Cape buffalo shot placement
Dangerous Game - Cape Buffalo..... No other game animal is held in higher esteem as a worthy hunting adversary than the African buffalo. The sheer thrill of hunting this mountain of muscle and attitude is unrivalled and addictive. It is one of the only beasts in the bush that looks at you as if you owe it something...
There is probably no other trophy animal that is held in higher
regard as one of the most exciting hunting adversary than the African
buffalo Cyncerus Caffer). This is one of those trophies that to
most hunters that once successfully hunted it has become
an addiction. To the hunter that has been unsuccessful it is
not an obsession. To both it is a trophy to be feared and at
the very least respected.
Shot Placement
The best shot placement for buffalo is to hit vital organs, hopefully breaking bone somewhere in the process. Any experienced PH should advise to go for the "boiler room". If hit well, the animal will grunt at impact and take off at a gallop, usually signaling death with a characteristic bellow. Very few shots, regardless of caliber will pull a mature bull to the ground unless the shot hits the spine. If in a herd, the wounded animal usually breaks away and heads to thick cover. Buffalo are one of the only animals that will purposefully circle back onto their own trail to "hunt" and lie in wait for their pursuer. Usually they will circle back on their trail near and anthill, a fallen tree or any area that provides decent cover.
Buffalo hunting and their dangerous nature when wounded has been documented by all the great white hunters and on various video footage. DO NOT BE FOOLED - each situation is unique and buffalo are one of the most dangerous animals when wounded. Despite their size they are extremely quick and cunning at camouflage, as they remain absolutely still until one is right upon them.
Wounded Cape Buffalo will seldom charge immediately after the first shot. It normally runs off, head for cover of thicker bush, and then ambushes the hunter and trackers. Extreme caution must be taken when tracking a wounded Cape Buffalo
The caliber
Buffalo are thick-skinned animals and the minimum safe caliber is the .375 Magnum. Many people have killed Buffalo with a well placed shot from .270s and 30-06's, one old frontiersman even claimed a head shot with a .22 hornet. However, with Buffalo you can never have too much gun. If you can afford it a well oiled gleaming double rifle packing 500 grains of lead is you preferred choice.
The trophy
Trophy size judgment on buffalo is quite easy but remains an individual choice. Old lone bulls usually have worn horns with characteristic gnarled bosses. The sheer menace and presence of these bad-tempered old men make for an excellent hunt and well-deserved trophy.
A good set of horns starts with a thick heavy wide boss, running outwards and downwards (the deeper the curl the better) well past the ears before curling upwards and back in again. The points then raise upwards and backwards, the higher the better. As a rule, the further past the ears the outer upward curl of the horns are, the better the trophy. In fact, Rowland Ward measurement is based upon the spread of the horns while SCI uses this measurement as supplemental information.
