A Few "User Friendly" Cartridges for Cape Buffalo. Just For Fun, Pick Your Winner.

[Brian]

.375 H&H Magnum. Most popular cape buffalo round.
.375 cal. 300 grain bullet 2,500 fps.

450-400 N.E.. Very popular for cape buffalo with double rifle users.
.410 cal. 400 grain bullet 2,100fps.

45-70. Generally rated as a poor choice for cape buffalo.
.458 cal 300 grain bullet 2,500 fps
.458 cal 400 grain bullet 2,100 fps.

.50 Alaskan Never gets mentioned as a cape buffalo cartridge.
. 510 cal 435 grain bullet 2,000 fps.

.50-110 Winchester. Old west bison cartridge, seldom mentioned as a possible cape buffalo cartridge.
. 510 cal. 450 grain bullet 2,100 fps.

Which cartridges do you like as the best one for your first shot on a cape buffalo, and why?

For the sake of fair comparison lets say this;
- All first shots on your buffalo are taken on a standing cape buffalo at about 50 yds and are placed well in the vitals of the cape buffalo.
- All bullets are the same high quality, recent generation design and construction.
- Bullet can be soft or solid, your choice, you're the shooter.

I wouldn't be surprised if I left out some other interesting cartridges in this "User Friendly" category.
If one comes to mind please add it into the mix with it's modern muzzle velocity and bullet weight.

Thanks, Brian

 

[Ridge Runner]

458WM: 458 cal. 458 dia. with 500gr bullets at 2000+/-fps.
458 Lott: 458 cal., 458 dia. with 500gr bullets at 2000+/-fps.

 

[1dirthawker]

450-400

why: a proven caliber for buffalo, good sectional density/penetration.

i own one and used it based on several recommendations.

i feel a .416 rigby, remington, or ruger would be as good or better.

458 win or lott also as good or better. the key part of your question is: user friendly. a 45-70 lever gun shooting a 400 gr bullet at 2100 fps (not sure they shoot that fast) would be fine buffalo medicine but, it would be pretty snappy recoil in a lever gun!

 

[BeeMaa]

375H&H with 300 grain Barnes TSX.

Second choice from your list would be 450/400NE and 400 grain bullets.

Second choice from my list would be a 458LOTT with 500 grain pills. Now if I were just man enough to properly use one.

 

[grand veneur]

What one mean by "User-Friendly"?

A cartridge suitable for buffalo that does not demand too much from the shooter when it comes to handling a rifle of this caliber, or something else?

Should it be about "User Friendly" cartridges for Cape Buffalo in the true sense of the word, except for the cartridge 375 H&H Magnum, which is powerful in its caliber class, the rest of the cartridges mentioned above in #1 are somewhat weak in their caliber class. I could add to the list the cartridge 10,75x68 with its 347gr bullet at 2250 fps. Perhaps one could also mention the cartridge 11,2x72 Schüler which with its 401gr bullet at 2300 fps is at the upper limit of a user friendly cartridge in this caliber class. Anything slightly more powerful in the various caliber classes, such as the cartridges 416 Remington Magnum, 416 Rigby and 458 Lott mentioned above, are less "User Friendly". Not to mention my favorite cartridge for buffalo hunting, the cartridge 460 Weatherby Magnum with a 500gr bullet at 2500 fps.

 

[Fatback]

Of the choices and conditions listed, I would shoot a 300 grain Aframe or TBBC out of the 375 H&H and if I did my part, the buffalo would be dead without too much fuss, probably….

I am by no means an expert but of the 2 buffalo I’ve shot, one with a 375 H&H and the other with a 458 Win Mag, the 458 had a much more pronounced impact on the buffalo and that buffalo was done much quicker than the 375 shot buff.

The 375H&H has a much more tolerable recoil than the 458, for sure. My current thoughts on buffalo hunting lead me to either the 404Jeffery or 416 Rem Mag. A 400 grain bullet at either 2200 or 2400 feet a second MV, should be the best of both worlds so to speak.

I hope to try my theory with some practical experience in a couple of weeks, when I take my 416 Rem, shooting 400 grain AFrames at 2400 ft/sec. after my third buff. I’ll report back….

 

[Brian]

458 win or lott also as good or better. the key part of your question is: user friendly. a 45-70 lever gun shooting a 400 gr bullet at 2100 fps (not sure they shoot that fast) would be fine buffalo medicine but, it would be pretty snappy recoil in a lever gun!

Good point, I get that performance in my TC Encore. It' really kicks and that sorta takes it out of the "User Fiemdly" category doesn't it. I may lengthen the throat, and get near 45-90 powder room or warm 45-70 power with less pressure. ( One of the few advantages of a single shot.)

 

[Brian]

Of the choices and conditions listed, I would shoot a 300 grain Aframe or TBBC out of the 375 H&H and if I did my part, the buffalo would be dead without too much fuss, probably….

I am by no means an expert but of the 2 buffalo I’ve shot, one with a 375 H&H and the other with a 458 Win Mag, the 458 had a much more pronounced impact on the buffalo and that buffalo was done much quicker than the 375 shot buff.

The 375H&H has a much more tolerable recoil than the 458, for sure. My current thoughts on buffalo hunting lead me to either the 404Jeffery or 416 Rem Mag. A 400 grain bullet at either 2200 or 2400 feet a second MV, should be the best of both worlds so to speak.

I hope to try my theory with some practical experience in a couple of weeks, when I take my 416 Rem, shooting 400 grain AFrames at 2400 ft/sec. after my third buff. I’ll report back….

I look forward to hearing from you, when you report back on your hunt, or sooner of course.
I like the way that the 416 Rem Mag cycles through a bolt action compared to the big 416 Rigby case. Both are real killers.

 

[ActionBob]

A bit of an oxymoron to put user friendly and just for fun together is it?

A 375 is certainly the first choice for user friendly. Depending upon the definition... Light recoil, easy to shoot accurately, easy to find a gun anywhere from really cheap to really fancy and fully decked out customs. Easy to mountbany optic of choice. Easy to find and relatively low cost ammo and components. I cannot think of a more user friendly cartridge from any definition and that is more adequate for buffalo than a 375 H&H or Ruger. Nor can I think of a more boring one

So in the "Just for Fun" category we can go a bit wild! I bought a 505 Gibbs for that reason but it turned out to be a favorite which I used on 2 buffalo, a huge giraffe, and a very large white rhino.

Last hunt I took a 111 year old 450 NE no. 2 3 1/2" double hammer top lever rifle for buffalo with original open sights. That was a fun gun to hunt with although not anywhere near as sensible as my Marcel Thys side lock Best gun in 470NE.

A recent JFF gun I am playing with is a H&H Royal 10 bore Paradox built in 1899 and reworked in 1909. Just today I've received a shipment of rounds to try in it as an attempt to develop a safe load capable of taking a buffalo

Another JFF buffalo rifle I've got in the back of my head is a Winchester lever gun in 475 Turnbull

Back to the original question. For a combination of the two opposing goals, I'd say an old British double in 450/470NE, probably in 3 1/4"...

 

[ActionBob]

Oops, meant 450-400

 

[Tundra Tiger]

.45-70...

I know I'm alone on this one.

 

[TOBY458]

I would say the 9.3x62 and 9.3x74r would fit this category.

 

[ActionBob]

I would say the 9.3x62 and 9.3x74r would fit this category.

Hadn't thought of that but agree. And especially the 9.3x74r in a double. Or even a Ruger Number 1 or similar.

Another would be a 375 Flanged.

 

[HWL]

9,3x64, 293gr Brenneke TUG at 2600 ft/s.

HWL

 

[Tintin]

To my mind, the Jeffery cartridges offer the perfect mix of ‘user friendly’ and ‘buffalo effective’ - with a healthy dose of cool thrown in.

.400 in a double rifle
.404 in a magazine rifle

 

[Brian]

.45-70...

I know I'm alone on this one.

Hi Tundra Tiger, I think that you are right on with the 45-70.
That old 45-70 with modern bullets is way more capable that most people realize. With Cutting Edge Bullets, Raptor and Solid in the weights that I mentioned it a is good buffalo killer. Look at the figures again and compare it to the 450-400. ( Surprising isn't it.)

 

[Rem700stw]

450-400. Been there done that.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

.375 Holland & Holland Magnum. I prefer the Federal Premium 300Gr Trophy Bonded Bear Claw factory load these days, if I can get it.

 

[Surgeon1]

So far, I love my Heym 450-400 and I don't see that the buffalo are any less dead than when I've used my Heym 470NE, running 400gr & 500gr A-frames respectively. I've always had a bolt gun as backup and only used a 375H&H with 300gr A-fames to make sure one buffalo which I shot in the river that ran up the far bank at 150yds was truly dead cause it was going to take us a bit to get there before dark. I've never used solids and only keep a few in the culling belt for elephant or hippo if they would be a problem!
As far as the initial question.... what else do you need other than a 375 and/or a 450-400NE

 

[BryceM]

Well, "user friendly" includes keeping the user alive, doing a fair bit of damage (to the animal) on the first shot, and capable of being fired accurately. There is no "perfect answer" but for me the .416 Rigby fits the bill. The case is voluminous, pressures are low, it has plenty of horsepower, and sectional density for the 400 gr bullets is generally excellent. The .375 H&H is a close second. Double rifles have their place, but a trusty bolt rifle with a good scope is probably more "user friendly" for the average hunter. This sort of rules out the 450/400 and the like. The .404 Jeffrey is probably in there somewhere too.