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I'm trying to get a little educated on the anatomy of a cape buffalo. From my searching on here I've found that the heart and lungs are place a little more forward of most North American wildlife. But to those of you who have actually shot and seen cape buffalo's butchered I have a couple questions. I hear the skin is very thick, how thick exactly? How do the front leg/shoulder and scaplua compare to that of domestic American cattle? How much muscle between the skin and heart? Thanks | ||
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I don't know shit about American cattle but this http://www.shakariconnection.c...-shot-placement.html might help. As for thickness of skin. That depends on where on the body and will vary to some extent from animal to animal. The place it's thickest is the dewlap where there is also often a lot of fat that can absorb energy like you wouldn't believe. | |||
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As far as I have been able to tell, a Cape buffalo bull's skin is about 3/8 of an inch thick around the front shoulders. Heart and lung placement on a buff is not that much different than any other bovine, or any other hooved mammal, for that matter. A broadside shot through the shoulder, or into the crease behind the shoulder, about one third of the way up from the brisket, will take out the top of the heart and penetrate both lungs. That will kill anything, including a Cape buffalo, although a buff can sometimes take a long while to figure out that he's dead.  Cape buffalo have heavy shoulder bones and very thick, overlapping ribs. For that reason, a good, hard bullet is critical to get adequate penetration into the vitals. Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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Get a copy of Nyati, which I think you can get through the African Hunter magazine and Africa's Most Dangerous by Kevin Robertson. Both have good discussions/pictures on this topic. | |||
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You'll find all the Robertson books about halfway down this page: http://www.shakariconnection.c...frica-authors-r.html | |||
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Buff skin is not only thick, it's very elastic. They can take big bore calibers and still run off. It's what they do. Best bet: shoot them in the gizzard and they'll drop stone dead  Gray Ghost Hunting Safaris http://grayghostsafaris.com Phone: 615-860-4333 Email: hunts@grayghostsafaris.com NRA Benefactor DSC Professional Member SCI Member RMEF Life Member NWTF Guardian Life Sponsor NAHC Life Member Rowland Ward - SCI Scorer Took the wife the Eastern Cape for her first hunt: http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6881000262 Hunting in the Stormberg, Winterberg and Hankey Mountains of the Eastern Cape 2018 http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4801073142 Hunting the Eastern Cape, RSA May 22nd - June 15th 2007 http://forums.accuratereloadin...=810104007#810104007 16 Days in Zimbabwe: Leopard, plains game, fowl and more: http://forums.accuratereloadin...=212108409#212108409 Natal: Rhino, Croc, Nyala, Bushbuck and more http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6341092311 Recent hunt in the Eastern Cape, August 2010: Pics added http://forums.accuratereloadin...261039941#9261039941 10 days in the Stormberg Mountains http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7781081322 Back in the Stormberg Mountains with friends: May-June 2017 http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6001078232 "Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading" - Thomas Jefferson Every morning the Zebra wakes up knowing it must outrun the fastest Lion if it wants to stay alive. Every morning the Lion wakes up knowing it must outrun the slowest Zebra or it will starve. It makes no difference if you are a Zebra or a Lion; when the Sun comes up in Africa, you must wake up running...... "If you're being chased by a Lion, you don't have to be faster than the Lion, you just have to be faster than the person next to you." | |||
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Check out the little book, "Perfect Shot". It will tell you all you need to know. Or just go by what MR said; on a broadside, the crease behind the shoulder. The heart does sit a little low, but a well placed 375 or bigger will do the job quite well!  | |||
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Or you can always do a MS, let the buff choose the way he wants to die, and shoot him right between the eyes. | |||
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I think MR has it exactly right. Aditionaly, be cautious of a frontal shot. Seems this shot is responsible for more wounded buffalo than with other options. Not sure why, but may have to do with their overlapping ribs. "There are worse memorials to a life well-lived than a pair of elephant tusks." Robert Ruark | |||
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The heart of a buffalo sticks out of the right front hoof and its lungs are between its ears. At least that is what one book I saw one time said. Those cows are a world different than every other cow in the world. I could be wrong. ------------------------------- Will Stewart / Once you've been amongst them, there is no such thing as too much gun. --------------------------------------- and, God Bless John Wayne. NRA Benefactor Member, GOA, N.A.G.R. _________________________ "Elephant and Elephant Guns" $99 shipped “Hunting Africa's Dangerous Game" $20 shipped. red.dirt.elephant@gmail.com _________________________ Hoping to wind up where elephant hunters go. | |||
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Oh no, the frontal shot won't kill a buff myth rides again. ------------------------------- Will Stewart / Once you've been amongst them, there is no such thing as too much gun. --------------------------------------- and, God Bless John Wayne. NRA Benefactor Member, GOA, N.A.G.R. _________________________ "Elephant and Elephant Guns" $99 shipped “Hunting Africa's Dangerous Game" $20 shipped. red.dirt.elephant@gmail.com _________________________ Hoping to wind up where elephant hunters go. | |||
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You can buy Boddington on Buffalo, the vid or the book, and then you will know more than enough about buff anatomy to make a one shot kill. If you hit him in the right place, of course. | |||
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Get Kevin Robertson's book and also Boddington on Buffalo. Boddington's video is very authoritative. I used it before my first buffalo hunt. Pause the video with buffalo in different positions. You can practice aiming (of course with a thuroughly checked and unloaded rifle) on the buffalo in different positions. A good rule for shot placement (which Boddington discusses) is divide the light between the front legs and come up one third to one half of the body. That will make more sense when you watch the video. Brett DRSS Life Member SCI Life Member NRA Life Member WSF Rhyme of the Sheep Hunter May fordings never be too deep, And alders not too thick; May rock slides never be too steep And ridges not too slick. And may your bullets shoot as swell As Fred Bear's arrow's flew; And may your nose work just as well As Jack O'Connor's too. May winds be never at your tail When stalking down the steep; May bears be never on your trail When packing out your sheep. May the hundred pounds upon you Not make you break or trip; And may the plane in which you flew Await you at the strip. -Seth Peterson | |||
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I can appreciate the dilemma of the first time shooter at a buff. I had the same questions. My PH gave me some terse advice: "Break bones". That's what I did. (shoulder shot with a solid) | |||
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One of the best books I have read is the most dangereous animal in Africa from robertson. it is superb. You will enjoy it. diego | |||
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The "divide the light between the front legs and come up 1/3 into the body" is very helpful because you are quite often presented with a quartering on or frontal shot. After the first shot, my theory is keep shooting until he quits wiggling.  Maybe Saeed will contribute here. He has probably shot as many buff as any except perhaps those that were involved in culling.Have gun- Will travel The value of a trophy is computed directly in terms of personal investment in its acquisition. Robert Ruark | |||
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