Strictly 250GR for Cape Buffalo?

[vpsalin]

Anyone have experiences using strictly 250GRs on Cape Buffalo?

 

[Flipper Dude]

I have not, no. I really don’t know why anyone would want to.????? SD would take a huge step down. Can certainly make an argument for stepping up to a 350 if hunting buffalo.

But I’m 2/3 through a killer martini, so take what I say with a grain of olive brine.

 

[375Fox]

I do not, but I wouldn’t try. I’ve had irregular performance from 250 gr 375 on PG including one case of very limited penetration.

 

[NIGHTHAWK]

No. And would not.

I have used .375H&H - 350 Grain Barnes TSX

I would personally considered 300 Grains minimum…

 

[62flint]

I don’t think many would. Given the option to use something with more mass.
More mass = penetration and energy

 

[Hunt anything]

I did have a PH say that he would ALLOW me to shoot a buffalo with a .338WM using 250 grain bullets.
With that being said I definitely DID NOT take him up on the offer.

 

[wildwilderness]

The 9,3 will have a higher SD but lower velocity. Many say the 9,3x62 is minimum for a buff, and a 286 gr is “standard” for dangerous game. The 250gr would go a bit faster and check your Velocity- probably higher KE due to speed…
The 9,3x64 brenneke would be better.


Barnes like velocity. I personally would have no problem using the .375 Barnes in 250gr but most people here would say go with at least the 270gr version- it penetrates better. I think the 350 gr would be past the point of diminishing returns- too slow to make the extra weight worth it. So in the 375 versions go 270 or 300 gr.


But I have killed a 45” buff with a minimal bow and arrow so I’m not one of the super overkill advocates

 

[Elkeater]

I did have a PH say that he would ALLOW me to shoot a buffalo with a .338WM using 250 grain bullets.
With that being said I definitely DID NOT take him up on the offer.

I would also not try this. But a 250gr .338 projectile would have a higher SD than a .375 250gr projectile so there’s that.

But my actual question is what country is a .338 legal for buffalo? Again I have no desire to try it but I’m curious.

 

[Hunt anything]

I would also not try this. But a 250gr .338 projectile would have a higher SD than a .375 250gr projectile so there’s that.

But my actual question is what country is a .338 legal for buffalo? Again I have no desire to try it but I’m curious.

The PH was in South Africa but he also worked some in Mozambique and Zambia, the legality never came up and was just a general chat around the campfire.

 

[coreydb]

Even if you PH allows the 9.3 for DG, forego and use a .375 300 gr. I have both, but used the .375 on my Buffalo; 300 gr Hydrostatic solid/300 gr Swift A-frame.

 

[rifletuner]

Almost 30 years ago, I took my 375 H&H to South Africa for a plains game hunt. I developed a load with the original Barnes X using their 250gn bullet. There was no data from Barnes back then, so I just started with 270gn data and looked for pressure signs while I worked up my load.

That ammo worked great for 8 plains game species from springbok to zebra. While I was in camp, I found out that there was a guy from Sydney hunting out of the same camp with a different PH. What are the odds of another Aussie being in the same camp while I was hunting? Back then especially it was pretty unlikely. We chatted most evenings and I got along with him fine.

At the end of the hunt, I gave all my unfired ammo to my PH and didnt think any more about it. 6-12 months later, I got a call from the other Aussie to say he had gone back for a cape buffalo hunt. He used a camp rifle in 375H&H and my PH gave him the 250gn Barnes X bullets I had left there. The PH wanted the guy to use the 250gn load as they were hunting a large herd and he was worried about over penetration with bunched up animals. They killed their buffalo with one shot using my ammo. The guy wanted to let me know and I was glad to hear about it.

Granted its a sample of one, but thought it was relevant to the OP.

 

[grand veneur]

Anyone have experiences using strictly 250GRs on Cape Buffalo?

A lot is possible by very different game species as long as a bullet penetrates deep enough to damage a vital organ. However, the more marginal the bullet, the more uncertain it becomes, especially when it comes to hunting dangerous game. I have already reported on how a hunter killed a buffalo in Burkina Faso with one shot caliber 9,3x74R and a 238gr GPA bullet, but what works well once will very quickly go wrong with marginal cartridges and especially with marginal bullets. For this reason, it is generally not recommended from a wound ballistics perspective to use a 250gr bullet for shooting buffalo, regardless of the designer and the cartridge used. For every caliber suitable for buffalo hunting there is a minimum bullet weight that, which with an adequate impact velocity, has theoretically sufficient depth of penetration and behaves it as the designer intended. 250gr bullets are not included. We live in the 21st century and there are a lot of suitable cartridges and bullets for buffalo hunting. Even in the most remote corners of Africa, rifles and cartridges suitable for this type of hunting are available, so there is no need to make compromises to take down heavy dangerous game like buffalo.

 

[AZDAVE]

For buffalo in a 9.3 I would look at offerings from 286-325gr bullets.

 

[mdwest]

The lightest I go in 375 H&H is 270gr… and that’s for PG (just getting a little more velocity and a little less drop at distance)….for buffalo I’m a 300gr TSX guy… and wouldn’t go any lighter…

 

[Bandera]

If you are going to use the 9.3 then i would recommend the 286 grain.
I would also recommend stepping up to a .375 H&H or 375 Ruger.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I shot two buffalo with 250 gr Barnes 375 H&H bullets. First was a frontal shot into cow's heart at 100 meters. She fell over twenty yards later. Shot the bull through both lungs on the run at sixty yards. He ran a hundred yards and turned to face us. Shot him again in the chest but a bit low. No matter. First bullet had already done the job. We recovered both bullets from the bull. First was lodged in the ribs of opposite shoulder. Second was stuck in shattered left rear knee. The first was perfectly peeled back like a banana. It weighed 248 gr on the powder scale. Second bullet was more deformed but still weighed 246 gr. My PH says those bullets will do the job but they require a LOT of gas.

Another thread from another PH a while back was quite convincing that these copper bullets require pretty much a broadside shot to be effective. My bull was quartering slightly away and bullet still mushroomed perfectly. Placed just behind the shoulder so it only had to blast through ribs. None of the three bullets encountered significant bone structure on impact.

 

[grand veneur]

Sure, some of us have killed buffalo with smaller cartridges and lighter bullets, even cartridges like the 30-06 Springfield have been used for this purpose, but when a hunter who is not familiar with big game hunting asks which calibers and bullets are suitable for this purpose, it is better to recommend what has proven itself over the last 100 years and whose effectiveness is generally recognized from all big game hunters. Anyone who has often hunted buffalo knows that some marginal tools can also work under optimal conditions, but such things should never be taken for granted by a beginner. More or less experienced buffalo hunters know that a 250gr bullet is not a reliable bullet for buffalo hunting, even if some buffalo has been killed without problems with it from time to time. Therefore, it is not something that should be presented to a beginner problem-free.

 

[analog_peninsula]

Not to be completely contrarian, but there’s a considerable body of knowledge that says smaller calibers will reliably kill big animals like asiatic and African buffalo very effectively with quality bullets and good shooting. Leaving aside regulatory constraints, there’s no reason why an experienced resident hunter shouldn’t use whatever he thinks effective.

That said ….

Notice I specifically said experienced resident hunter. That’s meant specifically and literally. Small calibers can be exceedingly good killers, but they don’t stop worth a damn, and they don’t leave much of a blood trail. The main issue is margin of error, and as a visiting hunter, no matter how experienced, you don’t yet know what you don’t know, so eliminating your margin of error isn’t a very good idea . This site leans into bigger is better as a general rule, but hunting skill, prudence, and good shooting with quality bullets are still king.

If it were legal and my ph were willing, I’d hunt buffalo in open country with a .338 and quality 250 grain bullets without hesitation.

btw, grand veneur in the previous post makes some excellent points.

 

[steve white]

Sectional density increases with mono metal bullets due to lighter weight/longer length for weight. They retain mass in most cases. Lots of buffalo have been shot with 270 cup and core that did shed weight. hmmm. You places your bet and takes your chances, if you dare.
Interesting the thought about over penetration in a herd scenario.
I have a whole box of 250 gr. Swift A-Frames that I bought for a low price, just in case I ever wanted them. PG, they could not be beat. Would they work or buff? I say yes because they are A-frames, but I also have not had occasion to put it on the line, so could get cold feet further into planning...YOU go first!

 

[Tanks]

I strictly prefer 570 grains. Seems to make a bigger hole.