Definitive answer: where do you aim to shoot through the heart of a Buffalo?

[Hyde Hunter]

Thank you sir I will check it out. And oh yeah I'm sure they are a lot tougher than the whitetail deer I've been shooting for the past 30 years. I'm really debating whether to try to take them with my 375 Ruger or my 450 Marlin because the 450 Marlin will shoot 458 caliber bullets from 250 grains to 525 grains hardcast. 525 grains at 1625 feet per second may not be a win mag but it'll still penetrate. I think the safe bed is the 375 though.

you might like to look at the CEB Lever solid 400 grain and the CEB 420 Safari Raptor, these should work very nicely in your Marlin

 

[Gemsbok45]

If your hunting Buffalo outside of SA you will in all likelihood be in Elephant country. I really like the Barnes TSX but I like their banded solids as well. I start with a TSX and then go right to solids.

 

[Major Bonkers]

Hunt down and buy a copy of 'Africa's Most Dangerous' by Kevin Robertson. Unfortunately, it is out of print at the moment, so it will cost. This book is the bible of buffalo hunting. His other books, recommended in this thread, are also excellent.

Otherwise: if broadside, come up the front leg 1/3 of the way into the body. That shot will smash the shoulder, at least. If you want to be tricky, come up and then move back 6-8" in order to preserve the venison: BUT (1) the animal will take an instant dislike to you, and has a heart-stopping 2 or 3 minutes left to take his vengeance; and, (2) the venison is not worth eating anyway.

If face-on, or squared off to the left or right, aim equidistant between both front legs and 1/3 of the way up the body.

Check the diagrams to see how low the heart is against the sternum.

The alternative is to use monolithic bullets and a bolt-action, and brain it.

If arse-on, aim at the base of the spine, just above the tail.

But this is the theory. As Doctor Robertson says, once you squeeze that trigger the only certainty is that one of you is going to end up dead. The first shot is the aimed one: everything after that requires snap-shooting with a familiar rifle.

IMHO, buffalo (and kudu) is something you work up to. I should recommend that you take two or three safaris to get yourself familiarised with the set-up. The wildebeest is ofter referred to as 'the poor man's buffalo', and is a challenging game species (as well as being better eating): start with them.

But what do I know? I have shot precisely one buffalo, with a .470 double. That led us a merry dance, with a P-turn attempted ambush and a final charge: very, very, exciting: but it required a lot of mutual trust between the trackers, PH, hangers-on, and myself. That was, I think, my fourth safari.

 

[DLSJR]

Did a bit of searching, there is this one, anbody tried it?
https://www.walmart.com/ip/4D-Vision-Cow-Anatomy-Model/33359

This is what you’ll want to practice on…

www.lifesizeanimaltargets.com

Select the Cape Buffalo target. It’s excellent and has the vitals faintly drawn onto the target so you can see what you hit.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

Hitting an animal in the heart muscle is ok. But is still a 100 yard proposition.

Top of the heart is a DRT or 10 yard proposition. It takes out the sinus node and all the major vessels. The sinus node is connected to the CNS and is a devastating shot.

I think the heart actually leans more than shown. And is less vertical

I prefer just forward of my X location. But the marked X has more room for error. View attachment 772082

I agree. The first shot on my first buffalo was low through the heart muscle. It did not smash the valves and kill him before the adrenalin got to dump. Things got dicey after that (exciting but risky). Several more shots into the bull showed little effect until I was able to break his neck. Years later, II got to shoot another buffalo. This time I had a better idea of where to place the shot. Quartered to me, the bullet went through the top of the heavy shoulder bone and destroyed the entire top of the heart, about where your X lines meet. He ran about twenty yards and folded up dead.

The buffalo bulls don't make me an expert, but it is enough to form a strong opinion.

 

[Luminous Ham]

Did a bit of searching, there is this one, anbody tried it?
https://www.walmart.com/ip/4D-Vision-Cow-Anatomy-Model/33359064

I got one, the cow, from AliExpress. One month to go before my buffalo hunt, so quite timely. Very interesting to see how small the heart is, but lungs are big.

This one notes that https://www.animbiosci.org/upload/pdf/2-191.pdf both lungs and hearts of buffalo are relatively larger than cows'. Note that this would appear to have been measured on Asian buffalo. I could speculate that the hearts and lungs are even bigger, relatively, in Cape buffaloes as they really have to fight and run for their lives.

But the heart is not easy to hit.

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

hay all

so heres a POV from someone with experience of both hunting buff and guiding people to hunt buff, for over 20 years

take the best shot possible in the circumstances that present itself, buffalo basically never stand broadside in open grassland unless you are in a game reserve...LOL

if you focus too much on the heart(which a lot of hunters do) it clouds your mind and messes with your shot placement also always trying to hit the heart doesn leave much room for error
you may forego a really good opportunity to shoot a great buff just because there is some brush in the shot to the heart
a lot of people shoot way too low on the full frontals!!! top of heart is minimum height
centre lungs is a far better plan, this leaves some room for error. Breaking a shoulder is a good thing
listen to your ph and trust his instructions as to where to shoot
have fun and take it all in

regards

 

[mark-hunter]

I want someone that is actually been to Africa and shot a cape buffalo and killed him to tell me A) where do you aim to shoot through the heart
And B) what rifle were you using

I placed the bullet twice approximately to the place marked on below picture.
I did not aim at the center of red dot, I aimed slightly to the left (one or two inches left), because I had a patch of tall grass covering perfect shot.
When buffalo turned I aimed between the eyes and hit him below left eye.

I used rifle ZKK 602, in 375 H&H scoped with Swaro 1.7-10x42, on german swing mounts.
Ammunition used, Norma PH line, swift a frame, 300 grains

Here is my report, you can scroll till buffalo hunt description, I noted all details in full.

There is also a description of 2nd buffalo hunt, done by my friend, frontal chest shot in the heart.
He used Ruger no 1, in 375 H&H, Barnes bullet 270 grain. Same swarovski scope, on german claw mounts.

Thread 'NAMIBIA: On The Banks Of Chobe River'

Jul 29, 2025

When I saw the three of them in the reeds, my legs turned to lead!
The voices around me became distant. “Leave the bino, leave the backpack, take only the rifle”. But I wasn’t listening, I was getting into the focus, with one thought only: I must not fail! And I have to get into the zone fast.

• mark-hunter
• Replies: 40
• Forum: Hunting reports Africa

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[Tbitty]

I

I’ve only shot one Cape buffalo, but I used a .375 and placed the shot on the shoulder. It hit both lungs and passed all the way through.View attachment 772062View attachment 772063

I have also only shot 1 buffalo, also with a 375 H&H. My shot opportunity came with an opening in the brush that put my shot about 1.5" higher than the dot in the shot placement guide picture. He staggered in place after 1 shot, so I racked the bolt and followed up with a 2nd shot about 3" right (or left) of my first one. He dropped there having never taken a step. Insurance round through the spine was taken after death bellow and before final approach. I just clipped the top of the heart with one of the shots, both took out double lungs.

 

[Muntjacer23]

I

I have also only shot 1 buffalo, also with a 375 H&H. My shot opportunity came with an opening in the brush that put my shot about 1.5" higher than the dot in the shot placement guide picture. He staggered in place after 1 shot, so I racked the bolt and followed up with a 2nd shot about 3" right (or left) of my first one. He dropped there having never taken a step. Insurance round through the spine was taken after death bellow and before final approach. I just clipped the top of the heart with one of the shots, both took out double lungs.
View attachment 776873

Perfect! Having read your hunt report we have both taken our buff with game 4 Africa!

I also put follow up shots into mine just to be safe but my first shot was a double lung shot and did its job!