xgrunt,

Sorry, can't answer your poll.

But, I have shot some buffalo in the nose and some in the tail. And many in between these two extremes.

I am not making fun of your poll, just telling the truth of my own experience.

All of the above and a few you didn't mention.

465H&H

Yeah, I guess it was a dumb poll question. I was just wondering if the preponderance of first shots went one way or the other. I know you take what you can get. It just seems to me as if someone like Saeed or others who have shot a bunch might have an opinion that most shots are on unsuspecting buffalo that are grazing by or on ones that are staring at you.

I shot only 3 buffs.

Among many shots, my first buff was killed by 2 side shots.
The second, the buff was facing me and wounded by my partner, it was a finishing shot.....at 80 yards.
The third was whacked by a side shot.



As others said, many buffs (I saw a couple) are shot where one can shoot, branchs and grass being hinderances. 2 weeks ago, in the CAR, my cousin got his buff with 16 shots.????????

One always tries for a broadside shot, not just on buffalo, but on all game animals.

Sadly, the animals don't always oblige, and eventually we learn to make do with whatever angle we have at any particular moment.

The main point is to amke sure you have a rifle and bullet combination that WILL reach the vitals. Rgardless of the angle of the shot.

Saeed!

Good advice!

465H&H

On my last Safari a chap shot a Buffalo wth a solid from a 416R which after following for three days was lost.
On the first report my Ph waged a bet that the beast was standing "front on" and that the bullet had deflected off the front of the rib cage and ended up in the sholder muscles not damaging any vitals. At dinner that evening the story of the hunt showed this is exactly what happened
and the next days of follow up showed that one of the three dagger boys had a limp.
My PH said that this is a common result of such a shot and is best avoided.