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Category: All About Guns
Chasing free-range kudu across the veldt of southern Africa has a way of recalibrating one’s ego.
The giant stood 8-feet tall, rail thin yet strong as a century-old oak, haggard and worn to the point that it almost became part of the landscape in places—almost. As we drove past, I tried not to look directly at it, keeping my eyes on the horizon, but it was damned hard to miss.
I had plenty of warning it would be there and I knew I’d have to deal with it, which gave me significant time to prepare. And that helped. A little.
Sitting in the back of the truck, we pulled right up to the giant, the bumper so close we almost ran into it. And then, without hesitation, the PH hopped out, unlocked its gate, and we simply drove through it like it didn’t exist.
Game preserves are commonplace in many locales throughout Africa, especially South Africa—so much so that hunting within is as much of a normality as not hunting behind a fence is here in the States. “Poaching problems” seems like too convenient of an excuse to put up a big-ass fence to protect the investments that are the animals within, but it’s a real problem. A substantial problem, in fact.
And, of course, it does help outfitters manage their herds and provide high-opportunity hunts for adventurers potentially spending tens of thousands of dollars and multiple weeks of their hard-earned vacation.
Plus, when you step outside the fences in South Africa, federal game laws and seasons dictate the rules. Inside the fence? Well, that’s up to the person holding the keys to the padlocks.
Now, to be fair, many of these game preserves are bigger than the ranches of West Texas, spanning tens and tens of thousands of acres. It’s entirely possible to pass through a high fence and hunt aggressively without again seeing the fence until the sun sags low in the sky and it’s time to leave. These plots are so big it’s difficult to fathom that someone owns contiguous plots of land that are so expansive.
And, honestly, I’ve had some incredible hunts in South African game preserves. Most are, in fact. But during the course of five trips to Africa, I’ve had a couple hunts that just didn’t quite feel right. I enjoyed the experience but elected not to shoot, and I can live with that outcome.
Do the animals know they’re in a fence? I have no idea, but I doubt it because animals are not capable of reasoning. However, I know the animals are in a fence—and I’ve come to accept it. When in Rome, do as the Romans do, right? As much as I hate this clichéd saying, sometimes ya just have to resign to the fact that “it is what it is.”
But it doesn’t have to be this way, either.
Even with so much of South Africa fenced, there’s an incredible amount of acreage—or hectares, as they’re referred to there—available for those with a sense of insatiable adventure and a willingness to burn serious boot leather across the country’s unparalleled landscape.
The entire southern tier of the African continent—Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique—offers free-range pursuits, but South Africa has become somewhat of a second home … and I have become quite partial to the people in it.
And just when you think you’re getting pretty good at this hunting thing, chasing free-range kudu across the veldt of southern Africa has a way or recalibrating one’s ego.
Be Patient and Shoot Far
We first spotted the bull from atop Kudu Mountain, a collection of rust-colored moon rocks piled 600-feet high by the Earth some unknown-millions of years ago. It was a bitch to climb that ankle-rolling natural formation every morning, not just because of the rocks—but because every night the orb spiders would re-spin their webs with silk thick enough to entangle even the stoutest of hunters.
But, the vistas were spectacular, and, tactically, there was no better place to glass for kudu.
More than 1,100 yards distant, the spiraling horns of the bull peeked in and out of the acacia trees as he desperately tried to keep his harem tight. From above, it seemed impossible to lose sight of the bull for nearly a half-hour at a time, but that quickly became the norm: a glance here or a peek there, followed by long stretches at a time with nothing.
In this situation, one can hope to get lucky, but I’ve spooked more than my fair share of animals trying to put good effort toward a bad situation. It’s tough to stalk an animal when you don’t know where he’s going: The bull was running randomly without a clue where he was going, which meant I had even less to go on. The younger me would’ve kicked my own ass for even thinking this, but the older me has learned that, sometimes, the best thing to do is sit back and watch the sun set.
The reality was, those kudu cows were not going anywhere, and neither was he. Reluctantly but optimistically, we retreated for the day … all the while knowing I’d have to climb that damned mountain again.
It took me longer to catch my breath than it did that bull the following morning: Sure enough, that bull was within a few hundred yards of where we’d left him the evening prior. He was calmer, but that ol’ boy was interested in little more than keeping an eye on every single one of his ladies … exactly like a bull elk does during mid-September.
And this time he was closer. Well, a little closer.
At 767 yards, the come-up was more than 17 MOA for the 7mm PRC in my hands. In other words, with my 100-yard zero, that 175-grain bullet drop is more than 138 inches. That’s nearly 12 feet, and that’s not even considering windage factors.
Why does all that matter? Because after that bullet left the muzzle, I have no idea where it went. Despite the rifle being locked into a tripod (I took a lot of sh*t for carrying that thing up and down that mountain, but its steadiness was incredible) and my confidence high, that bullet didn’t touch the bull. But it sure did scare him, although none of the kudu had a clue where the shot came from.
So, they started getting closer. And they eventually calmed down and once again took to browsing.
Range. 725 yards. Check dope. Dial. Find the bull in the crosshairs.
Range again. 681 yards. Check dope. Dial. Find the bull in the crosshairs.
It soon became apparent that the cows were not going to get any closer. Range. 652 yards. Check dope. Dial to 13.5 MOA. Find the bull in the crosshairs.
Send it.
With a slight quartering-away angle, the bullet entered in the paunch and dove forward, causing the bull to buckle hard, hunch up and take off with the herd. From our vantage point, it was possible to watch the cows and calves sprint away, though it wasn’t long before we could no longer see the bull running with the herd.
He was suddenly gone, and that was a very good news.
I quickly learned that the only thing more unappealing than fighting orb-spiderwebs while climbing Kudu Mountain is fighting those same webs while trying to get down the mountain … in a hurry. To be honest, I bet to this day there is spiderweb particles permanently woven into the shirt I was wearing that day.
Despite how open the terrain appeared from on high, it sure looked different once we got down into the thick of it. I didn’t know whether this bull would be piled up or still standing, but it became immediately apparent that finding even a 500-pound animal was going to be a challenge.
Until it wasn’t.
I’d like to tell you that I walked up to that bull kudu, and he was stone dead, but that wouldn’t be the truth because the first shot was just a little too far back. The truth is that, after a bit of a goat rope, my adrenaline dump was so significant that I puked. Yup. Breakfast came up right there next to the bull … with five people watching.
And to my surprise, not a one of them said a thing. It took a campfire conversation that evening to figure out why I didn’t take more sh*t in that moment, but the reason was simple: They’d all been there before, too.
When it comes to hunting, I’m learning that things rarely go exactly as planned … although most hunters seem to leave the less-than-sexy details out of their stories.
If I had to do it all again, I’d do a couple things differently. I wouldn’t have taken the shot at 767 yards. There are too many environmental factors that come into play at that distance when hunting, such as wind and a target that can move. There are a lot of things that can go wrong when a bullet is in the air for that long.
Would I take the 652-yard shot again? I think I would, but I’d find a way to get prone when shooting that far. Regardless of how good a tripod is, I’m saving those shots for less than 500 yards from here forward.
Ego recalibration?
Check.
Gear Notes: Nemo Arms Rifle
Next to making a living via hunting amazing locations with some truly incredible people, the best part of working in the hunting and shooting industry is testing new gear.
The rifle you see in each of the photos is this article is the new bolt-action rifle from Nemo Arms. And when I say “new,” I mean that it’s the first one that’s ever existed … like, it was built with haste for this hunt.
Long-known for ARs and more tactical-rifles, Nemo has tapped into the bald head of gun-building genius Jeff Sipe, who has been around the industry and has built quite the resume … along with some incredible guns. Nemo has tasked Sipe with building the company’s first bolt-action rifle, and as best I can tell, he’s been given a long leash and a big purse to complete the job.
Though this rifle is essentially a prototype, all the pieces are there, producing a ½-MOA rifle that’s capable of out-shooting my skillset. This gun is such a pleasure to shoot that it’s almost intimidating. And the rifle can shoot groups so tight that it’ll take away any excuse you can think of (you can always blame everything on the wind).
Want more details on the gun? Good. Because as soon as the design has been finalized and all the pieces are in place, I’ll have a full review for you at CarnivoreWeb.com.
Guide Notes: Geoffrey Wayland
When it comes to hunting in Africa, everyone seems to have a go-to guy. And if they’re happy, that’s great. But after five safaris, I’ve met a few of these go-to guys and have often been thoroughly unimpressed. I’ve dated more than a few girls who seemed like “the one” until I met someone else and realized the first one was crazy.
Know what I mean?
So, at the risk of him getting booked up and no longer having time for me, I hesitantly tell you that my go-to guy is Geoffrey Wayland of Fort Richmond Safaris (FortRichmond.co.za). It’s actually gotten to the point that my wife and I don’t want to hunt Africa without him, and when my kids have their first Africa hunts in the coming years, I don’t want anyone else beside them.
Would I lie to you? I did just admit to screwing up a kudu hunt, didn’t I?
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A Smaller CZ: The CZ 75 Compact
There’s nothing like getting “hands-on” from a master.
World IPSC champ Rob Leatham needs no introduction to our readers. They might be surprised, however, to learn Federal law enforcement agencies seek him out to train their personnel. Rob starts his lecture by explaining he’s not a cop and isn’t there to teach anyone to do their job; he’s there to teach the mechanics of accurate, high-speed shooting. I recently attended one of his classes, where the students were a third working street cops, a third cops who write and a third gun-writers. Let’s share some of the drills Leatham put us through in the one-day course.
Leatham critiques as Mas shoots with the custom Springfield Armory .40 Rob used to win IDPA Limited Nationals this year.
The Drills
Slow fire drill: Five shots on target, unlimited time, two-hand standing. Done once each from five, ten, fifteen, twenty and twenty-five yards. Each shot reinforces the basics and the shooter also verifies sight zero.
Five-second drill: The shooter has five seconds to draw and fire a single shot. This is an opportunity for the muscles to refresh long-term memory, and make sure every component of the draw to the shot movement is down pat. Then it’s done with two shots. Rob doesn’t care for what Cooper would call the
“hammer” and what some call the “double tap,” with two shots fired so fast only the first is aimed. He wants some verification the gun is on target for every shot in the string. The emphasis here is on what Cooper defined as the “controlled pair.” Then, in the same five-second span, the shooter fires three shots. Then four. Then five, six, etc., going all the way up to ten shots in five seconds. As the pace accelerates, timing is quickly grooved in for the new shooter and is sharpened for the veteran.
Three-grasp drill: The shooter draws and fires two shots free style, usually in his preferred two-hand stance. Then the support hand comes off and the shooter triggers another con-trolled pair strong hand. Then the shooter fires the last two shots weak hand. In a variation of this, the shooter fires one shot from each of those positions, but the emphasis is on accuracy. Leatham doesn’t want you to consider this exercise concluded until you have created a one-hole group from the three yard line with one shot each fired from two-hand, strong hand only, and weak hand only.
Shoot and move drill: Five shots moving forward. Then five shots retreating from the target. Then a combination of the two. Finally, a magazine is left at the forward line and the shooters move one line back. On the start signal, move forward firing until you have reached the point where you placed the fresh magazine. Reload there, picking up the magazine from the ground, and fire as you retreat back to the starting point.
Shoot, reload, shoot drill: The shooter draws, fires six, speed reloads and fires six more. It can be done at ten yards on three targets, two shots on each per sequence, or all on one target at whatever distance the officer feels he needs to work on.
Eyes On You
There’s a lot you can learn from Rob, and not much opportunity to do it. He only does a few classes a year because so much of his time is taken up on the competition circuit and in research and development for Springfield Armory. For information and scheduling, check out his Web site at www.robleatham.com. If you care about performing well with a handgun, it’s definitely worth setting aside some vacation time. You’ll learn a lot that you can bring back to your department to enhance the performance of your officers.
United States Attorney General Todd Blanche finalized a federal regulation governing the restoration of federal firearm rights. The new process allows eligible individuals who are prohibited from possessing firearms to apply to have those rights restored.
“The Second Amendment is not a second-class right, and the federal government should not permanently deprive Americans of a constitutional right without regard to whether they pose a danger to public safety,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This rule establishes a rigorous, common-sense process that protects the public while giving deserving Americans a real path to restoration.”
The signed rule has been transmitted to the Federal Register. DOJ cautions that the currently available text is unofficial until formally published.
A Restoration Process Congress Left Dormant for Decades
Section 922(g) prohibits certain categories of people (e.g., felons, domestic violence misdemeanants, unlawful drug users, fugitives, certain aliens, those under domestic violence restraining orders, etc.) from shipping, transporting, possessing, or receiving firearms or ammunition in or affecting commerce.
Section 925(c), however, has long authorized the Attorney General to grant relief if the applicant shows they “will not be likely to act in a manner dangerous to public safety” and that granting relief “would not be contrary to the public interest.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) previously administered this process by delegation. Still, Congress defunded it via appropriations riders starting in 1992, rendering the program inoperative for over 30 years.
In March 2025, DOJ issued an interim final rule withdrawing the ATF delegation. In July 2025, it published a notice of proposed rulemaking with detailed criteria. After receiving over 15,500 comments (roughly 91% supportive of restoring a workable process), the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) finalized the rule.
The program will now be operated through the Office of the Pardon Attorney rather than ATF, although the Attorney General retains the ultimate decision-making authority.
When Will Applications Open?
The rule becomes effective 30 days after publication in the Federal Register, but DOJ plans to roll out the application process in stages.
According to the Department’s current Federal Firearm Rights Restoration website:
- Thirty days after publication, DOJ will begin inviting candidates to apply.
- Seventy-five days after publication, the application will open to the public, beginning with the first 5,000 applicants.
- At 120 days, DOJ will accept another 500 applicants and begin collecting the application fee.
The Department directs prospective applicants to justice.gov/ffrr for updated eligibility information, application instructions, and the eventual online application.
Who Will Be Presumptively Disqualified?
According to the DOJ, the rule aims to protect Second Amendment rights while ensuring public safety. Relief is discretionary and guided by statutory standards.
Several offenses are presumptively permanent disqualifications. These include violent felonies (homicide, kidnapping, terrorism, stalking, and other crimes of violence), convictions involving brandishing or discharging a firearm, sex offenses requiring registration under SORNA that also trigger a § 922(g) prohibition, and felony-level domestic violence.
There will also be other time-limited presumptive disqualifications, including drug trafficking convictions or misdemeanor domestic violence: at least 10 years after completing the sentence (including probation/supervised release), and other felony convictions: at least 5 years after completing the sentence.
Other statuses that are presumptively ineligible are being a fugitive from justice (§ 922(g)(2)), unlawfully present aliens or certain nonimmigrants (§ 922(g)(5)), and persons subject to qualifying domestic violence restraining orders (§ 922(g)(8)).
The final presumptively ineligible status is being an unlawful user of or addicted to controlled substances (§ 922(g)(3)) — until the pattern of use ends. That final category seems to be at odds with the United States Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in Hemani. Still, the DOJ does not believe it is at odds because the Hemani opinion was narrow.
What the Supreme Court Held in Hemani
The Supreme Court held that the federal government could not prosecute Ali Hemani under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3) based solely on evidence that he regularly used marijuana while possessing a gun in his home. The government did not allege that Hemani was addicted, intoxicated when he possessed the firearm, incapable of managing his affairs, or dangerous to himself or others. Nor did it claim that he had misused the gun.
The Court rejected the government’s attempt to treat anyone who regularly used any amount of a controlled substance as categorically dangerous. Historical laws dealing with intoxication and “habitual drunkards” targeted different conduct, operated differently, and generally required more than the mere regular use of an intoxicating substance.
The Supreme Court nevertheless described its decision as narrow. It did not decide whether the government may disarm people who are addicted or presently intoxicated. It also did not decide whether § 922(g)(3) could be applied when the government presents individualized proof that a person’s drug use makes him dangerous—or proof that a particular drug always renders its users dangerous. The Court expressly declined to pass on those questions either way.
In short, mere regular marijuana use, without more, was insufficient to support the government’s automatic and categorical ban as applied to Hemani.
DOJ Creates a Marijuana Exception
In response to Hemani and the large number of public comments addressing marijuana, DOJ amended the final rule to create an important exception.
For purposes of the rule’s drug-related presumption, DOJ’s definition of “controlled substance” does not include marijuana. As a result, unlawful use of or addiction to marijuana alone does not trigger the same presumption of ineligibility that applies to users or addicts of other controlled substances. The Department also removed proposed requirements that applicants and their character references affirm that the applicant does not use or is not addicted to marijuana.
DOJ acknowledges that excluding marijuana addicts, not merely marijuana users, goes beyond the facts presented in Hemani. The Department says distinguishing a marijuana “user” from a marijuana “addict” would require a highly fact-specific inquiry that could undermine the administrability of the restoration process.
That does not mean marijuana use automatically restores anyone’s firearm rights or removes a federal disability under 922(g)(3). The statute remains on the books, and the relief process itself remains discretionary.
Instead, an applicant whose only drug-related issue involves marijuana may apply without facing the rule’s extraordinary-circumstances presumption. DOJ may still consider the applicant’s marijuana use and other individual circumstances when deciding whether restoration would be consistent with public safety and the public interest.
For controlled substances other than marijuana, the presumption remains. Someone who continues to qualify as an unlawful user or addict will generally be denied absent extraordinary circumstances. Because that disability is status-based, an individual may ordinarily remove himself from the prohibited category by ending the unlawful conduct and breaking the pattern of ongoing use.
What Applicants Must Submit
An applicant must complete the required form and disclose all federal firearm disabilities for which relief is requested. Required materials may include:
- Electronic fingerprints or properly completed fingerprint cards.
- Certified or otherwise reliable court records.
- Charging documents, judgments, plea agreements, and presentence reports.
- Proof that every requirement of the sentence has been completed.
- State criminal-history records for each jurisdiction in which the applicant has lived or been arrested during the applicable period.
- Relevant military, mental-health, domestic violence, citizenship-renunciation, or foreign records.
- Affidavits from three qualified character references.
- Authorization for DOJ to obtain additional background information.
The final rule shifts responsibility for local law-enforcement notification to DOJ. The Department will notify the appropriate chief law-enforcement officer for the locality where the applicant resides and allow that agency to submit information supporting or opposing restoration.
The application fee is $30 once the fee stage begins, up from the proposed $20. DOJ will periodically review the fee and conduct an audit after the program has operated long enough to produce reliable cost information. Applicants may request a fee waiver or reduction, including for economic hardship.
How DOJ Will Decide Who Gets Relief
The Attorney General may consider the applicant’s entire record, including criminal history, dismissed charges associated with a plea agreement, conduct while incarcerated or under supervision, time since completion of the sentence, rehabilitation, threats, restraining orders, drug use, mental health, character references, and information supplied by local law enforcement.
Significantly, the final rule also allows the Attorney General to consider whether denying relief under an applicant’s individual circumstances would infringe the applicant’s Second Amendment rights.
If relief is granted, DOJ will publish notice of the decision and the reasons for it in the Federal Register. Any restoration applies only to the federal disability addressed in the application. It does not erase independent state or tribal firearm prohibitions, and it does not protect an individual from a new disability arising from later conduct.
An applicant denied relief may petition the United States District Court for the district in which he resides for judicial review.