When Buffalo hunt does not go to plan...

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CarlW said:
One doesn't 'walk around' with a .500; one 'swans around'. The fact I can't shoot for sh1t is of much less importance.
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This guy was one shot with .500 at 35yards. Slightly alert looking to see what were but at rest. Bullet went in point of shoulder and found under skin just below hip bone on opposite haunch. He still went 200 yards + and then turned around to wait for us in the jesse. Fortunately expired by the time we decided to follow up

I must admit I have never lost the feeling of being on edge when following up and wondering whether I got the shot right

As an aside one of the buff my son shot took 7 .375 shots over about 40 minutes Other than the first shot which hit bottom of spine and dropped it (only to jump up and off immediately) all were in the engine room, but by now he was full of adrenaline. He waited for us 3 times. It was like Dads Army as he, my other son, me and PH followed him with a 500 a 470 and 2 375s Not an experience I am eager to repeat
S


DSC00069.webp
 
Kalahari said:
The thing about this statement is that it still seems unethical to me. If you have a PH at your shoulder with a big stopper (I would consider that a 404 Jeff and up a reasonable level) your are seriously reducing your risk. Lets see the guy go in there without the backup if you really want to see risk. I know that bows were used before firearms, but to avoid accustions of cruelty perhaps we should just "use enough gun".

David.


Click to expand...
I agree with you, but Bow and arrow were not used in the way they are now. The arrows would have been dipped, the Buff shot from a safe vantage point and they would have waited until it fell over.
That a little different to people now expecting to kill them with an arrow alone. I the heavy jungle areas of Africa, foot traps were used also to slow the beast to save tracking etc.
 
sh1kar said:
This guy was one shot with .500 at 35yards. Slightly alert looking to see what were but at rest. Bullet went in point of shoulder and found under skin just below hip bone on opposite haunch. He still went 200 yards + and then turned around to wait for us in the jesse. Fortunately expired by the time we decided to follow up

I must admit I have never lost the feeling of being on edge when following up and wondering whether I got the shot right

As an aside one of the buff my son shot took 7 .375 shots over about 40 minutes Other than the first shot which hit bottom of spine and dropped it (only to jump up and off immediately) all were in the engine room, but by now he was full of adrenaline. He waited for us 3 times. It was like Dads Army as he, my other son, me and PH followed him with a 500 a 470 and 2 375s Not an experience I am eager to repeat
S


View attachment 133196
Click to expand...

Shame you didn't have a .30-06 with you...:)

PS I remain in love with your rifle.
 
The great thing about watching unedited videos of other people hunting is commenting how you would have done it better.

Seen Buffalo, never hunted them. You leave them alone and they leave me alone. Bit like hippos and crocs.
 
Bowji John said.
"A bullet with a flat merplat apparently adds hugely to both penetration and lack of deviation of path"
I have seen extensive tests on large bore rifles that confirm this...
 
CarlW said:
That is really interesting, John. None of our PHs use .375s (even though personally I love them). They use .416 and upwards as a 'stopper'. I use my .500 to follow up but only so I can look cool.

If any of them proposed to follow up a wounded buff with a .30-06 'to shoot it at long range', they would be sent home.
Click to expand...


Carl, I have never hunted in Africa but I know you have so I bow to your expert judgement, but from what I have read (profusely including Capsticks Death in the Long Grass, his chapter on Buffs makes for a thrilling but chilling read) is that while the .375 in the legal minimum in most African countries most PHs consider it to be insufficient and prefer a calibre starting with a 4 or indeed a 5. Also I find it strange that both shooters carried bolt action rifles, I would have thought following up a known to be wounded bull in thicket country would have demanded at least on of them carried a double rifle. What are your thoughts.

Ian,
 
Scotty99 said:
Carl, I have never hunted in Africa but I know you have so I bow to your expert judgement, but from what I have read (profusely including Capsticks Death in the Long Grass, his chapter on Buffs makes for a thrilling but chilling read) is that while the .375 in the legal minimum in most African countries most PHs consider it to be insufficient and prefer a calibre starting with a 4 or indeed a 5. Also I find it strange that both shooters carried bolt action rifles, I would have thought following up a known to be wounded bull in thicket country would have demanded at least on of them carried a double rifle. What are your thoughts.

Ian,
Click to expand...
Scotty,

Firstly don't believe everything you read in Capstick's books, let's say he was a good writer.

Secondly double rifles are a luxury most PH's and some hunters can't afford, when i have personally hunted buff we all had bolt action rifles.

F
 
Frank Homes said:
Scotty,

Firstly don't believe everything you read in Capstick's books, let's say he was a good writer.

Secondly double rifles are a luxury most PH's and some hunters can't afford, when i have personally hunted buff we all had bolt action rifles.

F
Click to expand...

Frank,

Yes he was certainly a good writer and yes doubles even cheap one are very expensive. I guess the rationale of the two guys in the clip was taking two rifles were better than one even if one was a 30-06, but I still think they were both under gunned for a follow up.
 
Put an arrow in the correct place it is as ethical and kills as quick as a bullet, put either bullet or arrow in the wrong place you will get a wounded beast some animals are more dangerous to follow up and anything can happen, just because someone’s comments don’t agree with a form of hunting doesn’t mean a rifle is better than any other form of hunting, fortunately the persons involved where not seriously hurt, regards Wayne
 
Bugger what calibre you should be using..id be more concerned with how many pairs of underpants id need and wheres the nearest laundromat is lol. :scared:
 
I'm quite surprised that they followed up with those firearms. .375H&H isn't a lot for that situation, .30-06 is pretty much a waste of time. You'd be better off not having it and running faster! Granted a double is out of reach for most people, but an old Mauser in something .40+ would have been a better buy for that fella! I hope everyone involved came out of it OK.

As for the guy who got mushed after shooting from the helicopter, he should have and did know better. Taking ammo he wanted to get rid of to shoot buff? Not really a good plan, especially if following up. He should have at least taken the shots from the air with the junk and then reloaded with something decent on the ground just in case. He's very lucky! That said, when he sums up what happened at the end he shows himself to be a very decent chap - all respect to him.
 
zambezi said:
Here's another...only this time the PH is carrying a 500 nitro double. Very cool customer. You would be comfortable hunting with this chap.

Click to expand...


He’s got quite an impressive series of videos up on YouTube - search under NB Safaris - and some good ethics in providing food for the locals.

 
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