I grew up around farm animals. I have been around a lot of Holstein bulls. I knew people who were killed by them. They can be just plain nasty. I have known some that would come for you in a heartbeat if they so much as saw you when they were loose. If they caught you they would kill you.

These animals were a little smaller than a cape buffalo, but not a lot. A little less well constructed, but not fragile by any measure. In my experience they were calculating and intent on harming me if they could (some of them). When I was young and on the farm, we always knew where they were, ours or the neighbors.

I don't think I would shoot one of them with a .22 lr like a beef. But, had the need arose I would have done it with something like a 30-30. I am not quite so certain I would climb into a pen with one and bank on that 30-30 to save my bacon after I pissed him off. I would however expect a 30-30 to dispatch one quickly and humanely.

Question: What non-DG calibers have you seen work effectively on cape buffalo. I know Saeed has stated he would have no problem facing a buff with a .270 and Barnes bullets. But what do you have knowledge of actually working.

29 years ago I shot some feral cattle here in the Southern Illinos river bottoms but I used a .375 H&H and 300 gr. solids.
Rich Elliott

I know of two buffs that have been taken with a 30-06 and with know problem.Both of them one shot kills

While it is true that a good bullet out of a 30 caliber can, and has killed buffalo, probably a bunch of buffalo, it would still be courting problems. There is a reason that most countries specify the .375 as the minimum on buff, and other dangerous game. If your experience with buffalo has been watching a couple take solid lung shots, run 75 yards and die, it is easy to think the danger factor and toughness of buff is overrated. But once you experience a real rodeo or two with a wounded one that is getting sick of running, you would sure not want a '06 in your hands when he comes to say hello.

I know someone who shoots them with a 308 Winchester.

Buffalo are not bullet proof.

I grew uo on a dairy farm and my Dad who seemed afraid of nothing was afraid of Holstein bulls,Quick,viscious,and unbelievably stong.If I was going to shootone it would be while it is in a pen and I am outside it.Any othertime and I would have 30-06 or bigger loaded with a premium controlled expansion bullet.

A friend was on site when a rogue bison(North American version) needed to be put down and it was shot 3 times in the "boilerroom"with a 30-30 with no apparent effect.A 7mm remington magnum put it down.Upon recovery,all three of the 30-30 shots had fully mushroomed and not penetrated one rib.Perhaps the coat of the bison was too tough for bullets deigned for a thin skinned under 300 lbs. animalJust my observations.
Regards,
Brair

quote:

29 years ago I shot some feral cattle here in the Southern Illinos river bottoms but I used a .375 H&H and 300 gr. solids.
Rich Elliott

Rich,

Also a deadly combination for groundhogs I assure you!

Brett

Miles it comes down to shooting and knowing where to make the shot count...
If one can't hit a cow in the ass with a snow shovel its academic... Proper bullet placement is everything... A strong enough bullet also...

Mike

A short while ago there was a video posted here about a 1950's buffalo hunt with Wallace Taber.

From his book Safari Sagas, Taber decribes how he one shot killed a Cape Buffalo (neck shot) using a 257 Weatherby Magnum, 100 grain bullet,60 grains of 4350, bullet speed 3710 fps.

This book is from the 50's.

I shot an Argentine water buff (several times in case you're wondering) w/ a 300WM using 200gr Speer bullet. It worked but if I had it to do over, I'd have driven back to the ranch to get the outfitter's 375.

quote:

Originally posted by Brett Adam Barringer:

quote:

29 years ago I shot some feral cattle here in the Southern Illinos river bottoms but I used a .375 H&H and 300 gr. solids.
Rich Elliott

Rich,

Also a deadly combination for groundhogs I assure you!

Brett

If the truth were to be known I was getting ready for a Zambian Buffalo hunt and thought it would be good practice. Used a backhoe to load them and ended up with lots of hamburger.
Rich Elliott

Several years ago I saw a video of a buff hunt and the PH and hunting party ran into some locals hunting buff with a 30-06. The end of the video the PH was calling for a helicopter to fly out one of the locals who had been gored by a buff. A 30-06 can do the job on a buff but it needs to be in the right hands.

If you had to use a 30-06 on a cape buff and assuming you saw him before he saw you, where would you aim? Skip the heart/lung and go for a head or upper neck?

Same question if using a 30-30 on a Holstein.

Btw, many years ago I read an account of a fellow who used a .45 acp handgun to kill a cape buff that was attacking him. It was kind of an odd-ball incident and not likely to be repeated. But, I guess strange things can happen.

I once met a retired PH in RSA who claimed he never used anything but a 7X57 on anything including DG. The PH I was hunting with said he had seen this retired PH take several buffalo on cull hunts with a 7x57. But he could also shoot the head off a guinea hen at 100 paces. Has something to do with shot placement.

quote:

Posted 16 April 2009 01:25 Hide Post
If you had to use a 30-06 on a cape buff and assuming you saw him before he saw you, where would you aim? Skip the heart/lung and go for a head or upper neck?

Same question if using a 30-30 on a Holstein.

Well, was it me, it would depend on whether I had to be in the pen with it, or if I was on the outside of the pen how sturdy it looked. I suppose that I'd take it right at the base of the skull and clip the brain stem given the opportunity to choose. I don't think shooting would necessarily be my first thought were I inside the pen. I think getting out of either one's reach before he got to me would be my primary objective.

I expect that a 30-06 with a Barnes 180 through the boiler room would do the job just fine. It would certainly break the neck or penetrate the skull from the right angle.

quote:

Posted 15 April 2009 19:48 Hide Post
I know someone who shoots them with a 308 Winchester.

Now the important question... Do you know why?

quote:

I have been around a lot of Holstein bulls. I knew people who were killed by them. They can be just plain nasty. I have known some that would come for you in a heartbeat if they so much as saw you when they were loose. If they caught you they would kill you.

I carry a scar a couple of inches long from diving over a barbed wire fence and having it catch my chest when a neighbor's holstein bull decided he didn't like me in the feedlot about 30 years ago when I was a kid. They can be very nasty.