Had a great time with wife, son and grandson. Grandson, age 14, hunted very well with all one shot kills including a handsome golden wildebeest, a kudu and a Duiker.

His South African, 14 year old friend and son of Outfitter Marius Kruger took a few days off of school and they hung out in the bushveld together. When they weren't hunting they would take a Land Cruiser or quads, fishing poles and a couple of fake beers and some sandwiches and be gone for half a day.
They were like Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn as they motored off into the distance.

My son Russel hunted with a bow which he shoots better than I can shoot deer rifle off-hand.

A troop of baboons came galloping into his set-up at a bush pig bait one morning and with three
arrows Russel killed three of them.

I had planned to use a 470NE for 4 cape buffalo but the red dot sight mount broke so I borrowed the outfitters 375HH with NF bullets.

I now have some strong opinions about the 375 HH as a cape buffalo rifle.

I have now killed 6 buffalo with a 375 HH with top quality bullets, at wide open throttle, as well as 4 buffalo with a 577NE with hard cast bullets and a Peregrine Bushmaster bullets and 3 buffalo with a 50-110 win using CEB bullets all at moderate velocity. All buffalo were hit square in the shoulder and all except the 375HH kills were DRT.

When hit in the shoulder with the 375HH, 5 of the 6 buffalo ran 30-80 yds.

One of the six buffalo hit in the shoulder (one lung) with the 375 HH survived for 6 hours and finally gave us a full-on charge and was turned with a 416 Rigby bullet a 10 yards.

This is written with the best of intensions, not to offend any 375HH enthusiasts. It's a cautionary tale that may save someones life some day. I sincerely believe that the 375 HH is a marginal cartridge for cape buffalo.

No more 375HH cape buffalo hunting for me. I like to see them dead right there. Brian

A shoulder is a fairly big target.

No doubt these bullets did not hit the same spot.

I know a couple bull elk hit in the shoulders that didn't seem to faze them. One at 25 feet with a 180gr '06.

George

One lung with any calibre will lead to a situation and glad that turned out well

quote:

Originally posted by Brian Canada:
I sincerely believe that the 375 HH is a marginal cartridge for cape buffalo.

Having just had to shoot a western savanna buffalo four times in the vitals with a .375 H&H Mag. and then add a finisher at spitting distance before he would die, I could not agree more.

So glad that three generations of your family had such a great time on safari!

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:

quote:

Originally posted by Brian Canada:
I sincerely believe that the 375 HH is a marginal cartridge for cape buffalo.

Having just had to shoot a western savanna buffalo four times in the vitals with a .375 H&H Mag. and then add a finisher at spitting distance before he would die, I could not agree more.

So glad that three generations of your family had such a great time on safari!

Don't blame the gun for your bad shooting!

How many of you have shot hundreds of buffalo with a 375?

And have absolute, total, confidence in it?

I must be glutton for punishment!

My friend, Roy Vincent, used to complain about me using a "minimum" caliber for buffalo.

Not any more.

Asked him why, he said "it just WORKS!"

Seriously though.

If you do hit a vital area and destroy a major function of an animal, regardless of caliber, it will die very soon.

Hit them in the wrong place, and you do have a job on your hand.

Regardless of the size of the bullet!

Michael, Thanks for your response. We had a wonderful time. Brian

I was just going through some of my notes and video clips. I have come to realize that I have never shot a buffalo with a 375 CEB Raptor bullet. ( Just killed two with the cab solid) That 375 CE Raptor bullet might make enough difference for a 375 hh. It turns other marginal cartridges into good killers. Has anyone used the CEB Raptor bullet in a 375 HH for cape buffalo? Thanks, Brian

Viewing some of my video clips of thee kills with my 50-110 Winchester (necked down to true .500 cal.) using 410 grain Raptor at 1950 fps., I am reminded that that bullet calibre/combo is an absolute sledge hammer on cape buffalo. The designer of the bullet recommend running it at higher velocity, but it sure knocks down buffalo at the moderate MV of 1,950 fps with a double lung, broad side shoulder shot. (not heart shot). Brian

Brian, I have not used CEBs.

These are the Hirtenberger ABC bullets the skinners recovered from my Cameroon buff earlier this year:



All in and through the vitals.

The gnarly one hit the spine.

Better performance can't be had.

But the bull just soaked them up and would not die until I put in a finisher from three feet away.

On my next Cape buffalo hunt, coming up in November, I will be using a .416 or .500, depending on which I have in my hands when the opportunities arise.

IMHO, the .375 is sufficient, but marginal, on any buffalo.

I do not like marginal for anything where thin margins can be the difference between life and death.

I am convinced that bullet diameter and energy do play a significant part in the timing of lethality.

Yes they show perfect performance. The 375 hh is just barely gets it done.
I too think that bullet diameter is a big factor. Brian

quote:

Originally posted by Brian Canada:
Yes they show perfect performance. The 375 hh is just barely gets it done.
I too think that bullet diameter is a big factor. Brian

Ideal caliber .400 upwards.

The bigger the hole and heavier the punch, the better the results.

I am fully aware that the proverbial shot placement is the determining factor but Murphy's law does not always allow for the perfect shot and when the shit hits the fan it is always better to have a larger laceration than a minor one.

The .375 is the minimum permissible caliber for DG in most African states only because the experts came to the conclusion that the bullet performance met the borderline expectations.

Not disagreeing with anyone here.
Would state that I shoot the .375HH very well. I do not shoot the 458's very well.
However, the PH's usually have one.
When I hunt dangerous game, I ask them to follow up my shot if they have a hint of doubt as to my shot quality and placement.
I have shot several buff and the PH has fired twice - much to my relief. Same on a lion that was coming toward us.

So, park your pride when it comes to "I killed that critter" and use the tools you have. The PH is your best friend.

As we like to say in Texas - "Your ego is not your amigo."

dogcat, Well said! I agree. Brian

Don’t blame gun Brian
You just can’t shoot shit is all…

quote:

Originally posted by Bivoj:
Don’t blame gun Brian
You just can’t shoot shit is all…

Ridiculous.

Are you some kind of troll?

Yes….

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:

quote:

Originally posted by Bivoj:
Don’t blame gun Brian
You just can’t shoot shit is all…

Ridiculous.

Are you some kind of troll?

Gee man, just joking and on internet everyone takes everything personally

Anyway, nobody seems to have any sense of humor nowadays

I don't like to see a good conversation interrupted by a stupid and disrespectful comment. Brian

Lighten up Brian! When you have proved to be the best shot in BC you can afford to be a bit less sensitive to ironic comment or "taking the piss" as they say in Britain.
I can't shoot for shit either, I just get up nice and close and whack them in the big bits with one .375. One generally seems to be enough, apart from another between the shoulders to be sure. Fifty years ago I used a .416 but came to the conclusion it was quite unnecessary.

Pom, If you see the final line on my posts you will see that I have already proven that I am the best shot in BC.

You have just proven that you are among the stupidest poster on AR.
You should be proud.

Always a pleasure, Brian

Hi Brian, we are all perfectly aware of your boast about being the best shot in BC. That is the point!
I am perfectly happy to be called the stupidest person on this forum or any other insult you wish to throw at me.
Your extreme sensitivity about your well proven shooting ability makes one wonder if you are worried that it ain't what it was? All I was asking was for you to appreciate the humour intended when the previous poster made the joke about you not being able to shoot for shit.
I will try again. Brian, lighten up! The man was making an ironic joke. You may be a great shot but your sense of humour needs more practise!

Stupid.

Poor old Brian!
Can't understand when others are joking, just resorts to abuse and invective. Oh dear, never mind, who gives a shit anyway? Life and hunting are meant to be fun. It seems that anyone you disagree with must be stupid. Sounds like an unwillingness to consider alternative opinions with any intellectual rigor. Very sad!

You really can’t take a good ribbing Brian, can you?
You actually seem to ruin your own post

A word of advice to the jokers out there . . .

(I am qualified to give such advice because I am sometimes a joker myself.)

Humorous intent cannot always be discerned from the written word only.

To express humorous or innocent intent and avoid misunderstandings, one can and should use , or like emojis.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:

quote:

Originally posted by Brian Canada:
I sincerely believe that the 375 HH is a marginal cartridge for cape buffalo.

Having just had to shoot a western savanna buffalo four times in the vitals with a .375 H&H Mag. and then add a finisher at spitting distance before he would die, I could not agree more.

So glad that three generations of your family had such a great time on safari!

Don't blame the gun for your bad shooting!

How many of you have shot hundreds of buffalo with a 375?

And have absolute, total, confidence in it?

I must be glutton for punishment!

My friend, Roy Vincent, used to complain about me using a "minimum" caliber for buffalo.

Not any more.

Asked him why, he said "it just WORKS!"

Seriously though.

If you do hit a vital area and destroy a major function of an animal, regardless of caliber, it will die very soon.

Hit them in the wrong place, and you do have a job on your hand.

Regardless of the size of the bullet!

Indeed Saeed and I had a client who wanted to use my 500 double on a Puku and had to shoot it three times. The 375 is a remarkable caliber but my favorite carry rifle is the 404 simply because it is accurate and effective

Saeed, I have shot 100's of Canadian geese... mmmm. maybe that doesn't count. chuckle.

Your .375-404 Jeffery Saeed has nearly 300 fps, MV on the 375 hh. I imagine that makes some difference too.

Brian

quote:

Originally posted by Brian Canada:
Saeed . . . Your .375-404 Jeffery Saeed has nearly 300 fps, MV on the 375 hh. I imagine that makes some difference too.

Brian

I agree.

Saeed’s .375 is not your grandfather’s Oldsmobile.

Three-generation safari, that is really cool. Glad you guys had a great time.

Michael Thanks for you thoughtful reply. Brian

Baker458, Thanks! It was an awesome trip. Brian