This is the second part of our conversation with legendary firearms engraver Barry Lee Hands.
FMA: If you’re going on a Big 5 trip in Africa and you can only pack one rifle, what are you taking?
Hands: Because of good performance, reasonable recoil, and ease of ammunition availability in bolt rifles– the .458 Winchester would be my first choice. Followed closely by the .416 Rigby. There are many good cartridges to choose from, but these are among my favorites. There are premium loads available for them from soft nose for thin skin to solids for the big boys.
If I was feeling a bit more romantic, I might bring a .470, or even a 450-400 double rifle as they are a joy to handle. Of course one must remember the most important consideration in action selection in dangerous game hunting is familiarity with operation. Don’t choose a weapon with which you are unfamiliar; stick with the tried and true.
If you have the most experience with bolt actions, go with a bolt in one of the large calibers.
If you don’t have a lot of bolt gun experience and came into hunting through wing and clay and break a couple of hundred clay targets each week with a double, then by all means bring a double. You want your gun handling to be second nature, when flawless operation in an instant is required.
The Buffalo Jump, by Barry Lee Hands.
What do you feel is the greatest thrill a rifle hunter can experience?
I have found that going on a long-planned trip while carrying a bespoke rifle properly fit by a competent maker with the options and features chosen through the sportsman’s personal experience tempered by the advice of the maker. Then taking a good or excellent example of the hunters chosen quarry with the guidance and companionship of a good professional hunter and his crew that can provide a full and well-rounded experience, the elusive “hunt of a lifetime” that we all seek.
Mine so far was when I took a 57″ kudu and 8.25″ mountain reedbuck in Songimvelo, South Africa.
The wonderful thing is the scenario can be replayed again and again each season, as the hunters adventure may be born anew with each hunt.
Barry and His 57 inch Kudu Taken in South Africa.
Talk about some reasons that motivate a man to spend $30,000 on a rifle from one of the great gunmakers?
The short answer is: if you have to ask, you shouldn’t do it.
There are many functional weapons that are not built to the highest standards, for the person who is not so particular. However, as we discussed before, there is a historical component in all of this and a tradition of best quality arms going back thousands of years.
Underlying that is something even more basic, that I believe inspired all of these men through history.
A life well lived should be a saga, populated with and lived by great men and women, involved in great adventures, travels, and deeds. It is difficult not to see that when hunting adventures come into this story; the very best in weapons and accoutrements round out the scene.
Another aspect is that as seasons grow shorter and limits smaller, we are left with more time and resources with which to plan and choose equipment- whether it is clothing, knives, or the fine firearm of our choice. Of course, we wish to take with us the very best and the preparation and selection of equipment in itself becomes a larger part of the enjoyment of the anticipated days in the field.
If you couldn’t earn a living making and engraving beautiful rifles, what would you be doing?
The field of fine firearms and engraving is very strong right now and I enjoy it a lot.
When I was younger and guiding elk hunters for an outfitter and reading a lot of Capstick, I wanted to head to Africa to hunt full time, as a professional. Presently, I am almost fifty years of age and think I have passed my window of opportunity for that sort of a life.
If I was looking for another thing to do, well, I know a little cove near Pangandaran in West Java that has a couple shacks and a nice little dive shop….now that could be a good place to spend a couple of seasons.
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For Part I of our conversation with Barry, click here. To view more of his beautiful work, visit his website.
