"The Perfect Shot II" Book review

Being a veterinarian by trade and having worked as both a farmer and a Professional Hunter in Zimbabwe and South Africa, it is safe to say that Dr. Robertson has a firm grasp on African animals and their anatomies. But what truly makes The Perfect Shot II stand out is the fact that it includes great detail about rifles, calibers and bullets. This brings all the important aspects of hunting together into a very easily digestible and enjoyable package.

The major criticism of the book, the elephant in the room (excuse the pun) if you will, is the fact that it is written exclusively for hunters. If you aren’t interested in either hunting or rifles, then quite frankly this book isn’t for you. The main audience would be those who either have been or are going to southern Africa for a hunt. The book reads very much like a crash-course, covering all important aspects of hunting in Africa that you would need to know about before boarding your plane.

For somebody who hasn’t been to Africa and knows very little about the animals there, this book will let you learn the most important things about each of the most common species and everything you need to know as a client on an outfitted hunt. This will be greatly appreciated by your African PH. 

Structure

The book is laid out in logical and clearly defined sections. These are – hunting in general, calibre & bullet selection, deep-dives into each species, trophy preparation and shooting practice & stalking methods. The species-specific sections all follow the same structure – biology and behaviour, hunting methods, calibre & bullet selection, and finally shot-placement. These all read nicely in isolation, so if you want to read up only on certain species, there is no need to go through the entire book to get the information you need.

If you are like me however, odds are that you will read the book start to finish since it is just so interesting to learn about all of these, to a European at least, exotic animals. You can easily draw parallels between the African species and the species found at home, and this makes the book a great tool even for hunters who aren’t thinking about going to Africa. Antilope and Deer anatomies are remarkably similar and what works for the one will very likely work for the other. This can be a real eye-opener in some cases.

Hunting Ethics & Conservation

Dr. Robertson places a large emphasis on hunting ethics and the importance of sustainability. The goal of each hunter should be to leave nature the same or better as he found it, even when going after such notoriously controversial game as lion or elephant. The truth is that all species can be ethically and sustainably hunted and but there are several important aspects you need to keep in mind. Trophy selection plays a large role in ethical hunting and sometimes what might appear as a fantastic trophy really isn’t. The book covers everything from how to select the best trophy from each species to how the common trophy scoring systems work and the role they play.

Animal Anatomy and Behaviours

How different animals behave and why makes for very interesting reading, even for those who aren’t die-hard hunters. For each species included in the book, their most common behaviours are described in detail and how these either hinder or help the hunter. What terrain a given species might be encountered in and how this impacts hunting methods and rifle / calibre selection is pure gold. For example, when stalking Waterbuck in thick cover, you are going to need an entirely different setup compared to when hunting Oryx at long-range in the open desert.

Shot placement is, as might be expected, given a lot of attention and there are excellent pictures accompanying each animal with very clear anatomical overlays as well as large red dots for the perfect shot placement. In terms of explaining what a hunter needs to know, these pictures leave nothing to be desired. Many of the photos in the book can be admired in their own right as they are very well composed and beautifully taken.

Rifle, Calibre and Bullet selection

The emphasis placed upon selecting the right calibre, rifle and bullet is what truly sets this book apart from other hunting guides. Dr. Robertson goes well beyond what calibre is ideal for each species, but also covers which bullets and weights are going to give the hunter the best chances. This is explained clearly and succinctly, making it accessible even for a ballistics novice.

Hunters from all over the world would do well to read the sections on calibre selection and bullet design, as many of the points raised are universal and will apply no matter where in the world you are. What makes a good bullet in Africa will also make a good bullet in North America and Europe. The same holds true for calibre selection, and the array of calibres covered is truly impressive. 

Final thoughts

Overall, The Perfect Shot II makes for very enjoyable reading for the intended audience. For a hunter interested in understanding more and bettering himself, the book is a treasure trove of useful information. Always very much to the point, the information is presented in an easily accessible and entertaining manner. The photos included are often outstanding in their own right and along with the anatomical diagrams, these really do say more than a thousand words in many cases.

The vast experience and good humour of the author clearly shines through and sprinkled throughout are small and interesting tidbits, experiences and observations about hunting in general, that often bring a smile of recognition to your face. One certainly gets the impression that going on a hunt with Dr. Robertson as the PH would have been both an immensely interesting and enjoyable experience!