Curious why cape buffalo have the same minimum caliber requirement as Rhino, Hippo and Elephant?

[Northern Shooter]

I've always wondered why the .375 cal minimum requirement applied to Cape Buffalo in the same way it does to the larger dangerous game ie Hippo, Rhino and Elephant.

Now, I have never hunted Africa and have no direct experience with these game species. I know that Cape Buffalo are known for their toughness, their "meanness" and I've seen videos where they soak up a LOT of lead.

But from an anatomical perspective they are a ~1,600lb Buffalo vs a 3,000lb+ Hippo, 5,000lbs+ Rhino or a 15,000lb+ bull elephant.

They just don't seem to be in the same weight class compared to other megafauna.

Thinking of local examples at home, North Americans hunt the North American Bison which grows larger than Cape Buffalo (to to 2,700lbs) with 30cals like 308, 30-06, 300 WinMag etc.

It sounds like the Australians hunt their Water Buffalo (2,000lbs) with 338's as well but recommend a 375.

So a few questions:
1. Do you believe the caliber restrictions for Cape Buffalo should be the same as the larger African game? i.e. 375.
2. Do you think there should be an exception for using 338's, 35's etc. on Cape buffalo given their effectiveness on other buffalo species around the world?
3. Do you think the 375 minimum is actually too low for hippo, rhino or elephant?

I'm asking these questions as I sit here planning my Bison hunt where I intend to bring my 338WinMag with 250gr partitions.

 

[Longwalker]

yes, no, & no.
I'm pretty confident that experience has shown the cape buffalo is actually "tougher and meaner" than many other species like water buffalo or bison or animals of similar weight. And quite willing and capable of killing the hunter who uses an inadequate cartridge. I'd personally be comfortable with a 9.3x62 or 9.3x74R on cape buffalo, but the minimum is sensibly set at .375 in some countries and I can live with that.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

1. Yes
2. I wouldn’t go below .338 caliber
3. For body shots on elephant, yes. No for the others (except rhinoceros which I am yet to hunt and thus, can’t speak from field experience)

I’ve been doing all this with .375 Holland & Holland Magnum caliber rifles ever since 1974, so I am well familiar with the attributes & limitations of this caliber. It’s the Swiss army knife of rifle calibers, in terms of its versatility. The “One Size Fits All” of the big game hunting scene. Or at least, as close to this philosophy as is humanly possible.

I’ll go a bit in-depth into your first question.

Firstly, it’s extremely unwise to compare the resiliency of American bison or Asiatic/Australian water buffalo with the Cape buffalo. The only common element between all of them is that they’re bovines. Yes, the Cape buffalo weighs less than an American bison or Asiatic water buffalo. But weight alone isn’t a reliable indication of a dangerous game animal’s tenacity for life. Cape buffalo are far more aggressive & cunning and stronger framed.

Many modern day safari client hunters don’t fully appreciate just exactly how dangerous a Cape buffalo really is, due to the way in which majority of Cape buffalo are taken in Africa today. The white hunter gets them near the buffalo at an angle where the most opportune shot into the vital regions may be made, shooting sticks are erected, a telescopic sighted .375 Holland & Holland Magnum (loaded with premium grade controlled expansion bullets) is used for the kill shot and then it’s all over (assuming that everything goes according to plan, of course). There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this, as this is often how I myself (a client hunter) do it as well. But people have begun to forget that there’s a very valid reason why these irate looking bovines are called “Africa‘s Black Death”. It’s an extremely appropriately earned nickname.

Sure, smaller calibers have been used to successfully down African Cape buffalo for years. The 7x57mm Mauser (loaded with 173Gr DWM military surplus round nosed steel jacketed FMJ solids) was used very successfully by WDM Bell for taking Cape buffalo. But these were picked shots. Only when a hunter must take a shot at a Cape buffalo in dense vegetation/cover where there is low visibility, then will he look down at the bore of his rifle and wish that it was bigger.

I’ve culled several water buffalo in South Bengal under government orders in 1979, back when I was under the employment of the Ministry of forests. The rifles that I (and my men) employed, were the standard government issue .303 British Lee Enfield service rifle (loaded with 174Gr steel jacketed army surplus FMJ military ball). When hit in the soft region behind the shoulder, all of the game (males averaging at 2160 LBs live weight) could be consistently relied upon to eventually succumb to their injuries. But several of the larger water buffalo lived up to 18 minutes even after getting multiple shots through the heart and/or lungs. I would definitely not consider employing the .303 British against African Cape buffalo (even if it were legal).

I've been immensely fortunate enough to have been able to hunt most of the world's species of wild bovines at least once up until now (Cape buffalo, American bison, Asiatic water buffalo, Seladang, Gaur, Banteng) with the exception of the Australian scrub bull (a dream game animal of mine). I can say with 100% certainty that Cape buffalo, Gaur & Seladang top the list in terms of:
1) Tenacity for life
2) Ferocity
3) Cunning

I shot a Seladang bison bull in Chiengmai, Northern Thailand in 1979 by employing a .30-06 Springfield (loaded with Kynoch 220Gr round nosed steel jacketed FMJ solids). I had made a heart-lung shot. The Seladang expired on the following day (but not before playing a very macabre game of hide & seek with me on the day that I shot him, when I had to eventually abandon the hunt for the day the moment I realized that HE WAS THE ONE STALKING ME). Were I armed with a caliber of rifle above .338… then, I’ve absolutely zero doubt that he would have dropped far sooner.

 

[Bert the Turtle]

Based on their (lack of) response to perfectly placed shots from my 404, I’d say the minimum of 375 is entirely sensible.

A buffalo is not magical- properly placed bullet is going to kill it. But the time between the bullet hit and the eventual death can be surprisingly long and what it is capable of doing to you in the meantime is rather unpleasant.

 

[grand veneur]

I've always wondered why the .375 cal minimum requirement applied to Cape Buffalo in the same way it does to the larger dangerous game ie Hippo, Rhino and Elephant.

Now, I have never hunted Africa and have no direct experience with these game species. I know that Cape Buffalo are known for their toughness, their "meanness" and I've seen videos where they soak up a LOT of lead.

But from an anatomical perspective they are a ~1,600lb Buffalo vs a 3,000lb+ Hippo, 5,000lbs+ Rhino or a 15,000lb+ bull elephant.

They just don't seem to be in the same weight class compared to other megafauna.

Thinking of local examples at home, North Americans hunt the North American Bison which grows larger than Cape Buffalo (to to 2,700lbs) with 30cals like 308, 30-06, 300 WinMag etc.

It sounds like the Australians hunt their Water Buffalo (2,000lbs) with 338's as well but recommend a 375.

So a few questions:
1. Do you believe the caliber restrictions for Cape Buffalo should be the same as the larger African game? i.e. 375.
2. Do you think there should be an exception for using 338's, 35's etc. on Cape buffalo given their effectiveness on other buffalo species around the world?
3. Do you think the 375 minimum is actually too low for hippo, rhino or elephant?

I'm asking these questions as I sit here planning my Bison hunt where I intend to bring my 338WinMag with 250gr partitions.

The caliber minimum 375 was set at the time when hunting with clients was started in Africa. Before, the caliber minimum for all big game species was over 10mm.

As for the larger game species other than the buffalo, if you assume that caliber 375 is enough for the buffalo, it is also enough for hippo and rhino. As far as the elephant is concerned, you should rather set the minimum at 416 if not 458, but then most of the clients want not come hunting this game in Africa because of the recoil of the big bore rifles.

These caliber minimums are something arbitrary that does not quite correspond to the need. Sure, many will claim that it is enough, but only because one are not hunting alone but accompanied by a PH who take with him, depending on which species of big game is hunted, the right rifle and caliber.

 

[thriller]

I've always wondered why the .375 cal minimum requirement applied to Cape Buffalo in the same way it does to the larger dangerous game ie Hippo, Rhino and Elephant.

Now, I have never hunted Africa and have no direct experience with these game species. I know that Cape Buffalo are known for their toughness, their "meanness" and I've seen videos where they soak up a LOT of lead.

But from an anatomical perspective they are a ~1,600lb Buffalo vs a 3,000lb+ Hippo, 5,000lbs+ Rhino or a 15,000lb+ bull elephant.

They just don't seem to be in the same weight class compared to other megafauna.

Thinking of local examples at home, North Americans hunt the North American Bison which grows larger than Cape Buffalo (to to 2,700lbs) with 30cals like 308, 30-06, 300 WinMag etc.

It sounds like the Australians hunt their Water Buffalo (2,000lbs) with 338's as well but recommend a 375.

So a few questions:
1. Do you believe the caliber restrictions for Cape Buffalo should be the same as the larger African game? i.e. 375.
2. Do you think there should be an exception for using 338's, 35's etc. on Cape buffalo given their effectiveness on other buffalo species around the world?
3. Do you think the 375 minimum is actually too low for hippo, rhino or elephant?

I'm asking these questions as I sit here planning my Bison hunt where I intend to bring my 338WinMag with 250gr partitions.

Big gun = better gun for Buffalo. If you can’t handle a gun that is a 375 then consider some way of making your gun kick less

 

[grand veneur]

As for bison hunting, I have only shot one in my life, and that with the cartridge 460 WBY-Magnum.

One can also shot bisons or even buffalos with cartridges caliber 30 or 338, the only question is how and what kind of labor this entails for the hunter and agony for the game. As always, it is not known how many wounded animals have to be followed over a long distance or even get lost.

 

[Altitude sickness]

I think Cape Buffalo punch above their weight class. American Bison do not. I’ve raised a fair amount of Bison on my place. And only when cows have calves along side. Or bulls are rutting are they aggressive. And do not take a fraction of the lead as a Buffalo can. Bison have a large blood volume and can take a while to bleed out. But are not as tenacious as the Cape

 

[serdog]

In Yukon we have one of the only truly wild bison population the minimum is 30-06 with 180 but is not recommended(They recommend dangerous game bullets ). Most hunters start with the win mag and go up to the .416s. The .338 Win mag is popular and I think fine but depends on where you are hunting and the nature of the bison (Ranch v truly wild open prairie v woods and cover even plains v the large wood bison).

 

[revturbo9967]

The 375 will do the job for the client on buffalo in every respect, but it is not a stopping round. There is a vast difference between a big rifle for killing and a big rifle for stopping, which may be needed for buffalo. My PH commented he would not have an issue with me taking a frontal brain shot on an elephant with my 375, even being a total rookie, because I study anatomy of the shot placement and I shoot well in hunting pressure situations. I took this as a major compliment, but his confidence leaves me to believe the 375 is a well trusted round throughout Africa on all game for the hunter, and that is why it is the minimum for all DG.

 

[mark-hunter]

1. Do you believe the caliber restrictions for Cape Buffalo should be the same as the larger African game? i.e. 375.
2. Do you think there should be an exception for using 338's, 35's etc. on Cape buffalo given their effectiveness on other buffalo species around the world?
3. Do you think the 375 minimum is actually too low for hippo, rhino or elephant?

I'm asking these questions as I sit here planning my Bison hunt where I intend to bring my 338WinMag with 250gr partitions.

1. With theoretical approach, and modest experience with 375 HH, and zero hunting experience on DG, I believe - yes. There should be set a minimum requirement for hunting DG, and buffalo is one of 5 DG species. They are known to be dangerous, so this settles it.

This is not to be confused with DG stopping calibers which in general are considered caliber in 40+ class.
For DG hunter-client, you need sufficiently powerful caliber to hunt DG to deliver ethical kill, and considering acceptable recoil 375 H&H with reasonable energy, is reasonable minimum. For most of average people it will be reasonable accurate if they manage the recoil.

On the other spectrum, stopping calibers are generally PH tools. Welcome for client if they can handle them.

There is no scientific explanation where the line is drawn on minimum caliber. It is based on history, accumulated collective knowledge and common sense.

But I have to say, why thinking in this direction?
Any animal that I hunted, with any caliber I used, when the moment of squeezing the trigger came, I always wanted to have something bigger, and any gun to me looks just too small regardless of the fact that it is within legal minimum requirement or above.
I use 30-06 for roe deer, 9.3x62 for boars. etc. overkill? I don't complain.
Robert Ruarks philosophy was: "Bring enough gun". I stick to it.

2. Exceptions: define buffalo species which are not DG?
For non DG species of wild bovines, why not. Some time ago, I asked American friends here on forum, do they consider American bison, as DG?
Common answer was - NO!
So, in my view, if a certain species of bovine is not considered as dangerous, then use whatever minimum caliber is legally defined for this. Not necessarily 375 HH.

Other mess with exceptions. Every African country to make different rules, for minimal DG caliber? And you want to hunt for example 5 different countries? How many rifles would you need? or would you settle for one rifle to fit all countries?

3. Some say, 375 is marginal on elephant. On this I am not expert. But if I ever hunt ele (long term plan is tuskless), i'll take my 375, counting on back up by PH.

 

[revturbo9967]

To add, Hippo is not that tough even though they have extremely thick skin. I had an opportunity to take one on land and my PH told me to take 2 shots behind the shoulder and it will run out of gas quickly. We passed on that bull and I ended up taking a brain shot on a bigger one, but from what I've seen they are not as tough as Buffalo even though they're twice the size.

 

[JimP]

I believe that when they came out with that .375 minimum most of the bullets were cup and core, that is besides the solids.

Since that time bullet design has jumped light years ahead in performance.

I would have zero problems hunting a cape buffalo with a .338 magnum rifle. I know looking at the performance of my .340 Weatherby I know that it would be quite capable.

For larger animals such as hippo, elephant, and such I can see the restrictions.

 

[sgt_zim]

American bison have a rather unique anatomy WRT their lungs (thus sayeth Steve Rinella). You only have to put a bullet into 1 lung to cause a full pneumothorax in both lungs. This is 100% fatal. An excited bison, breathing heavily, won't take long to deflate both lungs.

 

[grand veneur]

There has to be a minimum caliber for hunting big and dangerous game, otherwise some would shoot on these game species with whatever.

 

[Flewis]

Buffalo maybe one of the easiest of the big 5 to kill, but they also maybe the hardest to stop. My next one if I decide on another one will be with a 458lott or something bigger..

 

[YancyW]

That was with a .416 and a center punch on the heart. That buff went at least 100 yards and was pissed off every step of the way.

 

[Hunting Hitman]

Your curiosity would be answered when you get the opportunity to hunt one. It will take at least 1 shot but have seen some that take 11 shots. That is the quandary that many of us are left with when choosing the "correct" caliber to hunt them with. Many of us end up moving up to 40 and 50 cals because of our past experiences.
1. Yes
2. No
3. Maybe

HH

 

[Cleathorn]

Use Enough Gun explains it pretty well. The "minimum" does not exist because its the minimum required to actually kill the animal in question, it exists to minimize wounded and therefore more dangerous game.

Walter Bell shot countless elephants with a 275 Rigby (among other small calibers). Hemingway wrote famously about his only Rhino being shot at 300 yards with a "sweet shooting 30-06." Hemingway also shot a Cape Buffalo with a 30-06 on his first safari, but by his second safari, he was hunting Buffalo with a Wesley Richards 577NE.

Countless lion, leopard and Buffalo have been shot with 30 caliber rifles. With a well placed shot, the indelible 30-06 (and other small calibers) work just fine.

The "well placed shot" is the issue. The bigger the hole, and the harder the impact, the more room for error. At least it will slow the animal down or create enough blood trail for the PH and crew to follow-up. Far too many PHs have hosted clients that cannot hit the hood of the cruiser from the safari seats on back.

I have never bought the argument about recoil anyway. My 12 year old (weighed 120lbs) made a 1 shot kill on a lion with his 375H&H Mag. My other son has killed lion, elephant and hippo with the same 375H&H Mag at 14 years old (he was 5'8" and 145 lbs). Recoil is not a factor once you shoot the gun enough to be comfortable with it. Those same boys were fully capable of shooting my preferred 470NE at those ages. That's because they actually shoot them.

I would continue to encourage every hunter to shoot more often. The Big Bores are not that intimidating the more you shoot them. And the more you shoot, the better you become.

 

[uplander01]

IMO-After being on multiple Cape Buffalo safaris, it makes total sense to have a min of 375, and most guys I know that have hunted them with a 375 almost unanimously comment that a 416 or 458 would have been nice. Could you do it with less?,,, of course if everything goes perfectly, but why would you want to do that? Can't speak to elephant and hippo as I havne't hunted them, but if I did, I would be using my 500 Jeffery, which is what I used on my last buff safari.