Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa First Cape Buffalo

I have a good bud I grew up with. He's mid 60's, in excellent shape and a crack shot. He's reloaded and hunted all his life. He has a .416 Rigby CZ he's shot for years, knows how to use it. He laughs and says it really get attention at the range when he lights off one of those 400 gr. slugs...

He told me a few days ago, he's considering an African Safari for Cape Buffalo. I told him about this site and maybe he'll check in.

To those of you who have been there, done that, what advice would you offer him.

DF

In no particular order:

1. Practice shooting from the sticks as well as offhand. Stay off the bench.

2. Have a good low power scope that will withstand recoil and bouncing around in a safari car. An illuminated reticle is helpful. Reliable QD mounts are a good idea in case you have to use the iron sights.

3. Personally, after having them rivet and bend, I avoid Federal Trophy Bonded Sledgehammer solids.

4. Listen to your PH and do what he says.

5. Practice working the action so you don't short stroke.

6. Stay in good physical condition.

7. Don't wear sunglasses. They make it more difficult to spot the animal. Clear or pale yellow work best for me.

8. Don't get fixated on "record book horns". A wily old dagga boy, to me, is a better trophy that a less mature bull with a big spread. In buff hunting, it's the quality of the hunt and the challenges involved rather than the measurement that counts most.

9. Relax and go with the flow. There will be good days and bad days.

10. Invest in a good rescue service, such as Global rescue. Just in case....

Pick a wild area in Zimbabwe or Zambia with a top notch LOCAL operator and PH. Book enough days, at least 10 especially if he wants plains game. Listen to the lions, leopard, and hyenas at night. Enjoy every moment and do not sweat the small stuff.

I brought a friend of mine to Zim two years ago for his first safari. We went to Hwange for a couple of days prior to the hunt. Being close to buffalo, elephant, lion, leopards, hyenas, etc in Hwange was a great experience and helped him become acquainted with African big game prior to hunting them.

Dirtfarmer,

SCI Acadiana Chapter is having its banquet Thursday night in Lafayette. I know it is short notice but why don't you and your friend come on down. It will be a great event!!

Thanks for the tip, Mike.

Passed the word.

Maybe he'll join us here.

DF

Winchestermodel70 pretty much covered everything and Mike70560 also hit on what I would have said, which is to make sure you book with an established outfit and PH. The SCI or DSC shows are coming soon and would be a great place to visit with different outfits and to get a feel for how they operate, maybe meet some PHs, and compare pricing. A good hunt won't be cheap, but if you try to go cheap, you're almost guaranteed to get burned and return unhappy.

Practice a lot and practice getting in a fast 2nd and 3rd and maybe 4th shot. Most PH's will tell you that the most common mistake is to shoot and expect a buff to fold. They aint whitetail and can soak up a lot of lead.
Have fun, leave the tape measure at home and go with the flow.

Yip, I think that pretty much covers it.

Winchestermodel70 offered good advice. The only thing I might add is to be prepared to spend some significant dollars if you decide to have it mounted and shipped back.

I just got one back from the RSA and it cost me around $3000, when all was said and done, with taxidermy, air freight and ground transportation.

Also, the .416 Rigby is a fine choice of calibers. And yes, you can put them on the ground with the first shot, but it doesn't happen very often.

donsm70

In no particular order;

1) Only a rich man can afford a cheap hunt.

2) Regardless of (1) poor or no planning can also lead to great adventure.

3) Great adventure isn't usually entirely fun when you're actually experiencing it. Roll with the punches.

4)Use A-frames.Don't use solids.

5) Take the shoulder and heart on the first shot if you can. Buffalo only has 1 heart but it might as well have 4 lungs.

6) Keep shooting.

7) Never, under any circumstances smile at the local girls.

Just got back from my 3rd Buffalo safari. I would recommend:

1) walk (and carry your rifle if you can do so without hassle) at least 3-5 hours a day for a couple of weeks leading up to your hunt
2) bring sunscreen and chapstick and a small bag to hold personal stuff (camera, sunglasses, etc) while in the hunting truck.
3) The PHs I have hunted with recommend a partition (A-frame, etc) for the first shot and solids for the remaining shots
4) sight in at 100 yds and be able to shoot the rifle accurately
5) take a notebook to record details
6) bring more money than you think you will need. Tips can easily eat up $1500.00 bucks nowadays.

BH63

Another random thought:

At his age, if he's going to do it , do it right now. Clock is ticking...........Guys spend so much of their effort worrying about running out of money, only to run out of time.

THIS^^^^^^^^^^

Yes, sounds like Jack Atcheson's philosophy.... DON'T WAIT!

You know those guys that say buffalo turn bullet-proof after the first shot? They're the ones with a magazine full of solids.

My buddy hooked up with a Louisiana SCI member with lots of safari experience, is getting good advice.

Hopefully we'll see input from him here in the future.

DF

I once had to shoot a small mule deer 3 times with a .7mm Weatheby Magnum. The bullets (Nosler partitions) did not hit a bone or open up. This is a bullet that I had used on dozens of mule deer (and elk and black bear for that matter) with mostly spectacular results.

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

Buffalo hunting can turn into an expensive hobby!

BH63

I'm quite aware of the theory. Trouble is, the theory has flaws. First off it assumes that the buffalo is going to run straight away; and its best to put one up it's ass, through 2 bales of wet hay and hopefully get the heart or one lung. Its far easier to just break his hip, pelvis or hit the rear spine, all of will put it on the ground faster than you can say "dang". Nothing goes anywhere when its paralyzed from the waist down, and all the good disabling stuff is up high where the bales of hay aren't. I've found that shot buffalo usually run the direction they were pointed, but might go anywhere.


I started with a magazine full of solids, like a lot of people. Then I switched to 2 softs and 2 solids ( at the suggestion of a PH who was fine with all softs but also said that he didn't care what the last 2 were if the first two were good softs) and around buffalo 5 went to all softs except when I throw a solid in to remind me of why I don't use them, or to try out something different to see if that one doesn't suck. Whether you want 1 soft, 2 softs, all softs or all solids there will be a PH somewhere who will agree with you and others who don't.

I'm currently at 135 buffalo on three continents. I don't count those I finished off for other people like PHs do.

What's wrong with a mag full of 400 gr. TSX Rigby loads?

DF

I tip my hat to that

That's one bullet/caliber combination I have some experience with. I used the 400 TSX in my CZ .416 for one trip and got puzzling results. It started with two shots into a blue wildebeaste, one quartering toward and the other broadside through the shoulders. Neither exited. There was some small stuff then the next week in a different country I had one turn 90 degrees in a 20 yard broadside buffalo.

These days its an accepted part of internet lore that the CZ .416 has a slower rifling twist than most of the others in .416 and that the 400 gr TSX is on the verge of unstability terminally and that one would be better served with a 350 grain. It might even be true for all I know, Barnes now recomends the 350. I never bothered to find out, just started transistioning to A-Frames in that caliber and the .375 before settling on the.458. There's a day and night difference in visible/audiable hit indictators. I did quite a bit of experimenting with light TSXs in the .458, partly to see if the bullets would turn it into a .375 and mostly to reduce recoil on culls. It does a decent job of both.

A most excellent post and recommendation for those of us who own CZs. Interestingly enough, Mr. & Mrs. Brooks both preferred the lighter bullet in the 375 (270) and in the 416 (350) for buffalo given their results.

I will be using the 350 gr TSX in my 416 Remington for buff/sable. Using the .375 270 gr TSX for my brown bear hunt.

Good info guys.

Such details (CZ twist) etc. is most useful, thanks.

The 270 TSX in the. 375 H&H seems to be very popular.

The 300 NPT in the .375 H&H has had less than stellar reviews, the A-Frame seems a better choice.

The 350 TSX in the Rigby is an interesting concept. How about the 400 A-Frame vs. the 350 TSX?

DF

I used the A Frame (400 gr/416 and the 300/375) to take everything from Buffalo to all manner of PG with outstanding results.

Thanks, jorge.

Good info.

DF

Even the 270 gr .375 A-Frame will work nicely, it always seems to made it to the far side, and for the most part softs are all tied once they hit the hide. Exits make for expensive screw-ups.

Used both the 270 and 300 grain TSX in the .375, there's no question that the A-Frame hits harder.

Random note, CEB Safari Raptors kill well at close range, slow down faster than a bag of leaves, and get eaten by bush. A case could be made for nothing being great through bush, but you have a prayer if your bullet never broke into 7 pieces. You don't get to wait for a clear shot on follow-ups.

I like the 135 gr. Raptor in the .308, I can see how they could "go to pieces" hitting brush, etc. They're very accurate, very lethal on WT's, hogs, etc.

I guess if I was going after DG, I'd stick with A-Frames, got a box of 300's to try in my .375 H&H.

DF

Excellent advice! I'll add a couple comments...

1. Practice with your rifle, in field positions. I did most of my pre-buff hunt practice sessions at specific ranges - 10, 25, 40, 60, 100, and 150 yards, mostly from offhand and no more than 25% from sticks. Practice sessions will be longer, more productive, and less painful if you load or buy some reduced recoil practice ammo for your rifle. I put 500+ rounds through my 375 H&H in the 2 months before my hunt, about 80% of which was with reduced recoil loads. Practice both with your scope and with iron sights. Lots of practice means using your rifle in the field will be second nature.

2. Quick detach mounts make sense. Better yet, get 2 sets of mounts and a backup scope. In my practice sessions, I sighted in for my practice load with my backup Nikon Monarch scope, and sighted the Trijicon 1-4X for my hunting load, and used both in each practice session. This breeds familiarity with dismounting your scope, which can be very handy in the bush.

3. No comment

4. Agreed. My PH strongly recommended 300 gr A-frames, among other things. He did not steer me wrong in anything.

5. Practice sessions should include dry-fire and dummy round manipulation. For every one of those near-600 rounds I fired at the range, I put 3-4 dummy rounds thru my rifle's action at home while watching TV.

6. You can't stay in good condition if you're not in good condition to start with. Begin your conditioning program early enough that you don't hurt yourself trying to "get in shape" for your hunt. Walking is best, because walking is what you'll be doing in Africa hunting buff. Walk with a light pack and a dummy rifle (or a real rifle if you live where doing so won't get you stopped by the police), and for goodness sake don't take new boots to Africa. Walk in the boots you're going to hunt in.

7. Eye protection is smart. I wore polycarbonate shooting glasses each day on my buff hunt. You'll be in dense brush, so risk of eye injury is high. A corneal abrasion is a temporary thing, but the 1-2 days you have to stay in camp with eyepatches on is 1-2 days you won't be hunting.

8. Agreed. On my (first) buffalo hunt, getting a good trophy bull was my goal... but i wasn't excessively picky. An old bull, preferably the dominant old bull in a herd of dagga boys, was my primary objective. I hoped for a decent spread, 36" plus, but mature hard bosses were a must. My PH helped me set my priorities here, and many of our 24HCF guys weighed in as well. Good advice: By setting a reasonable goal, I was able to get my first buffalo with a reasonable effort. Holding out for a 40+ inch bull on your first try might mean eating tag soup!

9. Good advice.

10. I bought Global Rescue. Didn't need it.

A buffalo hunt is a DG hunt. In my opinion, it requires an outlay of effort (and cash!) well above that required for plains game. If you plan accordingly, it will be richly rewarding, and quite possibly the hunt of a lifetime.

Go to Zimbabwe with a reputable Safari Company. Do a Double Buff NOT a single. It's to far to go and only take one of the Big Five. You should be able to get a 10 day Double Buff for around $15,500. Oh and it's TWICE as fun.

Two buffalo in Zim for 15K. You're dreaming.

Could do that in Tanz a few years ago, but the price with the charter probably exceeds $15k now.

Love to hunt buff!

Zim: Daily rate for buffalo 1600/day
Trophy fee: 5500

math is hard...

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

Arino was using sixty year old technology when it comes to bullets. In Africa today, you'd be hard pressed for a PH to recommend solids for buffalo.

^
The book was published in 2000. Hardly 60 years ago. And I believe Tony was still hunting in the late 1990s.

So Jorge did you load only partitions in your rifles on your cape buffalo hunts? Or did you also load solids?

BH63

Never used Partitions. 400gr Swift Aframes and I also took solids. After I hit the buffalo on the shoulder and went to follow up, I asked my PH (John Sharp) if I should switch to solids and he said no need. That was in 05 and in 2000 when Tony published that book, he was speaking about his hunting that started in the 40s. Second buffalo with a 375 my friend shot, same thing.
Today, when one goes to places like DSC and speak with PHs, it's pretty much a rule (not an absolute) PH only recommend solids for elephant, rhino and Hippo On DRY LAND. Watched another example of this by Tony Makris who INSISTS on using only solids. Lung shot a buffalo, TWICE and it took two days to track,

Did I say cape buffalo? Besides, the capes are the runts of the buffalo family.

Whats funny is getting a few PHs into the whisky and what them argue about buffalo and bullets.They don't agree on anything.

This one is in Zim all in $14,000 http://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/832100588/m/7091066322

This one is in Zambia for LESS than $13,000
http://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/832100588/m/6331056422

I went on one 2 months ago in Zim myself for $15,500. So NO I am NOT DREAMING!!!

The one in Zambia is an outstanding deal. The one in Zim is also, but it appears to be a sale? regardless good deals and if one shops for cancellations etc great deals can be had. I stand corrected.

Only been once and didn't use a 416 either, but did speak intensively with my PH about a lot of cartridges and bullets for Buff, first and foremost he likes a good soft, and softs only.

In 416 cal he likes the 350 gr TSX's and 400 gr A-Frames
375 H&H, 270 gr TSX's and 300 gr A-Frames
458 WM, 450 gr TSX's and 500 gr A Frames

I quickly saw a pattern there.

Your PH doesn't sound like he's in a time warp, like some, insisting on solids.

From what I've learned, modern bullets do trump old school technology.

DF

Yessir, and I should have read the whole thread before posting, seems like I repeated a lot you've already heard.

I don't come here very often, it's so damn depressing if I'm not getting ready to go hunt Africa.

I like your PH's suggestions.

I'd be using 270 TSX or 300 A-Franes in my 375 H&H.

DF

You bet DF, I'm putting together a pre-64 M-70 in 375 H&H right now, it's gonna guide 300 gr A-Frames at all game with the 3X Leupold you sold me.

270 TSX also has a good rep.

You'd go with 300 A-Frame over that one?

DF

Yes, because of retardation, I can't put copper hp's or plastic tipped bullets in old big game rifles, I know, retarded!

Point well taken.

All points considered, how do you think the 270 TSX will compare with the 300 A-Frame on tough critters.

DF

From my limited experience, I'd say the 300 gr SAF would show more of an indication of a hit, with the 270 gr TSX's penetrating as deep and surely flying a bit flatter were you to use your 375 for reach on Kudu, Eland or Zebra.

That is what I thought. I know a guy who grew up in Montana. He has killed hundreds of American Buffalo (bison). His family raises them on their ranch. He drives up and shoots them behind the ear with a 30/30. Would I take his advice when it comes bullets for shooting Cape Buffalo? Hell no, only a fool would IMO.

Actually a Swift A-frame is a partition bullet, and Tony killed his first african animal in 1952 (a gorilla surprisingly).

BH63

Technically the A-Frame is a partition, not the Partition...

From what I've read, the Swift seems to be preferred by a number of DG hunters over the Nosler.

DF

Based on personal experience, the Swift A-Frame did well on the buffs I've killed as a first shot from both my .416 Rigby and .470 NE. I believe in a soft up and solids down in a magazine rifle.

Again based on personal experience, the Nosler Partition is a great cat bullet, but I have been less than enthralled with it's performance on larger African game. It does not hold together nearly as well as an A-Frame does. For that reason, I would never use a Nosler Partition on a buff.

On my upcoming DG hunt, I'm only bringing my .470 and am going to give Woodleigh cup point solids as loaded by Federal a try.

In my experience, any bullet can fail. Careful bullet selection and good shot placement can minimize the potential for failure. I know that some folks on the 'Fire will claim to have dropped a Stegosaurus in it's tracks with a Nosler Partition, but with no disrespect meant, that bullet would not be my choice for such a task.

Interesting,using a 300 gr NP on my lioness hunt next month. Have it loaded in a .375 RUM at 2736 fps.

I've seen a number of buffalo killed with Nosler Partitions, from 300-grain .375's to 500-grain .458's. They work fine, and in fact on average penetrate at least as deeply as A-Frames of the same weight and diameter.

This is partly because all Nosler Partitions above .35 caliber have the partition placed further forward than smaller-caliber models, resulting in higher weight retention. The .375 and .416 Partitions recovered from buffalo average 88.6% weight retention, but the rear end doesn't expand as it often does with A-Frames. Instead it stays cylindrical, so penetration is often deeper than with A-Frames.

The rear-end expansion in A-Frames is due to the rear core not being bonded like the front core. It usually occurs when the bullet hits heavier bone, or when impact velocity is pretty high. The last isn't common on buffalo, but heavy bone is. This doesn't mean A-Frames don't work well. They do, but they don't penetrate any deeper than buffalo-sized Nosler Partitions.

I haven't seen any 500-grain .458 Noslers recovered from buffalo, though one did stay inside a bull my hunting partner shot with a .458 Lott. The bull was facing us, head up, at about 40 yards, and my friend put the bullet in the center of its neck. The bull collapsed and never moved. The bullet broke the spine and ended up somewhere in the guts, where it wasn't found.

Usually 400-grain .416's exit on broadside shots, unless shoulder bone is encountered, whereupon they end up under the hide on the far side. I once shot a Botswana bull angling away to the left with a 400 from a .416 Rigby. The bullet went through the front of the paunch and both lungs before ending up in the right shoulder, around six feet of penetration. 300-grain .375's usually stop under the hide on the far side with broadside shots, which some PH's prefer when hunting in herds, to avoid the bullet going on through and wounding another buffalo.

Nosler adjusts the forward placement of the Partition considerably from the smallest to the largest. The lighter Partitions, which are often used on deer-sized game, are designed to retain less weight, to provide quicker kills on lighter game from the fragmentation of the front core. The least amount of retained weight of any recovered Partition in my collection is 54%. That was a 150-grain .270 recovered from the Shiras moose my wife killed in 1989--which still penetrated from the left rear of the ribs to the bull's right shoulder. (The bull took 1-1/2 steps before collapsing.)

Many bullet companies make similar "adjustments" in their big game bullets, according to the size of the game most of those bullets will be used on. Aside from the obvious, such as jacket thickness, they also adjust core hardness or jacket taper. Which is why it's often a mistake to assume ALL bullets of a certain make will perform the same when they hit big game.

Thanks Mule Deer,

That's a very well stated informative mini article, I'm putting together a pre-64 375 H&H as we speak, have been torn between using the 300 gr SAF's or Partitions, accuracy provided, I'll go with the Partitions.

Wanted to go with the Partitions initially anyway, [READ] a few bad things about the Partitions and was leaning towards the SAF's instead, I think you cleared my clouded mind, THANKS!

Gunner

Gunner,

You're welcome! But I'm sure somebody will post that you're nuts.

The truth is there are a bunch of good expanding .375 bullets these days. The PH I got to know best over the years (now retired) often used his .375 H&H as back-up when guiding buffalo hunters--which meant, as he noted, that he was often "out-gunned." But even though his clients often carried rifles chambered for larger rounds, he still had to finish off quite a few bulls. I asked him what his favorite bullet was in the .375, and he grinned and said, "Whatever clients leave behind in camp. These days they're all good!"

I also once asked him what was the biggest African animal he'd be happy to hunt with a .30-06 and 180-grain Partitions, which happened to be one of the rifle/bullet combinations I'd brought on that particular hunt. Without any hesitation he said, "Buffalo."

Turned out he'd killed a pile of 'em with 180 Partitions when working as a culler on a big ranch in what was then Rhodesia, where he was born and raised. And no, the buffalo weren't all head- or spine-shot, though of course he'd take those shots if the opportunity arose. But most buffalo were culled on drives, where ranch workers pushed herds toward shooters. He killed a lot of buffalo, including big bulls, with frontal and rear-angling shots with the '06 and 180's. Which is why he wasn't too worried about killing even wounded bulls with whatever .375 ammo his clients left behind.

Partitions are never a wrong choice, unless your rifle does not like them.

Be damned, guessing an '06 ranging into or across a pair of lungs would indeed dispatch a buffalo, nothing runs without air. ;]

I was leaning towards the Partitions first because they are harder, meaning not as sticky as the SAF's, a bit better BC, a clean 2600 fps with less fouling is a win/win.

Sounds like the performance will be there provided I place them in the right spot.

^^^^^THIS^^^^^ is what I've always believed Jorge, probably have more partition loads in my smokless hunting rifles than any other bullet, have had no negative issues to date.

Plus, your old 300 H&H shoots the hell outta the 220 gr Partitions with H-4831 at a fine 2750 fps, averaging less than 2" groups at 100 through the Redfield receiver peep.

I really can't think what that load wouldn't handily level either.

Good to hear! On my second safari I used 180 Partitions in my 300 Weatherby with no problems at all. One shot kills and complete pass throughs. My ONLY beef with Partitions is I prefer a cannelure and NPs usually don't have them. I've switched to mostly TTSXs mainly because they've been so uniform accurate across all calibers, and to date have also performed well.

10-4 Jorge, I've heard of no flies on the TTSX's either!

DF,

When I read the post title I was hoping to see a picture if you with a big ol buff!

I wish your friend the best of luck and the grandest of experiences!

Thanks, Bob

Doubt I'll ever make that hunt.

DF

Never say never.

Thanks for that positive response.

My bud is a few years younger, in top shape, a great marksman/hunter. He's a natural for such a hunt. He'll do great.

That stretch from 60's to 70's is significant, as anyone who's been there, done that can attest. I'm in the latter category, he's not yet there. Makes a difference.

DF

^
Just killed my 3rd Cape Buffalo at age 63. Physically it was much harder than I thought. If you hunt one of the smaller game farms in RSA you should be okay, as the buffalo can usually be found within an hour's walk (or less) and there are enough tracks (roads) to get fairly close to the animals before the walking begins.

As for the Swift A-frame I have used them for the first shot on all 3 Cape Buffalos and think they work perfectly for the first shot.

The first buffalo ran about 40 yards after a single shot from 30 yds and died without a followup.

The second buffalo humped up at the first shot, and then took 2 more shoulder shots (with 400gr Barnes solids), before charging. He died before another shot was needed.

The third buffalo was hit perfectly in the shoulder and ran about 40 yards before collapsing. A second follow up shot (again Barnes solid) was used as insurance, but I doubt the bull would have regained his feet.

And to my comment "Actually a Swift A-frame is a partition bullet"

that is exactly what you stated "Technically the A-Frame is a partition, not the Partition..."

BH63

As stated, I have personally had excellent performance with the Swift A-Frame as a first shot on multiple cape buff. If you want to use a Nosler Partition for your first shot, be my guest. You pay your money and you take your chance. It is, after all, your safari and ultimately, your life that's on the line.

My suggestion is that you contact your PH and see what his recommendation is for the first shot. After all, it's his neck, too and he is a professional hunter, so it's not only his business to know, but his business to advise you accordingly. Should you bugger the shot or if your bullet fails and your buff heads into the jess after the first shot, it's his responsibility to dig it out. If he believes you are competent, he will invite you to accompany him on that mission. If not, he will have a tracker escort you back to the safari car while he goes in after it. I would be surprised if he recommends the Nosler Partition as a first shot on cape buff. Please let us know what he says on the matter and if you decide on a Nosler Partition for the first shot on your cape buff, be sure to let us know how it worked out for you.

Any bullet is capable of failing, given the right set of circumstances. When hunting DG, it is wise to stack the odds in your favor. I don't receive freebies from Swift or Nosler. Neither pays for my safaris. It makes no difference to me what bullet you use. But it should make a difference to you. Seek out the advice of professional hunters who hunt DG day in and day out. Go to the DSC and SCI conventions and speak to the professionals who populate the outfitter booths there. See what they recommend.

I have never tried a Barnes TSX on cape buff, so I have no opinion. North Forks don't feed reliably in my .416 Rigby, so I have never hunted with them. Woodleigh Weldcores are, IMO, also too soft for buff. Again based on personal experience, my opinion of the Federal TBBC is low. I am bringing Woodleigh cup point monometal solids with me on my next hunt, and I'll let you know how they do afterwards. My PH recommended them for both cape buff and elephant, which are on our menu.

Good hunting!

Very interesting WM70, could you please go into detail on the partition failures you've witnessed?

Hunting Africa is very expensive and time consuming, I'd hate to take the wrong bullets in my 375 H&H, 416 Taylor or 458 Win Mag, better yet go over there and make a mess of things, Rodeos are only fun at the Fairgrounds!

I've never used em in Africa, but have NEVER had one fail.

Thank You,
Gunner

Re; My post of October 21st, I shot a large (55") kudu a few years ago with a 225 grain NP out of a .338 at 200 yards. Bullet placement was correct. The bullet basically turned itself inside out and there was very little left when we recovered it. The base portion was indistinguishable. It took a second shot to finish it off. Yes, the animal went down when hit. But the recovered bullet left me unimpressed with it's overall integrity. Again, a great cat bullet, but not my first choice in general for the larger ungulates. YMMV.

I love bullet threads. They tend to very opinionated and based on limited actual experience, some internet experience, and some anecdotal evidence. So here is my opinion on bullets for buffalos, both fact and anecdotal based.

First it is almost impossible to really prove which bullet is best on live buffalo. If you could test 10 different bullet brands/weights firing 5 bullets each time from 4 different angles, it would only take 200 bullets and 200 buffalo of similar size to cooperate for somewhat reliable results.

That being said you can also shoot newspaper, which if done properly can give consistent results. Before somebody says it, newspaper is not skin, flesh, and bone.

My opinion is based on shooting enough buffalo and testing bullets in newspaper to form a somewhat educated opinion. If I am shooting a 375 or 416 the North Fork bonded bullet is in my opinion the best bullet out there. I also like the 300 grain bullet. The TSX also performs extremely well. The Swift A-frame is very good. I would never hunt buffalo with a Partition or DGX. Those opinions coincide with PH's I have hunted with, internet hunt reports, along with testing in newsprint, not animals, I just do not trust them enough to even try them on buffalo. By the way PH's are at times some of the worse ballisticians around. One of the best PH/Conservationists in Africa believes in solids for everything, so being a good PH does not mean you also know much about bullets.

I have never loaded a bullet that was not accurate enough for buffalo. Hunting buffalo is not target shooting. 1" at 50 yards is way more than good enough.

Velocity is important in bullet performance. Too fast and you can disintegrate a lesser bullet. Too slow some bullets will not expand, I have seen that happen with a 45-70 on a buffalo, but that is another story. The North Fork worked the best over a wide range of velocities, it held together as hard as I could push them.

In my 470 Nitro, I like the North Cup Point solids for buffalo. They expand and penetrate. A bullet I hate is the CEB Safari Raptors. I think the concept is ridiculous. The only thing is they are devastating on buffalo. I have hammered some buffalo with my 470 and the Raptors. I even dropped one with one of the original concept copper bullets in its tracks. Back then we called them BBW Non Cons. (Bastard Bullet Works non-conventional).

I also always carry solids. I almost always have one in my left barrel or in my magazine. And I will only shoot flat nose solids from either CEB or North Fork.

Those are my opinions; take them for what they are worth.

Again for what it is worth, these are a couple of pictures from bullet testing.

Good stuff, even for a Cajun...

Thanks for posting.

DF

Not sure who started the cup point solid thing, but the NF cup point solid in my .470 NE did pretty well on buffalo. I think I've posted this photo before, but for those who missed it, here it is again. Pretty good size hole from a .475" diameter bullet. This one worked for me, but who knows, the next ten may fail miserably.


The heart of a buffalo shot with a .470NE North Fork cup point solid.

^
Cool!

I second Mike70560's opinion about North Fork 300 grain bonded soft points. I recovered two of their 300 grain bullets, one from a Cape buffalo. They all weighed 290 or 291 grains.

At first I had feeding problems. North Fork advised me to seat them a bit deeper, which solved the problem. Crimping in the groove is simply not necessary for a .375 H&H.


Two pieces of advice not given by the other posters:

1. Read "Africa's Most Dangerous" by Kevin Robertson.

2. In pricing hunts, remember that you often get what you pay for. Request at least five references and check them out.