Actual calibers used for Buffalo by AH members

[Mauser78]

That does not sound like a nice experience.

Shooting from sticks for at least the first shot. My PH and I were back up on this one.
My buddy shot with his 375 Ruger at about 60 yards.
The first shot knocked the bull down. It proved to be a good frontal heart shot.
The second and third shot where minute of Buffalo.
The bull circled around a bush and started to charge. My buddy is reloading and struggling with his goofy ass ammo wallet. His PH shoots the bull once with the 500 which stopped it. Still on his feet. They switch guns, my lines up for the second shot with 500, while his ph loads two more into the Ruger. My buddy takes the second shot with the 500.
They then switch rifles again and my buddy shoots the bull 3 more times. The last shot being when we walked up on the bull.

My speculation and observation.
There were two viable frontal wounds a heart shot and a hit on the skull under the left eye. A pass through shot on the gut. A gut shot with out a pass through.
I observed one side chest shot with no exit wound. There may have been other wounds but I did not see them.
My speculation is:
That were a couple of misses after the first shot.
The PH’s shot was the skull hit.

Lessons that I took away from this encounter.
1. Use a proper ammo belt or slide.
2. Practice reloading.
3. Controlled shots are better than minute of Buffalo.
4. Practice running the bolt as fast as you cam and maintain accuracy.

What bullets was used?

 

[Lopehunter]

I shot my buff broadside at about 50 yards with a .375 H&H using 350gr TSX. The buffalo dropped immediately. I had to reposition and then put 3 more in the spine at my PH’s direction. The bull never got up. The first shot disrupted both lungs and put a hole through the atria of the heart.

 

[Hornedfrogbbq]

.375, one shot, 40 yards. Ran 40 yards and dropped DRT.

 

[gcbailey]

That is why I ask, if I could and someone asked me, I would love a .404 Jeff or 416 Rigby, so in a discussion that would be my choice. but I do not have one, but I do have a 375H&H that i use as my main hunting rifle, and there is a packet of Federal Premium Safari loaded with 300gr A frames standing in my safe, so if I do shoot a Buff, that will probably be my combo.

I think the .416 Rigby is a sexy bullet, but I am head over heels in love with the 450/400 and .404 Jeffery. The .404 was the culling workhorse back in the day.

 

[colorado]

In June we had 4 people, myself included, take Buffalo, 3 bulls & 1 cow, 2 with a 375 Ruger, 2 with 416 Remington.
1 of the buffalo was taken with one shot from a 375 Ruger
1 with 6 shots from a 375 Ruger plus two from the PH’s Double in 500 NE.
1 with 2 shots from a 416
1 (the cow) with 2 shots from a 416 and 2 from a 500 NE. The cow charged unprovoked from thick cover at close range.

Sounds like a well place bullet from a 500 Jeffery or a 505 Gibbs is the answer

 

[colorado]

Sounds like a well place bullet from a 500 Jeffery or a 505 Gibbs is the answer

Or a 243

 

[Skshyk]

375 because I will never visit Africa with out it. 458 Lott for fun and hopefully soon 470 NE for a double. All calibers listed will work with an correct shot placement. Most of my buffalo has been with Blaser R8 375 H&H with Barnes bullets.

 

[lhook7]

One with a 375, one with a 500 Nitro Express, and three with a 450 Rigby.

 

[318AE]

I’ve used a 375, 416 and 425. One of the buffalos with a 416 required a second shot, the rest were one shot kills. Frankly, the first shot was off.

My experience is similar to other members here. A first shot with a well placed, well constructed bullet with good sectional density is key. Do that right, and you don’t even have to worry about fumbling with your ammo slide, you can just sit back and watch as the trackers prop the bull up for pictures.

My dangerous game PHs have used a 375 more than any other rifle.

450s and 500s are fun, but they are really for pachyderms and perhaps hippos on land.

 

[BenKK]

nice water buff.
Are they also aggressive?

Not usually, but it does happen. I’ve had to react quickly in self-defence a few times, in addition to shouting some down as well as having more time available in open country to shoot them inbound. In other words, sorting them out in the split second before they launch or as they commence before getting up to top speed. Maybe twelve or fifteen of these events, plus hyped-up animals that camp dogs have kindly pushed into homes/yards/verandas. The best flat-out charge I saw was a few days ago, stopped at eighteen yards by a 410 grain Woodleigh soft, it was spectacular, both the attack and the defence!

 

[BenKK]

I tried to select all options except for problems. The only time problems arise is due to poor first shot placement.

 

[Bandera]

That does not sound like a nice experience.


What bullets was used?

I used a Barnes 300 grain TSX. One shot and down.
My buddy used the Hornady DGX.
His PH had breakaway solids.
The other two guys where loaded with Barnes TSX.
There was only one DGX recovered.

 

[NIGHTHAWK]

.375 H&H
Barnes 350 Grain TSX
Bolt Action SAKO w/Scope
One shot dropped the big old bull in its tracks.

 

[Mauser78]

I used a Barnes 300 grain TSX. One shot and down.
My buddy used the Hornady DGX.
His PH had breakaway solids.
The other two guys where loaded with Barnes TSX.
There was only one DGX recovered.
View attachment 717232

ok thank you. it makes me wonder ........ the big H seems to pop up just to many times in Horror stories.

 

[ThinusS]

I have hunted two cape buffalo bulls, one each with the .375 H&H and the .416 rem mag. Both were clean one-shot kills, although both were given insurance shots. Bull shot with .416 rem mag moved less than 10 meters, bull shot with .375 H&H ran about 30 meters. So, that is the two calibers I voted for.

However, I have also shot a buffalo cow with a .300 win mag. It was a frontal brain shot at ±40 meters. One shot kill and, again, an insurance shot after she was down. I'm not suggesting that the .300 win mag is an adequate caliber for buffalo, but it was the rifle I had in my hands at the time.

In the case of the cow, I was alone without any backup or even a tracker. It was a great motivation not to mess up that first shot.

Most of the buffalo, shot by my clients were shot with .375 H&H rifles.