Toughest animal in Africa

26 June 2013, 20:17

465H&H

quote:
Originally posted by Todd Williams:
quote:
Originally posted by 465H&H:
Based purely on my own hunting experiences, i would definately say buffalo. I have averaged close to 5 rounds per buff vs two for elephant. Those include finishing shots.

465H&H

Careful now Walt. 5 rounds per buff! Saeed will be jumping in here any moment telling you how that's a failed hunt for a buff to take more than one shot!

I'm averaging about 4 rounds per buff myself. Lots of failed buff hunts on my part!!

Todd,

No failed buff as yet but who knows what will happen on the next. I have always gone by the dictum, if it is still moving keep shooting! Since it has taken more rounds for me than you or Saeed, it must mean that I just shoot faster than either of you two.

465H&H

26 June 2013, 20:29

Dave Fulson

DG- Buffalo
PG Zebra

26 June 2013, 21:03

subsailor74

Dangerous Game - Cape Buffalo
Plains Game - Blue Wildebeest

26 June 2013, 21:35

Navaluk

When the first shot is proper, only Bongo has given me trouble. Broadside right through the top of the heart with a 416 Rigby and he still tried to stick me in the guts, and got very close to his goal. A little under 5 feet as I recall. I'll take properly shot buffalo any day compared to properly shot Bongo.

26 June 2013, 23:44

Todd Williams

quote:
Originally posted by Frostbit:
quote:
Originally posted by Todd Williams:
quote:
Originally posted by 465H&H:
Based purely on my own hunting experiences, i would definately say buffalo. I have averaged close to 5 rounds per buff vs two for elephant. Those include finishing shots.

465H&H

Careful now Walt. 5 rounds per buff! Saeed will be jumping in here any moment telling you how that's a failed hunt for a buff to take more than one shot!

I'm averaging about 4 rounds per buff myself. Lots of failed buff hunts on my part!!

You both must be using doubles.

Only shot two so the overall "average sample" may be too small for comparison but mine averaged 1 shot from a bolt.

Yeah Jim, from what I hear, the doubles are only good for "minute of buffalo"!!

26 June 2013, 23:46

Todd Williams

quote:
Originally posted by 465H&H:
quote:
Originally posted by Todd Williams:
quote:
Originally posted by 465H&H:
Based purely on my own hunting experiences, i would definately say buffalo. I have averaged close to 5 rounds per buff vs two for elephant. Those include finishing shots.

465H&H

Careful now Walt. 5 rounds per buff! Saeed will be jumping in here any moment telling you how that's a failed hunt for a buff to take more than one shot!

I'm averaging about 4 rounds per buff myself. Lots of failed buff hunts on my part!!

Todd,

No failed buff as yet but who knows what will happen on the next. I have always gone by the dictum, if it is still moving keep shooting! Since it has taken more rounds for me than you or Saeed, it must mean that I just shoot faster than either of you two.

465H&H

No man, not just faster shooting! I think it's those Woodleighs verses a proper bullet!!

26 June 2013, 23:54

Saeed

We dip our Walterhog bullets in a magic potion Walter has made.

It incapacitate all animals as soon as it enters their bodies.

27 June 2013, 00:49

Aaron Neilson

Fun question, but really a very simple answer.

Every single animal shot in the "right place" with adequate caliber/bullet will die quickly, all of em, every time.

Every animal shot poorly, and generally regardless of caliber/bullet - can and will be "tough". Doesn't matter if its an African animal or not. Animals here in the U.S. and elsewhere, all have the same reaction. Of course levels of die quickly/tough vary a bit, but I think you get the point.

27 June 2013, 01:05

Brain1

my vote goes for a Toyota Landcruizer. I have seen several that have been shot multiple times and are still on the road.

27 June 2013, 07:06

Indy

Crocodile.

Unlike any mammal, if you heart-lung it on the first shot, or break its shoulder, you will never recover it.

There are only two vital spots, each about as large as a golf ball: The brain and the spinal nexus right behind the brain.

27 June 2013, 08:36

Bud Meadows

Having only shot 10 species of plainsgame and no dangerous game, my vote has to go with the wildebeest. The one I shot this May was hit solidly in the left shoulder with a .300 WSM and still ran 400+ yards and required a finishing shot. I've shot 6 gemsbok, and every one of them were "DRT".

Here's a picture of the wildebeest:

27 June 2013, 11:27

leopards valley safaris

Zebra, Blue Wildebeest, RED HARTEBEEST. and if you wing a Kudu, its good bye

27 June 2013, 12:05

Trax

quote:

.... I remember shooting a Duiker with a 300 RUM on my first safari, and it wouldn't give up, despite most of its entrails dragging behind it. But it would be difficult to find a harder animal to kill than a Cape Buffalo.

THe interesting thing is,

we have small animals not responding to impressively high energy/velocity/bullet weight and bore size,.. the way we would imagine.
..and we also have large animals that respond to smaller calibres in ways, that show the calibre punching way above it weight/speed and energy figures.

terms of measure like 'animal toughness'...or measure of a projectiles performance/capability to kill
by its 'energy figure'... "TKO value'... or level of 'hydrostatic shock'...are nonsense.

small animals hit with uber-Magnums can run further or take no less time to ground,
than much much larger animals penetrated by a humble broadhead.

I am of the impression that some people expect a more prompt reaction from an animal,
simply because they are shouldering more power.

Formulas like "TKO' were orig. established to measure not the killing ability,
but the 'knockout' ability of different cartridges on DG,
[ie; how long an elephant will remain stunned or unconscious, with a 'near' miss to the brain],

according to TKO, a near miss on the brain with a larger bore,stuns the animal for longer,
giving the hunter more time to go in and deliver the 'coup de grace'.

Yet by Taylors own accounts, the .375cal often punched above its mathematical formula derived TKO value.

other people however, might disregard such cartridge formulas
and perceive or attribute the animals specific responce, to it simply being a 'tougher' or 'weaker' creature.

How would you really know if the animal died quicker because of a calibre 'punching above it weight' [or] 'the animal being weaker'...?

27 June 2013, 17:02

Wendell Reich

quote:
Originally posted by Brain1:
my vote goes for a Toyota Landcruizer. I have seen several that have been shot multiple times and are still on the road.

Ah, yes, but a properly placed shot will stop a cruiser in it's tracks!

27 June 2013, 17:04

Wendell Reich

quote:
Originally posted by Aaron Neilson:
Fun question, but really a very simple answer.

Every single animal shot in the "right place" with adequate caliber/bullet will die quickly, all of em, every time.

Every animal shot poorly, and generally regardless of caliber/bullet - can and will be "tough". Doesn't matter if its an African animal or not. Animals here in the U.S. and elsewhere, all have the same reaction. Of course levels of die quickly/tough vary a bit, but I think you get the point.

Good point, but I think the tenacity of African Game put's it ahead of most North American Game ... As a general rule ... Which never seems to apply to any situation I get myself in.

27 June 2013, 19:35

husky

Robert Mugabe -period.

27 June 2013, 19:49

PWN375

Zebra,

My youngest daughter shot one through the shoulders with a 308. It took off running and I had a clear shot with a 375. My first shot knocked it down. It got up. This was repeated 3 more times until the damn thing was too heavy with lead to get back up.

Perry

27 June 2013, 20:18

shakari

I guess it all depends on how you look at it and all the species mentioned here are indeed very tough but if you look at it from a pound for pound point if view, I'd nominate the humble warthog as one of the toughest.

If they were the size of a hippo, we'd have the Big 6 instead of the Big 5.

27 June 2013, 21:32

maki

In my experience, the toughest one is the one you shoot in the wrong place.

Dean

29 June 2013, 01:56

infinito

I cannot disagree with anyone, but on the Plains Game side for me (and we do a lot of these every year) it is the two Wildebeest species, Waterbuck are incredible tough animals, Gemsbok, and Warthog. Zebra are tough as well, but they stop quickly.
One that is known well is Bushpigs of course. Make sure you shoot them right!
Buffalo, well, 'nough said.

Charl van Rooyen
Owner
Infinito Travel Group
www.infinito-safaris.com
charl@infinito-safaris.com
Cell: +27 78 444 7661
Tel: +27 13 262 4077
Fax:+27 13 262 3845
Hereford Street 28A
Groblersdal
0470
Limpopo
R.S.A.

"For the Infinite adventure"

Plains Game
Dangerous Game
Bucket List Specialists
Wing-Shooting
In House Taxidermy Studio
In House Dip and Pack Facility
In House Shipping Service
Non-Hunting Tours and Safaris
Flight bookings

"I promise every hunter visiting us our personal attention from the moment we meet you, until your trophies hang on your wall. Our all inclusive service chain means you work with one person (me) taking responsibility during the whole process. Affordable and reputable Hunting Safaris is our game! With a our all inclusive door to door service, who else do you want to have fun with?"

South Africa
Tanzania
Uganda

29 June 2013, 02:31

MARK H. YOUNG

I have to agree with the others that have answered the question basically "The one you shot poorly". In my experience if I hammered the animals on the first shot they didn't go too far. If I made a crappy shot too far back or through just one lung the damn things went forever and it ended in a long protracted gun fight.

Mark

29 June 2013, 02:41

Duckear

My son and I shot 8 wildebeests, 8 jackals, and 2 zebras, the only PG with which I have multiples of shooting experience. Both zebras were bang/flop, and yet two of the eight wildebeests were wounded and were quite the pita to finally run down and kill. The jackals were no match for the 375 H&H or the 7X57 for that matter.

29 June 2013, 16:48

Stonecreek

quote:
Originally posted by infinito:
Zebra are tough as well, but they stop quickly.

Exactly my experience with Hartmann's. We were enlisted to thin a herd of Hartmann's (sounds wrong, but good game managers keep numbers of even scarce species to the level that the range will carry). We were to shoot as many as we could be certain of recovering. Our guide was unworried about wounded-but-not-dead animals as he said they would stop and be easy to find upon return. He was right -- once hit fairly hard the Hartmann zebras showed little inclination to run away, they just tended to amble in a circle.

I don't think that any particular species is any more tenacious than another, pound for pound, just that circumstances make it seem so since individual shots vary so much. Of the plains game species I've taken or seen taken, the red hartebeest happened to be the slowest to give up with solid hits in the thorax, and the kudus seemed the "softest" for their size. The little springboks were always surprisingly slow to go down, regardless of how well hit. But as they say, "your mileage may vary".

29 June 2013, 17:07

Bren7X64

Seem to remember CB saying he thought Elk were more tenacious than any African animal ....

It was one of his earlier books, but ....

29 June 2013, 18:38

AFRICAN LEADWOOD

Honey badger?

So taai soos 'n ratel!

An afrikaans similie, as tough as a honey badger....

29 June 2013, 20:59

fujotupu

quote:
Honey badger?

Pound for pound? ...... unbeatable !

30 June 2013, 08:58

Hunter white

Zebra or wildebeest

30 June 2013, 09:10

CharlesL

In my limited experience I would vote for Zebra on plains game. Most difficult tracking job I have ever been on. I was convinced I had made a poor shot using a .375 H&H. Turned out I put it through his heart.

30 June 2013, 17:57

Indi

quote:
Originally posted by Saeed:
quote:
Originally posted by ManuelM:
Just interested in knowing from you experiences which african game animals be it plains game or dangerous game are the toughest to bring down or which ones have surprised you with their stamina and will even when badly wounded

The animals that often get described as tough are buff, sable, zebra and sometimes lions have amazed me with their tenacity but then again i want to hear your opinions

The one you don't hit properly the first time.

I agree and complement with the right bullit !

01 July 2013, 01:17

JGRaider

I personally didn't kudu, oryx, wildebeest, hartebeest, or zebra particularly hard to kill when the .308 180 partition was placed in the right spot. Farthest one ran was maybe 30 yards.

01 July 2013, 20:27

MacD37

quote:
Originally posted by JGRaider:
I personally didn't kudu, oryx, wildebeest, hartebeest, or zebra particularly hard to kill when the .308 180 partition was placed in the right spot. Farthest one ran was maybe 30 yards.

I shot one zebra at about 80 yds, standing quartering slightly to his left. The bullet (Nosler .375 300 gr)hit the zebra in the crease where the right shoulder meets the neck, and exited about the last rib on the off side. It took the frontal lobe of the right lung, took the top of the heart off, went through the left lung and exited at the last left rib. The zebra fell like it was hit by a Nike missile, hit the ground and bounced back up like a soccer ball, ran about fifty yds, went down again, and right back up to go another 50 yds before piling up for good. The damage was there but the zebra was simply too tough to give up.

Another was a large Cookson's wildebeest bull hit with the same bullet as the zebra mentioned above. Standing broad side at about 200 yds, Bullet hit about 4 inches behind the front leg elbow, The Willey took off and made a very large circle stopping about another 100 yds farther away with the same side exposed. I place another one about 2 inches away from the first shot. The animal took about five steps and went down for good. The top of his heart was removed as well, with both lungs hit with the shots hitting the heart as well.

I'd say those two animals are pretty sturdy, and resisted absolute blown heart and lungs and still has the steam to run some distance before going down for the count.

On the other hand I've had buffalo hit with that same bullet simply turn to run after being hit with the same organs damaged and make no more than 30 yds before piling up for good.

Some times large animals simply refuse to die easy, and some drop in their tracks with the same placement, and bullet and speed.

It is a mystery for sure!

On a funny note when we started to stalk the zebra my PH smiled and told me I should hit the zebra on a black stripe! I looked at him in wonder, then he smiled again and said "that is not the hard part, the bullet must exit on a black stripe as well!"

When we got to the zebra my PH said "well you did the easy part because you hit him on a black stripe". We rolled the zebra up on his belly to take pictures, and I looked at the off side and said Simon, look here! The bullet had exited on a black stripe as well, and I said to the PH, I guess I’m a better shot than I thought! We both had a big laugh about that!