Hello

Roughly how many buffalo have you harvested and what cartridge have you used for the majority?

Regards
Mark

His main rifle now is a custom made 375/404 with hand made copper Walterhog bullets. With a Leupold 2- 8X scope.


Mike

Frankly, I am not sure, without going through all my notes.

At a guess I would say around 200.

2 were shot using a Remington Safari 375 H&H and 300 grain Winchester FMJ bullets.

A few were were shot with a 416 Weatherby, using 400 grain Trophy Bonded Bear Clwas and Barnes Super Solid bullets.

A few have shot with a 416 Rigby Improved and 400 grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claws and Barnes Super solid bullets.

A lot have been shot with a 375/404 and 300 grain Barnes X bullets.

The rest have been shot with the 375/404 and our own 300 grain Walterhog bullets.

Wow. I wonder how many buffalo our "experts" have taken?

Jim

Imitation: The sincerest form of flattery.

Released to the Gun Trade, the most perfect cartridge for big game hunting ever designed:

WOW is right!

You must like buff hunting!

In all the buff you shot, how many charges have you sustained?

by the way, I really enjoy your video clips on this website!

Thank you
Mark

I have never had a buffalo charge.
Buffalo charges are extremely rare, and only occur when someone has been very careless.

There is the odd one which has been wounded, and someone happens to pass close, in which case the buffalo might charge.

The Mark Sullivan sort of charges are man made, Hollywood style, and have no relations to reality in the field.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
I have never had a buffalo charge.
Buffalo charges are extremely rare, and only occur when someone has been very careless.

There is the odd one which has been wounded, and someone happens to pass close, in which case the buffalo might charge.

The Mark Sullivan sort of charges are man made, Hollywood style, and have no relations to reality in the field.

Bwana Saeed,

I dare say that you have hunted more cape buffalo than any other contemporary safari hunter.

Good for you!

And, you might ought to consult with a biographer. A book chronicling your buffalo hunting history would be a must have for most Africa hunters.

Why is the buff placed among the dangerous game when charges are rare.
And when you use commond sence everything is allright.
I will say that the buff could be amongst the plainsgame,

I would say that the Oryx or a Bushbuck is more dangerous, because they attack if they can...

quote:

Originally posted by Hallgeir Gravrok:
Why is the buff placed among the dangerous game when charges are rare.
And when you use commond sence everything is allright.
I will say that the buff could be amongst the plainsgame,

I would say that the Oryx or a Bushbuck is more dangerous, because they attack if they can...

Every animal will attack is one gets too close to wounded one.

The idea is to kill the animal, regardless what it is, without him getting to you.

Sometimes things don't work out as planned, and someone gets hurt.

quote:

Originally posted by Hallgeir Gravrok:
Why is the buff placed among the dangerous game when charges are rare.
And when you use commond sence everything is allright.
I will say that the buff could be amongst the plainsgame,

I would say that the Oryx or a Bushbuck is more dangerous, because they attack if they can...

You are undoubtedly correct. Hence the reason why we hear of so many hunters being killed, maimed or injured by the oryx or bushbuck. Ask Alan Shearing and a host of others whether they think the oryx or bushbuck is more dangerous than a buffalo . . .

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by Hallgeir Gravrok:
Why is the buff placed among the dangerous game when charges are rare.
And when you use commond sence everything is allright.
I will say that the buff could be amongst the plainsgame,

I would say that the Oryx or a Bushbuck is more dangerous, because they attack if they can...

Every animal will attack is one gets too close to wounded one.

The idea is to kill the animal, regardless what it is, without him getting to you.

Sometimes things don't work out as planned, and someone gets hurt.

Thats for sure I can`t agree more,
It`s the hunters first priority to shoot the animal so that the animal can die as fast as possible without any stress from a hunter/PH/Tracker

All the above is true! Many PHs have hunted for many years and never experienced a charge from a Cape buffalo! Many other animals are far more likely to charge you, but if a buffalo or elephant charges you and gets to you, you are far less likely to survive the ordeal! That is why the Buffalo is on the dangerous game list, not because they charge every thing they see.
In any event, if hunting in an area where you are likely to encounter elephant and/or buffalo suddenly, no matter how rare the charges, your mind and armament needs to be up to the task. It is a fool’s idea that because you are hunting impala all you need is a .270 rifle.

If the area where you are hunting also has buffalo and elephant, my tack is if hunting in elephant country the rifle you are carrying should at least be adequate to defend yourself from elephant.

............................................................................. ''''''''''''''''''''

I must be lucky or unlucky, depending how you look at it. I have shot one buff and he immediately charged from about 35 yards. It was not tall grass and he hide and waited for us, it was in the open and he turned and charged after the second shot. I have a friend who has shot 4 and had one charge. I think it is more common then 1 in 100

Thanks Saeed!

I agree with Safari-Lawyer, a book authored by you is in order! I would bet you have shot more buff than most of the big time writers!

In reference to cartridges. Did the extra 100fps to 150fps that the 375/404 provided over the 375H&H give any noticeable difference on impact of the buffalos?

Thanks Again!
Mark

I completely agree with Saeed, although my opinion pales in camparison to his(he's killed 20 times more buffalo then I have). The part I agree with is that every animal, given the right circumstances, will charge (attack). Buffalo are big and they define the word tough, so if things go wrong with them, you could be in BIG trouble.
Bob Fontana was stalking lesser kudo when things went wrong for him, an unprovoked charge at close range, from a bull they never saw, his Uncle Pee Wee was with him and said it happened so quick Bob never had a chance.

quote:

Originally posted by Alaska Hunter:
Buffalo are big and they define the word tough, so if things go wrong with them, you could be in BIG trouble.
Bob Fontana was stalking lesser kudo when things went wrong for him, an unprovoked charge at close range, from a bull they never saw, his Uncle Pee Wee was with him and said it happened so quick Bob never had a chance.

Fontana most likely wouldn't have had a chance even he had gotton off a shot! He was carrying a 270 Win rifle!

On my first Safari in 06, one of my PH's friends was killed on a ranch hunt in RSA while we were there. He was a local guy, but hunting Impala with a family member. I don't think either of them were PH qualified. Is that a requirement for RSA residents who are local to the area?

Anyway, the Buff bull had been wounded and they were not told about it somehow. He was armed with a typical PG rifle but the thing hammered him while he was following a blood trail, thinking it was his Impala's blood trail.

I don't think I'd be too quick to put Buffalo into the Plains Game category! I think most pro's will tell you the danger factor with Buff is mostly "potential". But every once in awhile, they live up to their potential.

quote:

Originally posted by Coloradoyaler:
Thanks Saeed!

I agree with Safari-Lawyer, a book authored by you is in order! I would bet you have shot more buff than most of the big time writers!

In reference to cartridges. Did the extra 100fps to 150fps that the 375/404 provided over the 375H&H give any noticeable difference on impact of the buffalos?

Thanks Again!
Mark

Funny enough, I have never been able to get any of the 375H&H rifles that we shot anywhere near 2600 fps with a 300 grain bullet.

My loading for the 375/404 which use for hunting is 2750-2800+ fps, depending on teh rifle, and the powder lot.

This is not a maximum load, it just seems to work best for our own Walterhog bullets, in both penetration and expansion.

I have only shot two buffalo with the 375 H&H and frankly, I did not notice any difference in the killing power of this, or any of the other calibers I have tried.

I think bullet placement is more important that anything else. The construction of the bullet is very important as well when hunting buffalo.

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Williams:
On my first Safari in 06, one of my PH's friends was killed on a ranch hunt in RSA while we were there. He was a local guy, but hunting Impala with a family member. I don't think either of them were PH qualified. Is that a requirement for RSA residents who are local to the area?


Anyway, the Buff bull had been wounded and they were not told about it somehow. He was armed with a typical PG rifle but the thing hammered him while he was following a blood trail, thinking it was his Impala's blood trail.

I don't think I'd be too quick to put Buffalo into the Plains Game category! I think most pro's will tell you the danger factor with Buff is mostly "potential". But every once in awhile, they live up to their potential.

+1
We had photo tourists in the Mountain Zebra National park hammered by an unwounded un hunted Buff, while on a trail leading from the bungalows to the pool area or on a hiking trail not sure but both ended up in ICU and 1 died the Buff was never identified or found.

. . . with Buff you keep your rifle loaded an finger on the safety.

quote:

Originally posted by MacD37:

quote:

Originally posted by Alaska Hunter:
Buffalo are big and they define the word tough, so if things go wrong with them, you could be in BIG trouble.
Bob Fontana was stalking lesser kudo when things went wrong for him, an unprovoked charge at close range, from a bull they never saw, his Uncle Pee Wee was with him and said it happened so quick Bob never had a chance.

Fontana most likely wouldn't have had a chance even he had gotton off a shot! He was carrying a 270 Win rifle!

From the distance at which it charged, combined with the dense undergrowth, the late Bob wouldn't even have had the time to raise his rifle - nobody saw nor heard it coming until it was too late.

Saeed,

i agree... you must right a book or have one written. You could also include a chapter of the story of AR... as it is a great acheivement in and of itself!

Aaron

quote:

Originally posted by fujotupu:

quote:

Originally posted by MacD37:

quote:

Originally posted by Alaska Hunter:
Buffalo are big and they define the word tough, so if things go wrong with them, you could be in BIG trouble.
Bob Fontana was stalking lesser kudo when things went wrong for him, an unprovoked charge at close range, from a bull they never saw, his Uncle Pee Wee was with him and said it happened so quick Bob never had a chance.

Fontana most likely wouldn't have had a chance even he had gotton off a shot! He was carrying a 270 Win rifle!

From the distance at which it charged, combined with the dense undergrowth, the late Bob wouldn't even have had the time to raise his rifle - nobody saw nor heard it coming until it was too late.

We agree on that fact! If he had gotten off a shot it likely wouldn't have changed anything!

........................................................................ R.I.P.