Just got home from a free range buffalo hunt in Australia with my son. Hunted in the Gan Gan area of the Arnhemland with Hunt Australia http://www.huntaust.com.au/home.html This was a true wilderness hunt. This is the perfect place to use a double rifle, enough cover to stalk closely yet still open enough to be able to spot game out to 200 yards in places. This was a real fun hunt, saw numerous excellent animals and between myself and my son took 3 buffalo bulls over 100" SCI including one old boy that was over 110". Also was able to take a old red scrub bull on the last day of the hunt (boy are they wild!)

Matt Graham, the operator gets the highest marks for providing exactly what was promised. Peter Harding, his guide at the buffalo camp was the hardest working guide I have ever hunted with and was also a real pleasant person to spend time with.

If you are looking for a place to try out your double rifle, or just want to hunt some buffalo I would recommend without reservation that you talk to Matt at Hunt Australia. I am already thinking of a return trip!

Nice buff, well done.

Matt is well regarded here (and OS). Good choice.

.

Yep Kebco,

Gan Gan is a special place alright. I hunted with Matt there in 2005 and every year I wish I could go back and hunt there again. I'll come close in August as I will be hunting Matt's pig hunting concession out from Pine Creek.

Nice buff too by the way.

Cheers,
Mark.

Good buff mate, well done

One of the most interesting things that happened was that Peter was able to lure a bull about 20 yards closer (and out of the thick brush he was standing behind) by imitating a cow call. I was then able to make a frontal heart shot, very neat.
The bull in the picture is over 110" and is one of the larger bulls taken off the concession.

Hey Ken

Thanks for the kind words... I am very pleased you had a great time with Pete and sorry I couldnt have spent more time with you there...

I have uploaded some larger images.

Matt-
Thanks for posting some more pics. Had a wonderful time and lets talk at the safari shows in Jan about doing something again. Say hello to Pete and Megan.

Outstanding Ken!

I can't see your photos (must be photobucket or another source blocked here at the hospital) but from Matt's photos - fantastic!

What were you using to take these mighty critters?

Those are ripper Buffalo. Well done.

.

Great buff... congrats ! I will be there next August , can't wait ! You just made it harder !!

Wonderful looking bulls!!

I have this hunt on my 3-4 yr plan.. I have a few more species I'm going to try for in Africa beforehand before I go on the Aus buff hunt.

quote:

Originally posted by CCMDoc:
Outstanding Ken!

I can't see your photos (must be photobucket or another source blocked here at the hospital) but from Matt's photos - fantastic!

What were you using to take these mighty critters?

Used a Verney-Carron SxS in 450-400, factory Hornady softpoints. I had my son along on this hunt and he has limited experience with double rifles but was able to use this gun like a pro.

To put things in perspective - I think Kens big bull was maybe the 3rd or 4th biggest Pete has guided at the concession... and he has been working there for 13 years.

You see photos of bulls taken that are bigger than that (mainly from ranches) but in reality anything over 110 is a monster in the wild and is exceptional...

Kebco

Well done! If there is anything more fun than shooting buffalo, I can't imagine what it would be.

I won't get back down under until either next year, or 2012, and I can hardly contain myself!

Congrats on a great hunt

Michael

Nice Buffs Ken. I would think the .450/.400 would be a great round for these animals. I believe they are a tad softer than Cape buff but am not sure. Just how tough are these down under bulls? Did it take more than one round to drop any of them? Did the factory Hornady softpoints go all the way through? Personally I am a firm believer in two holes in case you need to follow a blood trail. I will call you next week to talk about coming up to shoot when it gets a little cooler.

RE/MAX Dave

Great animals! Congrats all the way around...

quote:

Originally posted by goshoot:
Nice Buffs Ken. I would think the .450/.400 would be a great round for these animals. I believe they are a tad softer than Cape buff but am not sure. Just how tough are these down under bulls? Did it take more than one round to drop any of them? Did the factory Hornady softpoints go all the way through? Personally I am a firm believer in two holes in case you need to follow a blood trail. I will call you next week to talk about coming up to shoot when it gets a little cooler.

RE/MAX Dave

I'll let Ken answer that of course but to give you a bit of an idea of how soft Asiatic buffalo are... With soft-pointed ammo of any kind, even Barnes X, through and through shots are rare, in my experience. Over whole seasons the average number of shots taken to put trophy bulls on the ground and kill them in a reasonable time (with 375 rifles) is 6. That is a statistic verified over very many seasons. Of course that would include some unnecessary shots too - but hunters fail to administer extra shots at there own disadvantage - and the buffalos.

Larger calibres reduce that number of shots significantly and once you get to 500N the average is 2!! At 400 calibre you start seeing big improvements but average number would still be 4 per animal.

Look forward to hunting with Matt next June

Very nice trophies. Congrats.

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:
RE/MAX Dave

I'll let Ken answer that of course but to give you a bit of an idea of how soft Asiatic buffalo are... With soft-pointed ammo of any kind, even Barnes X, through and through shots are rare, in my experience. Over whole seasons the average number of shots taken to put trophy bulls on the ground and kill them in a reasonable time (with 375 rifles) is 6. That is a statistic verified over very many seasons. Of course that would include some unnecessary shots too - but hunters fail to administer extra shots at there own disadvantage - and the buffalos.

Larger calibres reduce that number of shots significantly and once you get to 500N the average is 2!! At 400 calibre you start seeing big improvements but average number would still be 4 per animal.[/QUOTE]


Matt, that's an interesting shot per calibre perspective and thinking about it, I would agree 100%.

.

We averaged 2.25 rounds per animal. Several of the shots probably were not required but I am a believer in putting holes into a animal that is still standing or even looks like he might get up.
My impression is that the Asian buffalo is much larger in body than the African buffalo. We had no shots on buffalo that went through although we did recover one bullet under the skin on the far side (Hornady 450-400 soft point factory ammo).
Everything depends on where you hit them but my limited experience is that they may not be tougher than a African buffalo but I do not think they are any softer either.

The first Australian water buffalo that I ever shot was a management bull. He never knew we were around and I was using a borrowed 375 that Top Predator (from New Zealand) lent me. I was about 50-75 yards from him .. and I shot him 9 times before he went down .. Nine times !!! It made me to think ... If it had been an enraged big bull with the adrenalin pumping I might not have been as surprised. (and no ... I didn't hit him 8 times in the ear and foot ... )

For me,
4 cape buffalo averaged 1 shot each to "downed"(375H&H, 458win)
5 Argentine (River) water buffalo averaged 1.6 shots (375, 9.3x74R)
1 Australian (Swamp)water buffalo took 8 to down (375, 458)

--
I'm leaving for the top end in 6 more weeks to have another opportunity.

Who are you hunting with this time around mate??

Ken and Matt,
This is really an outstanding buffalo. Congratulations.
Regarding the scrub bull, further south they were referred to as "Redskins", do they use that term up in the Gan Gan? The Local People apparently relished the meat of Redskins, and very young buffalo, but were not interested at all in any portion of the old bulls (we did take the testicles for "mountain oysters").