Well folks, the replies have gone as I expected. Virtually all of you consider it a viable shot. I've never had a problem with chest shots either. My post was to question the apparent aversion of what I see in hunting shows. I just saw a couple on TV as a matter of fact and in both instances, easy frontal shots were passed up in lieu of a side lung shot. That's another shot I don't understand. Why not hit the shoulder. It break the animal down and has the same effects on the heart/lungs? jorge

Brett,
Your PH is right, most of the wounded bulls that cause them problems are caused by soft point bullets sliding off the rib cage with frontal shots, they travel under the hide,between the body and shoulder or leg and end up under the skin in the hip..very irratating to a Buffalo and not at all lethal or even prone to make them sick....I have only seen this with light calibers such as the 375 with softs and thats what Doctari reports also...With a good solid this will not happen I am told and I believe that.

Also a very good shot is under the chin, as you will hit the spine and if you miss the spine you will get some of the short ribs and he will go down paralized if not dead...On the tip of the nose at hairline is lethal, I would beware of shooting under the boss, that may put your bullet in that empty chamber under the horns where nothing but air exist...

This is solid country IMO, to heck with softs on buffalo unless your experimenting, When it gets serious I want a flat nose solid, I want blood spewing out of both sides and only a solid will do this...I want blood all over the grass at waist level, I do not want to be looking for nose blood from a soft that stopped on the off side hide. I want to see the bloody grass and be able to look straight ahead at the same time for that lurking rascal...Thats my idea of hunting buffalo to stay healthy....

I've often wondered why they don't take the shot on TV. Is it lack of confidence or not good for TV? I've probably taken 50 animals with a frontal shot from Coyote to Cape Buffalo. Not one has gone over 20 yards, and most drop at the shot. This year in Africa, I was using a bow, but my wife used rifle to take both Waterbuck and Duiker with frontal shots.

I believe the results are a direct results of what you shoot the animal with and the caliber is only one part of the equation, since there are so many variables all might not be obvious the results may be totally different even tho the conditions seems identical. I hear so much about the inherrent poor accuracy of the doubles (2-4" at 50 yds) couple that with a tense situation werein your shaking from an elevated heart and repiratory rate and your not using shooting sticks and that pattern could double or triple or even more. I won't even get into the body position when its running which would affect the point of impact and it line of travel. Like Saeed said you must have a bullet that will give you the desired results whatever it is 8" or 8' penetration. like the old saying "you can't make a silk hat out of a pig skin" If the bullet /caliber can't do 8' penetration consistently than how can you expect it or why should you take the shot unless you have no choice.
Perhaps these shooters can specify the type of bullet inaddition to the caliber, I would expect a slight deflection from sogt point but not so with these new era solids.