Report

Outfitter: Namibia Waterberg Game Reserve and Omujeve Safaris
PH: Japsie Blaauw, Tracker Titus
Place: Waterberg Plateau and Omujeve Safaris main lodge 45 north of Windhoek
Time: Early August 2016
Rifles: VC Double .577, and borrowed 7mm and 3.0 Ruger
Rounds for .577 – TSX 750gr loaded by Superior Ammo, CEB 750gr solid and non conventional from Aaron Neilson

First of all, let me thank several people on AR who gave me very valuable advice. While I had shot a buff with a .470, I was unsure about buying my own since I had a very good and accurate Gibbs .505.

So thanks to all who convinced me to buy one and who helped. SRose convinced me I should buy a .577, Cal Pappas was very helpful although I did not get a .600 (I enjoyed his book), Mac for his advice and DRSS, Todd Williams, Biebs, Mike Jines, CCMDoc who owned the .577 before Aaron Neilson (great buffalo carving on the action), and many others. I m particularly grateful to Aaron Neilson who first sent me the rifle and ammo to try out before buying it. As posted elsewhere, the rifle is great and is very accurate.

I put through some 100 rounds before the trip including some 70% loads made up by Superior Ammo.

I had spoken to Beau Estes who had shot a 51” buff there a couple of years ago. The buff here are particularly large for a couple of reasons: disease free, grow old since there are no lions to hunt them, and they are a combination of genetics from Manyara, Kruger and Caprivi – probably some genetic hybrid vigor!

We travelled to JHB first and Gracy Travel arranged for the rifle storage and ammo/ hunting bag storage while we went to the Kruger Park first. We then later collected the rifle and bag for Namibia. We travelled to Windhoek and Pietre met us. Some of my emails had been lost in communication with Omujeve because of problems with their server but all worked out well. No problems in SA or Windhoek with gun licenses. From Omujeve we drove the approximate 4 hours up to the cottages at Waterberg GR. These were clean and comfortable but basic. Breakfast was included and the restaurant at night was basic but pleasant, with the food served in the old police station built in the early 1900s. T bone stakes, venison (mostly orynx and kudu) , and fish was on menu every night.

Japsie had just been up there the week before and had spotted two very nice dakha boys while on the previous hunt. They had tracked and tried to get the one that he thought was just under 50” but failed to catch up to it. The other was older with bigger boss but less wide. Either one was a beaut from the pictures.

The options were to look for tracks and walk through the thick deep sand or hope we found see them at a water hole or on trail cameras. For 3 days we checked the water holes and cameras. On one night capture we saw a buff that looked like 48” or more but difficult to tell.

On the third day, after looking for one of the three biggese but not finding them, we were getting despondent . We had passed on some 40-42”.
Then, as often happens, at sunset there was one of them, trying to pickup smells, and with a group of three other old dakha bulls. He towered over the others and they all gave him a big margin.







We figured we would wait for them after the left the water hole, likely in an up wind direction. The sun set and we were now pressed for time. In circling around about 400 yds we bumped into 7 giraffe in the trees but they understood some swear words from Japsie in Afrikaans but kept an eye on us. Then we bumped into a herd of eland, but they understood sign language, and trotted off. By now it was getting darker so we started stalking them across an open area whenever they did not look in our direction. Then one of them spotted us. All hell broke loose but as expected they galloped of up wind passing slightly away from us at a right angle. Initially I could not fire at the largest one because of an intervening one. Remember at full tilt a buffalo covers about 15m/sec that is 30 yds will be covered in less than 2 seconds. I led the bull like I was pheasant hunting but at some 70 yds that was about 2-3 feet. It turns out looking at a ballistic program that should have been about 4.5 ft. As it was, my first TSX hit in the kidney area angling forwards, with the second I could not see the rear leaf well and shot high. Japie also put a .458 Lott into him and I saw his bullet hit the flank angling forwards with a Bear Claw.

With poor light we ran after them for about 50 or so yards and spotted one looking back at us and then also saw the shot bull lying down. Talk about relief!! We ran up alongside him and I put tow CEB solids into his spine area (both exited) and a CEB non con into his heart. With that he was down. I also put a CEB solid flat nose into the chest to see if it would exit the rear but it did not. Once we got back to the slaughter shed it was too late to stay for the butchering. The TSX was not found although there was a large hole in the heart but no blades so I m not sure which bullet hit it – probably the non con even though there were no blades. It was found in the opposite chest wall and had broken the offside rib also.

Japsie was very excited about finding the wider buff. On measurement it was 47”. Needless to say I m delighted with the action and also the good fortune. The boss was 14”




Clearly, there are some criticisms like being near a water hole, shooting soon after sunset, following the bull immediately (only fair) and shooting a galloping bull but with that large spread we thought it was justified.

Thanks for Japsie and Titus for there hard work and scouting and patience, especially when I turned down some nice looking bulls.

Back at the Omujeve main lodge we shot some plains game. My son shot a wildebeest at 315 yds it open terrain. As I ve pointed out before in Namibia, be prepared for long shots, which is not typical elsewhere except for parts of the eastern Cape.


Nick Kruger and his team at the Omujeve lodge were great and very kind and helpful. Food was excellent as was my buff tenderloin!

any pics?

Tried to upload them embedded in both Word and PDF but failed.

here it is
buff

Nice Buff congrats!!!

That was worth waiting for! Nice Buff!

Great bull!

Thanks gents. Japsie was great.

quote:

.... they are a combination of genetics from Manyara, Kruger and Caprivi – probably some genetic hybrid vigor!

I could well understand mixed genetics from Kruger and Caprivi but those of Manyara leave room for doubt.

fujotupu, I don't have any proof other than word of mouth.

I heard from several people that Namibia was given 4 Manyara bulls that were released into the heard and that is supposedly the reason partly for the spread as opposed to the more class KP deep heavy curls. At least based on the old bulls I saw my impression was that these were not the classic Boties or KP bulls. When or how big the heard was when they were released I don't know.

quote:

Originally posted by LR3:
here it is
buff

Wow!