Fellas:
I am trying to assemble quotes from past writers who penned it was proper to drop a charging buffalo with a bullet into the nose. I know Hemingway, Ruark, and others wrote of this. Below are quotes from Capstick and I believe there are more. Any help you could be in coming with bullet to the nose quotes would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Cal

Death in the Long Grass, page 162, 1977 edition, St. Martin’s Press

“Either you stick s big slug up his nose and hopefully catch his brain or upper vertebrae, or remember the words to the “Hail Mary” in a hurry.”

Death in the Dark Continent, page 27, 1983 edition, St. Martin’s Press
“…I prefer to shoot them in the eye region or the bridge of the nose…”

All a load of pure bullshit!

Hit a buffalo in the head, it will either die instantly, or drop down stunned, where you can finish it off.

Been doing it for years, never failed.

Cal, I believe John Taylor also mentioned this although I can't say exactly where. Something to the effect that if facing you before a charge or early into a charge it will raise it's nose and that offers the chance to put a shot up the nasal passages and into the brain. Never shot one, never will, so no personal experience here, I will defer to the gentleman from Dubai for that.
Best.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
All a load of pure bullshit!

Hit a buffalo in the head, it will either die instantly, or drop down stunned, where you can finish it off.

Been doing it for years, never failed.

Saeed:
Surely you are not stating on a public forum Capstick was writing bullshit, are you? I mean everyone loves PHC!

Many PHs Ive talked to believe the nose shot is a good shot on charging buffalo, Ive seen buffalo that were shot in the nose for the brain shot that were shot and charged I was told...Bell states he used this shot when using the 7x57 on buffalo..Ive seen a buffalo and some Mexican fighting bulls charge with the nose extended and had a cape buffalo charge with nose extended after making a half circle and getting my wind, I could have killed it with a shot on the top of the nose holes, but took a shot under the chin that got the spine, heart and lungs...Too many famous hunters have recommended that shot to ignore it..To accept it or not is up to you..

The other thing about any bovine animal and Ive de-horned many cattle to shape the pole by removing all the horn.There is a baseball size hollow gap/void more or less under the horn tunnel that contains the brain that lies below that void, and hollow horn base is above that void, so there is a direct line from the nose holes to the brain I assume or so it appears. It would be very easy to shoot into that void between the horns and not effect the bull.Ask your local vet for a definitive answer..That area could take a massive blow such as a big bore bullet if it didn't touch the brain considering the power of two 1600 lb. cape buffalo charging each other with full force and a direct hit..

My concern is if his nose isn't pointed in a charge his head will then be moving side to side and some up and down..Ive seen this on film many times, its not and easy shot..A standing shot does not apply to this thread, differnt ball game.


Just food for thought???

In Zimbabwe in 2012, the late Ian Gibson put a .458 solid up a buff's nose. Lights out immediately.

I have seen film of Buffalo shot up the nose with the head laid back, and it goes to the brain.

Buffalos brains are situated centrally between the ears, there is no magic about it.

Hit that area, end of story.

This year alone, I have shot 4 bulls in the head.

Every single one dropped straight down.

Two were facing away at an angle, both shot at the back of the head.

One closer to the ear, the other closer to the neck.

Two were facing us at an angle.

One was shot below the left eye as he head was up.

One was shot in the right eye.

Same story in all of them.

Dropped right there.

We have too many so called writers who know hardly anything about what they are writing about.

Nothing, NOTHING beats experience in the field, and actually knowing the anatomy of what you are shooting at.

Shot two more bulls this year while they were walking away from us in thick bush.

Identical situations, with identical results.

Even Roy made the comments about the likelihood of this happening twice on the same hunt.

Both bulls were hit, on the right side, just ahead of the hips.

Bullets going across their chest cavities, and lodging inside the shoulder on the other side.

Both ran a few yards and dropped.

Buffalo seem to scare certain people.

They try shooting them with as big a gun as they can muster.

And still fail to kill them.

Not even the best in Hollywood can dream about the lengths certain idiots go to, to prove how tough buffalo are.

They are not.

A single bullet from a 375 is all that is needed.

Just put it in the right place.

Proven to work time and time again.

Hundreds of times

Got a message asking if I ever shoot them in the heart, I think someone is trying to be funny!

I do.

This year we saw a heard feeding down a valley.

We managed to get to an ant hill close to where they were feeding.

Eventually an old bull got clear of the herd, classic broadside walking.

A 300 grain in the shoulder, he ran a few yards and dropped.

Same story.

DEAD.

No drama.

No bullshit.

i had to grab a flashlight and walk out front to the 4-5 cow skulls out there and look.

if the head/nose is up fairly high you could work a bullet up the snout to the brain, it'd have to be straight on though.

head down.
you better be between the ears, and not lower towards the eyes, because your only hope there is cutting a vein in the neck, and being able to run long enough for the animal to slowly bleed out.

I have found, in my limited experience, that when facing them straight on, their heads are not held high enough for a shot in the nose to strike the brain.

As an example, I shot one in the head this year, as he was facing us head on at 20 yards.

I shot him in the forehead, an inch above the inside corner of his right eye. It dropped him instantly.

A shot in the nose might also have dropped him, but it would not have struck his brain.

It would have gone low. More likely into the neck, and if a lucky shot, into his spine.

I think, based on my limited experience, that the nose is generally too low for use as a good aiming point.

Now, at a few yards, in a charge situation, the geometry may be different.

I’ll stick with my .450 and .500 for use in such cases, and leave smaller bores to others!

THE OSTEOLOGY OF THE
CRANIAL AND FACIAL BONES OF THE
SAVANNAH BUFFALO
Syncerus caffer caffer (Sparrman, 1779) by
MARIUS HORNSVELD B.V.SC., M.R.C.V.S.

Doctoral thesis on the osteology of the African Plains Buffalo skull.
read the section on the practical applications of this study as it pertains to the head shot on Buffalo.

Promotor is Prof van Der Merwe who did what is the monumental study on the skull anatomy of the African Elephant

quote:

Originally posted by ALF:
THE OSTEOLOGY OF THE
CRANIAL AND FACIAL BONES OF THE
SAVANNAH BUFFALO
Syncerus caffer caffer (Sparrman, 1779) by
MARIUS HORNSVELD B.V.SC., M.R.C.V.S.

Doctoral thesis on the osteology of the African Plains Buffalo skull.
read the section on the practical applications of this study as it pertains to the head shot on Buffalo.

Promotor is Prof van Der Merwe who did what is the monumental study on the skull anatomy of the African Elephant

I heard about that book.

Trouble is I probably would not understand it.

It is those who talk to half dead buffalo who need this sort of education about the buffalo's anatomy.

I heard that some idiot claims to have killed 600 buffalo.

May be we need to ask him?

"The Perfect Shot" by Kevin Robertson is an internationally acclaimed book to be recommended for beginners.

For those with some experience, just go and do your thing as best you can and if shit happens, it happens and is known as destiny.

The late (sadly he died a few days ago) Wilbur Smith makes several references to Buffalo and other big game hunting. Including one of the Courtneys working as a big game hunter fir a wealthy American shooting a charging buffalo and then having his wicked way with the Americans young wide on the still warm carcass. And hunting them with just an Assegi.

quote:

Originally posted by Heym SR20:
The late (sadly he died a few days ago) Wilbur Smith makes several references to Buffalo and other big game hunting. Including one of the Courtneys working as a big game hunter fir a wealthy American shooting a charging buffalo and then having his wicked way with the Americans young wide on the still warm carcass. And hunting them with just an Assegi.

Wilbur is a write of fiction.

I enjoyed reading hsi earlier books, his later ones I did not find very interesting.

I saw a video of a bow shot arrow into the center of the neck just below the chin with the nose raised up and that was an instantly fatal spine shot.

Saeed, Me too. Brian

quote:

Originally posted by ALF:
THE OSTEOLOGY OF THE
CRANIAL AND FACIAL BONES OF THE
SAVANNAH BUFFALO
Syncerus caffer caffer (Sparrman, 1779) by
MARIUS HORNSVELD B.V.SC., M.R.C.V.S.

Doctoral thesis on the osteology of the African Plains Buffalo skull.
read the section on the practical applications of this study as it pertains to the head shot on Buffalo.

Promotor is Prof van Der Merwe who did what is the monumental study on the skull anatomy of the African Elephant

Interesting that Buffalo have that honeycomb skull under the boss. The brain is lower in the skull than I expected. Good stuff.

For what it's worth, I have a buffalo skull sitting on the floor next to my chair. I just tilted it up to look through the nasal opening and, looking straight on, it appears to me that a shot directly into the nose would be low for the brain. if the head is tilted so that the nose is pointed somewhat upward then the angle changes and a shot through the nose would likely go to the brain. At least, that's the way it looks to me.
kh

quote:

Originally posted by kevin henderson:
For what it's worth, I have a buffalo skull sitting on the floor next to my chair. I just tilted it up to look through the nasal opening and, looking straight on, it appears to me that a shot directly into the nose would be low for the brain. if the head is tilted so that the nose is pointed somewhat upward then the angle changes and a shot through the nose would likely go to the brain. At least, that's the way it looks to me.
kh

Great.

Physical facts don't change.

Positions do change.

Cal's next question will be "what sort of TONE does one ASK the buffalo wishes how to die!"

The perfect one is of course, looking straight at the camera, with a B rated movie tone, holding nothing less than a couple of 600 Nitro Express rounds in one hand, and a double in the other.

Anything else will never work!

A 375 straight into the brain will NEVER work alone

I've only shot one buffalo in the brain. It definitely sorts everything. It was a second shot after he was staggered with the first shot and was running right to left. Bullet entered at the base of the boss, DID. Passed a shot where the bull was facing us in high grass, head high, close range. Probably should have taken that shot. But if the bull was charging, hitting him up the nose would be dicey. They bounce.

I've never shot a buff.

I have shot just less than 100 beeves in the head.

Not any I've shot did anything other than drop dead.

I have seen three shot into the horn cavity that

stood there shaking their heads.

The brain is about a third the width of the head

and in the center. To each side of it is the

hollow horn cavity.

When about 11 years old I was shown how to judge

where to shoot them. Cross cornerwise from the

eye's to the horn. Where those lines would cross

is about where the facial hair makes a circular

spot. From there up to about 4" will hit the

brain.

On a buff much of that area is covered by the

boss. That's where I'd need to take a good look

at a buff's skull to see how much of the brain

it's boss might protect. I would still expect

a good heavy bullet would penetrate thru it.

Back of the head, behind the ear will kill

anything that walks.

George

The boss never stops a bullet!

Not even slow it down!.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
The boss never stops a bullet!

Not even slow it down!.

Many writers for 100 years said the boss was bullet proof and/or bullets would bounce off the boss.

Frankly, I believe very little of what so called gun writers put out.

Especially the current crop!

Their writing has nothing to do with facts, just self glorification.

The more I hunt the more this becomes so obvious!

quote:

Many writers for 100 years said the boss was bullet proof and/or bullets would bounce off the boss.

I would think that would depend on the bullet velocity which could affect its line of trajectory; the faster it is the more prone it could be to deviation.

I am hesitant in believing that a bullet can "bounce" off the boss unless its trajectory line actually made contact with the extreme surface of the boss and result in a "skimming" effect.

If the point of impact is dead on, its going to make a neat hole.

Take a chunk of steel and shoot it from different angles

georgeld, Yes, I have shot about 6 beef cows with a .22 rimfire, aiming at the same spot. They go straight down.

quote:

Originally posted by boarkiller:
Take a chunk of steel and shoot it from different angles

Exactly!

Apparently that is what the clueless who say the buffalo boss is impenetrable!

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

Wilbur is a write of fiction.

I enjoyed reading hsi earlier books, his later ones I did not find very interesting.

I wonder are there any photographs showing Wilbur Smith as a hunter? I believe he went on a couple of safaris with John Sharp.

Go to some ranch that dehorn grown cattle for various reasons, and watch where the brain is, you can see the gap space...

A shot I've always liked is where the neck meets the shoulder, and the spine drops down, if you miss the spine you will probably nick a short rib thats a part of the back bone/spine, and the jugler vane and they drop and you may have to use a finisher, but they are paralized has been my experience, Im not vet but I know that shot works and my description of "why" I suspect is pretty close..Heart Lung shoulder shots are the most common and effective shots you can take..Its good to break the shoulder at that shot if the angle is right...Shooting buffalo is like any other animal as far as I can tell, what works on a ELK Moose or Alaskan bear will work on a Buffalo or a Bison, or wild cattle..No magic involved, and buffalo is just some old cows calf raised on milk...Some of these books that locate the heart lungs further forward, although perhaps technically correct, don't hold water, you shoot any animal tight behind the shoulder with a proper caliber and bullet, its dead pretty darn quick..You shoot like the book sez too far forward and you may just bust some bone and front skin!! Ive seen that a couple of times and ended up tracking a three legged demon! ..

Wilbur Smith wrote fiction. I enjoy his books, but it is fiction and there is a lot of bs in there. Was reading one recently where he said people were being harassed by tsetses at night.

Thank you Saeed and Brian.

About the time I was 12-13 working on a hay crew.
We butchered a beef a week.

Standing next to the rancher when he flubbed a
brain shot with a .22lr. I mouthed off: "Clarence
I can do better than that!" Pissed him off of course.

He handed me the rifle: "show me!" I did. I spent five summers up there and killed every beef we ate. 7 one year, 8 another. Never flubbed any of them.

At home as early as I can remember Dad butchered a beef a year for us. Sometimes we'd fatten several for sale. Quite often the buyers wanted us to either do the messy hard part or they'd join us doing it. I started doing the shooting about the time I was 11 or 12. Sometimes 6 a year at home plus what we did on the ranch. Being around farming and ranching most of my life. There were others that fattened their own beef that didn't have a clue how to kill them. Word was around to call me. I'd go to their place and do the shooting. Sometimes I'd stay and help. Usually they'd give me a hunk of meat in trade. It made everyone happy.

Last one I shot was a horn cavity Dad flubbed with a .22mag pistol. It had it to be lined up with the walk thru gate to get a rope on it. When I saw that screwed up I headed around the barn with my Blackhawk .30 carbine and dropped him.
That one didn't bleed much over a gallon from the shot til quartered. Bullet was found in the back half the Atlas Joint, 11" penetration. We couldn't tell any difference in taste cooking steaks side by side from one that bled out and that one. The gun was really too big, it was handy and quick. I don't like to see anything suffer and that steer was shaking his head the whole time.

George

Frankly the idea of shooting them in the nose to hit the brain seems absurd to me. While it might work at certain angles , it won’t work at all angles. It doesn’t take much though to figure that out .

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
Frankly the idea of shooting them in the nose to hit the brain seems absurd to me. While it might work at certain angles , it won’t work at all angles. It doesn’t take much though to figure that out .

You are talking common sense my friend.

So called “gun writers” have non.

Their only interest is getting paid.

Making things up is normal for them.

As Saeed says...angles change - the anatomy never does! Shooting a buff in the nose could prove dangerous to the shooter...don't do that!

As above, while I’m sure that it has been done with the right angle, I’ve never seen a buff in the right position to make it work, much less see a charging buffalo with his head at the proper angle to work it.

I suppose the Capstick shoot the buffalo that treed you might work…

Having read so many books on African hunting, and buffalo, so many mentioned how hard the boss is to shoot through.

Some even mentioned bullets bouncing off - just like facts bounce off gun writers brains!

This was many years ago, so I though I will put it to the test.

A bull was standing as a slight angle with his head straight, body hidden but his head was visible.

From that angle, the bullet will have to go through the thickest part of his boss.

A 300 grain Barnes X went out, and instantly the bull disappeared from my scope.

Stone dead.

After that, I never missed an opportunity to shoot them in the head when I got the chance, regardless of angle, or distance.

Using a scope, and placing the bullet where you actually want it, works every time.

In fact, head and neck shots have become my preferred shots if these parts are visible for a shot.

I would guess I have shot several dozen buffalo in the head.

Not a single one moved a step!

Sometimes even my PH tries to be funny.

We were waiting for a herd walking straight towards us.

The bull we wanted was mixed among the rest of the herd.

Eventually his head became clear, he was facing us almost dead straight, and from that angle a bullet placement above the nose, but below the eyes, would do the trick.

I shot.

He dropped.

When we got to him, my PH said "you shot him in the head!"

I said "where did you expect me to shoot him when he is facing us?"

He said "shoot him anywhere you like, as long as he is dead"

Laughter all around.

Actually, with their head up, facing you, a spine shot through the chest does exactly the same thing.

Drops them straight down.

Again, have done it many times, never failed.

And the biggest secret is I use a caliber most gun writers sneer at, a .375!

Go figure how well they know about hunting buffalo!

I try to avoid it, unless there is no other option.

The skull and horns can be badly damaged. Splintered, sometimes.

Although the damage is reduced, I suppose, if one uses a tiny little .375.