If after a good one or two heart shots a buffalo runs away why not take a behind the head brain shot if close enough for accuracy? With my buffalo I put two into the base of the tail 3" apart and did slow it down but I ve wondered why more shots are not taken of the brain like the quartering shots from behind that Karamajo Bell advocated? There is the obvious risk of damaging the horns. Any thoughts, assuming accuracy?

If you can see the head, you can see the heart, assuming it is quartering away. I rolled one running away at 100 yards by doing that. Another good shot would be to try and hit the spine - you have a lot of allowable lateral error.

If you can head shoot a running buff, then you should have no problem shooting him in the head standing. Why not do that?

lr3 , i think if you look at what karamojo bell was talking about it was elephant , a buffalo running away even at a quartering angle does not present a brain shot as the huimp of his shoulders amnd the thickness of his neck cover his head as he runs -- the head wiol be bobbing and the only time you will see the brain is at the "top" of the upwards "bob"- just my 2c

quote:

Originally posted by LR3:
If after a good one or two heart shots a buffalo runs away why not take a behind the head brain shot if close enough for accuracy? With my buffalo I put two into the base of the tail 3" apart and did slow it down but I ve wondered why more shots are not taken of the brain like the quartering shots from behind that Karamajo Bell advocated? There is the obvious risk of damaging the horns. Any thoughts, assuming accuracy?

I cant say for cape buffalo but with our buffalo, in a mature bull the brain itself is extremely well protected by heavy horn on many angles and honeycomb bone over the crown. There are so many different ways for a shooter to miss or avoid this small target.

Darn small target, I have shot buffalo and Cows in the head missing the brain by 1" and have them get back up.

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Originally posted by ivan carter:
lr3 , i think if you look at what karamojo bell was talking about it was elephant , a buffalo running away even at a quartering angle does not present a brain shot as the huimp of his shoulders amnd the thickness of his neck cover his head as he runs -- the head wiol be bobbing and the only time you will see the brain is at the "top" of the upwards "bob"- just my 2c

Absolutely!
You aim for the back rib 1/3rd the way up from the belly in line with the off side front leg, on a quartering away cape buffalo, and if going straight away the root of the tail or just a bit lower. 2cts more!

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Ivan, thanks you for your comments and thinking back to your and other you - tube videos i realize a buffalo bounces more than say an elephant so I can now understand why more shots are not taken from behind of the brain apart from the hump of thick muscle. The elephant shuffle, while it can be amazingly fast, I can see is steadier. Better find out now not to try for the brain rather than July when I go to Zimbabwe for Nyati again. Mac appreciate you insight for the rear spinal shot. Seems I was not that far off and may be why it sat down on it's haunches after the two shots near the tail.

I have shot quite a number of buffalo in the head or neck when the opportunity presented itself - even for a first shot.

Sometimes one only gets that option, and it has worked for me every time.

If you look at my hunt report above, you will see two videos of bulls shot in the neck.

I have also used the rear end shot, which normally stops the buffalo and you can get close to finish it off.

Thanks Saeed

The brain shot is a very poor option from a safety point of view either running away or charging the spine shot is always the preference

In my limited experience, you are lucky to get a second shot into a buffalo for any number of reasons (cover, other animals, dust, etc). Of the ten that I've shot, only one presented a reasonable second shot as he ran away.

My objective on all ten was to reload and shoot at "the black" on the second shot for the sole purpose of putting another hole in the buff. It only worked out 10% of the time.

All of that to say that making a precision brain shot on your 2d or 3d shot is unrealistic in most scenarios.

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Originally posted by safari-lawyer:
In my limited experience, you are lucky to get a second shot into a buffalo for any number of reasons (cover, other animals, dust, etc). Of the ten that I've shot, only one presented a reasonable second shot as he ran away.

My objective on all ten was to reload and shoot at "the black" on the second shot for the sole purpose of putting another hole in the buff. It only worked out 10% of the time.

All of that to say that making a precision brain shot on your 2d or 3d shot is unrealistic in most scenarios.

Safari-Lawyer:

+1 Very honestly and realistically described!

I've always found the texas heart shot to be very effective on all (running away) game, especially previously wouunded buffalo. A good solid with a decent calibre and the right shot placement drops 'em like a sack of coal!

After the first shot, I like to break bones Hip shots. Then he can't run hard or far.

Mike

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Then he can't run hard or far.

Yeah Mike, like you :-)

With a good bullet in a suitable caliber, one can penetrate and perforate a Cape buffalo from stern to stem, so why bother with a much more difficult and potentially horn damaging brain shot?