Where Would You Shoot This Buffalo?

[Berettaco]

yep - front edge of the red dot

 

[Red Leg]

Between red and yellow front edge.

 

[matt85]

View attachment 619223

I really like this thread! We need more like this at different angles and some other animals.

 

[RR 314]

None of the above. I believe I would pass.

If I were to shoot, as others have stated, between yellow/red.

 

[shootist~]

Someone wrote a song about that shot.

"They call me Mellow Yellow"....(quite right -edge)!

 

[One Day...]

Interesting question...

Premise #1: there is no mammal that will live long and go far with both lungs collapsed and a perforated heart.

Premise #2: broken shoulder bones and shredded muscles are not vital damages and have never prevented a animal from running hard, either charging or escaping ... especially a buff.

With a shoulder shot just a bit too far forward, the bullet needs to go through the shoulder bone before going to the vitals.

I said "interesting question" because this pics shows what appears to be a broadside shot, but what is in fact a slightly quartering-in shot because the buff front end is angled toward the hunter due to the buff looking at the hunter.

I agree that the stricto sensu answer for this specific instant is indeed, as stated by most, between red and yellow, favoring the front edge, assuming one is shooting a tough bullet (e.g. TSX, AFrame, etc.). I clicked Red, because Yellow likely misses, or barely clips, the top of the heart. In between goes behind the shoulder bone, punches both lungs, and shreds the upper heart. Perfect!

Should one only have on hand a softer bullet (e.g. Nosler Partition, older cup & core Win/Rem etc.) the behind-the-shoulder-double-lung shot could also be a good way to put this buff in the salt, but in that case the blue dot is too far back. Between blue and red (and closer to red) would be the behind-the-shoulder shot. As it is pictured, the blue dot is a behind-the-elbow shot and is almost certainly too far back and missing, or barely clipping, the rear edge of the lungs

Conversely, if in the next moment that same buff was looking the other way, with the position of the two front legs reversed and quartering slightly away, then the red/yellow shot would risk angling too forward in the brisket and missing, or just clipping, the front of the lungs, and the blue shot concept would make sense, although the blue dot pictured would still be too far back and I would favor closer to the red.

 

[BryceM]

No mammal will go far with a perforated heart and two collapsed lungs, but it might go far enough to run you over. I watched a warthog squirt blood two feet out of both sides from a newly created tunnel in its now-absent heart and he went full-tilt about 120 yards. Only a hit to the nervous system anchors mammals instantly. Small target.

On buff, it's essential to use a bullet that is capable of hitting the vitals without any fear of making it through the shoulder bones. A deeply penetrating bullet like a TSX or A-frame is plenty able to crater the shoulder and still do its dirty work in the vitals. Best of both worlds. If there is any doubt of a bullet making it through the shoulder, or boss, or skull, it's the wrong bullet for buffalo.

On my one and only buff so far, a 400gr TSX took out the near shoulder, made a nice mess of the lungs and heart, and was found missing 3 of its 4 petals along the far flank. He scampered off on 3 legs for about 50 or 60 yards. A second shot wasn't needed. It's hardly an exhaustive scientific study, but it was gratifying.

 

[gp_cobb]

Yellow with second quick shot into the hip or pelvis on his exit! Again a double is king at that and a bolt will be lucky to get the second shot when you are within 30 yards or closer which is ideal! “When you can smell his breath it’s time to kill him and life doesn’t get better than that!”

I'm a bolt man and I don't want any buffalo under 75 yards. If he don't drop, I'm in the truck and gone or under it and hanging on for dear life. If I can't shoot better than that, then I aint shooting, again, dust from my escape vehicle, yea you go that right shoot from the truck or ten feet from it. 80 yr. olds don't trek through the bushes looking for game.

 

[gp_cobb]

If I can't make a brain shot or a spine neck shot, ain't shooting, drive on.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Yellow. I shot my bull exactly on green on the run but he was slightly quartering away. He didn't go far. Shot him again but it probably wasn't necessary.

 

[gp_cobb]

375 H&H will do it. I know I just did it 2 weeks ago. He dropped like a car had been dropped from a crane.

This is a loaded question because at what distance are we talking? I've killed 2 buffaloes, the one I shot last week was 44 inches. In 2021 I shot that buffalo in the neck at 40 yards. It knocked him down, he ran 25 yards fell & I used a follow up shot.

2 weeks ago we tracked a buffalo up a still hill on a game trail through a thicket in Zambia. We thought he was well ahead of us after we got off the truck. He wasn't! He was a lone big old buffalo by himself. He didn't go far after disappearing in the bush. He was sitting facing forward towards us after about tracking 300 yards in. He was sitting atop a slope alone. Stepping on the dry leaves my ph was trying to find him, the tracker was frantic telling us he's right there he's right there! I couldn't see him the PH couldn't see him. The tracker is going crazy poiting. Then this huge black mass moved & I could see through the tall grass & brush he stood up and looked at everyone. I mean he looked pissed. My PH whispered to me, you have to make this shot, it has to be in the head. Can you make this shot? I whispered back, yes I have to. He said yes because he's going to charge any second if you shoot him front on. I couldn't anyway because the grass and brush were that high. I could just see his horns eyes & face, barely the neck. I put the rifle on the shooting sticks. My scope was already turned down to 2.5 power. I put the cross hairs right between the eyes just below the horns. As I did that I heard a loud snort. My PH said again you've got to make this shot are you steady. I didn't say anything I just squeezed off, boom. He fell like 2 tons of bricks. I expressed to my PH, "nobody is going to believe this". He said, "I wouldn't have believed it if I wasn't here."

My 2 buffaloes were shot with the same gun 375 H&H Swift 300 grain Aframes. One in the neck the other directly between the eyes. Both killed I would say fairly easily. View attachment 619306View attachment 619305

And can you tell me a 30.06 or a 300 WM would not do the same brain shot?

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

And can you tell me a 30.06 or a 300 WM would not do the same brain shot?

Not legal in majority of countries. Plus an outfitter is probably not going to allow it

 

[sureshot375]

I’m right between yellow and red.

Blue and green are bad times.

 

[AimSmall]

Where are we hunting buffalo with dots?!

Who's job is it to paint them?!

 

[gp_cobb]

I can shoot directly from the truck, from a distance of 100' right between the eyes, 30.06 150 gr.

 

[Sideshow]

Where are we hunting buffalo with dots?!

Who's job is it to paint them?!

Can we nominate someone Or is this a military thing…….”I need three volunteers, you you and you”

 

[Hunt anything]

And can you tell me a 30.06 or a 300 WM would not do the same brain shot?

Probably would work if your bullet doesn’t just flatten out on the skull. As others stated most likely illegal. If you miss even by a fraction of an inch it opens up a huge can of worms! If a PH allows a shot like that with an illegal caliber and someone gets wrecked in the follow up he would most likely lose his PH license and they are too hard to come by in most countries.
If your physical capabilities are such you can only hunt from a truck no problem with that but even if somewhat ambulatory you are cheating yourself out of one of the greatest hunting experiences in the world.
Only my opinion of course.

 

[IvW]

I can shoot directly from the truck, from a distance of 100' right between the eyes, 30.06 150 gr.

We dont need this shit on this forum....

 

[IvW]

Yellow has the largest margin of error.....and will be a fatal shot...

 

[FlowHamed18]

I can shoot directly from the truck, from a distance of 100' right between the eyes, 30.06 150 gr.

Maybe you have logged into the wrong forum.

This one here is about ethical hunting, I think the "shooting, no matter what" guys are using africashooting.com or maybe another one... Google may help