Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Caliber Recommendations For Buffalo

As the plans for my African hunt begin to take place, I need to begin thinking about what rifle I take to hunt buffalo. I have a Sako 375 H&H and am planning on using this unless it is ill advised to use it. A friend that has hunted buff said that using a 375 on buff is sort of like using a 243 on deer. It will kill them but it is a little on the light side. So while the planning is fresh, I would like to see if I should consider going upwards in caliber choices for buffalo.

Sir
<br>The 375 has been used many times. However I dont think you can have too much gun. I have never taken a buffalo but made several guns with ammo that have. A Hornady solid will penetrate a buffalo, but a 416 or 458 might be better. Several of my customers have used the 45-70 with stiff handloads ( like the Garrett ammo) and had excellent results. I would say shoot the largest gun that you can manage the recoil on. Good luck.
<br>Charlie Sisk

As a PH in Africa I get this question all the time. The 375HH is a wonderful round for Buffalo. I know one man who has killed over 50 now using nothing but the 300 grain 375 bullets X bullets. Never had any problem and will continue to use it for the forseaable future. I much prefer the precise shot placement from a mild recoiling rifle like a 375 then the hope for the best shot placement from a fellow bringing some monster rifle. Your shooting time behind that gun is more critical then the next level of power. Accurate and quick shot placement with a scope sighted 375HH will take you buffalo everytime. John Taylor claims over 3000 buffalo with a 375HH and only used much weaker loads and standard bullets. By todays standards the velocities are up 200fps and the premium bullets have turned this gun into a magic wand for the biggest game in the world. It's a true comfort to shoot and as accurate as can be. with a low powered scope sight you can place the bullet with very high precision. I have spined bulls at 75 yards with mine, I have shot them quartering away and broadside. Never lost a single one in all the years I have been doing this.
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<br>Is a bigger gun better? Ofcourse it's better but will you be better with it? How much can you shoot a 458 win mag, lott, rem416mag? when will the jumping start with anticipation of the trigger pull? Will you be able to hold it steady and shoot it freehand with confidence? How much time will you spend behind the gun with the pounding it gives you? The PH has a bigger rifle, I use a 458 Lott and I shoot it quite a bit too! There is no way to become good at these big bore rifles with out tons of time behind the gun. It will really pound you after several hundred rounds in a week! However the point and shoot practice is what a PH needs not what a hunter needs.
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<br>The hunter needs one good accurate shot and the game is over. A far as I'm concerned the 375HH is perfect for this duty on buffalo. Let me put it this way: The 375HH is "just right" for buffalo hunting, the bigger rifles are "just in case". Since your PH will have a bigger rifle, he can handle the just in case. However with your continued practice with the 375HH using full loads and premium bullets shooting freehand and from improvised rests you will make the one perfect shot without fear of recoil and nail that bull with one bullet!
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<br>Your friend make an interesting comparison on the .243 and deer hunting. Not a bad analogy, However I would liken it to a 30/30 instead of a 30 magnum. Both will clearly do the job, and the 30/30 has been doing it since before we were born!jj

JJH offers sage advice..
<br>A well placed .375H&H will do you better, than a gut shot
<br>500 A-Square.. Most shooters can learn to shoot a .375H&H pretty well,
<br> in a reasonable amount of time (6 months of shooting 20-30 rounds per session/week).. that's how I did it.
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<br>Moving up to a .416 or .458 WinMag/Lott/Ackley is a much bigger step. A properly built rifle will not kick the stuffing out of you by any means, but the critical phrase is "properly built".. and quite honestly, shooting 20 rounds in a session is hard on anyones body, not to mention expensive.
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<br>JJH spent a few big bucks on his .458 Lott, and I'm sure that I spent equally long green on my Ackley... JJH uses his professionally, mine is just my addiction..
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<br>FYI, every PH that I have hunted with used a .375 mostly because of ammo availability (one of the standard/partial tips is leave your PH your extra ammo..)
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<br>Start with the .375, and when you get good with it..
<br>THEN step up to a .458 WinMag/Lott/Ackley...
<br>You will also then have a better understanding of
<br>BIG guns, and be able to tell your gun builder what
<br>attributes you like/dislike.. custom is cool...
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I enjoyed your post. I have not yet made it to Africa, but will someday. I have hunted in Alaska, taking 1 brown bear and a moose, using a Ruger #1 in .458 with a 500 grain soft-nose. I have experimented with this caliber using different weight bullets from Woodleigh, Swift and Barnes. . I am now loading Barnes 600 grain soft-nose bullets with Varget and BLC-2 powders, seated out to 3.510 inches. I have a Ruger #1 in 375 H&H that I have used for deer using cast bullets (250 gr with gas check) to 300 gr bullets for 2 black bear, 1 grizzly and 1 moose. This caliber is very versatile. I shoot a .416 Rem Mag with 350 Barnes copper-x bullets, taking a 6x7 Elk in Montana. My favorite is the .458 Win Mag in the Ruger #1, because the straight case allows the bullet to be loaded farther out with increased loads. I have tried the .600 gr Barnes in the .460 Wtby using 100 grains of IMR 7828 powder, but would only use it as a stopper. I shoot all my test loads into large gelatin blocks, the .460 just destroyed the block with the .600 bullet. I have not seen any data anywhere for the .460 and anything larger than a 510 grain fmj bullet. As you are on the scene, have you ever seen anyone using a .460 with the .600 grain bullet? What do you think of the .505 Gibbs? I have one by Kimber of Oregon, ammo is fairly costly, but I can reload for it now. Do you know of anyone interested in a real classy Kimber of Oregon in .505 Gibbs, only 2 shots fired? I am real interested in the big guns used in Africa, someday I would like to book a hunt, but can't bring all my rifles. I feel comfportable shooting my big rifles, I don't plink with these guns, I just want to place my shots well, we all have heard horror stories about hunters who can't work the bolt, jerk the trigger, wound a cape buffalo and someone gets hurt. I would appreciate a reply from someone who has been there and knows what he is talking about. Bill

I don't recall as I sit here now seeing anyone use a 505 gibs. I have seen several 500 jefferies, all the various 416's and lots of 458's. I have seen a guy with a 460 weatherby but he never killed a buffalo with it. He was a classic example of a guy who probably put off Africa for just a bit to long due to other priorities in life. When he finally made it across the ocean he was just not physically capable to handle the minimum level of travel in the bush. He had countless chances even holding the gun with crosshairs on a bull but then did not pull the trigger because it was just not perfect for him. He shot some plains game with the big 460. He was not a real big fellow, about an 1" shorter then me. About 5-9 but well over the average weight for his height. The 460 with it's 26" barrel and 2 inch muzzle brake was a bugger for him to sneak through the bush with. That muzzle brake would knock you off your feet from the blast if you stood to the side when he shot. I hated that muzzle brake, It's the most memorable thing about that hunt.

The majority of Buffalo hunters use a 375HH or a 416. Then the 458. The guys who used the 500 jefferies borrowed ours because they could not own a gun like this in thier country. We tried to make them use a 375HH but they had to use the big dog for "AFRICA".

If the bullets in the 458 weigh 450 grains or more and get impacts of 2100 plus but not over 2300 fps it's about as good as possible for any living thing. Additional velocity will cause bizzare things to happen with bullets upon impact. I don't think a single bullet maker have ever intended their 458 dia bullets to impact higher then the very low 2000's in FPS. Most of the information I have gathered over the years shows the 460 wtby to be less penetration with equal bullets then the smaller cases. The high velocity of the 460 causes bullet breakup and bending much of the time.

Mike Lagrange has a book called "Ballistics in perspective" he has been a culler in Zim for many years killing over 6000 elephant. He has photo's of recovered bullets in the book that show the bent and destroyed bullets from the 460 weatherby. His opinion was that it was just way to much velocity. His prefered rifle for hunters was the 375HH and for his backup a 458 win mag with proper handloads, not factory ammo. His handloads were just under the 458 Watts and Lott in power. His choice for a factory made rifle in 458 was due to the problems he had witnessed over the years from converted actions and wildcats not feeding properly.

I can get 2300fps with a 500 grain bullet from my Lott. However I shoot 450 Barnes X's at 2300 with it. I have never seen the need for more, the gun is comfortable to shoot(for a large bore) and it's deadly accurate for me. I have never recovered a single bullet either.

JJ,

Nickudu used a .505 Gibbs last year in Zim.

George

JJ,
I havd used the 505 Gibbs Imp. a couple of times, its a real killer, about like a 458 Lott as far as I could tell...The recoil was abusive IMO, and I didn't care for it for that reason...my rifle however weighed 9.5 Lbs.....

I consider the 375 H&H and excellent Buffalo gun and particularly with GS Custom flat nose solids, if your gun will feed them, most will....Bridger bullet co. in Montana makes a simular bullet and it should work fine...North Fork makes a dandy soft, as does Woodleigh...

I will be using the 350 gr. Woodliegh in the 375 or the 450 Woodleigh, 416 Rem this year on Buffalo...that should be a one upsome on the 300 and 400, we will see.....I will back them up with the Bridger FN solids.

I shot my first (and only) buff last year in RSA. I was using a .416rem mag
with 400 gr A-frame (Swift). I made a perfect shot breaking both shoulders
and taking out the top of his heart. The range was about 40 yards with an offhand shot. The buff ran about 30 yards, collapsed and gave two death bellows.

I picked the .416 because I wanted the best chance to kill the buff by myself and have enough stopping power in case of a charge (not too mention a future hunt for elephant, etc.).

I understand why a PH would recommend client's use .375 H&H, since many client's have more money than practical shooting and hunting experience. After all, the PH will have enough gun in case your shot is off.

I will be going to Zim this year for jumbo and I plan on using the .416 with solids for that hunt.

If you are a good shot with a .375, IMHO you should be able to master a .416
rem mag. If you have a tendency to flinch, stick with the .375 (or only hunt plains game).

Good luck.

Two of the most impressive rounds I've ever seen are the 458 Lott and the 505 Gibbs.....with practice I think many shooters could handle the Lott but the Gibbs is another matter. It is absolutely a brute and the only place I can really see for it is as a professional's stopping rifle....any sport hunter who can handle one as well as a "lesser" rifle deserves a tip of anyone's hat.