It’s unfortunate, but the fact is that the holster industry tends to give women short shrift when it comes to supplying gear appropriate for their concealment needs. In this Sheriff’s Tip from American Guardian Television, Il Ling and Sheriff Jim Wilson discuss the special issues women face when choosing a concealed carry rig that works for them.
Self-defense is not solely the responsibility of men, nor should it be.
Most of us in the shooting community have embraced the idea that we are each responsible for our own personal safety. But if you’re a woman, there might be far more to this. Not only are we responsible for our own safety, but we might very well be the final line of defense for others in our lives.
The harsh reality is that even a sub-average criminal will try to remove his biggest obstacle first—and that will most likely be any man you’re with. That leaves you.
What about when you’re out with the girls, or the kids? Has anyone given much thought to what to do when a bad guy appears? Well, he has. That leaves you.
Right about now, you should be getting very serious about moving forward with that plan you’ve been hatching—the one in which you learn more about self-defense. Specifically, the one where you learn how to use (or get better with) that great equalizer—the firearm.
In the blistering heat of a Mozambique swamp, a hunter stalks a wary herd of Cape buffalo–with a handgun.
The following was published originally in the May/June 2010 issue of Sports Afield.
I was snaking my way through the papyrus in my best belly-crawl when I suddenly remembered that cobras also favor the thick, reedy stalks for their hunting grounds. Fortunately, I was beyond caring.
Ruger's Super Redhawk in .454 Casull topped with a Burris 2-7 scope proved effective when the chips were down.
We were well into the twelfth hour of hunting on a blisteringly hot day northwest of the Marromeu Buffalo Reserve in central coastal Mozambique. It was a Cape buffalo hunt with a revolver, and I was fully outfitted with my trusty Ruger Super Redhawk in .454 Casull, loaded with 325-grain Barnes Busters.
It had taken four solid days to get where we were, and although this was not the longest time I’d spent hunting for buffalo, it was certainly the toughest. We were the last hunt of the season, so these animals were already wary and keen-eyed. It was the cusp of the rainy season, so vegetation was relatively low and dry, making us easier to see and hear. Last but not least, it was hot–between 100 and 115 degrees, with the raging humidity that accompanies the start of the rains. Zambeze Delta Safari PH Craigh Hamman and tracker Johny were used to it but the rest of our team-Ken Jorgensen, my hunting pal from Ruger and rifle backup, cameraman John MacGillivray, and me-all became dehydrated, or worse, during the first few days of the hunt.
The Forest
In Zambeze Delta Safari’s 1.5-million-acre concession known as Coutada 11, buffalo are hunted in either the thick suni forest (named for the small antelope that thrives there), or the vast floodplain. Because I wanted to get close (I figured 20 to 30 yards was my optimum range) we first tried the forest.
Full of hanging vines covered in thorns of all shapes and sizes, as well as deadfalls obstructing every step, the forest offered the best concealment. We managed to stalk to within 35 yards of a nice 40-inch bull and his little group, but he was young, so after a great stalk and a good look, we left him to grow up some. In our other attempts, though, the animals led us deep into denser and denser foliage, and, with the dead leaves carpeting the ground (a little like trying to stalk across a floor of Doritos), hunting became extremely difficult. These conditions allowed even the most oblivious of buffalo to keep us in check. Continue reading
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