John Buhmiller's Legendary Safari Rifle

[Tintin]

I was unaware of John Buhmiller until this popped up in YT today.

A rare example of the algorithm producing something of interest.

 

[deewayne2003]

Indeed... Buhmiller was ahead of his time, experimenting with cup point and flat nosed solids and lamented that "bullet manufacturers ought to figure out a way to sweat(bond) the cores of these bullets"

He wasn't afraid to push limits either, if he wasn't getting good ignition on a magnum load from magnum primers - He would pour in 50% of the powder charge and then drop another magnum primer INSIDE the case and pour in the remaining 50% of the powder charge on top of it and seat the bullet.

 

[TSIBINDI]

...By chance I met John Buhmiller in 1973 two years prior to his passing. I was visiting a friend in Kalispell and was invited to meet a retired barrel maker. I had no idea who this gentleman was, in fact I had never heard of him.

During the conversations I was mostly an interested bystander and had little to add to the topics. I remember Mr. Buhmiller commenting how devastating flat nose bullets were on game compared to the conventional round nose bullets of the time.

He related how he had two buffalo bulls standing side by side and when he shot the first one, the bullet went through and hit the other buffalo. He said the first bull dropped at the shot, and the second fell a few feet from where it received the bullet. I have no idea what rifle/caliber he was using at the time.

I recall his wife had a vegetable garden and had a lot of tomatoes. She was using discarded rifle barrels as tomato stakes. Obviously, some of Mr. Buhmiller's barrels didn't make the grade.

I remember Mr. Buhmiller mentioned experimenting with various big bullets. He said made a projectile by removing the neck of a .30-06 case and filled it with lead. He went on to say he had to chamber a barrel to handle the new cartridge.
,
For me hunting in Africa was only a dream. I had no knowledge of big bore DG rifles and bullets. Little did I know that fifteen later, 1988 I would make my first of twenty-four trips. Quite a pity at the time I couldn't appreciate the wisdom of "Uncle John."