How close is too close, for faster running threat animals?

[kwselke]

I think it was those kinds of stunts that made Sullivan persona non grata with the SCI

The following video is very poor quality, but is the most impressive charge I’ve ever seen on film. If you watch the slow-motion replay, you can see the bullet impacts on the lion’s forehead and almost simultaneously in its vitals as it piles into the hunter.

Head Shot on a Charging Lion - YouTube

That's the best excuse I've ever seen for buying new underwear.

 

[windypoint]

Years ago I knew a fellow Alaskan that had to shoot a Brown bear that was charging him. As it was out of season he had to prove to a skeptical Fish and Wildlife guy that it was a life threatening situation. He was hiking with a 45-70 brush gun when it charged. When the F&W people moved the carcass of the pretty good sized Brown bear they found an ejected cartridge under it. That was good enough for them. End of story.

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

The Tueller drill is a drill, not a rule. The answer is not 21 ft. If you are not willing to do the Tueller drill with each animal of concern, I recommend the Model520Fan rule: If it is moving toward you and has offensive capability, shoot it at the farthest distance at which you can reliably dispatch it.

The Model520Fan rule (which predated the internet handle Model520Fan, and, in fact, the Model 520) served well against a water mocassin, the only known victim of said rule. Perhaps the rule would better be called the Thompson Center Hot Shot rule, or Reptile Bisection rule, or some such.

 

[richbuff]

Stepping out my door onto the sidewalk directly adjacent to my residence brought me there again, six mile walk daily, eleven and a half months later, 2,100 miles later, 42,000 blocks later. Medium-large size dog full-bore charged me from my neighbors' residential property directly across the street, I stopped it 12 inches or less from my feet. This time, no arrest. Its blood spattered onto my pants leg cuff. I did not have one extra tenth of a second to spare. The sound of my first shot did not cause it to show any hesitation.

 

[Wise_A]

This again?

 

[J. R. WEEMS]

Bears

This one came out of head tall weeds about 13ft from where I was standing. She went on her way.

Here are a few more from my album, just click on the thumb-nail if you have an interest:

SMOKY MOUNTAIN BEARS AND OTHERS I HAVE MET

 

[LoboGunLeather]

I think that if the whole concept of "sight picture" disappears in a horizon of fur, maybe "too close" defines the circumstances.

 

[gman51]

If you can see it and you see it is looking at you and then it starts towards you at a run then you are to close.

My German Shepard was beside me and he saw a guy talking to another guy on the side of the road. They were at least 40 yards away from me. The guy on the bike decided to pedal away because he was totally afraid of my dog. The guy hadn't pedaled 10' before my dog was beside him. My dog was barking and penned the guy against the fence but didn't bite the guy. I got hold of my dog as quick as I could. I made sure my dog was always on a leash from then on.

I watched a video about the 30' rule and 9 out of 10 times the attacker with a knife got to the man and stabbed him before he got his gun out to shoot.

I do believe distance is not as important if the approaching threat is making it plain it is not there to welcome me. A person appearing to be mentally whacked out doesn't even need a gun to be a possible deadly threat to your life. Your gun better be out and you trying to put something between you and the attacker. Get into a car or something where you have some protection from the attack. If your barrier is broken or not available then your gun should probably go bang if the attacker doesn't cease the attack. I hope I never experience this.

One never knows how a jury will decide. They weren't there and they go only by hear say in a court room. They didn't experience the adrenalin heart pounding rush you went through. How does one make known the fear of death to a person that wasn't there?

 

[Kurusu]

You be the judge of how close is too close. In this case African Lion.

YouTube

 

[Bullseye 2620]

If he's up to speed at 30 mph at 50 feet away he's gonna cover 44 feet in the next second.

He's easier to hit if you shoot down his long axis from low in front.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEIGqD80N6U&has_verified=1[/ame]

If you can't see it, you have to sign in. It can also be found on Youtube by searching on "Lion Attacks Safari Hunter."

This guy came within a half a second of becoming lion poop, and that was with five shooters armed with .458s and the like firing on him during his charge.

 

[BigBill]

I heard someone say when your scared you can run as fast as you want too.

Fact, my older brother was short like a meatball with legs. One night we were chased by a Great Dane. He couldn’t catch my brother.

 

[Absalom]

Just for the fun of it: Here’s a primer how not to do it.

For the record, I claim no experience hunting lions. Never hunted anything more dangerous than black bear and cougar, with ... ahem ... “modest” success. But if I were the client in this video, I’d be embarrassed to have this on Youtube.

The rifle is all wrong for hunting dangerous game in brush country: Too long a barrel, too big a scope, the ridiculous thumbhole stock, and that long dangling sling is just waiting to get hung up on a branch at the worst moment.

Then he botches the shot when the lion is goaded into charging, and jams his rifle. While he is fumbling to clear it, his two PH’s have to kill “his” lion right in front of him. Ouch.

If you don’t want to watch the whole thing, the “final battle” starts at about 5:00.

YouTube

 

[Wise_A]

I love the scope level on the client's gun. Yes, definitely something you need in the bush!

 

[ladder13]

Quarter mile.

 

[ColbyBruce]

A north Georgia state park ranger told me if a black bear lays it’s ears back and snaps it’s jaws you have a fight coming.

 

[Stevens]

Waaaay back when, maybe 60 years ago, I read a fascinating book (wish I could remember the title) by an African white hunter who guided wealthy clients on African trophy hunts, some for dangerous animals. He covered each really dangerous critter in great detail with many anecdotes based on his experiences on hunts with clients.
He said he never got over how many wealthy clients, with guns costing tens of thousands, arrived without having ever fired or zeroed the rifle they were going to use for the hunt.

He related how angry these guys were when he made them spend hours or even days firing their rifles in a base camp until they could get off two aimed shots and hit a bullseye at 100 yards in two seconds. The clients just could not understand why TWO shots so quickly, until he told them that if they winged a lion at 100 yards and didn't kill or cripple him, the now very angry lion would be on them in four seconds, bounding up and down all the way. He wanted a spare second or two for himself and his assistants to get off a life saving shot.
Sounds like 50-100 yards is when you should have a bead on the critter.

I'm going to guess that book was HUNTER, written by John A. Hunter in 1950 it is one of my favorites. I also read it about 50-55 yrs ago, he wrote another book called White Hunter in 1938 I haven't read that one.
Seems they are both available on Amazon.
Steve W

 

[Onomea]

Ya know, Maasai warriors used to hunt and kill lions with spears, sometimes in groups, and sometimes solo.

Here is some info: Maasai Association - Lion Hunt

There are some interesting, relevant clips on Youtube.

Some seriously brave guys...

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

There is no 21-foot rule. It's called the Tueller drill for a reason.

The way I see it, you have two choices:

a. Buy some bears or whatever and run some drills. On second thought, maybe one bear or whatever would be enough.

b. Run some Tueller drills with humans and find a safe distance. Go on the internet and find out the ratio of bear-or-whatever speed to human speed. As pointed out above, it would probably be better to multiply your safe draw-and-fire distance by the above ratio than to divide.

For whichever choice above, repeat as necessary for each whatever. Of course, repetition may be possible only for method b.

P.S. Oops. Sorry for the repeat. One of the hazards of necroposting, particularly combined with incipient CRS syndrome.

 

[Doug M.]

As pointed out right above, the 21 foot lesson of the Tueller drill is not a safe distance at all - it is a instructional tool. In reality, a human with a contact weapon (cutting/striking tool, etc., and if they get you on the ground, feet) presents a potentially lethal danger at more like 35 feet. That's why there are drill in which we move laterally, etc., to buy time.