Man-eaters of Kumaon

[Doc_Glock]

We are reading Man-eaters of Kumaon (https://www.amazon.com/Man-eaters-Kumaon-Jim-Corbett-ebook/dp/B075X1CDX6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2D2M20FKZYY6N&dchild=1&keywords=maneaters+of+kumaon&qid=1615854288&sprefix=Man+eaters+of+k%2Caps%2C169&sr=8-1) right now and I have to say Jim Corbett is very interesting cat.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man-Eaters_of_Kumaon

My 12 yo and I are loving the book and there are lots of hunting vignettes that I think the hunters out there will really like.

I sometimes think that the folks of prior generation were just a lot tougher than us. His accounts of hiking everywhere, sleeping anywhere and the general discomforts of life are incredible. Plus he freaking finished off a bear with an axe!

The fact that his actual double rifle used frequently in the book and throughout his life is found in YouTube and still in fireable condition I find kind of astonishing. Modern Marvel. Also owned by Elmer Keith after Corbett. I looked it up just to see what a 450/400 looks like since he speaks so fondly of it, and voila, YouTube has a link to the actual rifle


https://youtu.be/x2rZabt_C_8


Firearms are quite durable and can go through many generations with minimal care.

I am surprised how small and handy the 450/400 appears despite the large round. It must be punishing to shoot.

[zacii]

Read that book a few years ago.

Very entertaining.

Man had some serious courage.


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[Borderland]

Another good one if you enjoy that tilt.

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Long-Grass-Hunters-Adventures-ebook/dp/B006GR5128/ref=sr_1_1?crid=C1YF8IM77YCA&keywords=death+in+the+long+grass&qid=1615854377&sprefix=Death+in+the+%2Caps%2C188&sr=8-1

I've been a hunter most of my life. I shot my first deer at 15. Sad that it's mostly a morality issue these days.

[Cecil Burch]

The nice thing is that in India, he is still somewhat remembered. Years ago, right after college I was working a job with a couple of immigrants from India and in passing one day asked them both if they had ever heard of Corbett. They both said yes, and that there is a major preserve named after him, and they had a general idea of what he did. So that was cool to know.

[TDA]

Very cool video, it's really commendable that whoever paid $300k for the rifle was up for the production. My kids are new shooters, and I'm grateful to have kind of bite sized pieces to introduce them to the kind of stories I grew up reading. I'm not sure they're ready to segue from NRA small bore to African hunting cartridges, but I guess if they are .405 Winchester isn't so much more expensive than anything else these days...

[trailrunner]

Even though I've never hunted, I read some of Captstick's books back in the early 1990s.

And although not about hunting, I also listened to an audio version of this book back when I was going through my hunting book phase:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stranger_in_the_Forest

[LHS]

.450/400 is my ideal double rifle cartridge. Enough oomph to do whatever needs doing, but a lot more shootable than the bigger bores

[LHS]

Also Corbett was one of the luckiest sons of bitches to ever walk the earth. A man goes up against that many man-eating cats, and lives? Dude lived a charmed life.

[Jim Watson]

.450-400 was a major medium in the double and single era, never completely outmoded by .375 Holland's.

[Doc_Glock]

Also Corbett was one of the luckiest sons of bitches to ever walk the earth. A man goes up against that many man-eating cats, and lives? Dude lived a charmed life.

He clearly had a sixth sense about jungle life that can only come from growing up there I imagine. I love how honest he is about failed shots and mis steps as well.

[okie john]

I am surprised how small and handy the 450/400 appears despite the large round. It must be punishing to shoot.

Here's the auction listing for it. https://www.morphyauctions.com/jamesdjulia/item/1038-373/

It looks handy because it's short. The typical bolt action is about eight inches long. Double rifles don't have that, so they handle more like carbines even though they often have 26" barrels.

I'd guess that recoil isn't all that bad mostly because even though it throws a 400-grain bullet, the muzzle velocity is 2,150 fps. Most doubles like that weigh between nine and 10 pounds. So more recoil than a 30-06 but not as bad as a light 338. More of a shove than a snap, I'd think.


Okie John

[Borderland]

If one likes double guns this is a good forum. https://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php

Lots of collectors and knowledge there. I was deep into doubles in the 90's. Even had one imported from the UK when the great firearms purge was moving lots of doubles to the US. All of mine were shotguns but the makers were the same. Almost any of the London makers could build a fine rifle. Rigby, H&H and Jeffery come to mind. I think I still have a G E Lewis (lower end Birmingham maker like Greener) in my safe. Probably couldn't give it away these days although it's hand engraved.

[Rick R]

We are reading Man-eaters of Kumaon right now and I have to say Jim Corbett is very interesting cat.

I am surprised how small and handy the 450/400 appears despite the large round. It must be punishing to shoot.

I found several copies of Man-eaters of Kumaon at a used book store and purchased one. It’s an excellent read and a peep into the past when men were men.

A friend has a double rifle in .470NE and recoil isn’t that bad, about like 12ga turkey loads. Corbett also owned a Rigby bolt gun in .275 that saw some use on game way out of its intended league.

https://www.johnrigbyandco.com/rigby-co-acquires-revered-hunter-jim-corbetts-legendary-275-rigby-rifle/

[Doc_Glock]

Here's the auction listing for it. https://www.morphyauctions.com/jamesdjulia/item/1038-373/

It looks handy because it's short. The typical bolt action is about eight inches long. Double rifles don't have that, so they handle more like carbines even though they often have 26" barrels.

I'd guess that recoil isn't all that bad mostly because even though it throws a 400-grain bullet, the muzzle velocity is 2,150 fps. Most doubles like that weigh between nine and 10 pounds. So more recoil than a 30-06 but not as bad as a light 338. More of a shove than a snap, I'd think.


Okie John

Thank you for that context. The lack of a reciprocating bolt is what makes it so "handy" of course! This was his heavy rifle.


Corbett also owned a Rigby bolt gun in .275 that saw some use on game way out of its intended league.

https://www.johnrigbyandco.com/rigby-co-acquires-revered-hunter-jim-corbetts-legendary-275-rigby-rifle/

Thanks for the link I was going to discuss this morning that he called this his "mountain" rifle. I guess it was significantly lighter than the 450/400. At least one point in the book he laments at how he chose the light rifle for a scouting expedition because it carried so well, only to be faced with a pretty legitimate threat from tiger, and the light rifle wasn't all that comforting at that point.

Another fun vignette was when he only takes 3-4 rounds of ammo with him, ends up using it all on various game, then has to dispatch a wounded, but still very much alive bear with an axe. Lesson learned.

Men were men indeed!

Also: My 12 yo loves when I read this book out loud to him.

[Coyotesfan97]

Maneaters of Kumaon is two dollars for Kindle on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Man-Eaters-Kumaon-Jim-Corbett-ebook/dp/B01MR4MEME/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1CYEB17T7H4J8&dchild=1&keywords=maneaters+of+kumaon&qid=1615854502&sprefix=Man+eaters+of+k%2Caps%2C167&sr=8-2). :D

[Coyotesfan97]

I just finished it. It was in the queue for awhile. It’s a great read. I really enjoyed his writing style and his love of the outdoors and the animals in it shines through. I’ll raise a glass for his dog Robin. He sounded like a great companion.

[Balisong]

Maneaters of Kumaon is two dollars for Kindle on Amazon. :D

Great, now I have another book in my Kindle to read. Unfortunately its gone up $5 since you posted this. I managed to scrape up the dough somehow :rolleyes:

[LittleLebowski]

Great, now I have another book in my Kindle to read. Unfortunately its gone up $5 since you posted this. I managed to scrape up the dough somehow :rolleyes:

Try this link.

https://www.amazon.com/Man-Eaters-Kumaon-Jim-Corbett-ebook/dp/B01MR4MEME/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1CYEB17T7H4J8&dchild=1&keywords=maneaters+of+kumaon&qid=1615854502&sprefix=Man+eaters+of+k%2Caps%2C167&sr=8-2

[Coyotesfan97]

Great, now I have another book in my Kindle to read. Unfortunately its gone up $5 since you posted this. I managed to scrape up the dough somehow :rolleyes:


Try this link.

https://www.amazon.com/Man-Eaters-Kumaon-Jim-Corbett-ebook/dp/B01MR4MEME/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1CYEB17T7H4J8&dchild=1&keywords=maneaters+of+kumaon&qid=1615854502&sprefix=Man+eaters+of+k%2Caps%2C167&sr=8-2

I saw there is a Kindle edition that has the original illustrations in it for $7 and the link LL posted for $2.

[Coyotesfan97]

And I also found a book he wrote called My India (https://www.amazon.com/My-India-Jim-Corbett-ebook/dp/B07F67QX2X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=My+india+Jim+Corbett&qid=1615894883&s=books&sr=1-1) that I bought too.

[Balisong]

I saw there is a Kindle edition that has the original illustrations in it for $7 and the link LL posted for $2.

Oh damn, I must have gotten the illustrated one! Ah well, there may be some cool illustrations in it.

[Coyotesfan97]

Oh damn, I must have gotten the illustrated one! Ah well, there may be some cool illustrations in it.

It sounded like the drawings were good. And so I find another one for $1.50. :cool:

The Man Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B08YZ6689X/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3FBSEVGN4H3TO&dchild=1&keywords=jim+corbett+books&qid=1615856226&s=digital-text&sprefix=Jim+corbett%2Cdigital-text%2C234&sr=1-3

[backtrail540]

I ordered the two omnibus'. I enjoy reading about dangerous game hunting etc...
White Hunters is a great overall history of the topic and I've v read various others over the years. thanks doc