Ladies and Gentlemen,

I had an email from a gentleman who apparently have been told that cape buffalo are so stuff they need a 155 mm cannon to kill them.

I have shot quite a number of buffalo, and most of them got at least two bullets fired at them. We do this to make sure it stays down, especially if it was spined and drops at the shot.

I remember one year when we shot 11 or 12 on one safari, 8 of which were killed with one shot, using my 375/404 and the Barnes X 300 grain bullet.

Shot placement that's all I can say !

Safari-Hunt

www.Safari-Hunt.com

Saeed,

I have only had the chance to shoot 3 buffalo so far. One of those was a one shot kill. The one shot kill used a 300 grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claw from a 375 H&H.

I think one of the reasons they get shot several times is the PH does not want to risk trouble. So you shoot until they stop trying to get up.

BigB

I've only taken 2, but both were 1 shot kills. I put in insurance rounds while they were laying there, just to be sure because the dead ones are the ones that get you.

I have only taken one. 1 shot and the buff was down on the spot (spine shot). Distance was about 40 yds. 1 shot as insurance after we approached to about 15 yds.

[ 07-19-2002, 18:57: Message edited by: Mike Dettorre ]

Saeed

What shot or aiming point (ie heart, lungs, brain) were most of those one shot kills?

Did the animals drop instantly, or run off and expire a distance away?

And if they ran off and expired, did you wait for a while for the animal to expire or stiffen up before following?

Thanks

[ 07-19-2002, 18:33: Message edited by: NitroExpress.com ]

I have taken 4 buff in total. Three were one shot kills, one had a second insurance shot. None moved more than 40 yards. All were heart/lung shots - one frontal, one frontal quartering, and two broad.

Buff are uneventful IF you take them quietly and place the first shot where it should go. If they are not aroused with tons of adrenaline in their bloodstream, they get hit and go down quickly. Otherwise, buff can take on a supernatural ability to withstand punishment and this generally invokes a whole lot of shooting, running, and screaming.

[ 07-19-2002, 18:41: Message edited by: Zero Drift ]

I have killed one buffalo and it took only one shot. The shot was about 80 yards, quartering away, and passed through the top of the heart and lungs. I was using a 375 H&H loaded with 300 grain Failsafes. The buff ran about 40 yards after the shot and died. I fired an insurance shot into him from a 500 Nitro Express.

Perry

Some good questions from Nitro...I consider a one shot kill a drop on the spot kill...I have seen this on a very few ocassion, maybe two or three times in my life.

Most of the Buffalo that I have shot were two or three shot kills, one in the heart and two in the rear as they took off..but I use solids..they go about 40 to 50 yds. I used to use a soft for the first shot but they still went about the same distance and it seemed like I always had the wrong bullit in the chamber when the shot was presented, so I just used solids ala Finn Aagard, he always made since to me...

I have had some instant kills, but when that happens I empty my gun at them, very distrustfull of Buff that drop on the spot...Most were spine shots. I recall one heart shot when the animal dropped at my shot. that was with a Woodleigh soft in a 458 Lott...and I have seen this on one ocassion when a client shot a buff with my 505 Gibbs and a soft..both of those bulls just folded..never a repeat performance or I would still be shooting those two big guns that shook my fillings.

Of course spine and brain shots do not count...

Bottom line is few Buff are killed instantly..Many are killed with one shot if they are allowed to run a bit, normally about 50 yards.
even with the lighter guns...

I have 3 one shot kills with a 338 Win with solids and they ran probably 40, 75, and nearly a 100 yds. About what I would expect with a 416 or a 9.3x62....

John,

One was shot in the neck, the rest all were shot through the chest, when the heart is not hit, the large bloody arteries above it have been.

We generally do not wait for long before getting close to them on the ground, but we approach cautiously from behind, and if we get to a few yards without seeing any sign of life, Roy throws a rock at them while I stand guard.

All the ones shot this way generally run for up to 100 hyards or more - most expire within less than that.

I shot my first buffalo last month. One shot from 30 yards broadside with a Merkel double in .470NE, Federal factory round with 500-grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claw. Hit the top of the heart. The buffalo ran behind brush, precluding a second shot. We waited and heard the death bellow in less than two minutes, gave it a couple more minutes, then went to find him. He was down on his left side less than 60 yards from where he'd been hit. We saw his right rear leg move slowly just a little bit, hung back for another minute, then my PH went up and poked him with his rifle after no further movement, starting from his rump and working his way up to the eyes. No reaction. No bleeding from the entrance wound, no exit wound (the bullet was imbedded in a rib on the far side after breaking the upper leg bone and punching through a rib going in, 91% weight retention).

The one thing that becomes apparant form all these posts is that should old Dugga boy decide that he wants a piece of you then he has plenty of time to get to you and do great harm before he expires, unless you shoot him in the brain or spine....

Taking into consideration that he is shot in the heart at and average of 30 yards and that he averages about 65 yards or several minutes before he expires then add to that equation an agressive bull, that's pumped with 55 gallons of Adrenaline is more likely to live longer than a cowardly bull, and you have one of those sho nuff, I won't mention his name, ( mostly because I can't remember it) movie type charges....