Subject: Cape Buffalo w/S&W 500
> Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2008 15:04:33 -0500
>
> We were in northernmost South Africa on the Limpopo River, which is the
> Zimbabwe border. You can cross the unguarded streambed stepping
> rock-to-rock; animals cross freely, as do refugees fleeing from the current
> Zimbabwe horrors every night--fresh bare footprints in the dirt of the bush
> each morning.
>
> Was using 440gr hard cast flatnose at 1550 fps. One shot, 60 yards, sitting
> with short sticks, nearly straight-on frontal angle looking right at us from
> a thicket. Bullet entered thru the close shoulder, traversed the
> heart/lungs, and then diagonal full-length thru the body to end up in the
> opposite rear leg. Five-plus feet of penetration. Drove big chunks of
> shoulder bone all through the chest cavity (see forensic image). It
> staggered back, wheeled, and disappeared into the bush. The tracker
> followed up the blood spoor and there it was. Had gone about a hundred
> yards, fell down and died. Recovered the bullet (in ammo image); it lost
> essentially zero weight.
>
> FYI, the rule in Africa for hunting dangerous game is that the PH's WILL NOT
> let you approach a downed animal, no matter how dead it appears, without
> first putting in another shot. So he made me punch it again before he'd let
> me walk up on it. It didn't twitch.
>
> Took four and a half days to get a doable shot. Made seven stalks; I was on
> the sticks on other bulls three times before I got the right setup. To get
> this one, belly-crawled (I'm talking chin on the ground) a literal inch at a
> time for three hours through tangled dense thorn brush and fresh buffalo
> dung right into the middle of a herd (passing by some of those suckers as
> close as 12 yards) to get to the right bull.
>
> Interesting experience.
>
> The outfitter's PHs had drawn straws to see who was going to have to guide
> the insane American with the revolver and TV camerawoman before we got
> there; the guy who finally volunteered is a South African Special Forces
> border wars veteran. Almost as crazy as I am. Now they all want to buy a
> .500 as a backup gun . . .
>
> Dick Metcalf


Whitworth, I have pictures that were attached to the e-mail if you would like to see them let me know and I will forward them to you.

Good Hunt,lets see some pics/video please!

Very good report and excellent bullet performance

quote:

Originally posted by SAFARIKID:
Good Hunt,lets see some pics/video please!

I will E-mail you the 4 pic's I received.

Cool story Alex; thanks for sharing. That story has a lot happier ending than the only other story that I have read about cape buffalo hunting with a 500 S&W revolver. The fellow was using homemade brass bullets if i remember correctly. Long story short...the shot resulted in a wounded buffalo that had to be chased for four hours to be finished off with a rifle.

I'd be happy to post the pics as well. My email address is in my profile.

Darrell

Darrell, pic's sent your way...

Thanks
Alex

Very cool photos Alex...thanks again for sharing. You've inspired me to go and shoot my 8 3/8" .500 tomorrow.

Very cool! I would have posted the pictures had I gotten here earlier!

That e-mail got me pumped for my black bear hunt. I leave in 2 weeks to Maine with my handguns. NO LONG GUNS GOING AT ALL.

Using my Gary Reeder 510 GNR Revolver with open sights.

Um. Did Metcalf change clothes for the photo? Doesn't look to me like he crawled with his chin an inch off the ground for three hours through buffalo dung. Sorry to be so skeptical.

quote:

The outfitter's PHs had drawn straws to see who was going to have to guide
> the insane American with the revolver and TV camerawoman before we got
> there;

It sounds as if this hunt was filmed for TV ,Bill. I remember seeing Dick Metcalf on an outdoor show, but I can't remember which one. Hopefully we'll get to see the hunt on the Outdoor Channel.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill/Oregon:
Um. Did Metcalf change clothes for the photo? Doesn't look to me like he crawled with his chin an inch off the ground for three hours through buffalo dung. Sorry to be so skeptical.

Got one in every crowd.

quote:

Got one in every crowd. Roll Eyes

Don't I know that!

Wow!!!!!

I wonder why at those ranges he does not use a Reddot scope?????Maybe his eyes are better,but I have a hard time using a scope on a Revolver.Them crosshairs are all over.Takes a set of big ones to do that dung or not!!!!

OLBIKER, I use both red-dots and scopes. It all depends on how I feel, but under 100 yards, the red-dot is great. JMHO

Guys: Dick Metcalf is an old hand and has been around Shooting Times and other mags for decades, and I have great respect for him as a handgunner. I don't doubt for a minute that he killed that buffalo with that revolver. I just think he must have had a shower, an change and a beer before that particular photo was taken.
What do YOU look like after you've belly-crawled through buffalo dung for three hours? Clothes clean and still neatly pressed?

Maybe buff puckie dries green!

Despite the endless debate over the merits/shortcomings of the individual calibers........With the same shot placement and using appropriate bullets.....I bet the results would have been exactly the same with a .500 Linebaugh, .500 JRH, .500 max, .500 WE, .475 Linebaugh and possibly to a lesser extent, even the .480 Ruger and .454 Casull.

Just a thought....

Lets not turn this into a BS debate, thanks....

I don't give a damn who you are or what you use, to screw with a Cape Buffalo with a handgun, you better have some big cahunas. I have a 500 and it still ain't big enough for me to want to try that trick.

I'm with Ol Biker on the Red Dots. I just saw the "great" Larry Weishun miss a buck on TV this morning 4 times with a crosshaired scope. I doubt you'd get that many chances with a Cape.

quote:

Originally posted by Redhawk1:
Lets not turn this into a BS debate, thanks....

Seemed like an innocent observation but it is your thread (and a good one at that) so I'll honor your request and go back to lurking......