Russell, thanks, except for my big head in the way!

Andy, I did use the Woodleigh. As you know, I loaded up 10 of the Kodiak softpoints, but the bullet was too large to chamber in my rifle. I sent them back, but didn't follow-up with Carl to see if I got a bad batch, or if their dimensions were non-standard. I'm sure they'll get it resolved. Per my measurements, they were wider upfront then the Hornandy or Woodleigh's.

Mike ran out of the 450gr North Forks, and I ran out of time trying to get a load to shoot solids and softs to the same point of impact.

The Woodleigh .500gr soft and solids made for a nice combo. With the lion, I wanted something softer then a super-premium, and the Woodleigh's fit the bill very nicely. I did get a pass through on a shot too far back (liver) on the 1st buff thanks to a broken Warne mount. This surprised me as velocity was "just" ~2300fps, but I suspect on a correctly-placed shoulder shot it would not have exited. I'll post some pict's of two that I recovered on a separate thread....

Wide deep spread is good but BOSS IS KING
Monster bull Saeed, A trophy of a life time. One of many for you

Cheers,

Andr�

Hi Saeed
May I ask where the buffalo in your photograph was taken?
APB

Hey Bill!
The photo of you on the sticks pointing the big .458 Lott with the buff in the background is a helluva trophy in itself. Heck, I'd blow that sucker up and frame it and put it in my study. Great picture!

Chete, Zimbabwe 1995.

Looks a little young to me, I'd pass.

Boss vs. Spread, Boss vs. Spread????????????

A good bull has spread, big close bosses, lots of drop, mass and shape...It takes a combination of all to make a trophy buffalo, not one or the other...

When you get down to the real old duggas then you must have a boss that has been rubbed smooth to look like marble, and brothers that is a hard bull to find, it's tough to live that long in Lion country and being shot at from July to November, not counting poaching!

By far the best bull I have ever shot or seen for that matter had a bit less than 40 inches of actual spread, but measured from tip to tip around the curve he totaled 9 more inches than a 50 plus inch bull I measured one time...The point being take it all into consideration, but I assure you that when you see one of these old boys, there is only one decision that you will make, and in a hurry.

One more thing, everyone wants a 40 plus inch bull and they set some pretty unrealistic goals on themselves, and a lot of that comes from these boards and a modicum of BS...

Big wonderful bulls, like 30 inch mule deer, don't grow on trees, they only come by now and then, but a nice hard bossed 38 or 39 inch buffalo is a treasure and the only difference is one mere inch on the tip of each horn to put him in the 40 inch class and on your wall, no one will know the difference...

Trophy buffalo are like gold, they are where you stumble into them, 7 days isn't long enough to truly "trophy hunt" IMO.. Sure, dumb luck will get you a big one , and I'd rather be lucky than good any day!

Most buffalo hunters arrive with 45 inchers in mind but after about 2 days and 30 miles under their belts they get a dose of reality, and take the first nice hard bossed bull that presents itself, or the get worried about going home empty handed and take a bull lesser than they originally wanted..It is hard to pass up a good 39 inch bull anywhere on a short hunt, easy on a 21 day safari...and thats the true story, life is full of little upsets...

For those who can pass them up and take a chance of going home skunked, the chance of a real big boy are within reach with a tad of luck, but I have decided these folks don't exist, (except on the internet boards) on 7 and 10 day hunts in todays world, the cost of a failure is simply too expensive and time consuming to fail...

The true love of hunting buffalo has little to do with a tape measure, it is all about the circumstances of the hunt, the experience and each is an experience unto itself, that is what hunting buffalo is all about IMO, and I feel sorry for those that carry that preverbeal tape in their pocket and place everything on that ego trip that puts pressure on themrselves and takes away from what is the most important, but on the other hand, hunting is an individual "thang" and to each his own, whatever blows your skirt up, go and do your own "thang". Its your bucks, and your hunt, do it your way.

Saeed should be a shining example of how someone enjoys a hunt, I have never know anyone who loves to hunt buffalo anymore than Saeed, good or bad its all the same to him, and all of the hunters I have sent to Africa off this board have displayed that love of Africa and the chase which speaks Kudos for them all, so far!

Is that actually male? I don't claim to be a very experienced buffalo hunter (only 2 under the belt) but it looks like the kind of cow a breeder would pay very serious money to have on his game ranch.

Regarding Ray's comments above:

I was worried about the monster trophy vs. coming home skunked dilemma when I booked my first Buffalo hunt. And I've read all about addiction to buffalo hunting from those losers on the hunting boards, and I know it won't happen to me. I'm a levelheaded guy with a science background, a good education and a responsible position in a serious profession. I'll just plan this out, do a solid business-case analysis of the available options, make a sound and sensible plan and then carry it out. Working closely with my longtime friend and booking agent Greg (Surestrike to those of us here at AccurateReloading) I chose what I considered the perfect solution to the problem: A 10 day hunt in prime buffalo country with permits for 2 buffalo.

My reasoning went something like this: Take a good, solid representative bull as soon as one is presented, so I'd be sure to have broken my cherry on dangerous game. No more pressure to lower my sights and settle for less than I really want just to come home without being skunked. Then work like crazy for the duration of the hunt to find that +40" adrenaline and testosterone inspiring trophy. Switch to plains game if I tag out early. Best of all, get that DG hunting monkey off my back once and for all so I can get on with life.

Worst case scenario, I hunt for 10 days and take a representative bull. Best case, two trophies, one of which is the monster I've been dreaming about all these years. Extra cost, less than 15% increase in total hunt price, IF I FOUND THE MONSTER. No 2nd trophy fee if no second bull taken. How could this plan possibly go wrong?

They say no plan survives first contact with the enemy intact. In my case, the first morning of the hunt I shot a 41" bull. Hmm. . . Now what. Keep hunting for another bull, of course. I was accused by my companions of acting like those gambling addicts that win the megabucks lottery, then keep buying tickets. How much better did I think I was going to do, anyway? I'd taken the trophy of a lifetime, now relax and fill in the plains game and see what happens.

Not likely. This buffalo hunting stuff is way, WAY too addictive. Inquire with unit manager if 3rd buffalo permit might be possible, since I'd used up my first one on my first day and had blown my plan. No? No spare buffalo permits left for new addicts? Man, what kind of an operation do you people think you're running here! Even a street-corner crack dealer knows better than to hook a new customer then run out of product when just when he gets to craving. Sheesh, they need some lessons in capitalism around here, and quick!

OK, I'm back home now and the symptoms are much less acute. I can't afford another buffalo hunt for a few years, so I'll have to figure a way to lick this thing. I think I may be all right, if I can just keep away from the hunting message boards and focus on work, yeah, that'll do the trick. Have my fiancee black out the buffalo hunting articles from the magazines before she passes them on to me. Don't buy any new rifles. Don't show the pictures around the range. I can lick this, really I can.

Although I can probably put off buying a new car for a few years, the old pickup truck still runs good enough. Well, it runs, anyway. We really don't need to buy that new house we were looking at, the old place here is plenty for our needs. If I quit eating out, start brown-bagging it to work, maybe, maybe . . .

Never mind. Greg, does Swainson's have any openings for next year, dude?!?!