What do y you like for cape buffalo and why that specifically ?

Probably 375 H&H minimum

Many would want the 6.5 CM......where legal! 😁 Personally, I’d go with the .375 H&H, but, one of the 416’s would be very hard to beat ! memtb

I've been privileged to be in the back of a toyoata pick-up about 75 yds from one. this was in a very open "Farm" ( we would call it a ranch" kinda SE of Joberg, back in 2002. He was as big as a French "Limousine" Bull but had meaner horns and bigger feet, ha. I also had three Rhinos come so close as to "bump" the front end when they crossed our trial, heavy fog and we were looking another direction! So...

Many would say a 375 H&H would do swell, and it "could". I would lean heavily to a .416 minimum ( 400gr/2400fps) or even a .458 Lott. The .404 Jeffery is a favorite, but I had trouble with failure to fires ( when I was having one built for buff, a cull hunt that fell through) that long sloping shoulder needs to be fireformed "before" working up the 400/2400fps. I even had factory ammo FTF. Supposedly, the 404 Jeff recoils like a .375 H&H (maybe at 2200) and hits game like a 458 win. Out in the open, he can be like "Elsie the Cow", in scrub, pretty scary!

.375 H&H It works, components and ammo are relatively easy to find and theres a good variety, plus they are cheaper than the big stuff, a number of rifles are chambered for it, and it is pleasant to shoot compared to the over 40s.

That's definitely a case where smaller might be better if you can't handle the larger one accurately.

Brian Pearce showed em how the cow ate the cabbage with the plain ol' 45-70 loaded to potential with good bullets.

I've killed 3 with my .375 H&H. No problems

My choice is the 416 Remington via M70 in a McM stock. A fairly light rifle that carries well. My PH, carrying a custom 416 Rigby, was more than pleased with my choice. In fact, he wanted it.... I'm letting the Covid dust settle before I head back to either Zimbabwe or the Caprivi

If you like drama, use a cartridge you're afraid of. Otherwise, the H&H will do just fine.

I'd like to be able to say from personal experience, but can't, never been there or done that where Cape Buffalo are concerned. So I rely on a very good friend that has. He uses a 416 Rigby for everything he goes after over there.

I’ve taken two with the 375 H&H (300 gr.), three with a 404 Jeffery (400 gr.) and two with a 458 Lott (500 gr.) They all seem to work. Personally, I like the 404 Jeffery the best, but have seen the biggest hits from the the Lott. YMMV.

4 cape buffalo with 4 shots .416 Ruger 400 grain Swift A Frame. Only downside is ammunition availability in Zimbabwe when airlines lose your luggage in Africa. Multiple use in Alaska for brown bear protection or hunting.

I am a rookie with having only taken 1 cape buffalo with a 404 Jeffery. It worked splendidly and the PH was happy I brought it over the 375.

I now have Model 70 in 416 Remington and a load worked up for the 350gr TSX.

I shoot this rifle better than the 404 and can have longer practice sessions with it. So I have finally found my big gun,

One of the hardest recoiling rifles I ever shot was a young man's Mark V in 416 Weatherby! That thing was brutal! I "almost" got a scope eye from it. My idea of of 'too much gun". I once had a Ruger #1 Tropical in 458WM and it shot like a varmint rifle! Barnes 450X was just super accurate. I owned a custom Mauser in 458 Lott, beautiful wood and all. Hit a low dip in my finances and had to sell it before I even gt to shoot it! I was chapped. But, about that time ( 2000) I blew my neck out, so Common Sense said it was time to dial it back. Big animals just seem to call for big bullets to me!

I'm going on a buffalo hunt next june/july. I'll hunt with my 375 H&H loaded with 300 grains Partition or 270 grains TSX. Can't wait for it...

Karamojo Bell would probably say 7x57

This thread reminds me of an ad I seen years ago in the paper. For Sale Ruger #1 460 Weatherby magnum. 19 rounds of ammo.


On a serious note I loaded for a friend all his ammo for a Safari back in 95 It was Speer .458 African Grand slams with the tungsten core. They were 500 grains. This was for a .458 Win mag.
Those bullets were about 5.50 apiece back then. Not even sure if they still make them. IIRC I set them on top of a whopper charge of H4198. An Elephant. a Lion , and a buff all succumbed to them. Also have a friend who has taken a buff with a .375 H+H .
I'd say take the largest you can accurately shoot. One good one is better than ten bad ones.

I've killed 2 cape buffalo both with a 375 Ruger with 300 grain Nolser Partition.

Biggest you can shoot well, but not less than .375 H&H.

It can be done with less, but most countries require the 375 at a minimum. Yes, the 9.3x62 is just a little behind the 375, but the 35 Whelen is just a little behind the 9.3, and the 338-06 is just a little behind the Whelen, and so on.

375 minimum, to whatever your maximum is.

I like the 375 H&H because I have one.

I want 416 Rigby for no good reason, and a 404 Jeffrey too. I am building a 458 WM at the moment. Hope I like it when I am done.

The PH I've hunted with the most killed around 500 with the .30-06 and the original 180-grain Nosler Partitions back in the 1970s when culling on a big ranch in what was then Rhodesia. And no, they were not taken at night with head shots. Instead, herds were driven past the him by ranch workers, and he took every reasonable shot offered, including frontal shots on big bulls.

The majority of African PHs I've known had also killed several with cartridges including the .30-06, 7mm Remington Magnum and .300 Winchester Magnum with basic chest shots. Of course, they use larger cartridges when back up clients, but the above mentioned PH mentioned that he often had to follow up and finish bulls with his .375 H&H--that his clients had wounded with larger cartridges....

I knew a PH that used a 7x57 even for backing clients on DG. Of course he could shoot the heads off of guineas at 100 yards with ease. My experience is only with the 375H&H. Last time was with 350gr Woodleighs which worked very well. If I were to go again (highly unlikely at this point) it would be with either 270 or 300 Barnes.
As with everything shot placement trumps headstamp and the H&H is easy to shoot a lot, it's only an overgrown 30-06 after all.

We all have personal preferences. Try shooting a wide variety of calibers 375 and larger and get and take that which you are most comfortable and confident in shooting. I used a 375 H&H with off the shelf Hornady 300 grain DGX ammo for my Cape Buffalo. The ammo performed perfectly.

What have you used John?

.375 H&H and .416 Rigby.

Have also been standing beside hunting partners/PHs who used the .375 H&H, .416 Remington, .458 Winchester, .458 Lott and .458 Express--a wildcat between the Winchester and Lott.

This is the one animal in Africa I have a desire to go back and get.

Probably use my .375 H&H, but what bullet??? I have a lot of 260 partitions but I have not been impressed with their penetration on wolf, whitetail deer and elk. I got full penetration on a doe antelope and that was it. None of those were bow to stern shots, nor the reverse.

T_Inman: do the buffalo hunt! It’s a great bit of fun. Try the Barnes 270 or 300 grain they’ll definitely do the job on a buffalo

Did mine with my Winchester 1895 .405 WCF. 300 grain Northfork Would have done it (did a water buff for me) but I handloaded 400 grain Woodleigh Weldcore an d that worked.

There have been books written on this one question, so there is a lot of info out there if you look. I'd recommend you read Craig Boddington's book titled simply "Buffalo" where he goes into this very question. Craig is probably the most experienced Cape Buffalo sport hunter in the US and he approaches this question from that perspective.

Personally, I don't think you can go wrong with the 375 H&H or similar or any of the various 416s. Boddington will say that the 416s and 45s seem to hit harder, but he also says that the 375s have been doing buffalo work for over a century and continue to work as long as you use the right bullet and put it in the right spot. Just like with every other animal. Good luck to you!

Never have and probably never will, but this old boy, driven out of the herd, looks like he would argue with most anything. If he can.

Ngorogoro Crater a few weeks ago on my cell. Beter pics on the Canon, which I haven't messed with yet.

I'll stick to pics, I think - I've largely lost my desire to kill because I can. Not applicable for meat... I heard these buffs are rather poor eating- anyone tried it?

270 TSX would be my first choice, followed by 300gr TSX, A-frame or partition. In that order.

las,
My buffalo tasted very good, but was a little tough. Some aging would not have hurt it at all.

Ias: really enjoyed the ones I ate in Namibia this year. Tasty and although not yearling doe tender the meat was far from being tough.

After reading a few books and hearing Mims tell me stories about hunting them, a bazooka, two hand grenades and 14 pygmies armed with spears.

I ain't hunting something that will hunt me back

.416 Remington.

I've shot about 10 buffalo with it and like the tad more knockdown power than the .375 H&H.

.375 works just fine though, probably more buff shot with that caliber than any others.

If I ever did hunt Africa, my 3 tops would be buff, leopard, and kudu. In any order.

I like those zebra stripes too....

Would love the chess game of leopard.
Kudu? no big deal. One of the few animals that if I ever shoot one, it has to be magnificent. Not simply to say I shot a kudu.

I have a problem with zebra... can not say no. Fabulous table fare. If I ever make it back and a zebra presents itself, it is in trouble. Have had too much fun, frustration, head scratching, and satisfaction with zebras.

The first two times I was going to hunt buffalo I was going to take a 375RUM with 300gr fail safes or partitions. The last time I was going to go it was going to be a416rigby with 350TSX….. but I’m apparently cursed and have yet to be able to go on the hunt. I was there several years ago and we happened across a few bulls while I was carrying my 8mm Rem mag loaded with 200TSX and my PH said if there’s a good one in there…. Shoot him! But there wasn’t…. Maybe next year.

Ben

Clearly you would not recommend the rounds you mentioned above?

The most practical? As others have said, tough to beat the 375
As for preferred, either the 416 Rigby or the 450NE 3 1/4"

I've shot two with the 375 H&H. Needed to finish one off with a 470NE (need being subjective and truly expediting the impending death). Next one will be 458 Lott.

I may use my 9,3X62 Husqvarna with 320 Woodleighs. It is quicker and Lighter

Never been there and don’t plan to. I will say the 375H&H is a lot easier to shoot than I imagined it would be, more a big push than sharp kick. A LOT of very knowledgeable folks say it is plenty for the job so that’s most likely what I’d choose.

I "think" I prefer a 416, but I've shot more buff with a 375. Usually an H&H or a Weatherby.

.404 Jeff.

A .458 Win Mag, because I have one and shoot it well. The 550gr Woodleigh at 2100 fps.

Bob
www.bigbores.ca

Best response Bob, always start with what you already have, as its hard to wear these things out anyway.
Call it bonding..........
John