Buffalo rifle show and tell

[Sourdough]

Iron sights. Heavy cover no sling. Wide open cover sling is okay. Wooden stock and a classic caliber. Why anything else? Old school is the best school.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

My Buffalo set up is a left handed Ruger African in 375 Ruger.
Scope is the Leupold VX5 2-10 with the CDS and the fire dot.
Sling is by Murray Leather. Very comfortable and super easy to adjust.
I used a Murray Leather cartridge belt. Super comfortable, did not know I was wearing it.
Ammo hand loaded, Barnes 300 Grain TSX @ 2550 fps.
This bull was taken at about 60 yards, with a single shot. He ran roughly 40 yards and dropped.
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My buddy who was also using a 375 Ruger, shot his Buffalo with Hornady DGX 300 grain factory load. His bullet shed 52 grains of its weight. While the bullet stayed together the weight retention performance was mediocre. The Barnes TSX weighed 299.7 grains.
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That sounds about right. Two Barnes TSX 375 bullets recovered from my buffalo bull weighed 248 and 246 grains. The 248 mushroomed perfectly just like yours. Destroyed both lungs and lodged in the ribcage of opposite shoulder. The 246 gr bullet was more distorted after entering chest, exiting at back end of rib cage, and crushing left rear knee where it was found. 250 gr bullets did the job. Amazing weight retention.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

404 Jeffery - I need to update the post! Thanks for the catch!

I kinda figured it was 404 with 400 gr bullets built on 300 RUM bolt face. Did he rebarrel it or bore it out?

 

[robertbrown]

Thanks, I plan on keeping an a optic on the rifle and have iron sights as backup if needed. I will probably go to a lower power scope if it was a dedicated DG rifle. Its currently wearing a 3-18 X 50 Z6 and I will probably change that out for a 1-6

Yeah, that sounds like a solid plan—keeping iron sights as a backup is always smart. I’ve been thinking about switching to something more versatile myself, maybe a lower power scope like a 1-6 or similar. I recently checked out the Gunnr Odin 1-8x24 and it seems like a great balance of clarity and durability without going overboard. Definitely worth considering if you want something reliable for different ranges.

 

[jbirdwell]

Yeah, that sounds like a solid plan—keeping iron sights as a backup is always smart. I’ve been thinking about switching to something more versatile myself, maybe a lower power scope like a 1-6 or similar. I recently checked out the Gunnr Odin 1-8x24 and it seems like a great balance of clarity and durability without going overboard. Definitely worth considering if you want something reliable for different ranges.

Haven’t heard of Gunnr optics, I’ll have to check them out

 

[zephyr]

1st Buff shot with a 400H&H and a 1x6 Swaro scope..
Next 2 Buff left the scoped rifles home..

Top pic my 1902 Gibbs 450NE 28" Barrels ... Bottom pic with my 505 Gibbs

 

[MedRiver]

I have zero buffalo experience but this one will get the nod if/when one is on the menu.

Montana 1999 in .400 Whelen. Albeit at higher pressure, it lines up pretty well to .450/400 NE 3” numbers so should work just fine. Open sights, 21” barrel, low power scope andQD scope mounts. I wish I had done a barrel band before it was cerakoted but did not. Handy but still has enough heft to be stable offhand or on sticks.

It is sitting at Satterlee Arms as we speak getting throated to max out the COL of the 400 Woodleigh RN, make sure feeding is 100% reliable and extend the LOP a bit.

Has only taken antelope, deer and moose so far but no complaints.

 

[ftrovato]

I have zero buffalo experience but this one will get the nod if/when one is on the menu.

Montana 1999 in .400 Whelen. Albeit at higher pressure, it lines up pretty well to .450/400 NE 3” numbers so should work just fine. Open sights, 21” barrel, low power scope andQD scope mounts. I wish I had done a barrel band before it was cerakoted but did not. Handy but still has enough heft to be stable offhand or on sticks.

It is sitting at Satterlee Arms as we speak getting throated to max out the COL of the 400 Woodleigh RN, make sure feeding is 100% reliable and extend the LOP a bit.

Has only taken antelope, deer and moose so far but no complaints.View attachment 700130

Save your money and go to Africa! Once it's in your blood you'll understand....I cant wait to go back next year on my second safari.

 

[MedRiver]

I am sure that is true. My money and time are going to Alaska these days. Gotta a few hunts to get out of my system before Africa.

 

[Clifford Johnson]

Here is my most recent and biggest buffalo. Maybe not for everyone, but it took 1 shot, ran 50 yards and died. 41 1/2" Thompson Contender, 375 JDJ, 270 Fail Safe bullet. Easier to carry than a rifle too.

 

[ftrovato]

Fantastic! Congrats!

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I have zero buffalo experience but this one will get the nod if/when one is on the menu.

Montana 1999 in .400 Whelen. Albeit at higher pressure, it lines up pretty well to .450/400 NE 3” numbers so should work just fine. Open sights, 21” barrel, low power scope andQD scope mounts. I wish I had done a barrel band before it was cerakoted but did not. Handy but still has enough heft to be stable offhand or on sticks.

It is sitting at Satterlee Arms as we speak getting throated to max out the COL of the 400 Woodleigh RN, make sure feeding is 100% reliable and extend the LOP a bit.

Has only taken antelope, deer and moose so far but no complaints.View attachment 700130

Curious why you have Warne QD levers on left side. Seems like it makes more sense to have all protrusions (windage turret, bolt handle, ring levers, and safety lever) all on the right side, especially if you're right handed. Having my scope levers on right side does not in any way restrict loading or extraction/ejection.

 

[MedRiver]

Curious why you have Warne QD levers on left side. Seems like it makes more sense to have all protrusions (windage turret, bolt handle, ring levers, and safety lever) all on the right side, especially if you're right handed. Having my scope levers on right side does not in any way restrict loading or extraction/ejection.
View attachment 700275

I guess I don't have a great answer. When I started using QD rings I didn't want anything extra near the ejection port and figured the left side made more sense. Have them that way on 2 or 3 rifles and haven't seen where they cause an issue for me on the left side.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I guess I don't have a great answer. When I started using QD rings I didn't want anything extra near the ejection port and figured the left side made more sense. Have them that way on 2 or 3 rifles and haven't seen where they cause an issue for me on the left side.

I'm right handed and prefer to do everything to my rifle with right hand: e.g. load, cycle, remove scope covers, and lift off scope when detaching it. Seems awkward switching to holding rifle with right hand so I can work ring levers and lift the scope off with left hand. Then switch hands again to operate the rifle.

 

[Rafiki]

I'm right handed and prefer to do everything to my rifle with right hand: e.g. load, cycle, remove scope covers, and lift off scope when detaching it. Seems awkward switching to holding rifle with right hand so I can work ring levers and lift the scope off with left hand. Then switch hands again to operate the rifle.

Jeez-Az-Krist. I'm right handed also and my QD levers are on the left side, but really it doesn't a nats but if difference since I don't use the scope anyway.

 

[TOBY458]

This is without kickstop.

View attachment 699379

Note that the Leica 1-6x24 is relatively heavy so the rifle itself without scope & mount is 9 3/4 lb.

The scoped rifle is actually quite pleasant to shoot at 11 1/2 lb. with the scope.

The 16 oz. kickstop (mine actually weighs 17.5 oz.) comes standard with the PH (steel components) stock. It makes the rifle comfortable to shoot at 10 3/4 lb. without scope, but too heavy - in my taste - when scoped. It is just a matter of minutes to unscrew it from the stock, or screw it back in.


PS: The lightest you could go would be:

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This is one advantage of the R8, you can customize to your test endlessly, but I can tell you that just 3 shots of full house .458 Lott loads (500 gr @ 2,300 fps) in an 8+ Lb. rifle will give most folks, me included, a persistent headache (i.e. proof of a mild concussion)...

Your “as light as you can go” weight is spot on. My 458 Win Mag Professional with Selous barrel weighs 8lbs 4oz unloaded with no scope. I use a lightweight Leupold 1.5-5x20 scope and end up at 9lbs 15oz with 4 rounds in the magazine/chamber. The 458 Win Mag has a bit less recoil than the Lott, so it’s actually very comfortable to shoot from sticks, or a standing bench.

 

[RStien321]

I kinda figured it was 404 with 400 gr bullets built on 300 RUM bolt face. Did he rebarrel it or bore it out?

Rebarrel. I wanted a bit more barrel diameter than a standard sporter build, closer to the Winchester Safari - especially since that was the stock I planned to use.

 

[MLindsay]

I use a BRNO 602 500 A2, 570 grn Barnes X. I have a steel picatinny rail on top, this year used a Burris 6500 1.25x8 scope mounted in Burris Tactical Rings.
Just returned from the Save and took a tremendous old bull. 1 shot through the shoulder went 6 steps. The scope has handled the recoil very well, even though I was worried.

 

[crackerman]

I used a rented model 70 with Kynoch ammo.
I loved it so much that I have a Model 70 Alaskan on the way for a potential 26/27 safari with my son.

 

[wvfred]

This is my go to Buffalo rifle. Built by Gene Simillion in 416 Remington. It's built on a pre 64 action with a Douglas barrel. It now has a VX6 1x6 Leupold and now has NECG iron sights.