Gored to death

[User00033]

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I will always maintain that shooting either Cape or water buffalo at close range requires the hunter to incapacitate the animal instantly with either a head or neck / spine shot. It has always baffled me that the practice in Australia (head / neck shooting only) is somehow regarded as irresponsible by the safari hunters of Africa, irrespective of the anatomical differences in the two buffalo species. No on will ever convince me that a Cape Buffalo shoulder / spine shot is a small target.

Discussing this with my brother-in-law in Pretoria this past weekend, he showed me some of the crap written on outfitter websites about Cape buffalo shot placement. It’s alarming how many of the websites identify the shoulder shot as the primary target whilst claiming that this will destroy the animal’s heart.

Oh well. Things can and do go wrong when hunting dangerous game, hence the term. Personally I prefer to select activities that provide a moderate thrill with a very low risk of leaving a widow and fatherless children, but that’s just me. This incident is clearly a very sad, catastrophic balls up, involving a man that various reports identify as a highly experienced hunter (as one would expect from his position). I feel for his family and the others involved who will wear this for the rest of their lives.

 

[Apthorpe]

I read a while back of someone who attempted a head shot on an African buffalo which ricocheted off the section of its horn which is attached to the skull and killed a man in a helicopter nearby. The round was .416 Rigby. Perhaps this anecdote put people in Africa off.
I’d certainly think a Cape buffalo’s head a much more difficult shot than a Water buffalo from the front. Both much more heavily armoured and held at a flatter angle of impact. I’ve little experience of Cape buffalo, but more of water buffalo very close up.

 

[Woodenbeam]

Think I’ll keep to rabbits

 

[Foxyboy43]

Interesting thread thank you.
I know I will never be in a position to worry about big game and having watched the dreadful video I am quite relaxed at this continuing omission from my species bucket list. To hunt a creature bigger than you, faster than you, heavier than you, with more teeth and nails than you and a disposition to very quickly make you an ex-person must be a helluva thing.
Sooo then I started thinking - I have shot Sanglier and seen just how moderately miffed they can become if not "anchored" pretty much instantaneously and of course they are damned well equipped to spoil your day, indeed many continental shooters are killed or badly injured each year by said beasts. Personally I had never really thought of myself being in the way of any great danger but having seen what can go wrong and possibly with the wisdom that only the passing of far too many years can bring I have indeed had pause to reflect. You know maybe deer are not such a bad choice after all.....

 

[Selous]

Well you could say a Red stag fits many of those criteria. Bigger, faster, stronger, heavier etc. I think hunting dangerous game like buff puts the greatest degree of responsibility on the shooter to get it right with the first shot. If that is done then the chance of a charge occurring is fairly small. I have only shot one cape buffalo and it was one of the most intense experiences of my life . Mine hit the deck with a single shot so all was good on that occasion but if something had gone wrong there were three rifles there to try to sort the problem out before it became critical. It would be interesting to know the back story behind that attack as I bet the buff was previously wounded

 

[Pete1774]

Think I’ll keep to rabbits

Yep!

 

[Rhodesianjess]

Totally agree with OP,was taught back home as a kid" if you don't think you can cripple it or kill it with the first shot, don't shoot".
Have no problems with headshot on buffalo, aiming point is BELOW the eyes, with large calibre rifle the nose is aim point. As buffalo raise their head to figure out where/what you are, this puts brain in line with nose.
Shot placed between eyes will pass over brain or hit boss of horns, dropping him. Beware though, when he gets up he's not going to be happy so general practice is to advance and give him a settler in the back of the head.
This is assuming you're at fairly close range, further out you need to calculate shot placement carefully for body shots.

 

[Stalker62]

Beware though, when he gets up he's not going to be happy, so general practice is to advance and give him a settler in the back of the head.

My PH told me to go forward and "Pay the insurance" on it.

The only time I have ever been happy paying any insurance...

 

[Confidis]

Part of the excitement of some sports ,eg
Climbing ,parachutes big surf or white water kayaks or plunging down a mountain is that if your skill and luck run out at the same time you may die or get broken that's the rush that's where the endorphins come from . No fear no fun . I have all the scars and healed bones and tall stories . I miss adrenaline stalking deer occasionally comes close. Clay pigeon not so much.

 

[User00053]

Bad enough been on the ground been butted by a sheep tup repeatedly and not been able to move, no wonder he squeeled like he did.

 

[skull hooker]

You live by the sword etc.

 

[User00053]

The thrill of it all, certainly got a big surprise and no doubt will increase the thrill for others who fancy a shot at one.

 

[Confidis]

Dangerous game(s)

 

[tusker]

Think I’ll keep to rabbits

i dont know, that rabbit in "The Holy Grail" was pretty scarry
Tusker

 

[Rhodesianjess]

i dont know, that rabbit in "The Holy Grail" was pretty scarry
Tusker

Only if you don't have the holy hand grenade of Antioch handy

 

[Trickyd66]

i dont know, that rabbit in "The Holy Grail" was pretty scarry
Tusker

Beat me to it... Run awayyyyyy

 

[Selous]

My PH told me to go forward and "Pay the insurance" on it.

The only time I have ever been happy paying any insurance...

Mine dropped to the shot and as it did the PH got up and started running in, followed by the two of us. At 15 yards I told my son to put a finisher in with the 458.. insurance paid, game over!!

 

[Confidis]

In the final seconds before disaster appeared I would imagine the soon to be flat hunter was strongly in favour of fully automatic weapons for hunting dangerous game and would have paid the price of a matched pair of fine English guns for a rusty AK with a full clip . Dangerous sports need a body count or they are just games .

 

[Zulu999]

 

[Foxyboy43]

Hmmm. “A wonderful life lesson” she says as the person responsible for the lives of several people, carrying a gun she is not familiar with and leading them through heavy cover known to hold buffalo?
IMHO this person was an utter incompetent fool and damned lucky that she or those in her charge were not killed.