Testing anything new is exciting. Hunting in Africa is very exciting. And when the two come together –unforgettable moments are guaranteed. This was my experience with Leapers’ brand-new Integrix rifle scopes at Ngiri Wild Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.
When the trigger broke, my heart seemed to stop. My PH, Philip Henderson, had led me to a mature trophy Blesbok, which faced us at a slight angle just over 100 meters away. With the sun at our backs and the desert air shimmering, I moved the reticle slightly forward. My finger found the pressure point of the trigger as I centered the reticle on the ram’s front shoulder.
The rifle butt slammed into my shoulder as I tried to keep the sight picture through the muzzle flash. Would the shot be on target? Could I adapt to this new American riflescope with the unfamiliar reticle? These questions raced through my mind in a millisecond as the bullet flew toward the Blesbok, and comprised the challenges that made this particular hunt so appealing.
An African Safari
Every hunter’s heart beats a little faster at those words. The nature, the game, the culture – it is like immersing yourself in a foreign world. This hunt was no different than when I set off on my first safari down to the southern hemisphere. That was a few years ago, but the saying “Once you hunt in Africa, you’ll always come back” has proven true.
This particular hunt occurred in April 2024 at the beginning of the hunting season in South Africa. My destination was Ngiri Lodge, which is operated by Müller Hunting (www.muller-hunting). After an all-night flight from Germany to the Black Continent, I took a domestic flight – already looking forward to the pool, my chalet, and a nice shower – in addition, of course, to a few days of hunting.
However, I wasn’t the only hunter at Nigiri; there was also a team of Americans, who were not just there for the hunting, but also to subject their new riflescopes to various tests under some tough field conditions. They were from the Michigan-based company Leapers and were putting their new Integrix series of riflescopes through their paces.
“We want to produce the first premium glass made in the USA. We want it to be the best you can get in terms of both sport and hunting. That’s why we wanted to come to Africa and test the glasses under tough hunting conditions,” explained David Ding, CEO of Leapers.
As I did not bring my personal rifle with me, I asked if I could use these new scopes on the farm’s loaner rifles. Fortunately, that wasn’t a problem, which was great since guns, optics, and shooting equipment, in general, are some of my great passions.
David supplied me with three different models:
- Integrix IX801FM3 1-8x w/ M3 MRAD Reticle: (Blaser R93 in .30-06 Springfield)
- Integrix IX603FA2 3-18x w/ A2 MOA Reticle: (Blaser R93 in 9.3×62 Mauser)
- Integrix IX645FM1 4.5-27x w/ M1 MRAD Reticle: (Mauser M18 in .300 Winchester Magnum)
Before we went stalking in the bush, shooting on the shooting range was on the agenda. Every guest here must go through this to evaluate their shooting skills. I tried out all three weapons with the three new riflescopes, and the workmanship was top-notch in every case.
“We use Schott glass from Germany and Ohara glass from Japan. In addition, all scopes up to .338 Lapua Magnum caliber are tested and quality-checked in terms of heat, cold, and tightness,” said David when I remarked how good they were.
But – and this is part of the reality of hunting – shooting on the range is one thing; however, shooting in the bush is something completely different. Nevertheless, I wanted to try out the new riflescopes on my safari, and around 11 a.m. the next morning, we spotted the Blesboks. We parked the truck, and I grabbed the shooting stick and rifle. Following my PH, Philip Henderson closely, we approached our quarry. The nearer we got to the Blesboks, the more nervous I became.
As I said, the sun was blazing, and heat waves shimmered over the parched ground. I didn’t notice anything. I just kept following in Philip’s tracks until he gave the signal to stop. A nod of his head, then the shooting stick found its position, quickly followed by the rifle. Some distance away, there were two Blesboks, and their time of reckoning had finally come.
The shot was right on target! The impact of the shot was audible, and the buck ran off with its head low. My eyes closed as Philip’s hand crashed down on my shoulder, and a “Good shot! Congratulations!” reached my ears.
I briefly lowered my head onto my rifle, which fortunately was resting on the shooting stick. I closed my eyes again and took a deep breath. That was a deadly shot. A glance at the scope and an appreciative nod to Philip. It had done an excellent job. I shouldered the rifle and off we went to search for our fallen quarry.
When we didn’t find the buck immediately, my heart palpitations increased. The shot was right, the bullet was heard, and the buck had bolted. We knew he had to be somewhere near.
Several minutes passed, but none of the trackers found him. Then, after endless minutes and several hundred meters, I found him. He was lying only 30 meters away from the point of impact – pure relief.
I took my cap off and paused for a moment. A life was taken, for which all true hunters should be grateful. A life that later serves as food and decorates the wall at home as a reminder of the safari. In the evening, we drank a toast to this buck, according to old hunting customs, and ate the excellently prepared filet. However, this was not to be the last antelope shot with the new Leaper scopes on the German guns.
The following days were simply beautiful. Out early in the morning, I witnessed the awakening of nature. In addition to the Blesbok, we shot an Impala, an Eland, a Kudu, and some other game – all with the new scopes. In the cool of the morning, at midday in the heat, and in the evening when the light was fading – always over hill and dale and through the thorn bush. None of the Leapers’ scopes broke or malfunctioned in any manner, and they delivered crystal clear images with good edge-to-edge sharpness, no matter what time of day or what outdoor conditions prevailed.
At the closing dinner, before we parted ways, David said, “We are not finished yet. These were hunting tests, and we are looking at what we can do better. We want to bring out our own HuntersLine, where we will install other reticles and make a few more adjustments. That is what we were here for, because only practice can show us where we can improve.”.
I have to say, I was impressed to see the passion with which David and his team put into the production of their riflescopes and their goal of producing the best riflescopes from the USA.
I will never forget this safari. Even though it wasn’t my first time in Africa, it was special to be one of the first to test these new Leapers scopes in actual hunting conditions. You don’t get to do that every day, and to be able to hunt African plains game with them just rounded off the entire experience.
More than one African trophy now adorns the walls of my home, but I am sure there will be more to come. However, this trip to South Africa at Ngiri Lodge, and the experience of meeting David Ding and his team, as well as testing Leapers’ new Integrix riflescopes, will always hold a special place in my memories.
