Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa .45-70 in africa

Since everybody's recommending "searches", why don't you do a "search" to see how many Professional Hunters or for that matter clients with significat African experience use and recommend the 45/70. Will it work? absolutely but just like my less effective 405 WCF will also probably work but at least I recognize it for what it is, pushing the envelope with a marginal round. jorge

That right there is funny, I don't care who you are... Of course your experience with the cartridges is???

2 kills is hardly a definitive study.

Will it work? Sure. Is it advised for someone without dangerous game experience? Not by me. (Cue music here. Led Zeppelin "Trampled Under Foot")

I think you missed the point. It was one round that took two buff -- as it it passed through buff 1, and continued through buff two. A twofer.

Polska,
Brian Pierce of Rifle magazine took his 45-70 to Africa with GREAT results.
I'll locate the article and PM you the loads he used.
Your 45-70 will work just fine.

Tom

No, I have not missed that point, but I think you have missed mine.

I believe the 45-70 will take cape buffalo, just as I have done with the 9.3 JDJ, 8 mm Mag, and .338 Mag. I cannot give any of those a blanket endorsement to someone inexperienced.
I believe Brian Pierce got enough penetration for a 2 for 1. If I were to follow an unconventional example for DG, I prefer Zeus and his lightning.

Just because a writer got extraordinary penetration one time doesn't make me want to tell the world to try to duplicate the feat. JD Jones has told me that he has gotten 2 feet of penetration in elephants skulls with his .375 JDJ and 270 solids at 1750 fps. That doesn't mean you should run out and try it. You can get 2 feet of penetration with an arrow too. Elephants and Cape buff have been taken with bows. I do not recommend it for tenderfeet.

As wonderful as the 45-70 is, I cannot consider it recommended no matter what Brian Pierce did. If you want to use it, fine! It will kill them. I would not want somebody planning a first time DG safari to think that the 45-70 is the be all end all. There is a reason the countries have minimums, good reasons born of thousands of encounters. I have seen cape buffalo plugged behind the shoulder with such superior cartridges as the .458 mag, and not go down to stay. I've seen them charge when they were down and bleeding. That will give you a healthy respect for them.

Talk to PH's that hunt DG for a living, and ask them what they think. Go hunt them yourself, more than one please, and then report back.

1.) Armchair theory is no substitute for in the field experience

2.) There is a reason countries have minimum ballistic requirements. 100 years of hunting and of human tragedy have forged those requirements.

3.) I do not recommend using a marginal caliber on your first buffalo. Go and get one or two under your belt before trying any stunts. This is from someone who has taken Cape Buffalo with a 9.3 JDJ, 8 mm Mag, .338 mag, 9.3 X 62, and .450/400 NE.

The JDJ was effective, but in retrospect that was a stunt. I no longer handgun hunt. The 8 mm Mag was a surgical strike to the brian. I also consider that a stunt. The .338 was used to to take down a wounded buff on the run acting as a backup. The high shoulder shot put him down. While all three of these cartridges proved effective once, I can't recommend them across the board. The 9.3 X 62 is considered a minimum by many for buffalo, and I agree. I have had great success with the 9.3. The .450/400 is even better but even that hardly knocks them on their butt every time.

Now on to elephant. I have a grand total of one under my belt. Until you have hunted and taken one, theories about what is adequate are about as meaningful as arguing the origins of the universe with a [bleep]. I used the .450/400. Taylor loved that cartridge, but considered it light for elephant in the thick stuff. I will not dispute that. Anything that does not have a lanyard attached to it is on the light side when things get hairy in the jess. The .375 H & H has taken plenty of jumbo, and proven itself again and again, yet cropping officers and PH's generally decide something bigger is better.

Polska needs to talk to some PH's in person about booking a hunt. I can't imagine any allowing him to use the 45-70 on elephant under any circumstance, and not on buff until he has proven himself in the field, and probably over the course of more than one safari.

Chip, I wasn't directing my response to you, the system just picks up whomever is right before. It was aimed at the dogmatic zealots who continue to espouse the 45/70 as {sic} the best all around cartridge in the world or as a DG round on par with recognized and proven DG cartridges. To be sure, a 45/70 with the right load and someone who knows how to use it like Sharpsguy for example is perfectly adequate for buffalo, lion, etc,(adequate being the operative word) for elephant, rhino or hippo on land I think it's foolhardy.

Lastly, I still never seem to get my question answered on the PHs and experienced clients who rely or recommend the 45/70 for any of the above.

Chip, I wasn't directing my response to you, the system just picks up whomever is right before. It was aimed at the dogmatic zealots who continue to espouse the 45/70 as {sic} the best all around cartridge in the world or as a DG round on par with recognized and proven DG cartridges. To be sure, a 45/70 with the right load and someone who knows how to use it like Sharpsguy for example is perfectly adequate for buffalo, lion, etc,(adequate being the operative word) for elephant, rhino or hippo on land I think it's foolhardy.

Lastly, I still never seem to get my question answered on the PHs and experienced clients who rely or recommend the 45/70 for any of the above.