Hunting With Buffalo Rifle

[NoStepOnSnek]

Everybody talks about shooting off sticks, but has anyone hunted with their buffalo gun stateside (or otherwise) in preparation for a safari?
I’m debating taking my 458 WM deer/hog hunting so I get used to shooting in the field instead of just at the range. For anyone who has done this what were the results like? Do you think it helped your Africa hunt?

 

[Rem280]

I hunted hogs with my 375 H&H before going on a Brown Bear hunt. Glad I did. Practice made perfect.

 

[JimP]

I have a cousin who only hunts here in the US using his 416 Weatherby. Deer, or elk it is his go to rifle. If he ever heads over to Africa I am sure that will be the rifle that he takes for whatever he plans to hunt.

 

[Nicholas Barcomb]

I have a 416 Rigby that I have used for hogs here in SoTX. It's not very meat friendly if you're wanting to eat them.

 

[zephyr]

Any practice helps, carrying your rifle a couple of hours a day helps, doing exercises with your rifle helps once or twice a day helps..
For what it is worth I have shot 3 cape Buffalo all inside of 50 yards have yet to use sticks ...

 

[Mekaniks]

Everybody talks about shooting off sticks, but has anyone hunted with their buffalo gun stateside (or otherwise) in preparation for a safari?
I’m debating taking my 458 WM deer/hog hunting so I get used to shooting in the field instead of just at the range. For anyone who has done this what were the results like? Do you think it helped your Africa hunt?

I think hunting with any rifle before it is taken on safari is an excellent idea

Hogs, whitetail, whatever... it doesn't matter. Building muscle memory and confidence is huge. As well as it helps shake out any mechanical issues that might arise....

 

[gcbailey]

I didn't hunt with my 450/400 before Africa, but I did take my 9.3x74 out and hunt hogs and coyote. I don't really think it made much difference. If you know how your rifle works and know how to shoot, caliber is just a number. The exception may be something that is really punishing on the shoulder, but I don't enjoy shooting those, so didn't bother getting one.

 

[thriller]

Everybody talks about shooting off sticks, but has anyone hunted with their buffalo gun stateside (or otherwise) in preparation for a safari?
I’m debating taking my 458 WM deer/hog hunting so I get used to shooting in the field instead of just at the range. For anyone who has done this what were the results like? Do you think it helped your Africa hunt?

All the time. I use mine from the time we book to when we leave for deer and hogs no better practice.

It gets you better feel for the gun before you leave so it doesn’t hurt in any way.

 

[Flbt]

Everybody talks about shooting off sticks, but has anyone hunted with their buffalo gun stateside (or otherwise) in preparation for a safari?
I’m debating taking my 458 WM deer/hog hunting so I get used to shooting in the field instead of just at the range. For anyone who has done this what were the results like? Do you think it helped your Africa hunt?

I have never did it with a dangerous game rifle.
But I can’t see any practice hurting.

I did shoot some game and small game with a duty gun.
With the idea practice and handling the gun would be a benefit.

 

[coreydb]

I agree with GCBailey. The hunter should be familiar with the gun that's going to be used, otherwise the unexpected shock and reflex action from the report can waste a kill.

 

[mark-hunter]

With my buffalo gun I did two trips to Africa, and a lot of training. Hunting at home with it crossed my mind, I am thinking of upgrading it with some clip on (for boars), and finding some lighter ammo for red stag.
Will be soon in domestic use. I hate keeping it in moth balls!

 

[coreydb]

That's my kind of hunting!

 

[steve white]

Nobody says you have to load them hot--bottom of reloading recipes would be fine for most US game and easy on the shoulder.

 

[grand veneur]

A good idea to familiarize yourself with your rifle, but depending on the caliber it is not possible in all countries, especially in Europe. This has but nothing to do with the law, but with the mentality of many local hunters. I am especially referring to rifles with a caliber of 40 and above, rifles that don't fit the concept of the majority of this hunters. As long as you hunt alone, you can use your big bore rifle, however there should not be any problems, above all not wounding game with the need of looking for. On a driven hunt, everyone sees what is used and you have to think even more carefully about whether to do it or not. Anything that goes wrong will be attributed to the big bore rifle and anyone who is not on their private hunting area, might never be invited back. For all these reasons, I advise against using big bore rifles for hunting in many countries of Europe.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Killing things is the best practice for killing things. Of course dry fire and Paper targets are good.

But, to get better at the crunch time of shooting an animal; carrying and repeatedly shouldering, aiming, safety off, safety on, operating on adrenaline and things that can happen under the influence of adrenaline are what need to be burned in. So the more you can hunt things with the chosen platform the better.

Hunt anything you can with it. Ok, I may have taken it to the extreme. .458 WM