Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Muzzle Loader capability

In the event I can get to Africa I would like to use my muzzle loader. I would be using a White Rifles Super 91 .504 caliber. I have a rather large stock of No Excuses 495 gr lead bullets that shoot extremely well in this gun. I use a load of 80 grs black powder for deer but would up it to 100 grs which would give me around 1300 FPS out of my gun. I could go to 120 grs for another 100 FPS or so but don't know if it would be worth it. I would plan to hunt plains game but Buffalo would be my ultimate goal. Would this combo be enough gun for Buffalo or if not what would be the largest plains game to use it on?

Buffalo ???? I have never hunted Buffalo but I would not want to use a blackpowder muzzle loader... That's just me cause I can't run that fast...

Ka-boom -oohh no

At least use a double barrel muzzle loader then it's ka-boom
ka-boom and then its oh oh maybe and maybe not the earliest
of settlers to Africa used blk pwder but they were like 8 gauge
or so. thus it is possible I guess. Good luck Cheers NC

I suggest that any experienced buffalo hunter would advise you not to attempt to shoot a buffalo with a single-shot rifle firing a 500 grain lead bullet at 1300 fps.

Especially one which makes a big cloud of white smoke so the aggrieved buffalo, during the 5 or 10 minutes it takes him to hemmorhage to death, can know exactly where to go to take out his wrath on an unarmed American running like hell.

Make sure someone with a real rifle backs you up, in which case, what's the point?

Doc White has taken buffalo, Eland, hippo, and more without issue with his muzzleloaders.
He used a 600 gr. bullet in the .50 over 140 grs. Pyrodex for a straight on shot at 60 yards that dropped the buff in short order without issue.
He shot another one at 150 yards with complete broadside penetration though a bit far back. They did have to go in the brush after that one and he finished it off with a single shot that wasn't too far back.
Doc's book,"The White Muzzleloading System" has a ton useful data and BT/DT on such an endeavor and would be an great aid in bullet/powder load suggestions. Likely in the .50 a heavier bullet and 120 grs. powder would be the ticket.
He took a big hippo with a .45 and 520 gr. bullet over 120 grs. Pyrodex. Took two shots but the hippo wasn't able to go far after the first.
Looking at the load you are thinking of I think the 490 gr. better in a .45 and be looking for something around 600 grs./120 grs. powder in .50.

On the 2nd ka-boom all can start to run..

I've never done it, but old Shockey sure seems to kill alot of buffalo with his muzzleloader... There isn't any question of whether or not it works, just whether or not you want to limit yourself on a expensive safari to a muzzleloader.

EVERYONE gets backed up these days whether they admit to liking it or not.

KC

Val Forget shot a cape buffalo and a hephalump with his .58 Hawken Hunter.
From what I can remember it was some outrageous load like a 510 Shilo stakebuster bullet and 220 grains of FFFG!!
cat

I also saw one show where old Shocky wounded a animal, a leopard as I recall and he went to the truck and sent his PH after the animal...

If one hunts with a muzzle loader, bow, rifle, shotgun or rocks it is his duty to finish what he started in my books..and I'm not a real picky guy about what other folks do, but this is a pet peeve of mine.

I was surprised that Shocky didn't make a big secret of it in the show, and for that I give him a modicum of credit.

I think a 54 and 58 caliber muzzle loaders is fairly capable, but you best pack them in pairs on buffalo.

It is stil pretty close to being a stunt and since I have seen a couple of buffalo take 13 and 9 hits with a 470 and 500 N.E. It is obvious that sooner or later the muzzle loader guy is going to have to climb a tree or whatever they do, while his PH sorts things out.

Ray, I saw a similar episode where a cape buffalo was shot with a muzzleloader and escaped into some very tall grass. Shockey and PH retired to a high seat in a truck and drove into the grass with scoped bolt rifles. Buff was put down by Shockey with the bolt gun as I recall.

I dunno.

j

I don't consider going in after buff in a vehicle sporting, smart perhaps, but not sporting..

I have gone in after wounded animals on more than a few instances, most ended in a coup de grace. I have been seriously involved in chages on 5 ocassions as I recall, 3 by buffalo and once by a Lion that another fellow shot, and a elephant that another fellow shot.

I have also had some beginning charges that got sorted before they developed. This is why I hunt DG, I like that adrenaline rush, but I don't design charges, if they happen it will never be my fault, it will just be the animals temper and thier tenacity for life, or desire to extract revenge.

Short of a human animal, I would never consider going in after a wounded animal in a vehicle and have never done so..It goes against all that is holy with me, but I hold no malice to anyone that does. I suppose I feel like I owe the beast that much.

I don't consider going in after buff in a vehicle sporting, smart perhaps, but not sporting..

I have gone in after wounded animals on more than a few instances, most ended in a coup de grace. I have been seriously involved in chages on 5 ocassions as I recall, 3 by buffalo and once by a Lion that another fellow shot, and a elephant that another fellow shot.

I have also had some beginning charges that got sorted before they developed. This is why I hunt DG, I like that adrenaline rush, but I don't design charges, if they happen it will never be my fault, it will just be the animals temper and thier tenacity for life, or desire to extract revenge.

Short of a human animal, I would never consider going in after a wounded animal in a vehicle and have never done so..It goes against all that is holy with me, but I hold no malice to anyone that does. I suppose I feel like I owe the beast that much.

Well if I do go I am not sure Buff would be on the list or the muzzle loader but regardless what I were to shoot one with if I screw it up I want to finish it. I really don't want to look up at my wall and say yep that was killed by the PH.

Jim Shockey has hunted everything with his muzzleloader. If you are into it, recognize it's rather poor limitations and go for it. jorge

There is something about muzzle loaders that make the shot decision critical. Knowing the limits of your rifle, and your limits with it are essential to any hunting. I am a muzzle loader hunter and did not think of it for Africa. On my last hunt my Kudu and mountain reedbok would have been the only two harvested had I been hunting my flintlock
If you are willing to limit distance and are willing to let the trophy walk, then hunt your muzzle loader/ a 300=500 grain bullet at 1600 ft/sec is no light load. way beyond the limits of my flinter at 300 gr/1200 ft/sec
Randy

Well they certainly have downed a few bison with lesser combinations and without modern gun backup. Others have used MLs successfully in Africa. I hunt around with my flintlock and my main concern usually is getting blackpowder after flying into a little town. Would this be an issue?