Buffalo Calibers

wildlifehunter

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I was wondering how much more effective the larger calibers (over .375) were on buffalo. I know proper shot placement and bullet construction are essential, but all else being equal is there a difference? also whats a good bolt-action rifle for buffalo? is bigger better or should I go with a .375?
 
This question can certainly invoke some interesting responses. You are spot on about shot placement and bullet construction.

I do believe with all else being equal that bigger is better with one caveat; you must be able to shoot the rifle proficiently and not just in the first shot but on a quick follow up also. Recoil does become a factor albeit at different levels for different shooters.

If I were buying a new rifle today for a buffalo hunt it would be a new Model 70 Winchester in a 416 Remington Magnum. Make certain the stock is the correct length of pull for you (it is easy for a gunsmith to lengthen or shorten it), make certain it functions flawlessly, put a 2.5 by 8 Leupold scope on it, practice shooting from position and off of sticks and go have some fun hunting buffalo. It is also fine for plains game if you want a one rifle safari.

The CZ is a good choice also. I will not bring one to Africa without about $1000.00 worth of extra work after buying it. Others feel differently about the CZ. If going the CZ route I would recommend the 416 Rigby.

That is my opinion today. It has changed somewhat over the years based on experience hunting buffalo.
 
Mike has a number of buff to his name and I think is giving you good advice here. After about 5 minutes into my once in a lifetime hunt to Africa I was planning my second and DG which had been off the list of want to do's was now on it. A couple months after getting back home I bought my M70 in .375. In my opinion the M70 is a take out of the box, find the load that works for it (I have one by the way if you want to know what it is, PM me.) and go hunt.

The trigger is a bit heavy but you can adjust that yourself and it will get a bedding job, but that's it. The only gripe I have with mine is that it is a bit front heavy and the gun just feels heavier to carry.

In December I decided to add to the DG rifle battery and bought a CZ in .416 Rigby. With 400gr rounds it is a noticeable increase in recoil. Not enough to make me flinch, but it is a step up. It may be the heavy front end of the M70 does a better job of taming the muzzle jump, but whatever the case it is considerably more of a thud.

What I love about the CZ though is the balance. Despite 2 more inches of barrel length the gun does not have that front heavy feel of the M70 and it just shoulders better. The trigger on mine however cannot even compare to the M70. Out of the box it is nothing more than lousy. I'm told however that a gunsmith can remedy this without replacing, we'll see.

Why did I go to the CZ over another M70? Well it was first of all a great buy for the stock that's on it and I just wanted to try something new.

I'd recommend checking out both and go with what you like best. But if you've not shot the bigger calibers, it would perhaps be best to start with the .375 to "break" (no pun intended) you in to the recoil difference.
 
I dont mind recoil, I have shot rifles up to the .460 weatherby but the wby was a bit to much
 
I dont mind recoil, I have shot rifles up to the .460 weatherby but the wby was a bit to much

Either .416 Rem or Rigby should be no problem then. The .375H&H and .416 Rigby can easily be loaded with 300gr / 400gr bullets respectively and be 200 yard guns. Go one step lower in either and you've got a 300 yard gun. Advantage to the Rigby though because you still have plenty of gun for DG.
 
Since I have never hunted DG, my opinion has far from the same value as the ones from an experienced DG hunter like Mike70560 :)

But my question is how many Buffs have been lost or have charged the hunter because he used a 375 and not something bigger, when the hunter has put a high quality bullet in the right place.
My guess is none.
Buffs are lost or charge because the hunter has either used a shit bullet or because he didn't put the bullet where it should be.

If you shoot a 416 or something bigger as well as a 375, then get that if that is what you want.
But if your accuracy gets affected, even if it is very slightly, then you should just buy a 375 in my opinion.

I have a 375 Ruger and I didn't buy it to hunt DG as I don't think I ever will have the money for it.
But if I should win enough money to hunt Buffalo and even Elephant, I would without hesitation bring my 375 Ruger and feel 100% confident about it.
I feel 100% sure I will be able to put the bullet where it needs to be with that gun.
 
Norwegianwoods,

And you would be very successful with that approach. Good luck if you are able to make the trip one day.
 
Jim, was wondering when you'd post this, I agree with Mike.... From my side penetration on both the 375 and 416 is good, as already stated bigger is not necessarily better, I would go out and shoot both, find the one that you are most comfortable with and go for it.

Bullet choice is of cardinal importance, many might disagree but I am a barnes fan especially on buff i have seen it work on them without fail in the past on countless occasions.

Keep well and thanks for all the help.
My best always.
 
Hi

I always used a scoped .375 H&H and an open sided .416 Rigby

Roughly half my 12 Buff were shot with each calibre.

Interestingly, the .375 shot buff expired quicker than the .416 ones, except for two which dropped to the shot by shooting too high.

Bullet placement rules the Buffalo world.

They are like pussy cats if you get it right.

Best wishes and good luck.

All best

Tony
 
I can't disagree with a thing that has been provided above, but would offer a couple of other considerations. First, if you are doing a buffalo hunt and nothing else, then a .416 is hard to beat. However, if your buffalo hunt is in conjunction with a mixed-bag of plains game, then I am a huge fan of the .375. I have a purpose built mauser that is a true MOA rifle with the 300gr TSX. On the same hunt, I have killed buff with it at 80 yards and a water buck at 250 +. Fully tricked out with scope and ammunition it weighs less than 10.5 pounds. I can carry it all day, and recoil is a non-issue. I would not hesitate to brain an elephant with it. That said a .416 would do the same thing, with typically just a bit more weight and recoil. To me at least, many .375s seem lean, even svelte, while most .416s cross the line into big. But both will do the job.

Whichever rifle and caliber you opt for, makes sure it is the one with which you are most confident in delivering that first shot. I believe that our first responsibility as a client when hunting DG is to get that first shot right. Do that, and anything north of a 9.3 is enough gun. Screw that shot up and you and your PH can end up in a multi-round rodeo that won't end cleanly even if you are carrying a .500.
 
Thanks for all the info. if I go with a M70 in .375 ( more versatility ) with a leupold scope, barnes bullets and practice practice practice I should be fine, I dont want to mess it up with buffalo.
 
Since I have never hunted DG, my opinion has far from the same value as the ones from an experienced DG hunter like Mike70560 :)

But my question is how many Buffs have been lost or have charged the hunter because he used a 375 and not something bigger, when the hunter has put a high quality bullet in the right place.
My guess is none.
Buffs are lost or charge because the hunter has either used a shit bullet or because he didn't put the bullet where it should be.

If you shoot a 416 or something bigger as well as a 375, then get that if that is what you want.
But if your accuracy gets affected, even if it is very slightly, then you should just buy a 375 in my opinion.

I have a 375 Ruger and I didn't buy it to hunt DG as I don't think I ever will have the money for it.
But if I should win enough money to hunt Buffalo and even Elephant, I would without hesitation bring my 375 Ruger and feel 100% confident about it.
I feel 100% sure I will be able to put the bullet where it needs to be with that gun.
And you are probably right, but...without ever having seen a live buffalo how will you know where the exact right spot is? The exact right spot may be only a couple of inches away from a spot that's less than perfect and things can go sideways from there.
In 1983 I shot the first bull buffalo that I had ever seen. The calm bull didn't know we were there and I placed the .458 bullet through the shoulder, the heart, and out the other side. I expected him to fall over and die, but when I worked the bolt he heard it and charged. The PH fired a shot into the chest as he came causing the bull to veer, and as he went past I gave him another behind the shoulder taking out both lungs, and then he was gone into the trees. Some 20 minutes later the PH spotted him as he attempted an ambush and I shot him in the chest from the front. He spun and ran, then death bellowed. As we followed him into the trees and accicia the PH spotted him still on his feet, fired a shot and dropped the bull. We approached the apparently dead buff waited until the PH got within about 10 feet, jumped to his feet and started to close. The PH's rifle had a mechanical malfunction and made only a "click." I was aimed at the shoulder, but decided that something more definite had to happen and swung just ahead to where the spine was supposed to be and broke the bulls neck.
Now fast forward 39 years and 2 months later. Same PH and I, even the same .458 tracked and stalked a group of four old "Dugga boys." One stood and glared giving me almost the same shot as had my first one. Again I went for the shoulder, but held about four inched higher and touched off. The old bull ran behind a clump of brush. As my friend was asking me about the shot, one of the trackers ran out to the side then came back to tell us that the bull was down right there.
The first shot on the first buff had gone low through the heart. On this last bull the bullet had gone through the valves at the top of the heart and out through the center of the side wrecking the pump.
So it's easy to say.that all you need is to place the bullet in the right spot but in real life things aren't always that simple. I'm sure that the .375 River is more than adequate for cape buffalo, but knowing exactly where the bullet should go might be a little harder.
 
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I have taken buffalo with both my .375 H&H and .458 Lott. I have watched my wife make a one shot kill with a 9.3x62. They all get the job done with appropriate shot selection and good bullet placement.

The .458 Lott has a much more dramatic effect on impact. It also opens up shot opportunities that you would not take with a .375. My last buffalo was a good example. We were above him as he was head down feeding directly toward us. I put the 500 gr TBBC bullet through the top of his neck down into his heart and lungs. He went down as if struck by a bolt of lightning, spine severed, heart and lungs shredded. I would not have taken that shot with my .375.

However, on that same hunt, my wife was patient, waited for a good broadside shot, and made a perfect one shot kill with a properly placed 286 gr A-Frame from our 9.3x62.

Based on what I have seen I would not hesitate to use that 9.3 on a buffalo hunt. But I would be more selective in the shot taken. The same applies to the .375.
 
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.375 Holland & Holland Magnum is all you need for Cape buffalo (provided that you use Premium Grade expanding bullets in 300-350Gr weight). From 1974 to the present day, this has been the caliber with which I’ve taken almost all of my Cape buffalo so far (barring two). My initial setup was a magazine loaded with one RWS 300Gr TUG soft point (for the initial shot) and multiple Remington 300Gr round nosed steel jacketed FMJ solids (for the follow up shots). Later, I shifted to Federal’s 300Gr Trophy Bonded Bear Claw soft point factory loads exclusively, and I haven’t turned back since.

Other ideal bullets for Cape buffalo in this caliber … are the 300Gr Barnes TSX, 300Gr Swift A Frame and 300Gr Rhino Solid Shank (this last one unfortunately, is only available as a handloading component and not in factory loaded form).

Over the years, I’ve used several makes of .375 Holland & Holland Magnum rifles (provided by my white hunters). The worst one was a Remington Model 700. The best one was a BRNO ZKK602 pre ‘75 model with the pop-up peep sight in the back of the receiver. Unfortunately, BRNO ZKK602s haven’t been manufactured in years. If you can’t find one on the second hand market and are limited to currently manufactured rifles, then I’d highly recommend a Winchester Model 70 Safari Express.

The .375 Holland & Holland Magnum is only inadequate for Cape buffalo if you’re using solids. A .375 caliber 300Gr solid makes for a very minute wound cavity in a Cape buffalo’s heart. And I’ve had more than one Cape buffalo which was shot through the heart with 300Gr solids and still managed to survive (with full tenacity) for more than 15 minutes afterwards. When taking body shots at big game, death is brought about by rupturing the vital organs and causing the animal to hemorrhage from blood loss. Larger wound cavities accelerate the rate of blood loss and result in the subject hemorrhaging quicker. When using a non expanding bullet for a body shot, you’re relying on sheer bullet diameter to punch those wound channels through. For Cape buffalo to quickly succumb to body shots, a .375 caliber 300Gr non expanding bullet does make the cut. If using solids on Cape buffalo, then up your caliber to one of the various .450/458s. Of course, if the Cape buffalo you’re after is in a herd… you wouldn’t want to be using solids anyway (due to risk of overpenetration and hitting another animal in the herd).

For my next Cape buffalo, I intend on using something a little… bigger than a .375 Holland & Holland Magnum.
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But this is more due to wanting to have fun in a different sort of way, than due to any lack of confidence in the old .375.
 
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I’ve hunted all my buffalo except one with a 450-400 3&1/4” with Woodleigh weldcores and stopped a charge with a Dzombo solid, both 400gr. The one bull was shot with a 9,3x62 and even though shot through the great vessels above the heart took some more time to expire, although still within 100m.

Carl Stumpfe wrote a great article on Buffalo and the efficacy of the well placed 300gr TSX about a month ago in a local magazine. I will place the article.

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Mods please remove the article if not appropriate.
 
If I am successful later this month I will have taken my 10th buffalo, along with 3 elephants, all with .375H&H. Use a good quality bullet like Barnes TSX, Swift Aframe, etc and you will do great!!
 
The difference between a .375 and a .500 NE (or similar) is ~ 1,500 ft/lbs of energy at the muzzle. Not to mention significant difference in the wound channel with expanding bullets with the larger caliber. Here is the result of a double lung shot (also got the spleen) last month, we also found bone fragments in the lungs. The bullet was found under the skin on the other side. All, 5800+ ft/lbs of energy expanded inside the buffalo. It did not travel far, and no insurance shot was required. As @michael458 says: "Caliber matters".

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I have taken buffalo with both my .375 H&H and .458 Lott. I have watched my wife make a one shot kill with a 9.3x62. They all get the job done with appropriate shot selection and good bullet placement.

The .458 Lott has a much more dramatic effect on impact. It also opens up shot opportunities that you would not take with a .375. My last buffalo was a good example. We were above him as he was head down feeding directly toward us. I put the 500 gr TBBC bullet through the top of his neck down into his heart and lungs. He went down as if struck by a bolt of lightning, spine severed, heart and lungs shredded. I would not have taken that shot with my .375.

However, on that same hunt, my wife was patient, waited for a good broadside shot, and made a perfect one shot kill with a properly placed 286 gr A-Frame from our 9.3x62.

Based on what I have seen I would not hesitate to use that 9.3 on a buffalo hunt. But I would be more selective in the shot taken. The same applies to the .375.
Very well said, and I would agree completely!
 
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I was wondering how much more effective the larger calibers (over .375) were on buffalo. I know proper shot placement and bullet construction are essential, but all else being equal is there a difference? also whats a good bolt-action rifle for buffalo? is bigger better or should I go with a .375?
I believe that shot placement and bullet is most important but when done correctly bigger is definitely better. There was a noticeable difference in reaction between the Buffalo I shot with my 375 and my 458 win mag. 375 almost no reaction, and 458 win mag you could see him buck from the impact. Also in a shameless plug I have a 458 win mag for sale in the classifieds if your looking for a bigger rifle.
 
.338 Win Mag pushing a 225 gr. Bullet in the neck would park one.
 

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