads grouped under 1” at 100 yards, and fortunately, also printed to the same point of impact. A 3-shot group using one of each looked no different than a group shot with any one of the three types- perfect for in the field!

But I also wanted one more load that would be quick expanding but still give me more penetration should that need arise. Using a Barnes X-Bullet came to mind, but I was worried about getting fast enough expansion with that bullet at only 2,700. Again checking my reloading bench, I opened a box of the Barnes flat nose hollow point meant for the lowly .30-30 at only 2,100 fps. Not the sexiest looking bullet for sure, but the gaping hollow point and the six blades- not only four like other X-Bullets- really intrigued me. I wondered how it would perform at maybe 2,600 or about 500 fps faster than intended?

Backing down from the listed spitzer loads in the Barnes book, as it had to be seated deeper due to its blunt shape, my first load hit 2,600 and shot to the same point of impact as my other three loads. It also hammered the heck out of all three milk jugs and blasted clear through the third with considerable force. Normally, I wouldn’t recommend to others taking three or four loads for one gun, but my Scout didn’t seem to care what it was fed. I felt confident out to at least 200 yards with any of my four loads now impacting to the same point of aim. Load development finished for the Scout, I made up 25 rounds of each for my trip.

Chapter 2: Warthog and Impala

The afternoon of my first day on safari, Rob, the safari owner, suggested we take a drive and try to whack a warthog or impala. It sounded to me like a great plan, so I loaded up my magazine with only five of the 150 Hornady SSTs and kept my chamber empty while we drove around. Right from...

the start, Rob was really intrigued by the many unique features of my Steyr Scout. Over time, he would grow to covet it, I was soon to find.

Barely 15 minutes out, and we were headed west into the sun when we spotted three warthogs feeding towards us across a field three or four hundred yards out. The Land Cruiser stopped behind some brush where Rob and I got out, and made our way to the far side of the brush, stopping just short of the far edge. I unlatched the integral bipod from the forearm and went prone with Rob shaking his head at what my rifle was so quickly capable of doing. Just as hunters always hope for, the three warthogs continued feeding straight towards us, so Rob kept telling me to let them come. 300 yards out, then 200, then 100; they were still headed almost directly towards us, but angled only slightly to our left. 75 yards away, then only 50- I peered through the scope to take the slow, walking shot, but I was looking almost directly into the sun, its bright rays illuminating the inside of my scope, almost blinded me.

At just over 40 yards, I fired at the lead warthog, aiming for the point of the near shoulder. All hell broke loose as the three warthogs squealed and took off like rockets to a patch of bush to our far left. Certain my shot was good, but amazed he did not drop, Rob said he actually saw the point of impact through his binos- it was great shot placement he told me. Jumping up, we followed his easy blood trail to the bushes, barely 50 yards, where we found my first warthog lying motionless. Interestingly, his left side was facing up, and on the point of his shoulder is not a round entry, but is rather an oblong entry hole in support of his almost straight-on presentation at the shot with the bullet impacting at a very shallow angle. There was no exit wound, the bullet having diagonaled back towards his opposite hip. Rob was very pleased with my little Steyr, and I was too, for my first head of game on this trip.

Wanting to next take an impala, which are actually similar in body weight and size to a warthog but a more thin-skinned animal, I changed out my magazines, inserting the one loaded with 110 grain V-Maxes. Driving farther down the road less than ten minutes, the tracker spotted a herd of a half dozen impala and started to tap on the top of the roof. He and I were sitting on a bench seat in the back of the Land Cruiser just behind the cab.

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We stopped short behind a dense growth of thorny bushes, and made our way to the far right side. I again went prone, and popped down my integral bipod, while Rob whispered to me, “That’s a very clever feature there!”

The herd was unaware of us. It was still feeding in the very low afternoon sun about 100 yards distant. He quietly directed me to take the male on the far left. One shot with the 110 V-Max just behind the left front leg, and the buck staggered at the shot, falling quickly, while the rest took off in a cloud of dust. The tracker was very pleased. No tracking was required! Walking up to my first impala of the trip, we couldn’t find an exit hole on the far side- the bullet had dumped all of its energy inside the broadside chest of the impala. My suspicions were now confirmed- I had an excellent load for herd shooting smaller animals, with minimal risk of an exiting slug, striking another head of game. Rob said he was very impressed. He'd never seen a bullet stay inside of such a relatively small animal.

It was getting darker with perhaps only fifteen minutes left of shooting light. With a warthog and impala in the back of the vehicle, we started heading back for camp. In a very short while, the tracker started tapping on the roof, getting Rob to come to a quick stop. A male warthog was feeding up ahead at around 150 yards just to the left of a large termite mound. As I sat on the bench seat in the bed, I leaned forward, lowered my bipod, and sent another 110 V-Max on its way from my Scout. At the shot, it sounded like a paddle was smacked hard on the surface of a pond. The warthog made a dash up the left side of the hill, stalled out halfway up, locked up, did a backflip down the slope, and laid motionless at the base. My tracker said, “That is a gud rifle, and a gud bullet!”

As we approached the warthog, we saw the entry hole just above his right armpit. Turning him over, again, there was no exit, the same as the impala. Rob was quite pleased, and thought I had discovered the perfect load for hunting smaller animals in herds. All in all, it was a great way, in my mind, to start a safari, with all three animals dropping so fast. The .308 had really impressed me so far. Not only was the...

Scout handy in the field, with the right loads, it was excelling on the smaller African game. Rob was duly impressed by the Scout too. With its neat features, and how cleanly it takes warthogs and impala, I can tell the wheels in his mind are really turning.

Chapter 3: More Warthogs, Tsessebe

The second morning I was introduced to my regular PH, Paul. Rob told him about how well my Steyr Scout had performed yesterday, so Paul was looking forward to seeing it in action too. My next warthog was taken using the early 150 grain Swift Sciroccos. Using a pure copper jacket with a bonded core and tipped for a higher BC, I found they opened up to well over double bullet diameter, but as a result were found on the far side not exiting on a broadside shot. Game went down fairly fast, but in my mind, I was hoping for more in the way of penetration. At the same time, with its weight, I did not feel comfortable using them in herds for fear of one exiting and possibly striking other game. Moving up to larger game, like wildebeest or zebra, I’ll bet they would make a good herd bullet.

The Hornady SST of the same weight expanded to a smaller degree and almost always exited warthogs. Knowing this, and as long as I knew nothing was behind; when I took a shot, it was known ahead of time that the SST would exit. I did have a chance to use the SST much later on a zebra, but that is the subject of a later story.

With my .308 Scout, warthogs became my test animal. With a very low trophy fee, I was able to take a total of ten with this rifle. Having seen what the 110 and two 150 grain jacketed bullets could do, the last one to test was the flat nose hollow point meant for the .30-30 but pushed 500 fps faster than designed. Getting right to the point, the Barnes 150 FN proved to be the most devastating bullet I tried on warthogs. Four were taken from a distance of 75 to 160 yards, all were broadside shots, and only the ribs were hit on entry and exit.

Every warthog dropped to the shot, never moving at all; the spine or shoulder blades never having been struck. The large hollow point caused near instantaneous opening, the six blades shredded the internals, and the bullets always exited. I have never seen performance like this before, nor had my PH. Every night we came back to camp, Paul would update Rob on how well the Scout performed.

Later in the hunt, Paul and I came upon a very nice male...

tsessebe. Grabbing my Scout, we took off after it, walking as fast as we could. Rob didn’t have many tsessebe on his property, and as Paul thought him to be a really good male, he said he was keen for me to take it. The gun was loaded with the 150 Hornady SST giving me good penetration while shooting flat due to its tipped point. Try as we might, the animal kept moving away each time we closed the distance. Not so much that he was aware of us, but he just had it in his mind that he wanted to keep heading south.

There was a fair bit of wind blowing from the west at a consistent 20 mph or so. Finally, Paul asked if I could make the shot offhand at just over 250 yards, and I replied that I could. As the bull was quartering away in an 8 to 2 o’clock orientation, I simply held on the edge of his right shoulder knowing the wind would drift the bullet to the left into his ribs. At the shot, Paul saw hair fly from the second or third rib from the rear which meant the bullet would angle in perfectly.

He was found barely 25 yards from the bush he was standing near at the shot with the bullet having exited just inside of the opposite shoulder. Paul was amazed at the shot placement and told me that not many of his clients can shoot like that. I was so proud to take that trophy, and I was feeling good at how well I continued to shoot with that Scout rifle.

The next day when Stephan was finally able to join with me on my hunt, he and Paul could not believe it when I made an over 200 yard shot from the kneeling position on a very nice impala buck using the Hornady SST. It dropped so fast at the shot, I thought I’d missed, but they both said it was lying right where it had been standing in the tall grass. Shooting and hunting in Montana for six years out to 400 plus yards made these much shorter shots achievable in my mind while amazing the two Zimbabweans time after time.

The next night, while hunting for an antbear that had been tearing up the fields, the Scout shooting the 150 Barnes flat nose dropped a huge male with one shot broadside right through both shoulders. Looking like an anteater on steroids, it had huge powerful front legs and claws almost like a black bear enabling him to dig...

the huge holes that warthogs eventually moved into. Weighing close to 80 lbs. and smelling really foul; Paul said it was a very rare trophy. He stated he’s never seen one shot stop them in their tracks like mine had with the gaping hollow point of the Barnes. Well before the end of my seven days of hunting, the confidence I had in that rifle was unbelievable.

Chapter 4: A Much Better Home

Each evening, when we came back into camp, my PH would go over the day with Rob. It’s obvious that they were not used to hunters being able to drop animals out to over 200 yards and surely not consistently. That night, sitting around the fire, Rob hesitantly asked if I would consider selling my Steyr Scout to him. I had such wonderful memories of it and the game I had taken; I softly suggested how much it meant to me. Asking soon turned to pleading. Not only did he want the Scout, he also wanted the Leupold scope already set up on it and my binoculars. Still having around 80 rounds left, he wanted to buy the ammunition too as both he and Paul had seen what it could do.

I had the great memories, but back in New Mexico it would spend most of its life sitting in a dark safe. Looking like a kid wanting a new puppy as the fire illuminated his hopeful face, I just knew that the Scout would lead a much better life here in Zimbabwe with Rob than I could ever give it. And besides, I could always replace it back home. In Zimbabwe, the rifle would cost Rob over twice what I had paid IF he could even ever locate one.

Yes, I told Rob, he could buy the rifle, scope, and binos- everything… and I’d throw in all the ammo for free. He jumped up, came over and shook my hand so hard it felt like something was going to break!

Every so often, almost fifteen years later, I smile when I think of the life my Scout has lived being carried almost daily in the arms of that happy African hunter.