Muzzleloader for Cape Buffalo

Is a .72 rifle using 900 grain conicals at around 14-1500 fps enough to kill things like cape buff and rhino?

 

I'm going to say no, hard to say just not knowing! but I would lower the gr of bullet and raise the gr of powder to get you fps over the 2000 mark.

 

1500fps makes nearly 4500 ft/lbs of energy. More than the average .375H&H load. Good hard bullet would hammer a buff.

 

Yes and no.

What African country or country's are you looking at so that rifle and joules will match or exceed the country's requirements.

I suggest you try Texas and there cape buffalo with your rifle and ammo. Texas does not have the requirements that Africa does on rifles

 

thanks all for your input. i think the main concern would be the follow up shot.

 

+1But not to worry your PH's BigBore follows up pretty quick.:thumb:

 

I would have a problem with any PH pulling the trigger right after I shoot, enough so that I would rather quit hunting than hunt that way.

 

I agree, I hate when I see on TV all the follow up shots and I mean several in a matter of a few seconds and the hunter is hunting with a double, things that make you go Hmmmm! in all my life of hunting and thats been a few years now I have had only 1 animal that anyone else had to put a bullet in and that was my fault what I thought was a shoulder and heart shot on a pig was infact a hindquarter and gut shot when we went in to get him he came out on the run and I wasn't in a position to shoot so the guy ahead of me had to make the shot, that still bothers me to this day.

 

Do like some do, and have along a second loaded BP rifle. Thats what they have gunbearers for.

 

Well, that is what my friends and I do when we elk hunt with a muzzleloader, when one shots the other tosses the loaded muzzleloader to him for the second shot.

 

Ah! the Zulu gunbearers, Nkosi!!

 

i understand that, i kinda want to kill it all the way,especially for the money it costs just to see it. I see people on youtube"bowhunting" arrow one then it gets a shot from a big double before it even knows its hit by an arrow....thats not bowhunting in the truest Fred Bear sense of the word, but i do understand WHY they do that and what sense it makes on a couple levels.

 

a lighter patched ball @2000 does have more energy

 

Black Powder 50

A few issues i have noticed.

Are you a hunter or are you a AH Forum troll?

Your questions that you are asking AH members to answer for you. You have been vague and general plus provide very little information, leading me to think you are not a hunter. "Is a .72 rifle using 900 grain conicals at around 14-1500 fps enough to kill things like cape buff and rhino?" What primers and black powder will you be using and why not bring your 14-1500 FPS up to 1950 FPS to assist in making a clean kill with a good placed round. Or were you looking to wound game in the field. an Earlier question by you on the use of black powder, members suggest you find the primers and powder in the country you will be hunting to work up a load.

Other members on AH have asked questions on rifles & ammunition and are open to suggestion and work up loads or purchase factory loads that are spot on for the game they are hunting. Plus one does not have to wonder if what they are taking will be braking the game laws of the country that they are hunting in.

Your earlier posts have been just as vague and difficult to provide a good answer to as this one is. Also your questions are skirting on breaking the game laws in African countries.

If you are truly interested in a African safari, i would suggest that you adhere to the country's laws governing rifle and ammunition. Your questions are hip shots with no country being identified as your safari destination. While your rifle minimum caliber meets the country's standards on Cape Buffalo and Rhino on this question your ammo is lacking in Energy needed. You keep pushing the low end on your ammo FPS and energy to where it would be against the country's law to use. And from what i am seeing, you want AH members to tell you it is OK and go ahead and do it.

If you sign on the doted line and book a safari you will be able to ask your outfitter and PH if what you are proposing to use is with in the country's laws. I do believe, From what i am reading from you the outfitter and PH's answer would no.

 

It seems like a simple question....why must he list a "load"? As long as it meets the specs, who should care what load he is using?
BTW a 900 gr projectile @ 1420 fps produces more than the commonly accepted minimum of 4000 fp of energy, at 1500 it makes almost 4500 fp of energy, and at 1950 fps a 900 gr projectile produces just shy of 7600 fp of energy, and a bucket load of recoil, Yikes!
Now, I'm just as much of a "big bore" guy as anyone, but I think you can expect clean kills with something less than .600 Nitro performance.

 

Do AH members need you to speak for them?Youre a big man with a mighty smart mouth hiding behind a computer screen in New Mexico.Yousound like a liberal,trying to shout down someone else. Your mouth is all you have. You should talk to people the way you want to be talked to. You sound like a whiney,nosy female wondering what i'm doing. Those other AH members dont need you to speak for them, they are men. If you dont like my questions,pxss off.Its not up to you to decide what im doing.

Im ASKING QUESTIONS BECAUSE I WANT TO KNOW THE ANSWERS. You dont need to answer it.

I am not looking for AH members to tell me anything.I was asking questions. Ive already talked to outfitters and PH's and his advice is what i must definitely go by. I was trying to actually hear from people either in Africa or that have spent a lot of time there, and im not in the "leaving tomorrow"stage of the hunt im in the "do i need a different gun,what country is best,what rates can i afford,etc."stage ,and i dont have to justify it to somebody like you. The muzzleloader question was about a muzzleloader,and it turns out some AH people gave good advice.

Listen buddy,dont pretend you are more than you are.I can give or take this forum,i dont care. But you address me the way you would if I was an arms length away from you.Im not the one for you to down talk like that.

 

He listed a load because the muzzleloader is custom and can also shoot 500 or so grain balls,as it turns out with more energy@ 2000fps. But the muzzleloader in question will not push a 900 grain bullet to 1950fps that you mentioned.Its only black powder.

If im having stuff built,i want as much info aspossible about it. And most AH ppl here are very helpful.thanks for loking.

 

My reply was aimed a James Grage, not you blackpowder50.

 

Ok, i didnt know,i was just telling you what i was after. Most people on here are after information and opinions,and i get a lot of that here,its cool. I'm in agreement with you about overkill. I know people in USA sometimes tend to think they need more gun than they really do.It sells rifles! But thanks for responding,I appreciate your response and talking to me.Shows character.
Its funny how some people act online, like they feel like they need to act big online to make up for how theyve been afraid to act their whole life.
I see your post about Namibia and it was either there or Zimbabwe i was thinking about. Thanks and have a great day.

 

bp don't leave out South Africa as well very open to black powder rifles. Here are few pics of plains game taken with BP on the East Cape.