Rifle that killed the Tsavo lions...?

Question

What kind of rifle or rifle(s) (And caliber) was it that John Henry Patterson used when he killed the Tsavo lions?

And I tired looking it up, that's why I'm asking this on here... Idiot...

Answer 1

He had three guns which he considered to be adequate for all purposes, to quote from his book:- "The battery, to be sufficient for all needs, should consist of a .450 express, a .303 sporting rifle, and a 12-bore shot gun; and I should consider 250 rounds of .450 (50 hard and 200 soft), 300 rounds of .303 (100 hard and 200 soft), and 500 12-bore shot cartridges of say, the 6 and 8 sizes, sufficient for a three months' trip. Leather bandoliers to carry 50 each of these different cartridges would also prove very useful."

Lt. Col. John Henry Patterson doesn't say what he used for the first one, he was on a hunting platform and his first shot entered in the area of the shoulder and penetrated to the heart.

For the second he got six hits, the first three were from the 303, the next was fired from the 450 from a tree and the final two head on into the head and body with the 450 as the lion made its final charge. He says specifically that the rounds that finished the lion were Martini bullets, so not the shotgun.

You can read the book on-line and see what you make of the story, see the link below.

Answer 2

Man Eaters Of Tsavo Book

Answer 3

Ah, the Maneaters of Tsavo! Great story. The movie was good also, but there was no hunter named Remington involved.

I don't know what John Henry used but .303 was pretty much standard then. A 12 bore double sounds about right, even though the 8 bore was more popular. Still I'd opt for a .458 but then, this was in the late Eighteen-hundreds when a lot of big game guns were still blackpowder so a 12 bore sounds right.

H

Answer 4

I was interested in your question as I was watching the show on Mad Eating Lions this evening.

I attempted to find your answer, but I only found a single website that mentioned the rifles Col. John Patterson used. As an FYI...I haven't read Col. Patterson's book and I have no idea if the contents of the site are accurate. Here is the directo quote from the website:

"I do not know where the idea arose that a 12g with 'loopers' (i.e. an old load containing 3.70" calibre balls) was the thing for dealing with lion charge either. I suspect that this originated either with people who had never tried it, or they were referring to 12g rifles. Col. Patterson, when trying to deal with the Man-eaters of Tsavo in 1898 (the hero of Ghost & The Darkness if you saw it) tried both a l2g shot gun loaded with slugs and a 12g rifle loaded with solids. He shot the one lion at a range of a couple of feet when it was trying to climb on to his pole platform (basha) with a 12g shotgun loaded with slugs. The lion pushed off, but when Patterson finally killed it 10 days later (using a .303) he found both slugs stuck just under the skin. He later tried a l2g double rifle. A lion charged, his first shot, a solid, went in under the eye and lodged in the lion's back leg. His second shot was a soft, and this failed to penetrate the muscles on the chest. Patterson only survived because his gun bearer broke and fled at this point and the lion turned on him, giving Patterson a chance to get his .303 into action."

It looks like Patterson used three different firearms:

1. 12 ga. shotgun
2. 12 ga rifle (wasn't aware of a 12 ga. rifle before tonight)
3. 303 British (this would have been my guess based on the era, but I was never sure of the side-by-side weapon they show Patterson with in movies and documenteries)

Here is the link. I have glanced at the contents of this site a few times and the content always seemed to be good. I'm guessing that the content on what guns Patterson used is valid:

http://www.african-hunter.com/Rifle_Choice_4_Dangerous_Game.htm

Answer 5

In case some people are thinking that big game hunting with a 12g was foolhardy, let me clear up some of the confusion regarding the guns used for big game shooting in the days of Patterson.
Rifles were made in 12 to 2 gauge, used brass cases with lead bullets, lead covered steel, or sometimes with explosives in the head, were fully rifled and originated in the days of black powder.
The 8 bore was probably the most common, it weighed around 16lbs, and fired 12 drams of powder, with a 1250 grain conical bullet at 1500 fps in a 3 1/2" brass case.
The 12g fired a 540 grain hard lead ball usually, although the above bullet types were available.
4g rifle were used on elephant, with conical bullets weighing 1880 grains and 380 grains of black powder at an MV of around 1500 fps. The rifles weighed 20 to 25 pounds. Head shots on elephant were not used, as the bullets of these days would not penetrate the skull, heart shots were the norm.
I have fired several of these rifles, and in my opinion the hunters desrved a medal just for tolerating the recoil !

Answer 6

John Henry Patterson used the British 303 when he killed the Man-eaters of Tsavo.
Photo of the cats
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Tsavo_maneaters.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Tsavo_Maneaters_Field_Museum.jpeg
The Tsavo maneaters were maneless male lions and were above average size for their kind. Patterson claimed that the lions were able to withstand several shots from his rifle. Tsavo Lions are generally maneless and also larger and more aggressive than lions from other regions.

Movie made of the Man-eaters of Tsavo called
The Ghost and the Darkness
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ghost_and_the_Darkness

The book: The Man-eaters of Tsavo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man-eaters_of_Tsavo

Info on Man-eaters of Tsavo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsavo_maneaters

The 303 British
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.303_British

I would have to agree with Doc, you should read the book it is amassing how John Henry Patterson lived with all the crazy mistakes he made while hunting these lions.

D58

To the Childish ones that are playing the games.
I love it when the inept thumb me down, it don’t dissuade me it inspires me more.

Hunting with Rifle, Pistol, Muzzle loader and Bow for over 3 decades.
Reloading Rifle, Pistol and shotgun for over 3 decades.

Answer 7

John Henry Patterson has to have been the luckiest S.O.B. to ever wear out shoe leather!!!

Some of the stupid stunts he pulled in his attempt to sort out the man-eaters are bloody unbelievable! He should have been eaten a dozen times over! And he blithely tells about his bonehead stunts in his book.

If you've never read Maneaters of Tsavo, you need to read it!

Doc

Answer 8

I would guess the .458 but that is just a guess...
I know I'm in the right ballpark

Answer 9

the lions are on display at the chicago field musuem. look it up.