Head shot and spine shot Question on broadside cape buffalo

[Brian]

I am looking for actual, factual, proven instructions on successfully making the brain shot and/or also the spine shot on a cape buffalo from the side, not the front of the buffalo.
Where exactly is the right place to aim for both shots and a broadside buffalo?

Honestly, I don't want to know whether you agree with this shot or even if you like it. I respect your opinion but am not asking for it.

Please, I would be very grateful if you can tell me if you have successfully taken either and specifically where exactly did you place the bullet as viewed from the shooters position.

Thank you in advance for your constructive help/instruction. Brian

 

[Rafiki]

I did neck/spine twice on my last TZ trip; just ahead of the shoulders 1/2 way up up the neck. Both buffalo were DRT.

 

[Brian]

That is what I hoped to hear, Thanks. Some of the diagrams vary bit.
I have killed quite a few buffalo but have never had the confidence to try the neck shot.
Some times it would be the best shot if the brush blocks the shoulder.

I appreciate your clear post very much!! Brian

 

[Red Leg]

That is what I hoped to hear, Thanks. Some of the diagrams vary bit.
I have killed quite a few buffalo but have never had the confidence to try the neck shot.
Some times it would be the best shot if the brush blocks the shoulder.

I appreciate your clear post very much!! Brian

I like the base of the neck shot on fairly fragile animals like deer and antelope. I missed the spine and hit a waterbuck through the throat while in Zambia and he then led us on a rather long stern chase. It would have been sporting had it been a buffalo and he was after us instead.

I have no idea how you would accomplish a side brain shot on a buffalo.

 

[375Fox]

This $20 book has all your answers.

Buffalo: Shot Placemnt & Trphy Eval, Mini, so|Paperback

Discover Buffalo: Shot Placemnt & Trphy Eval, Mini, so by Kevin Robertson and millions of other books available at Barnes & Noble. Shop paperbacks, eBooks, and more!

www.barnesandnoble.com

 

[Africa1]

This year (2025) I was charged by the Askari of my bull. I killed my bull, approached where I thought he would be (no death bellow to confirm his location). and his askari charged me from 30-40 yards out of long grass. I was in an elevated position when I pulled both triggers on my (borrowed) 470 NE. I hit him approximately two inches to the right of his center-line on his spine. He instantly flipped over on his back bellowing loudly. I then walked over and administered the finishing shot He was 8.5 feet from me when I stopped his charge. The bull who I shot first lay dead approximately 40 feet from where I killed the second bull.

 

[Red Leg]

That is what I hoped to hear, Thanks. Some of the diagrams vary bit.
I have killed quite a few buffalo but have never had the confidence to try the neck shot.
Some times it would be the best shot if the brush blocks the shoulder.

I appreciate your clear post very much!! Brian

I looked at your photo postings and see that you have taken a lot of cow buffalo. I suppose a side brain would be possible on one due to the horn configuration - trying to shoot through the horns of a bull from the flank is a different exercise.

I also fail to understand the point. Miss the heart lung center target three inches in any direction and the bull is just as dead. Do it with a head or neck shot and shoot off his jaw or hit nothing critical in the neck muscle.

 

[Rafiki]

I also fail to understand the point. Miss the heart lung center target three inches in any direction and the bull is just as dead. Do it with a head or neck shot and shoot off his jaw or hit nothing critical in the neck muscle.

Not all side shots are presented as those nice pretty broadsides. I do agree that you have to be able to shoot to be comfortable with taking a neck/spine shot.

 

[DLSJR]

I am looking for actual, factual, proven instructions on successfully making the brain shot and/or also the spine shot on a cape buffalo from the side, not the front of the buffalo.
Where exactly is the right place to aim for both shots and a broadside buffalo?

Honestly, I don't want to know whether you agree with this shot or even if you like it. I respect your opinion but am not asking for it.

Please, I would be very grateful if you can tell me if you have successfully taken either and specifically where exactly did you place the bullet as viewed from the shooters position.

Thank you in advance for your constructive help/instruction. Brian

Here is all the constructive help you need for a broadside brain shot on a buffalo…

Don’t attempt one. Ever. Under any circumstance.

You shoot broadside buffalo into the heart and lungs. Period. A spine, neck shot can work week but there is little margin for error. Your PH will appreciate you sticking to the ‘tried & true’ and not trying to get cute.

You may not appreciate this advice; but your PH and trackers damn sure would.

 

[mark-hunter]

Honestly, I don't want to know whether you agree with this shot or even if you like it. I respect your opinion but am not asking for it.

On the conservative, traditional, passionate and opinionated forum like this:
Good luck with the idea !

After theoretical research, next challenge will be to find actual PH, approving this on the ground.
PH will probably say, "buffalo, broad side, 50 meters, shoot at the shoulder".
Then what?

 

[Brian]

I don't know what the heck I did to creat that mess above! My Apologies. Brian

Here is all the constructive help you need for a broadside brain shot on a buffalo…

Don’t attempt one. Ever. Under any circumstance.

You shoot broadside buffalo into the heart and lungs. Period. A spine, neck shot can work week but there is little margin for error. Your PH will appreciate you sticking to the ‘tried & true’ and not trying to get cute.

You may not appreciate this advice; but your PH and trackers damn sure would.

DLSJR, I definitely DO appreciate this advice. I watched some cullers on a video using that shot repeatedly from off a bakkie and I thought, "how the heck do they do that?" I was beginning to think that I am a lame shot because I would never try it.

Thanks to you and other for your posts here, Brian

 

[Brian]

I think that the men on the video that I saw taking head shot from any angle repeatedly, were doing so because the cows would go straight down without disturbing the herd very much. They were taking out a lot of old cows from the herd.

They were shooting from the box of their bakkie resting the rifles on the cab roof and it looked like they were using mid caliber sniper/target type rifles like .308's.

Of course they made it look easy and I just had to ask if anyone else was doing it that way. I am somewhat relieved with your responses. It looked pretty crazy, but impressive at the same time.
( I watch too many buffalo hunting videos.)
If I remember correctly I think they were on a farm between Bloemfontein and Kimberly. (?)

I usually shoot cape buffalo with a big bore at around 50 yds, and I always go for the boiler room. The only sorta fancy shot that I have ever taken was on two buffalos when they were quartering to me and the femur bone was lined up with the heart. There, I slid a solid CEB bullet into the chamber and aimed for the femur bone. I was lucky with that shot. Both times the buffalo hoped around in a 360 and west down.

It was fun for bragging rights, but for that quartering to me shot, normally I just behave myself and I use a Raptor bullet aiming for the height of the point of the shoulder right beside the neck.

Thanks again for the "constructive" comments. That was fun. Brian

 

[Brian]

On the conservative, traditional, passionate and opinionated forum like this:
Good luck with the idea !

After theoretical research, next challenge will be to find actual PH, approving this on the ground.
PH will probably say, "buffalo, broad side, 50 meters, shoot at the shoulder".
Then what?

I agree! Brian

 

[Rafiki]

I have to finish my trip report.

 

[Nyati]

Shot buff on my avatar just as @Rafiki said.

 

[Brian]

Thanks again for everyones imput. Very useful. Brian

 

[SStomcat]

I was in an elevated position when I pulled both triggers on my (borrowed) 470 NE.

Why did you do that, or was it an accident?

He instantly flipped over on his back bellowing loudly. He was 8.5 feet from me when I stopped his charge. The bull who I shot first lay dead approximately 40 feet from where I killed the second bull.

So you let him come so close, 8.5 feet = 2.8 yards from 40 yards? and then fired both barrels. Were you trying to be M Sullivan or what

 

[Africa1]

I remember thinking, "this is going to hurt but this buffalo is almost on me." Dire circumstance calls for extreme measures! I am no Mark Sullivan. It happened so fast "confirmed by PH's assistant" 10 seconds!" I fired as soon as I had a clear sight picture as he burst out of the mopane and long grass. It seems most memorable things in life happen in a flash of time!

 

[farmer_john]

I don't know what the heck I did to creat that mess above! My Apologies. Brian

DLSJR, I definitely DO appreciate this advice. I watched some cullers on a video using that shot repeatedly from off a bakkie and I thought, "how the heck do they do that?" I was beginning to think that I am a lame shot because I would never try it.

Thanks to you and other for your posts here, Brian

Ive seen people hunt deer with 22lr. Doesnt mean im inclined to question my abilities because of it.
If your confident and competent in a particular way of doing things dont second guess yourself because others do something little different.

 

[SStomcat]

I remember thinking, "this is going to hurt but this buffalo is almost on me." Dire circumstance calls for extreme measures! I am no Mark Sullivan. It happened so fast "confirmed by PH's assistant" 10 seconds!" I fired as soon as I had a clear sight picture as he burst out of the mopane and long grass. It seems most memorable things in life happen in a flash of time!

You did what you thought was the right thing to do, and the buffalo was dead, and no one was hurt. Mission accomplished.
I asked because I was curious about why you allowed the buff to come so close from 40 yards and why you discharged both barrels at the same time. What if both missed on recoil or something?