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I'll be hunting cape buffalo for the 1st time this September. I'll be packing my 375 H&H . My current load is a 270 TSX which I have plenty of and they shoot well. The 270 grain has pbeen quite impressive on plains game. Questions are this.... should I step up to the 300 grain Barnes TSX bullets for tbuffalo?? Do I really need to use a solid for follow up?? thanks 163bc

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Those are good questions. I think you will do just fine with a 270 grain TSX on cape buff. I prefer a solid to an expanding bullet for followup, because the angle of the shot may be such that the bullet will have to penetrate a lot of buff before it gets to the vitals. That said, the Barnes TSX has an excellent reputation for penetration.

If you do decide to use a 300 grain solid for followup, in testing, it should group fairly close to where the 270 grain bullet does before I would use it. If it does not, simply use a 300 grain Barnes TSX for the first shot and 300 grain Barnes solids for followup shots.

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Check with your PH about solids or not. I would move to 300 grainers either way...


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163bc,
Wish I had an easy answer for you, but I don't. My belief is that the 270gr in a TSX should be fine. The 300gr might hit just a bit harder, but I doubt it's enough of a difference to concern yourself with. If I could find some 300s to try, I would just to see, since personally I would always go heavier on buff if I could.

As for solids for follow up, I would ask my PH if possible, and listen to whatever he says. Some guys are still set on a solid for the follow up shot, and others have given up on the solid since the "softs" that are used today are so much better. Most people on this forum will probably agree that with the TSX you don't need a solid for a follow up. However, I've seen some pretty adamant PH's insist that you have solids after the first shot. I'd rather go along with the PH than argue the point.

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There are two prudent choices for this question.

First: ask your PH or outfitter his opinion on this. He is closest to the conditions and is the only one with first hand knowledge of the wY things will unfold for you

Second: call Barnes and ask them what the experience of their professional staff has on buffalo with these weights.

You can get plenty of opinions here, but none will carry the credibility or resolution that these will. For every guy posting one weight, there will be another suggesting the other.

It will become less clear for you then when you started this!


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Ask your PH. Just like you need to have confidence in your rifle and load, he needs to have confidence in your rifle, load and you.
He will be glad you asked.


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A close friend and hunting buddy killed his buffalo with 300 gr. Barnes TSX flat base from his 375 h&h. One shot on the shoulder the buff was done. On the same trip this past Sept. He killed a 67 lb. elephant with the same 375 h&h but used 300 gr. solids. Hope this helps. Kevin


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Originally Posted by JJHACK
There are two prudent choices for this question.

First: ask your PH or outfitter his opinion on this. He is closest to the conditions and is the only one with first hand knowledge of the wY things will unfold for you

Second: call Barnes and ask them what the experience of their professional staff has on buffalo with these weights.

You can get plenty of opinions here, but none will carry the credibility or resolution that these will. For every guy posting one weight, there will be another suggesting the other.

It will become less clear for you then when you started this!



I can save you the phone call. Barnes will recommend the 270 gr in the .375, the 350 in the .416 and the 450 in the .458. Its not that they are "good enough", their position is that they better than the heavier "standard" weights.

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I knew this answer already too, but a whole pile of folks he does not know from Adam will not provide the same level of comfort to him they will.

I suppose there is a need to just visit and chat about the things we have passion about. Thats great, I'm in that group too. However, serious advice should be taken from a credible vetted source.

I would not go to a web forum and try to get advice on vision surgery! or a root canal........ Probably extreme examples....... sorry!


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Not sure where you are hunting but my opinion is the 270 would work but the 300 would be my choice. I understand the 270 is flatter however in most of the buffalo terrain I have hunted with exception to Tanzania there was not much opportunity for plainsgame at longer distances during the hunt. If it is a one rifle safari and you are hunting say Masailand I could understand the argument for a 270 grain bullet. However if you are hunting the Zambezi Valley per say then I see no benefit to a flatter trajectory as finding a shot over 200 yards is tough.

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Originally Posted by JJHACK
I knew this answer already too, but a whole pile of folks he does not know from Adam will not provide the same level of comfort to him they will.

I suppose there is a need to just visit and chat about the things we have passion about. Thats great, I'm in that group too. However, serious advice should be taken from a credible vetted source.

I would not go to a web forum and try to get advice on vision surgery! or a root canal........ Probably extreme examples....... sorry!


You must have a poor dentist to need to ask advice about a root canal, it hurts fix it. LOL


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I've only got one buffalo to my credit, so that's all my opinion is worth. I used the 300 grain TSX and it flattened my bull on the first shot and he did not regain his footing. I did put 4 or 5 solids into him to keep him from getting up. I am convinced though that if I had followed up with more TSX bullets instead of solids I would have needed to shoot less (and I had that hunch while shooting the buff).

Here is the inside of the buffalo. The hole you see in the middle is the entrance side of the shot.
[Linked Image]

And the bullet:
[Linked Image]


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Originally Posted by Mckay
Not sure where you are hunting but my opinion is the 270 would work but the 300 would be my choice. I understand the 270 is flatter however in most of the buffalo terrain I have hunted with exception to Tanzania there was not much opportunity for plainsgame at longer distances during the hunt. If it is a one rifle safari and you are hunting say Masailand I could understand the argument for a 270 grain bullet. However if you are hunting the Zambezi Valley per say then I see no benefit to a flatter trajectory as finding a shot over 200 yards is tough.



Its not so much to do with trajectory as simply velocity. A 270 or 300 grain TSX will open up to the same diameter, and like any good soft they will both be sitting under the hide on the far side of your buffalo. You may as well hit them faster. Actually, if you really want to hit them harder, use an A-Frame or a bigger caliber or (My favorite) an A-frame in a bigger caliber.


After my 4th buffalo I quit using solids.

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My suggestion is to consider using the 350 grain Barnes bullets. I used this combo on a trip to Zim last June. This was after I read Kevin Robinson's book- Africa's most Dangerous. He has a couple of chapters on calibre's and bullets and strongly recommends 350-380 grain bullets for a 375 At reduced velocity of 2300 fps to provide better momentum and penetration. I would suggest you get the book from Safari press as it is full of information about Cape Buffalo and all aspects of hunting them.
These bullets were devastating to the three Buffalo that I shot. There were 2 one shot kills and the PH mentioned that it looked like a 416 hitting the Buffalo. I only recovered one bullet and it opened in a perfect 4 leaf clover.I agree with
everyone else in regard to checking with the PH on this subject of what bullets to use.
All of the PH's in the camp I was in (SSG Safaris) carried only solids as we were in Elephant country. I used a Blaser R8 and brought 2 scopes. A 1.2-5 for the Buffalo and a 2-8 to be used with 270 grain Barnes for everything else. I hand loaded the 350 grain Barnes with 67.3 grains of RL 15 at 2300 and 77 grains of RL 15 for the 270 Barnes at 2750 fps.
We were hunting in Mopane areas and the shots were at 60 yards max. Both sets of Barnes bullets were very accurate and I did not use any solids.
Hope that this is helpful to you.

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thanks for the insight Mark...and welcome to the camp fire!

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welcome aboard Mark and thanks for the post. 163bc

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I like the 300 Grain over the 270 Gr for Buff. That is what I shot one with, and had good results. Turned out just like sevens above.

I LOVE the 570 grain Barnes TSX out of my .500....

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I took 4 buffalo with the older Barnes 270XLC, 1 Cape Buffalo and 3 Aussie Water Buffalo. The Water are a bit bigger and heavier than the Cape. The cape, about 40yds, was down like the feet were cut off on a frontal shot to the base of the neck exiting on the rear of the right rib cage. One of the water buffalo, about 50 yards, was between the eyes so that went right down. They have an incredibly thick skull and recovered the bullet behind the skull with no petals. Had to penetrate the front and rear of the skull, that's several inches of bone.

The largest water was at 225yds, about 20 cows spooked in very dusty conditions and when the dust settled the bull surprisingly was still standing there broadside looking at us. Hit through the shoulder, it turned 180 hit behind the other shoulder, 3rd through the shoulder it was down permanently. One shoulder was freely broke. They don't get skinned but I "think" they all exited.

The 3rd water was a bit of a disaster. Police called via sat phone to see if we would kill a buff that was harassing a distant aboriginal village, well of course we would. Riding into the village the bull challenged us in the truck, I jumped out and inadvertently chambered a 260 ballistic tip. I had about a 20 yard quartering frontal shot, the shot felt perfect on its shoulder but I was shocked as it just ran off. Four hours later we caught up to it in a swamp as it ran away the PH and I hit it 2 or 3 times, it went down in the water and I put 2 more in the front of the shoulder for insurance.

I wouldn't hesitate to use the 270 again, accuracy was superb out to 300yd. Took some plains game over 200.

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For what its worth, the last 3 Cape Buffalo hunted with us, the hunter used my .375H&H. It is loaded with 200gr GSC's doing around 3100fps.
The last bull took one shot, quartering towards. Ran 40yds, and collapsed.
So, either the 270 or 300's will work. My vote will be for the 270gr TSX.

All the best for your hunt and remember to post photos when you get back.

Take Care,
Marius Goosen


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According to Randy and Connie Brooks (former owners of Barnes and originators of the TSX), the 270 seemed to smack the buffalo harder in the 375 and the 350 TSX had similar effect of the 400gr TSX in the 416. I used 300gr A Frames in both calibers on buffalo and they worked well, but have since changed over to the 270 TSX in the 375 and the 350 in the 416.


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