You know those guys that say buffalo turn bullet-proof after the first shot? They're the ones with a magazine full of solids.
The rationale for solids as backup shots on buffalo is that they can penetrate through 5 feet of buffalo and still break bone, putting you ahead of the game. Hit a running buffalo with a raking shot on the left side and you will encounter a thick paunch filled with partially digested grass. You need all of the penetration you can get.
My advice is to listen to your PH. He has probably seen more buffalo killed than any stateside hunter, regardless of how many trips he/she has made to Africa.
JMO
BH63
I'm currently at 135 buffalo on three continents. I don't count those I finished off for other people like PHs do.
You have killed 135 Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer) on 3 continents?? I didn't realize they were hunted anywhere other than Africa.
Tony Sanchez Arino in "Last of The Few" stated that he had killed 1436 Cape Buffalo. His recommendation was to use only solids if shooting a caliber smaller than .400 or a bullet weighing less than 400 gr. For larger bullets/calibers, he recommends the use of partitions for the first shot, provided you have a clear shot (i.e. not shooting through brush, etc). So, unless your PH tells you different, I would much rather listen to the advice of someone who has killed over a thousand buffalo, rather than the advice of someone who has killed less than 150. But that is just me.
BH63
