Anyone ever hunted a cape buffalo with a traditional bow, I urgently need info for a client on what type arrows and more specifically the pull weight needed

Marty

A zillion years ago I hunted the West African variety with a traditional recurve (a Gilbert Archery Canochee Warrior at 90 lbs), fiberglass fishing arrows with a three fletch 5 1/2" banana cut feathers and hollow ground Grizzly broadheads. Velocity was only about 155 fps, but with the weight of the arrow and the absolutely perfect (but looping) arrow flight, penetration was amazing. The bow and arrow flight were noiseless.

There are lots of theories/physics involved, but for a buffalo, momentum seems to be more important that kinetic energy. Two blade, welded, not glued, broadheads are the way to go with a slightly rounded (not pointed) head (i.e., Grizzly). I can't remember for sure, but I think the arrow/broadhead combo weighted 1200 grains???

I'm not an authority, of course, on the anatomy of a buffalo, but I believe that the traditional spots for bullets aren't the best for arrows. I'd shoot for 1/2 up the body instead of 1/3. I think that the ribs aren't quite so close together or overlaid a bit up and the lungs are still in play. A shoulder shot, of course, will probably result in a buffalo running off with about 2" of penetration.

I suggest that your client go to www.bowsite.com and join the "leatherwall" forums and ask there. Lots of experience on that site.

Thanks Judge, appreciate the response

Mart

Mart,

The best guy to talk to is Mr. Ed Schlief from Alaska Bowhunting Supply Co. and their GrizzlyStik Broadheads.

He is an expert traditional bow hunter I know for a fact he has personally taken Asian or Water Buffalo. Not sure about Cape Buff.

I would definitely recommend you talk to him.

Gerhard is spot on as you guys in S.A. say.

Here's a link to there web site and photo's of a cape buff taken with Grizzly sticks. This page will answer most of your questions.

I may go up there later today if so I'll ask.

Wooops forgot to post the link sorry.

http://www.alaskabowhunting.co...atters-Bone-W40.aspx

google Dr Ed Ashby, no one on earth has more experience than him on Buffalo, and like game, with trad gear.

troy

Monty Browning used fiberglass fishing arrows around 1200 grains and 120 fps I think. I was priveleged to talk to him at one of our shoots. He's shot lots of big game with that set up. Things have changed a lot since then.

I know that a lot of Ashbys findings were made while using "old technology" longbows and he sacrificed a lot of penetration due to poor arrow flight this was due to the bows he had as well as the arrows available.

You can go to to Tradgang.com and look in the "Dark continent" and "Dangerous game" forums for some good info. You'll also find all of the Ashby reports under the forum "ashby reports."

Also at tradgang there's a fellow who posted a video of himself shooting a Cape buffalo with trad gear in the "dark continent". I'm pretty sure it was done on a game farm so under ideal conditions for close shooting, not my cup of tea but at least he can say he did it. He also did a lion "hunt" video by the way, disgusting to say the least.

If it's wild buffalo with no set game trails it would be "hell of a tough" to get close enough for a shot. This kind of a set up is best within 20 yards, so you'll definately earn your guiding fees.

You can also go to O.L. Adcock's site and there's info on tuning trad gear. Perfect arrow flight is hugely important for good penetration. For example I shoot with a fellow who shoots a 100 lb. Hill style longbow and although it spits the arrows out damned fast my little 53 lb reflex deflex Adcock longbow will outshoot and out penetrate the 100 lb. longbow all day long. Why? Because I've tuned mine to perfection and the arrows recover from paradox faster and hit straight. No energy is lost to poor arrow flight or to a less than perfect hit.

Please keep us posted, I'm green with envy because that's the hunt of a lifetime and I'd love to do it too.

the chef

I have a suggestion: I have one dozen brand-new, still in the box Easton XX75 2440's Big Game model in Black Forest Camo that might be perfect if he wants to shoot aluminum. FL, 34 1/2 +/- long. If this gentleman is serious and would come on and make a commitment to use them on Cape Buffalo with a Longbow or Recurve I would give them to him.

Rich

On another note if the client wants to hunt like this he ought to know and posses what's needed. If I was the PH I'd be damned hesitant to take him on if he wasn't 100% prepared.

It takes a lot of dedication to work up an arrow formula that would be suitable. Then it takes months to learn to shoot the heavy arrow. When I added 200 grains to my arrows the point of impact dropped about 8" at 25 yards. With trad gear you have to reprogram your brain to shoot arrows with a new/different trajectory than what you've been using.

Thanks for all the comments/ advice.

Mart

Take a hard look at SilverFlame Broadheads.

http://www.german-kinetics.com/html/home.html

Interesting, I hunted and guided lots of guys on Aussie water buffalo. In fact I hunted them traditional way back before it got popular. I was with Monty Browning when he killed his, in fact I took almost all of the photos of him with his huge bull. I also know Ed Sclief and consulted on his heavy shafts and did a lot of testing of them for him. I also spent a lot of time trading messages with Ed Ashby on buffalo gear and all his water buffalo info agreed with what he later found out. I did use advice from Monty and Ed, on their experiences with cape buffalo, before I went after water buffalo the first time.

I forgot to mention Monty uses his fiberglass fish arrows, on everything EXCEPT buffalo. For buffalo he uses old small diameter carbon shafts with solid lead wire inside. He dosn't know exactly how much they weigh, since his scale dosn't go that high!

quote:

Originally posted by martin pieters:
Thanks for all the comments/ advice.

Mart

Martin
Have you done any bowhunts for buff with compound gear? Somewhere, someday, there is one in my future and it would be nice to here first-hand about any zim buff bowhunts.
JCHB

Take a look at Tradgang.com, they have two forums specifically dedicated to the taking of African and dangerous game with traditional bows. The forums are:

The Dark Continent

Dangerous Game

Jesse

JCHB...when we were doing the trial to get bow hunting legalised in Zim over 40 buff were shot with a veriety of bows- in three seperate trials between 1988 and 1997- which finally resulted in SI 11 - the piece of leglislation legalising bowhunting outside the parkes estate. despite having drafted the law, I am darned if I can remember the exact legal minimum draw weights and arrow weights specified...and don't have my legal files to hand.

Bowhunting of Croc, ele, Hippo and buff was on special permit only- we had too many failures in the trials.

It is a moot point because parks have stated they will not be issuing bow hunting special permits after this year...so in Zim you are stuck to lion, Giraffe and down with a bow unless the association can make parks see sence...which usually means Dollars rather than cents

Good article in Traditional Bowhunter magazine
spring/ summer issue. Guy used an 85# Black Widow with heavy arrows around 900+ grains [if I remember right] Made the shot and the Buff went 50 yds.

Big Mo, who was that article by? I haven't seen it, but my experience with a lot of articles, they tend to be how the writer "remembers" the facts and not exactly how they happened. Monty Browning had his article in there years ago and Monty sticks right to the truth, even the part about him missing his bull twice, before he got the range. Of course with 1500 grain arrows, range is critical!

It was not Browning, the magazine is at home so I will look tonight. It was a good hunt story. where in Ga. are you and do you shoot traditonal?

I know it wasn't Monty, I still have the magazine with the story of his water buffalo hunt in it. I kept it, because he said some really nice things about me in it! I live in the shadow of Stone Mountain and yes I do shoot trad., mostly recurves, but I have a couple longbows too.