Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Is my 375 enough for buffalo

or as it was referred to me as "the local taxing authority"...

I am quite capable of accurately shooting either caliber. It has become a matter of comfort and a quick follow up shot.

Curious why you would ask such a question in the first place.

I am quite capable of accurately shooting either caliber. It has become a matter of comfort and a quick follow up shot.

If a guy was only going to learn one thing about buffalo bullets; that would be the one thing. Solids are pathetic.

Pathetic? Interesting word choice.

Kudu, if you can shoot the 416 well, I'd use that....Buff can be tough. A 375 can be adequate for perfect shots, although an 18" barrel will reduce velocity by 150-250 fps. If the recoil or follow-up capability is an issue, put a recoil reducer or weight in the buttstock. You never know what type of shot you'll be presented with out in the bush. I'd err on the heavy side on a $15,000 hunt.

375 h&h with a quality 300gr expanding bullet will kill a buffalo no problem. I would venture to say there are more buffalo killed every yr with a 375 h&h than all another calibers combined.
That don’t mean it isn’t fun to hunt one down a big classic caliber but is isn’t necessary.

Hadn't thought of using that word before, but don't disagree.

Went on a safari in Tanzania in 2011. One of my companions was primarily hunting elephant, and so carried a .458 Lott with one of the modern, flat-nosed, monolithic solids. Due to being after an elephant, he didn't have any expanding bullets along--but he and his PH ran into a very big buffalo along the way. My friend shot it, very well (he'd hunted buffalo quite a bit), and then they tracked it around for a while in 100+ degree heat. He shot the buffalo again, after catching up with it again more than once, before it finally gave up the ghost.

Have seen variations on that theme with buffalo and various "modern" solids several times, in calibers above .40. When a modern expanding bullet will penetrate 6+ feet, and do far more damage, why use solids?

You forgot to tell us exactly where those bullets landed on the late, lamented buff.

Yes.






Use a good bullet.

That's being charitable.

I have always thought that some of the Buffalo's toughness reputation came from using solids.

After growing up shooting rabbits and squirrels with both solids and hollow points out my 22 rimfires, I did not even consider solids when I went after buffalo.

In my initial conversations with the PH I asked what cartridge, 375 or 404 Jeffery since I had both? 404 Jeffery
What bullets? He simply stated Barnes TSX or A-Frame, whichever shoots best. Barnes 400gr TSX

Example of one, a single shot at 40 yards. Buffalo went less than 100 yards and tipped over. No muss, no fuss

I think that's where the buffalo got it's reputation for turning bullet proof after the first shot came from, guys with a soft in the pipe and a magazine full of solids. After they use the only cartridge in their rifle worth shooting; they'd rather ascribe super powers to the animal instead of taking a critical look at their cartridge belt.

Having said that; buffalo can sure soak up a lot of lead.

Yes they can.

But then so can a squirrel when hitting them with rimfire solids. The fragmenting CCI rimfire ammo is deadly on squirrels.

Have had similar results using field points on arrows when small game hunting. NNow I prefer to use broadheads or properly designed small
game heads .

If or when I go back for buffalo, I will be taking a 416 Remington with 350gr TSX.

Yup. Many PHs want your follow up shot to inflict the most amount of damage and don't necessarily want their clients shoot solids on buff.

The irony of course is that some PHs prefer solids for giraffe as they (and not buff) are considered "thick skinned" game.

But yes, get you some Federal A Frame ammo or load some A Frames up and you'd be more than prepared for a buff. And the loads need not be screaming even with an 18" barrel.

Good luck!

ps Going to Zim in October for PG & buff with a bow.

You should be more concerned with hearing protection as your going to need plugs and muffs as well as eye protection to shield your eyes from that muzzle blast. I just can’t even imagine an 18” barrel on a 375.

I have one 375 with a 20" barrel and others with 23" or 24" barrels. I have never noticed any difference in muzzle blast or how loud it is. While there may be some difference with an 18" barrel, it is doubtful it would be ear splitting.

Poorly hit buffalo need multiple follow-up shots. Well hit buffalo die very quickly with a single 375-270 TSX. My last 8 buffalo went an average of 30-35 paces after being hit precisely with that load.

The size of the target to kill decisively is much smaller than the size of the target which is pictured in books and which will result in death eventually. A shot in the “heart lung area” isn’t the target I am talking about. My preferred target is about the size of a softball or a large orange. It isn’t even the size of a basketball which is what most illustrations imply.

“Bigger & heavier” results in poorer shooting excepting 24 CF participants, of course.

So, the question really is “Are you enough of a marksman to hit a softball under the expected conditions?”

Thinking so....



Shot might have been a touch low.