The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting African Big Game Hunting Where to shoot to kill a buffalo?Go | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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| One of Us |
The kill zone on a cape is pretty big, and the ranges are close, so you would need to be off by more than a foot to really mess up. Some people say to break a shoulder, but that is usually because they are using a pipsqueak cartridge that will not do a lot of lung damage and will result in a long chase. My preference for most animals is 1/3 of the way up, just behind the shoulder unless the animal is quartering. I skip heart only shots because an error on the low side means a lost animal. But at 1/3 of the way up, you should be in the aorta region and solidly in the lungs. | |||
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I would think that the best spot is somewhere in Southern Africa. ![[Smile]](images/icons/smile.gif){kind=icon} ![[Roll Eyes]](images/icons/rolleyes.gif){kind=icon} Sorry, couldn't help myself. | |||
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| <JeremyT> |
Gatogordo you will notice I said "place" to avoid these types of jokes, but yes the place to shoot is definitely down here and you are welcome any time to come down and shoot here. Looking at the anatomy of these "homicidal hamburgers" I would definitely avoid shooting high for the shoulder and as you say 500gr that heart shot could get you in trouble but alot of lungs up the line of the leg. | ||
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Hey JeremyT, Here are a couple of links to our Shot Placement Guide that will give you graphics of the internal anatomy of the Cape buffalo as well as 20 other of Africa's most hunted species. On my first trip to Zim, Owain Lewis of Damvuri Safaris told me to align the vertical crosshair with the back of the leg and put the horizontal crosshair about 1/3 of the way up the body. This is the accepted rule of thumb as everyone here has said. Of course the ol' Fat Gator's comment is also crucial to success. ![[Big Grin]](images/icons/grin.gif){kind=icon} Cheers, Alan http://www.african-hunter.com/shot_placement_guide.htm http://www.african-hunter.com/shot_placement_guide_review.htm | |||
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I disagree with Gatogordo - Botswana is the best place to shoot a Buffalo - about one third of the way up with a 375H&H loaded with a soft point. That will take out the lungs and probably the heart. Use a solid on follow up shots to break him down. | |||
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500 Grains is right on. On a facing shot I put it 6 inches below the chin, Instant lights out. ![[Eek!]](images/icons/shocked.gif){kind=icon} Jim | |||
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| Moderator |
Check www.bigbores.com for shot placement guides. | |||
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| One of Us |
Gatorado, I think that these forums are an even better place to kill buffalo. More have been killed here than have ever even walked the face of the earth. all with rifles shooting under moa and with rifles running from doubles to the lowly lever action, heaven forbid. Some of these hunters actually own rifles. | |||
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quote:A few have actually done it! George | |||
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*edit: just found out its been discused before: https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/1411043/m/839100123 | |||
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One of Us |
I think you should shoot here...    Mike Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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Get yourself a copy of The Perfect Shot by Kevin Robinson. You get a coffe table edition and a pocket guide. Get both if you can. Kevin is a vet and ph, he knows what he is talking. Life is how you spend the time between hunting trips. Through Responsible Sustainable hunting we serve Conservation. Outfitter permit no. Limpopo ZA/LP/73984 PH permit no. Limpopo ZA/LP/81197 Jaco Human SA Hunting Experience jacohu@mweb.co.za www.sahuntexp.com | |||
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Mike Detorre in the second picture the shot placement is 100% wrong! I would shoot the other buffalo!  Frank "I don't know what there is about buffalo that frightens me so.....He looks like he hates you personally. He looks like you owe him money." - Robert Ruark, Horn of the Hunter, 1953 NRA Life, SAF Life, CRPA Life, DRSS lite | |||
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Moderator |
Mike, Here is my suggestion for a heart shot.   In the above picture, I think you are a bit far back. Don't look at his near front leg, look at the opposite front leg. His near front leg is fully extended back, shoot behind it and you will miss the heart area and probably the lungs. Too many of these shot placement guides concentrate on a point on the body. What one has to do is imagine the location of the heart and lungs (a 3D view) and shoot through to the heart/lung - not shoot to a point on the outside of the buffalo. Regards, Terry  Msasi haogopi mwiba [A hunter is not afraid of thorns] | |||
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I would follow TCarrs advice. Go for the top of the heart! 465H&H | |||
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I like the high or top of the heart shot..This way you take out all of the major blood vessels. The buff will lose all blood volume to heart and brain simultaneously..will be on the ground in less then 15 seconds...IMHOP Mike | |||
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Excellent photos and very informative. I realize that a brain shot is an all or nothing proposition. But, if you were close enough and an excellent shot (like Saeed), where on these photos would you aim for a brain shot? Cheers "The appearance of the law most be upheld--especially while it's being broken." Boss Tweed | |||
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yup - there is more that was also debated before - just scroll down on the post to the links of shot placements by mr. T. on feb the 19. 2005 at 21.58: https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/6321043/m/869101261 | |||
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| one of us |
Well you have a buffalo with three people shooting him in different spots!! Keep everything in perspective and shoot in the center of the mass...On a broadside shot I come line up on the foreleg and shoot center....On a facing shot I center the shot where the neck and the shoulder join and sometimes I do that on a broadside shot...I usually shoot at the opposite side of the buffalo not the side facing me if you know what I mean, in other words I want to know where the bullet is going to come out... But the bottom line is shoot him like you would a deer or an elk if you like, it still works... Some of the shots on the two facing buffs are too low..I would opt for the highest shot marked and I would definatly shoot the larger bodied bull not the runt beside him... Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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You can alway use the method that many hunters use, and just keep shooting him in various parts of his body until he does not get up.  | |||
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I think you ALL have missed the question... The answer is: In Africa!  | |||
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nope  Gatogordo on 2 nd reply got you there | |||
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Greetings folk just returned from sunny GTMO. I finally managed to find web access so I can keep up with the latest here. A man has to keep his priorities straight! In any event, I've been meaning to post a similar thread on shot placement on buffalo and thus I ask that you look at the entrance hole in the shoulder on my buffalo and comment as to whether is "just right" or too low. I hope you're thinking I'm hijacing the thread, but rather adding to it. It took two more to bring him down, but as we all know, that's buffalo hunting! for the record, it was a 400gr Swift Aframe@2400 fps MV and the shot was at 100 yards. Let me know what you think jorge  USN (ret) DRSS Verney-Carron 450NE Cogswell & Harrison 375 Fl NE Sabatti Big Five 375 FL Magnum NE DSC Life Member NRA Life Member | |||
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Jorge, As a Texas boy I gotta ask the question: How in the hell did you convince Willie Nelson to go buff hunting with you???!  Nice critter BTW! Jeff | |||
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It looks high enough that it should have broke some of those ribs that hang on the spine but since he is down the skin moves and the entrance is probably not where it was when he was standing....Hit one of those forward short ribs and they go down instantly,giving you time to shoot him some more. The bottom line is you killed him with 3 shots and thats about average for buffalo kills, it normally takes 3 or 4 shots... A buffalo has a big kill zone, his lungs are the size of wash tubs...I would be more concerned about bullet placement on a Impala, smaller target. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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Thanks, Ray. For further explanation, the shot did break bone and when we moved him for pictures, a significant stream of blood spurted out from the bullet hole in the lower chest. Apparently, his leg must have been in the aft position for it to pierce the heart I assume, but his leg/sholder were pretty well shattered. Oh yeah, he did "shrink" a bit, the most recent measurement has him at 38.5", not great but I like him!  jorgeUSN (ret) DRSS Verney-Carron 450NE Cogswell & Harrison 375 Fl NE Sabatti Big Five 375 FL Magnum NE DSC Life Member NRA Life Member | |||
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Jorge, Any buff that you earn the hard way is an animal one will always remember...The time to get up to him and make the shot make it sweeter..  Mike | |||
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Jorge, Looks good to me. A mature old 38.5 inch bull is a fine trophy. Greg | |||
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Thanks for the inputs gents. I thought it was a bit on the low side, but the obejctive, a dead buffalo seems to have been met! jorgeUSN (ret) DRSS Verney-Carron 450NE Cogswell & Harrison 375 Fl NE Sabatti Big Five 375 FL Magnum NE DSC Life Member NRA Life Member | |||
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Jorge, Thats a great buffalo! one to really be proud of! Congrats!! to you and the Big Guy!!!  I'm a lung shooter myself. I took a buffalo at 50 yards, through both lungs! He didn't go 40 yards! Done! I believe a animal can go a hell of aways pumping out blood, they can't do anything with no air! I never go for the heart.. If you look just on the inside of the curl you can see the 416 entrance hole:  "America's Meat - - - SPAM" As always, Good Hunting!!! Widowmaker416 | |||
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I only shot one buff in my one trip to Africa. My PH switched me from SPs to solids upon learning that I had sighted in with SPs. His solitary advice was: "Break bones". I hit the point of the buff's shoulder (as he turned to face me) with a 375 300 gr. solid. He lost all interest in me and staggered off and collapsed after crossing a small water hole. I was shown the results in the butchery at camp that evening. The solid shattered bone that sprayed into the lungs. I was 63 at the time and had often seen deer and black bear shot with heavy bullets. I had never seen such bone and tissue destruction. A buff is one of the most difficult animals in Africa to put down. All I can say is that hitting bone worked for me! | |||
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What exactly does the tiny word "confidential" mean on the bottom of the three buff pics? Funny seeing that on the internet. It is usually futile to try to talk facts and analysis to people who are enjoying a sense of moral superiority in their ignorance | |||
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