2025 Buffalo and Plains Game

[cwhuntsalot]

I'm planning a 2025 Safari in South Africa with Baobab Hunting Safaris for (in order of preference):
Buffalo
Eland
Warthog X 2
Sable
Bushbuck
Red Hartebeest
Porcupine
Waterbuck
Common Springbok
Blesbuck
Common Reedbuck
Impala

I plan to use a 50 B&M with 2 410gr CEB Safari Raptors loaded on top of 2 450gr CEB Safari solids for Buffalo, Eland, Sable, and Waterbuck. The Buffalo because of it's tenacity and the others simply because of their size. The Raptors should devastate and put the animals down, but if they run off the CEB solids have exited on full length going away shots on Buffalo as well as side-on head shots on Elephant. These 2 bullets shoot same POI MOA @ 2305fps with 18" barrel

I plan to use my 376 Steyr with 230gr Peregrine VRG-4 Plains Masters for the lesser critters. This rifle and bullet combination shoots MOA @ 2770fps with 20" barrel

Any thoughts or input please?

cwhuntsalot

 

[Red Leg]

You should use what gives you confidence and what will make your PH happy. I personally have little use for raptors, and can't imagine using a 400+ gr .5 inch bullets on plains game. That said I am pretty old school with respect to what works on game. My last sable and waterbuck were taken with a 170 gr bullet from a .275 (7x57). All four of my buffalo were taken with either 300 gr TSX or A-Frame from a .375. With a quality deep penetrating SP (I am not sure a Raptor fits that description), I find no need for solids for buffalo of any design.

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

You are way overgunned
Solids not necessary at any stage for a client on a hunt barring elephant

 

[Dewald]

You need nothing more than a magazine full of premium bullets such as Swift A-frame or TSX for all your game. I’ve shot two buffalo in my life with a solid, in both cases acting as PH, one charging and one rapidly departing. A Woodleigh Soft in the 450-400 would have put the first down as well, and a Swift A-frame the latter.

As far as the plainsgame go, please don’t use solids. They wound unseen game behind the target, and tend to take longer to kill if just slightly off target. The last five eland bulls I’ve shot were with 140gr 6,5x55 Rhino SS or Swifts A-frames, and one with a .308 165gr Scirocco.
I’ve shot two waterbuck with a 180gr TSX in an 8x60S and a Sable with a 286gr NP from the 9,3x62.

.308 Scirocco from Eland 2650fps at 50m

180gr TSX from Waterbuck 2700fps at 140m

6,5mm Rhino Solid shank from Eland bull. 2600fps. 80m

 

[Daisy]

What you have picked is perfect. These other guys will catch up to the technology. Eventually.

 

[Dewald]

What you have picked is perfect. These other guys will catch up to the technology. Eventually.

Good grief, may I never “catch up to technology” that was well described in the early 1900’s for wounding game using solids on buffalo

 

[Rickmt]

Listen to your PH ! Have a great hunt

 

[Alan D P]

Agree with Rickmt - "listen to your PH." Ask for his opinion and deliberate it.

 

[Captain David newlin]

I'm planning a 2025 Safari in South Africa with Baobab Hunting Safaris for (in order of preference):
Buffalo
Eland
Warthog X 2
Sable
Bushbuck
Red Hartebeest
Porcupine
Waterbuck
Common Springbok
Blesbuck
Common Reedbuck
Impala

I plan to use a 50 B&M with 2 410gr CEB Safari Raptors loaded on top of 2 450gr CEB Safari solids for Buffalo, Eland, Sable, and Waterbuck. The Buffalo because of it's tenacity and the others simply because of their size. The Raptors should devastate and put the animals down, but if they run off the CEB solids have exited on full length going away shots on Buffalo as well as side-on head shots on Elephant. These 2 bullets shoot same POI MOA @ 2305fps with 18" barrel

I plan to use my 376 Steyr with 230gr Peregrine VRG-4 Plains Masters for the lesser critters. This rifle and bullet combination shoots MOA @ 2770fps with 20" barrel

Any thoughts or input please?

cwhuntsalot

View attachment 555347View attachment 555348View attachment 555349

Buffalo gun sounds good. Plains game my choice is a 300 wsm or win mag. Have had excellent results on several hundred animals from eland to zebra . A 190 grain nosler accubond with 62.5 grains of imr 4831 in 300 wsm has worked great. Advantage in carrying a 300 win. Mag is ammo is readily available in SA. 300 wsm ammo is very difficult to find. Load mentioned works great out to 400 yards.

 

[cwhuntsalot]

Even though I have an order of preference, I won't pass up an opportunity for an exceptional animal anywhere on my list. Porcupine is sixth on my list of 12, but I realize someone could hunt Africa a dozen times and not see one.

I will not forsake all others and look for a specific animal in order of my list.

I will insist (I'm sure the PH will as well) we go for Buffalo first and it be my top priority not a "target of opportunity", but again, I would not pass up a trophy while looking for a Buff.

The PH says his favorite client caliber for Buffalo is 416 Rem. He carries a 500 MDM for it's DRT ability. (Also created by B&M). A .500" based on a 375 RUM case and action. It propels a 550gr CEB solid at 2265fps with a 21" barrel.

I'm going to stick with my original choices-50 B&M and 376 Steyr. I've wanted a 50 B&M for nearly 10 years. since long before there was a thought of a Safari. Now it's a perfect choice for Buffalo. The 376 is one of my favorite guns. Short, handles well, shoots great, ballistics are great, another perfect choice.

I appreciate all the responses and input from the forum.