2 Brothers, 2 Buffaloes & 1 Over Turned Boat!

[375Fox]

Is there a difference in appearance in domestic buffalo and wild buffalo in this part of India?

I’ve hunted 2 water buffalo in Australia. My first buffalo was a very interesting experience, we saw the buffalo feeding so we got ahead and worked our way down parallel with the buffalo. It fed right into us and I took a perfect shoulder shot at 20 yards. After the shot, he decided our direction was the direction he wanted to come. Not a true charge (He had no idea we were there), but very exciting still. I was amazed at how clear things become in that instant to reload and shoot again immediately. I wish they would have introduced a couple of guar too.

 

[1dirthawker]

It was finally over . We all breathed a sigh of relief . How ever , I immediately knew that we simply MUST conduct a post mortem on the slain brute . The results , I was certain ... Would be most intriguing .

Major,

i was out of breath and sweating by the end of your story! well done!

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

2 days later , we were all on a Nao ... Traveling up river , through the wet lands of Assam . Our shikar party consisted of 8 people :
> E
> H
> Gaurav , our boat man
> Tobin
> Myself
> 3 coolies

I was carrying my “ Old Belgian “ ... Which was loaded with my hand loaded Eley Alphamax magnum 3 inch “ High Brass “ spherical ball cartridges . Tobin was carrying his Fabrique Nationale .423 Mauser caliber bolt rifle ... Which was loaded with RWS brand 347 grain solid metal covered cartridges . E was carrying his BSA 8 x 50 mm caliber bolt rifle ... Which was loaded with ICI Kynoch 244 grain soft point cartridges . H was carrying his BRNO ZKK 602 .375 Holland & Holland magnum caliber bolt rifle ... Which was loaded with 300 grain Remington solid metal covered cartridges . Our coolies were carrying refreshments , butcher knives , skinning implements , an ice chest and a tool box . Due to the modest size of the Nao ... We had resolved to travel as light , as possible .

Once every half hour , we made a coolie climb up on a make shift bamboo ladder ... And survey the surrounding areas with a pair of binoculars , in order to look for any Moheesh . For about 2 hours ... We had to repeat this procedure . We saw countless herds of Moheesh . How ever , these were predominantly consisting of cows and calves . Finding a fully grown bull , with suitable horns ... Was proving to be a chore , in and of itself . Finally , fortune smiled down up on us . There , roughly 100 yards away from our boat ... Was a massive bull Moheesh , sporting horns as large as cavalry sabers . It was idly chewing grass . We had found our 1st trophy.

It was mutually agreed between the brothers ... That E would take this Moheesh . The coolies remained with Gaurav ... While Tobin , me and our clients went ashore . Tobin , and H remained near the shore ... While E and I began to stalk the Moheesh , to within 70 yards range . The foliage was thick , and wild bamboo was growing every where . While this made it difficult to take a clean shot ... The advantage was that we were well concealed by the bamboo , from the Moheesh . I got E in position for a perfect broad side shot . “ Sahib “ I whispered , “ Take him in the soft part ... Right behind the shoulder . You can pierce both lungs ... Should you be shooting straight . “ .

E took careful aim , after raising his 8 x 50 mm Mannlicher caliber rifle to his shoulder . He pulled the trigger and “ Crack ! “ went the rifle . The Moheesh recoiled in pain ... As the 244 grain soft point bullet ripped in to the region behind the brute’s shoulder . It ran 83 yards through the thickets , coughing blood from it’s mouth and nose ... Before dropping on to the green forest floor ... With a loud “ Thud ! “ ( Which felt like a miniature earth quake ) . It was dead . And not even a post mortem was necessary , for me to determine how the Moheesh had expired . It had been taken with a perfect broad side double lung shot .

Tobin , H and the coolies joined E and I , as we all took the time to admire my client’s fine trophy . It was an extremely heavy bull Moheesh ... Weighing approximately 1850 pounds . Tobin took a photograph of E & H , looming over E’s magnificent trophy ... While I ordered the coolies to commence field dressing the slain Moheesh . E had specified that he preferred a full head mount ... And I intended to see to it , that his excellent trophy would be prepared EXACTLY the way he pleased . In the mean time ... Tobin , E , H and I ventured deeper in to the thickets . We were now intent on finding H an equally spectacular trophy Moheesh , as well .

This was the very LAST time during that day ... when any thing went smoothly .

View attachment 354887
And THAT is how you make a coolie survey the wetlands of Assam from a Nao , for a Moheesh . Photograph taken by myself .

View attachment 354886
The brothers and E’s Moheesh . Photograph taken by Tobin Stakkatz .

@Major Khan
My dear friend one moheesh successfully down. I do like the innovative ladder for the coolie.
I shall read on.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

We advanced further inland , for about 10 more minutes . We did not need to do much searching . For there ... Right next to a tree , was a massive bull Moheesh . It completely dwarfed the 1 which E had shot ... and looked almost double as imposing and intimidating . It had to weigh at least a good 100 pounds more , than the 1 which E had shot . It was scratching the bark of a Neem tree , with the tips of it’s horns . Those horns could pass for Turkish Kilij sabers . They were so incredibly thick and curved ... That 1 could use them as meat hooks to suspend an entire hide of beef . We were about 60 yards away from the brute ... When we had seen it . H smiled . I knew that he had found his trophy .

Tobin instructed H to take aim at the brute’s shoulder . “ Take out his heart . “ Tobin said . H raised his BRNO ZKK 602 bolt rifle to his shoulder , and took careful aim at the upper right fore leg of the Moheesh . H held his breath , and pulled the trigger .

All HELL broke loose .

The 300 grain Remington solid metal covered bullet blew clean through the shoulder of the Moheesh , but instead of running off a few dozen yards and expiring ... The brute turned to charge at us , it’s head lowered in order to engage us with it’s horns .” Sahib ! “ I shouted . “ Shoot it again ! Do not stope shooting ! “. . H obediently and fearfully fired 5 more solid metal covered bullets in to the charging Moheesh ... Cycling the bolt with utmost proficiency . These were all frontal heart shots . How ever , the brute came on . By now , Tobin and I both began to panic . We instinctively snapped our armaments up to our shoulders ... And began blazing away , at the enraged Moheesh . How ever , 16 Bore spherical lead balls and 347 grain .423 caliber solid metal covered RWS bullets are pitiful remedies against an angry charging bovine ( Which clearly weighed in excess of 1900 pounds ) . E had also commenced shooting at the brute , with his BSA 8 x 50 mm Mannlicher caliber bolt rifle . I shot the brute 4 times ( Doing a quick re load after the 1st 2 shots ... Thanks to my habit of ALWAYS keeping 2 spare cartridges between my fingers , when ever guiding shikars for dangerous game animals ) . Tobin also gave the brute an entire magazine’s worth of bullets ( 4 shots ) . E had given the horned rascal , the contents of his entire magazine ( 5 shots ) ... As well . How ever , our combined fusillade of lead ... Felt like mosquito stings to the horned rascal . Finally , Tobin ( Out of despair ) yelled “ Run !!! “ .

We all took to our heels and made a bee line towards the shore ... With the charging Moheesh right behind us . As we were running , we caught sight of our coolies field dressing the Moheesh slain by E .Tobin and I yelled at the top of our lungs ... For them to get to the Nao , as fast as their feet could carry them . Initially the doddering imbeciles were confused , and thought that Tobin and I were shouting at them ... For damaging E’s trophy . How ever , they instantly wisened up ... Up on catching sight of the 1900 pound horned monster , which was ploughing right towards them .

And that was that .

The terrified coolies dropped all of their skinning implements and BOLTED towards the Nao . Tobin , E , H and I frantically followed suit . When we reached the Nao , we JUMPED on board ... And BEGGED Gaurav to get us as far away from the shore , as was humanly possible . Gaurav was desperately attempting row the Nao away , while all of us ( Tobin , myself , E & H ) hurriedly began to re load our weapons . It sounds extremely undignified , I know . Our quarry had COMPLETELY chased us , right out of our own shikar grounds . This was definitely NOT my proudest moment , as a professional shikaree . How ever , self preservation is a man’s 1st duty . And none of us wished to perish in the wet lands of Assam ... To the horns of a Moheesh , that day .

All of sudden ... The enraged brute RAMMED right in to the hull of the Nao , with it’s horns . And I know that what I am about to narrate next , sounds like an element of fiction . And I wish it was . How ever , it actually happened . The sheer force of the Moheesh , COMPLETELY tipped the flimsy Nao over . We were ALL in the water , desperately attempting to get away from the horned devil ... Like a bunch of terrified rats . I suddenly realized that Tobin and I were both standing DIRECTLY broad side to the Moheesh ... While it was attempting to gore Gaurav with it’s gigantic horns . I desperately raised my “ Old Belgian “ to my shoulder , while Tobin raised his Fabrique Nationale .423 Mauser to his shoulder . I gave the brute’s shoulder a swift left & right , with a brace of 16 Bore spherical ball bullets ... While Tobin fired off 4 quick shots in to the brute’s shoulder , as well . We heard a sickening snap , as the Moheesh finally went down . Both it’s shoulders had been broken , and now it could not move . How ever , it was still very much alive ... Albeit no longer a threat .

Tobin hurriedly yelled at H “ Shoot that son of a bitch , right under the eye ! “ . H desperately raised his .375 Holland & Holland magnum calibre BRNO ZKK 602 to his shoulder , took aim at the brute’s head and fired ... His point of aim being right under the brute’s eye . The 300 grain Remington solid metal covered round nosed bullet ploughed right through the horned rascal’s skull , and in to it’s brain .

It was finally over . We all breathed a sigh of relief . How ever , I immediately knew that we simply MUST conduct a post mortem on the slain brute . The results , I was certain ... Would be most intriguing .

View attachment 354888
The bovine who nearly sent all 8 of us to meet our maker . Photograph taken by Tobin Stakkatz .

@Major Khan
Despite being in a serious situation my dear friend it's had me laughing at the thought of you all running thru the bush screaming. It reminded me of an episode of the antics in a keystone cops episode.
That moheesh sure was determined to create some mayhem.
Sound like either the first shot was off or the bullet failed to perform. With its adrenaline up all other shots would have only made him feel better. Even the frontal shots sound like they didn't reach the vitals but I shall read the post mortem.
Your humble reader and friend
Bob

 

[Velo Dog]

Hello Major Kahn,

Great story (as usual), thanks for posting it.
Myself having only shot one buffalo in my life, certainly I am no expert on rifles and cartridges for these animals.
However, what little I know of wild bovine, I would always prefer the .40 and larger caliber rifles for these huge, sometimes “impact resistant” animals.
For the one I hunted, I used a .450 No2 double rifle, loaded with one each, 480 grain flat nosed bullets, one soft and one solid.
My rifle regulated extremely well at 2050 fps and so, at that tame speed, the now discontinued Hornady not bonded DGX and DGS bullets performed flawlessly (the recovered soft is shown in my photos section of the forum).

The old .450 No2 literally knocked my buffalo off his feet, twice.
My first shot (expanding bullet) was fatal but the buffalo evidently had not been reading any ballistic data.
And so, he regained his hooves and ran, quartering away from me.
My “solid” pitched him again, instantly to the ground, this time in a huge cloud of dust and he finally agreed with me that he was dead.

I totally agree with you that, .458 caliber bullets, steel covered, weighing 500 grains and leaving the muzzle at about 2100+ fps would have been a better choice, for stopping the Determined charge of that buffalo in your story.
Furthermore, I totally agree with you that for the hunter’s first shot/s into such a stubborn buffalo, today’s super tough “premium” expanding bullets would probably have made the animal’s termination happen very quickly, even in the “smaller” .375 caliber.

You are a gifted story teller and I always look forward to your postings.

Cheers,
Paul.

 

[Major Khan]

Is there a difference in appearance in domestic buffalo and wild buffalo in this part of India?

I’ve hunted 2 water buffalo in Australia. My first buffalo was a very interesting experience, we saw the buffalo feeding so we got ahead and worked our way down parallel with the buffalo. It fed right into us and I took a perfect shoulder shot at 20 yards. After the shot, he decided our direction was the direction he wanted to come. Not a true charge (He had no idea we were there), but very exciting still. I was amazed at how clear things become in that instant to reload and shoot again immediately. I wish they would have introduced a couple of guar too.

Please allow me to explain it to you , 375Fox . The domestic bovine , or “ Gai “ is actually quite timid compared to the wild Asiatic water buffalo , or “ Moheesh “ . The Moheesh has far leaner meat and larger horns than the Gai . On average , a fully grown bull Moheesh shall weigh a full 400 pounds heavier than a fully grown bull Gai .

As dangerous as a Moheesh is ... I assure you , that it is a weakling compared to the Grey Forest Ghost Of India ( The gaur ).

 

[Major Khan]

Major,

i was out of breath and sweating by the end of your story! well done!

Then ... Just imagine how all of us had felt on that day , 1dirthawker . The brute had US on the run . Well ... They do not call it dangerous game hunting for nothing .

 

[Major Khan]

@Major Khan
Despite being in a serious situation my dear friend it's had me laughing at the thought of you all running thru the bush screaming. It reminded me of an episode of the antics in a keystone cops episode.
That moheesh sure was determined to create some mayhem.
Sound like either the first shot was off or the bullet failed to perform. With its adrenaline up all other shots would have only made him feel better. Even the frontal shots sound like they didn't reach the vitals but I shall read the post mortem.
Your humble reader and friend
Bob

I laugh ... When ever I think about it now , Bob . When I was a child , I remember watching Walt Disney’s “ Peter Pan “ cartoon in 1954 . Remember how Captain Hook acts , when ever he sees that crocodile ? We felt the EXACT same way ... When the brute came down up on us !

 

[Major Khan]

Hello Major Kahn,

Great story (as usual), thanks for posting it.
Myself having only shot one buffalo in my life, certainly I am no expert on rifles and cartridges for these animals.
However, what little I know of wild bovine, I would always prefer the .40 and larger caliber rifles for these huge, sometimes “impact resistant” animals.
For the one I hunted, I used a .450 No2 double rifle, loaded with one each, 480 grain flat nosed bullets, one soft and one solid.
My rifle regulated extremely well at 2050 fps and so, at that tame speed, the now discontinued Hornady not bonded DGX and DGS bullets performed flawlessly (the recovered soft is shown in my photos section of the forum).

The old .450 No2 literally knocked my buffalo off his feet, twice.
My first shot (expanding bullet) was fatal but the buffalo evidently had not been reading any ballistic data.
And so, he regained his hooves and ran, quartering away from me.
My “solid” pitched him again, instantly to the ground, this time in a huge cloud of dust and he finally agreed with me that he was dead.

I totally agree with you that, .458 caliber bullets, steel covered, weighing 500 grains and leaving the muzzle at about 2100+ fps would have been a better choice, for stopping the Determined charge of that buffalo in your story.
Furthermore, I totally agree with you that for the hunter’s first shot/s into such a stubborn buffalo, today’s super tough “premium” expanding bullets would probably have made the animal’s termination happen very quickly, even in the “smaller” .375 caliber.

You are a gifted story teller and I always look forward to your postings.

Cheers,
Paul.

Thank you so much for your kind words , Velo Dog . Despite your modest words about your accomplishments ... Your views and beliefs are 100 % identical to mine .

I am of view that if non expanding bullets are to be used for body shots on Moheesh and gaur ... Then , a large caliber is the only guaranteed way to ensure that sufficiently large wound channels are created . For me , the .400 series calibers are the sensible minimum ... To be used for this task . Ideal bore size should be a minimum of .450 . Preferably around .500 . Back in those days ... The only 2 large bores for which rifles and ammunition were being commercially manufactured , was the .375 Holland & Holland magnum , the .458 Winchester magnum and the .460 Weatherby magnum ( Remington Peters and Winchester Western used to manufacture factory loaded ammunition for these . Hornady used to offer reloading components . ) . Taking the problems commonly associated with Weatherby rifles and calibers in to account , the .458 Winchester magnum was the largest PRACTICAL caliber ... For which rifles and cartridges were being manufactured , back in those days . Hence ( Assuming that I was hunting these bovine brutes in the 1960s , once again ) , I would opt for a .458 Winchester magnum caliber pre 64 Winchester Model 70 ... Which would be loaded with Remington Peters brand 500 grain solid metal covered steel jacketed round nosed cartridges . Unlike the solid metal covered bullets used in Winchester Western’s .375 Holland & Holland magnum and .458 Winchester magnum caliber factory loaded cartridges ( Which used copper jackets ) , and the solid metal covered bullets manufactured by Hornady ( Which used cupronickel jackets ) ... The solid metal covered bullets used in Remington Peter’s factory loaded .375 Holland & Holland magnum and .458 Winchester magnum caliber cartridges utilized thick STEEL jackets .

In modern times , a .375 Holland & Holland magnum caliber rifle would be perfectly adequate for body shots on Moheesh and gaur ... Provided that modern semi soft point bullets were being utilized . Examples include , but are not limited to :
- Trophy Bonded Bear Claw
- Rhino Solid Shank
- Swift A Frame
- Barnes TSX

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I laugh ... When ever I think about it now , Bob . When I was a child , I remember watching Walt Disney’s “ Peter Pan “ cartoon in 1954 . Remember how Captain Hook acts , when ever he sees that crocodile ? We felt the EXACT same way ... When the brute came down up on us !

@Major Khan
Do yourself a favour my friend and Google Keystone Cops that will be closer to it.
Your friend Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Then ... Just imagine how all of us had felt on that day , 1dirthawker . The brute had US on the run . Well ... They do not call it dangerous game hunting for nothing .

@Major Khan
My dear friend if you want REAL dangerous game hunting, go hunting on your wife's birthday or your wedding anniversary. That is a real dangerous game.
Your friend Bob

 

[Brian Rothhammer]

Positively ripping!

A grand and exciting adventure, very well told.

You really are a fine storyteller. We, the readers, just felt the excitement of the stalk, had an invigorating run, got a bit bruised and wet, all before appreciating life with a fresh steak and brandy dinner.

Tough day for the Moheesh, however. I wonder if the other bull with which he may have just fought witnessed the whole affair with a sly grin?

 

[Major Khan]

Positively ripping!

A grand and exciting adventure, very well told.

You really are a fine storyteller. We, the readers, just felt the excitement of the stalk, had an invigorating run, got a bit bruised and wet, all before appreciating life with a fresh steak and brandy dinner.

Tough day for the Moheesh, however. I wonder if the other bull with which he may have just fought witnessed the whole affair with a sly grin?

Why thank you so much for your kind words , Mr. Roth Hammer . It is my utmost privilege to know that you have enjoyed this little reminiscence of mine . When I 1st decided to commence writing about my adventures on African Hunting Forums ... I resolved to write about my adventures EXACTLY the way that they occurred , with out glamorizing or romanticizing any aspect of the story . There fore , I decided to include the less dignified aspects of my adventures ( Such as fleeing from the Moheesh ) in to my writings ... As well . Writing with out honesty ... Is pure fiction , I believe .

 

[DieJager]

After some busy times... Now more time for leisure and first stop reading some stories of the Major. Great story thank you sir

 

[Newboomer]

Major Khan,
Wow! I was running right alongside you in your escape! That was a close call and a great narrative. It really points out the failing of solids with no expansion to create a better wound channel. But that was what was available in those days.
Thank you and keep writing.