TANZANIA: Heritage Safaris

[Ridgewalker]

Oh yes, you’ll be proud of those on the wall! And your wife must be tough as nails to do that with you! Good for her! You’re a lucky guy!

 

[Felipe]

He cazado con Paddy Curtís y Luke Samaras. Gran tipo.

 

[sheephunterab]

Thanks for sharing and two real nice Buffalo. Congratulations!

Curious as to what bullet you were using on the second Buff, that hole looks awfully small for an expanding bullet, especially on a full frontal shot.

Just goes to show if you hit a Buff right before he knows you are there they normally expire quite fast, this one obviously had some adrenalin pumping before he got shot. Tough buggers these old Buff.

375 GMX.

 

[IvW]

375 GMX.

Full frontal is a risky shot on Buffalo with that caliber and bullet, especially if it was a 250gr!

Good thing you hit the centre of the heart and glad it worked out this time for you.

 

[sheephunterab]

And people wonder why so few people post hunt reports here any more.

 

[CEO]

Excellent report of what looks like a dream safari.

 

[IvW]

And people wonder why so few people post hunt reports here any more.

Apologies if I somehow offended you, please do not take all comments personal or in a negative light.

Experienced Professional hunters and hunters who have hunted a lot of Cape Buffalo will know that using a soft nosed or expanding bullet with a .375 calibre rifle, on a full-frontal presentation, is not a good idea especially when using bullets that are light for calibre. More often than not, the full frontal shot goes the wrong way with this combination. For broadside shots, the .375 has probably killed more buffalo than any other but not on full frontal shots with expanding bullets. The full-frontal shot on buffalo with soft/expanding bullets is best done with .400 calibre bullets and up.

The reason for this is what is referred to as the “Trampoline effect”. The skin on the chest area of a mature buffalo bull is up to an inch thick, this skin is also loose and has the ability to absorb and dissipate the kinetic energy and momentum of the bullet. This seriously affects the ability of the bullet to do what it is supposed to do. The smaller and lighter the bullet the greater this effect is. To counter this “trampoline effect” heavy bullets in calibres .400 and up are recommended as they have greater momentum value and retain kinetic energy better.

Full frontal heart or low heart shots are not recommended as the margin of error is just too great. Pull the shot either left or right by a couple of inches you miss all the vitals. Place the shot slightly lower than you did and miss the heart or just clip the bottom of the heart you have serious problems, especially with the combination mentioned.

The safest shot for full frontal would be using a calibre of .400 or larger placed higher up, which is referred to as the “frontal spine shot”. This gives you the largest margin for error. Correctly executed this shot will drop a buffalo in it’s tracks. Pulled either to the left or right the bullet will hit either of the lungs. If placed too low it will still hit the top of the heart or the heart.

I in no way wish to detract from your hunting experience or from the hunting report you have posted here. I am however concerned that a first-time buffalo hunter may read this and decide that you where able to pull this shot off by using the calibre and bullet combination of your choice and decide to try the same with disastrous consequences.

Please view my comments as constructive criticism and please don’t stop posting because I have a difference of opinion regarding your choices.

Once again, thanks for a very nice report and congratulations on great buffalo for both you and Vanessa.

Safe hunting.

 

[BRICKBURN]

And people wonder why so few people post hunt reports here any more.

He just like that and shows his (prejudice ) preference for big calibers and guns!



I'm waiting for more of the tale.

 

[laststand]

to IvW I like your reply, what you said is very true. I shot my buffalo straight on at 75 yds, he hit the ground like a wet sack. I thought man, these buffalo were supposed to be tough. Well he got up after 3 of his buddies started to gore him and ran a mile before I could get another shot. At the skinning shed I found I had gotten a lung, and this was with a .416.

 

[Bwana Bob]

Just wanted to say thanks for the report. I have been on two Safaris hunting plains game and am looking forward to the day I can get a chance to hunt dangerous game. Congrats on your hunt

 

[Red Leg]

And people wonder why so few people post hunt reports here any more.

I respect IVW's experience enormously. However, every single PH of my acquaintance, is perfectly comfortable with a client using a .375 with a quality expanding bullet. I have no colleagues who believe that a .375 with a quality expanding bullet is inadequate for buffalo. That was pretty well hashed out a generation ago. Frontal shots are indeed more problematic - particularly on a buffalo. But each of mine has died quite quickly and permanently to heart shots. One of those was a frontal. So, presuming we can set aside the .375 issue, the question is really bullet type and weight? I personally prefer a 300 gr bullet, and believe anything lighter doesn't really take advantage of the caliber. HOWEVER, I wouldn't exactly feel unarmed with my .338 and 250 gr GMX or TSX. The GMX, unlike another product by that manufacturer, has a very good reputation on game, dangerous or otherwise. So, we'll all breath a sigh of relief that your first shot didn't bounce of the creature. Hopefully, the rest of this thread won't degenerate into another bullet/caliber/bullet weight debate. I can't wait to read the rest of the story!

 

[sheephunterab]

Hopefully, the rest of this thread won't degenerate into another bullet/caliber/bullet weight debate. I can't wait to read the rest of the story!

Sadly it already has. Been mule deer hunting all week but will try to get some more up early next week and then people can tell me how lucky I got with the shot on my leopard.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Sadly it already has. Been mule deer hunting all week but will try to get some more up early next week and then people can tell me how lucky I got with the shot on my leopard.

Don’t care what bullet you used. If you got a shot at a Leopard I count you lucky.
Looking forward to this ........

 

[Lbarr265]

then people can tell me how lucky I got with the shot on my leopard.

Spoiler alert!! lol glad you got ‘lucky’ though everything I’ve read involving leopards seems to require a great deal of both skill and luck, no matter how it happens, so don’t listen to the nay sayers. Your skill had to be instrumental.

Looking forward to the next installment, hope mike deer hunting went well

 

[Red Leg]

Sadly it already has. Been mule deer hunting all week but will try to get some more up early next week and then people can tell me how lucky I got with the shot on my leopard.

Sounds like my favorite kind of luck! I count on it regularly.

 

[Ragman]

Don’t care what bullet you used. If you got a shot at a Leopard I count you lucky.
Looking foreward to this ........

Same here.

 

[sheephunterab]

I'll spare you the details of the remainder of the hunt but here's a few more pictures. Just want to say it was a great outfit to hunt with and we really enjoyed ourselves. We will be going back!

 

[cpr0312]

What a great looking wildebeest! Congrats on the cat!!!!!!

 

[sheephunterab]

Ya the Nyasa wildebeest south of the Rufiji River seem to have a lot more colour and a more prominent nose stripe from what we've seen.

 

[Red Leg]

Great cat and wildebeest! Might want to consider that bull for a rug rather than a shoulder mount. They are much more impressive than any zebra.