What kind of bullet do you shoot first shot for Buffalo?

bebo

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Hello,
An advice please, what kind of bullet do you shoot first "solid", "heavy jacketed" or "Soft point", "expanding" for buffalo ?
I have read :
1- break the buf : solid across the elbow.
2 - kill (try ..) : expanding.
 
There is a school of thought that recommends using only solids for hunting buffalo. However, my 2ï½¢ is to use a soft point for your first shot. On my buffalo hunting trip, my first shot was a controlled expansion soft point (Swift A-Frame). The rest of the bullets in the magazine were solids for follow up shots. This combination worked really well during the hunt.

My reasoning behind this was I figured I would only take my initial shot if the buffalo was broadside or only slightly quartering; I was not going to take a frontal chest shot on a buffalo. This would mean that the bullet would have the shortest distance to travel to reach the vitals. I wanted the bullet to expand and do the most damage possible to the heart/lungs which would reduce the distance that the buff would run. I was also dealing with the possibility of having to shoot a buff out of a herd and I did not want the bullet to exit and potentially hit another buffalo behind it, which is much more likely with a solid than with a soft point when shooting a buffalo broadside.

My follow up shots were all solids because after the initial shot I expected him to be either running away or running towards me. In either of those cases penetration would be much more important than on the initial shot since the bullet would have to penetrate either the skull to reach the brain, or through several feet of intestines and stomach to reach the heart/lungs.

In actuality this all worked out very well. I got a good broadside shot on a buffalo and I placed the shot well. The bullet went straight through the top of the heart and the lungs and did not exit; we found it just under the skin on the opposite side. My follow up shot hit the buffalo right at the junction of the hips and the spine as he was running away, and he went down on the spot. Even after penetrating through the pelvis, the bullet still travelled several feet before coming to rest in the body cavity.
 
Agree with TheBigGameHunter, first controlled expansion, in my case Bearclaw (A-Frame is also an excellent choice), then solids.
 
OK thanks for your advise.:D:
This forum is always top! :cool:

Is .416 RM a good ammo for DG and also PG ?
I have an opportunity , an used Winch 70 Safari Express + Leupold Var III 1.5-5x20 QR about 850 US$
"Pretty good" condition.
It's cheap for Europa.
 
Bebo, you need to buy that gun ASAP! That is a fantastic price!
 
Yes! That's my opinion so. :thumb:
Monday my gunsmith 's shop is closed, thuesday I run !:elch:
I think .416RM is closed to .416 Rigby.
No hang-up with .416 RM! isn't it ? :clap:
 
Well the .416 Rem is suppose to be better, but who's counting! The .416 Rigby and .416 Rem are very similar.
 
Bebo, you need to buy that gun ASAP! That is a fantastic price!

Unless there is something seriously wrong with it you are getting a good deal. Post pictures of it after you get it.
 
OK thanks for your advise.:D:
This forum is always top! :cool:

Is .416 RM a good ammo for DG and also PG ?
I have an opportunity , an used Winch 70 Safari Express + Leupold Var III 1.5-5x20 QR about 850 US$
"Pretty good" condition.
It's cheap for Europa.

It's a Win Model 70, enough said. Buy! Buy! Buy!:D
 
bebo: I say buy that rifle, and fast before someone else does!

The .416 Rigby and .416 Remington are both very similar. The .416 Rigby is older and the .416 Remington was designed in the 1980s to give American dangerous game hunters a cartridge that would mimic the performance of the Rigby and fit in a Remington Model 700 rifle. The ballistics in both cartridges are both pretty similar, with the .416 Rigby having a very small edge (not enough to notice) over the .416 Remington.

If you buy the Model 70 in .416 Remington, you will have a fantastic rifle for dangerous game. However, that is not a caliber that is typically used on plains game because it has more recoil and the ammunition is much more expensive than smaller calibers like .30-06. However, if you want a one gun safari for both plains and dangerous game, it will do the job very well and any plains game that you shoot with it will not know the difference.
 
OK thanks for your advise.:D:
This forum is always top! :cool:

Is .416 RM a good ammo for DG and also PG ?
I have an opportunity , an used Winch 70 Safari Express + Leupold Var III 1.5-5x20 QR about 850 US$
"Pretty good" condition.
It's cheap for Europa.

bebo,

If this rifle is from the new FN factory in South Carolina, buy it!! The new factory is turning out as good a M70 as I think there has been, including the vaunted pre-64's. If it's a New Haven gun, and if you can, have the seller take you to the range with it and see how it performs....feeding, extracting and of course accuracy. If all of that is good, buy it!!

While not the most optimal for PG, loaded in 350gr A-Frames or 370gr North Forks, you'll have at least a 200 yard rifle.
 
The scope with rings is worth $400 alone.
 
Sunday 9 AM

Thanks very much for your advice!;)

I know this model Win 70 Safari Express" because I own one cal .375 H&H.
It's a CRF pre'64, "Made in USA BACO Inc. Morgan UTAH"., trigger MOA, Pachmayr Decellerator, etc ..
But it's a .375 H&H , perfect of course, but,but as many people I wish to upgrade the caliber ...
And I have an opportunity....
This is my gunsmith who know my taste ... who tell me "one of my Customer has bought me an "european rifle" and I got his DG rifle"
I 'd seen the .416RM, it's just coming from Africa!
Its owner come back in Europa and has bought an "european/north america" "plain game" : 300WM ..
(boar, stag, deer etc ..) I know ..
Next saturday I'll go and shoot on the range.
The plus : the model, the caliber, scope (swivel mount, I am not sure for the translation in English , it's a QR but we must turn horitontaly the scope to release it)
The rifle is clean.
The less : it had used in Africa ... few little scrachs on the stock ( superficial), the coating of the barrel has known the ... sweat & dust !
No track of shock, the action is OK, feed are good (I 've inserted and released cartridges : clic clac, clic clac).
The "pachmayr " is pretty good. The trigger feels good like mine.
I think I 'll get it. If this caliber fits me, maybe (??) I 'll put the stock of my .375 H&H and mount the stock of the .416 and I'll sell the .375 H&H maybe, maybe ...
The .375HH is a good caliber (My rifle is mounted with a Leupold Var II 3-9x40) ... I'll think to that later. First The range with the .416RM
Thanks again for your help !!!!:thumb: Pics soon!
 
Sunday 9 AM

Thanks very much for your advice!;)

I know this model Win 70 Safari Express" because I own one cal .375 H&H.
It's a CRF pre'64, "Made in USA BACO Inc. Morgan UTAH"., trigger MOA, Pachmayr Decellerator, etc ..
But it's a .375 H&H , perfect of course, but,but as many people I wish to upgrade the caliber ...
And I have an opportunity....
This is my gunsmith who know my taste ... who tell me "one of my Customer has bought me an "european rifle" and I got his DG rifle"
I 'd seen the .416RM, it's just coming from Africa!
Its owner come back in Europa and has bought an "european/north america" "plain game" : 300WM ..
(boar, stag, deer etc ..) I know ..
Next saturday I'll go and shoot on the range.
The plus : the model, the caliber, scope (swivel mount, I am not sure for the translation in English , it's a QR but we must turn horitontaly the scope to release it)
The rifle is clean.
The less : it had used in Africa ... few little scrachs on the stock ( superficial), the coating of the barrel has known the ... sweat & dust !
No track of shock, the action is OK, feed are good (I 've inserted and released cartridges : clic clac, clic clac).
The "pachmayr " is pretty good. The trigger feels good like mine.
I think I 'll get it. If this caliber fits me, maybe (??) I 'll put the stock of my .375 H&H and mount the stock of the .416 and I'll sell the .375 H&H maybe, maybe ...
The .375HH is a good caliber (My rifle is mounted with a Leupold Var II 3-9x40) ... I'll think to that later. First The range with the .416RM
Thanks again for your help !!!!:thumb: Pics soon!

Oh for the love of all things good and beautiful, do not sell your .375H&H if it shoots well!!

A two gun pairing which has the .375H&H and the .416RM is perfect if pursuing PG and DG on the same hunt. If you're going after PG only, the .375H&H is a bit more suited to what you're after than the .416. The .375 will also serve as a perfectly capable DG gun if something were to happen to the .416.
 
Oh for the love of all things good and beautiful, do not sell your .375H&H if it shoots well!!

A two gun pairing which has the .375H&H and the .416RM is perfect if pursuing PG and DG on the same hunt. If you're going after PG only, the .375H&H is a bit more suited to what you're after than the .416. The .375 will also serve as a perfectly capable DG gun if something were to happen to the .416.

:confusion2: :hmmmer: :think:

Exact! Why not! My .375 H&H is perfect (and only 2 years old) ... :agree:

"Born of talking light"

Below my Winch .375 H&H with another scope (1.25x4.5) and before I put on it a scope.
Click on to enlarge.

WINCH 70 SE 10-3.jpg WINCH 70 SE 3-1.jpg WINCH 70 SE 9-0.jpg


Not so bad!
 
I fully agree with Phil, keep both!!!
I look at wear on a gun as memories :), time in the field, as long as the gun shoots straight and I'm sure it will, keep both and shoot both. You will not regret it.
 
OK men !
I am convinced !
And ... to sell a rifle ... somewhere .. it's loss a part of ourself ... if the rifle goes well of course.
That's my feeling ..

My wife will be happy ... happy ...:letsparty:
Not at all , it's a joke ... :D
 
Well, tell her another rifle makes you happy! And you will live longer because you are happy. And tell her all the happy memories this rifle will make, because hunting will be better with another rifle.

Seriously, hardly any woman is happy to see another gun, unless it's for her use.
 
OK men !
I am convinced !
And ... to sell a rifle ... somewhere .. it's loss a part of ourself ... if the rifle goes well of course.
That's my feeling ..

My wife will be happy ... happy ...:letsparty:
Not at all , it's a joke ... :D

A wise choice bebo! May I suggest a vacation with the wife on a nice warm beach somewhere as pay back? :eek:
 
I'm glad you decided to keep both. You've got two very nice rifles! As Phoenix Phil said, both calibers will complement each other nicely on a plains game/dangerous game safari.
 

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