.375 or .416 for Cape buffalo?

[ftrovato]

Whatever you're going to carry, practice, practice and practice some more.

I find the more I practice I don't notice the recoil because handling and holding the rifle correctly becomes second nature.

Personally I used the 416 on plains game in 2024 and took 13 animals down to 3 of the tiny ten with my 416. I plan to use it the same way in 2026.

Did I mention practicing....?!

 

[curt672]

And you seem clueless on the physics of it all. Speed (velocity) is a 4 times multiplier for ft lb of energy. Bullet Weight is a 1 for 1. Do your homework , recoil calculators put the 416 WB at approx. 70lb of recoil, given that number, if a good break will reduce that 40 % you are now down in the 38 to 40 lb range and at the same time still have 6400 lb of energy at the muzzle --- compare that to your 375

 

[deewayne2003]

And you seem clueless on the physics of it all. Speed (velocity) is a 4 times multiplier for ft lb of energy. Bullet Weight is a 1 for 1. Do your homework , recoil calculators put the 416 WB at approx. 70lb of recoil, given that number, if a good break will reduce that 40 % you are now down in the 38 to 40 lb range and at the same time still have 6400 lb of energy at the muzzle --- compare that to your 375

While your assigning homework do some yourself, it’s a muzzle BRAKE not break.

And No I HATE muzzle brakes and every guide I’ve ever met feels the same.

In the words of my Zim PH…..
“Muzzle brakes are great…. So you can have something to clamp onto when you cut them off.”

I’m in the process of booking my next hunt and looking at Buffalo, I’m bringing my .470ne.

I have killed 5 water buffalo with a .404J… no muzzle brake either; excellent option for lower recoil.

 

[DLSJR]

And you seem clueless on the physics of it all. Speed (velocity) is a 4 times multiplier for ft lb of energy. Bullet Weight is a 1 for 1. Do your homework , recoil calculators put the 416 WB at approx. 70lb of recoil, given that number, if a good break will reduce that 40 % you are now down in the 38 to 40 lb range and at the same time still have 6400 lb of energy at the muzzle --- compare that to your 375

I won’t hunt next to someone with a muzzle brake, I hate them for the excess noise. All the PH’s I know also have a strong dislike for muzzle brakes, and I know a lot of PH’s. They’d rather a hunter show up with a 375 H&H he can shoot than something bigger that he needs to put a brake on.

 

[Green Chile]

On the subject of homework, 416 Wby is around 83-85 ft lbs recoil, not 70. So it's a 30-06 level on top of what you quoted. No PH or tracker is going to want to hunt with a braked (not break) 416 Wby.

 

[PARA45]

A lot of excellent real-world experiences and examples have been given. I'd check the audience before arguing with some of the members on here that have many Dangerous Game experience under their belt.

I am one of those who love Weatherby rifles and cartridges and consider myself a Weatherby snob. However, I am also a practical individual, and I do realize that a 416 Weatherby is a "bit" of an overkill. Yes, speed kills, and Roy proved it with some of his smaller calibers and Roy showed how Kinetic Energy killed. However, some of the older/classic cartridges, have killed thousands of dangerous game with bullets going no faster than 2450 fps.

On the issue of the muzzle brake, well, I suggest you take a good set of hearing protection to your PH, to protect his hearing. Your PH will also take you to the range and he'll watch/study you on how you handle and shoot your 416 Weatherby.

If you reload, I recommend you reload and practice, practice, and practice some more. If you do not reload, well, I'm sure you probably have deep pockets to be able to afford factory 416 Weatherby ammo at $219 per box from the Weatherby website to be very proficient with this cartridge.

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

And you seem clueless on the physics of it all. Speed (velocity) is a 4 times multiplier for ft lb of energy. Bullet Weight is a 1 for 1. Do your homework , recoil calculators put the 416 WB at approx. 70lb of recoil, given that number, if a good break will reduce that 40 % you are now down in the 38 to 40 lb range and at the same time still have 6400 lb of energy at the muzzle --- compare that to your 375

Here are comparisons to other dangerous game cartridges,

Yes, in a 11.5 rifle, a full load in a 416 Weatherby produces 72.1 ft. lbs of recoil. This is nearly equal to the recoil produced by a 458 Lott shooting a 500 gr bullet. That amount of recoil gets one's attention but in not intollerable if one practices.

Note: At 2550 fps muzzle velocity, the 416 Wby produces only 5776 ft. lbs, of energy. The 450 Ribgy produces 6400 and the 505 Gibbs produces 6716.

I shoot my 450 Rigby with 92 ft. lbs of recoil without a muzzle break. It rocks me backward but is tolearable for a magazine full of cartridges. My recovery time between shots is however more than me shooting a 458 Win or Lott.

Frankly, I don't know if I will ever hunt Africa with my 450 Rigby. I can thread a needle with my .375 H&H, shoot cloverleaf groups at 100 yds with my 416 Rem, and enjoy shooting with the satisfying "push" of recoil against my shoulder with my .458 Win. I've owned Lotts before and will again but the mighty 458 Win seems to be plenty for up close and personal dangerous game hunting as a client hunter. For a PH, a Lott or 505 Gibbs make a lot of sense!

As for killing power, Taylor's Knock Out blow formula rates the 416 Wby at 60, with the slower 416 Rem and Rigby at 57 each. That 5% increase is hardly worth the increased recoil! The KO factor isn't science but a fair estimate to compare killign effectiveness from John Taylor, someone who truely had been there, and done that!

I shot my @Altitude sickness .505 Gibbs, twice. That was enough for me! It approximate 117 ft. lbs of recoil was over my limit! He however shot that rifle very well indeed! Recoil tolerance is subjective to each individual shooter. Gun fit is an important factor in reducing "felt" recoil.

Finally, considering your PH and more so, the native African trackers that will be with you when you shoot your buffalo, it is my opinion that if one needs a muzzle break, they are shooting too much gun!

 

[Bandera]

Whew wee the knives came out and people went to cutting.

I tell my employees that a persons perception is their reality. There ain’t anything you or are going to do to change that.

I will throw an answer at the 2 year old post.
Get a 375 H&H or 375 Ruger for your first and possibly last Buffalo gun.
Or that 375 can be a gateway caliber.
My 375 lead to a 450-400 then a 458WM.

 

[grand veneur]

That's right, because until you have done it, you don't know whether if you will like something like that or not. I don't understand why some people buy big bore rifles, especially double rifles, for something they have never experienced before. Usually one argue always so rationally on the Forums, but that does not seem to be the case when it comes to start with big game hunting. We will rarely hear about disappointments or anything that did not go well, because such things are rarely reported on the Forums. In the uncertainty of what awaits me, I did my first buffalo hunts with borrowed rifles caliber 9,3mm or 375 H&H Magnum. Only then I upgraded after seeing what all could go wrong and finally bought a rifle caliber 460 Weatherby Magnum, not because I dreamed about, but because of the efficiency of such a cartridge for hunting buffalo.

 

[grand veneur]

To get back to the topic, anyone who is wavering between a rifle caliber 375 or one caliber 416 needs to think carefully about what they will do next. Perhaps something similar has already been posted, but if you plan to continue hunting big game regularly in Africa, than a rifle caliber 416 is the first choice for a client. However, if you only do it once, or it turns out it was not what you expected, the rifle will end up in your gun-safe. A rifle caliber 375 H&H Magnum has the advantage that it can be used for almost anything worldwide.