A First Timers Guide to Buffalo

[intj]

I got permission from Jerome to post this. I hope it is helpful. It covers my first buffalo hunting experience.

 

[Red Leg]

Good video and congratulations on your bull. I think providing a post mortem from a first time buffalo hunter was an excellent idea.

I appreciate your frankness in showing you firing that .416. Many, and I frankly think the vast majority, of first time buffalo hunters are far better served by a 300 gr bullet from a .375 than a 400 gr bullet from a .416 of some variety. That first time buffalo hunter is typically transitioning from a deer rifle to a dangerous game rifle. There is a meaningful difference and far more demanding transition between 35-38 ft lbs and 54-58 ft lbs of free recoil from a 9 lb .375 or 10 lb .416 RM. That difference can mean a far easier time managing the rifle off the sticks for a second shot and hanging on to one's cap.

In spite of owning a .404, 500/416, .450, and .470, all of my bulls have been taken with a .375. I simply find it lighter to carry, easier to shoot, and nothing else quite so versatile.

I am confident the majority here will agree with your conclusions about the CR action. However, should you decide to move on into the 21st century, I can highly recommend an R8 in an appropriate caliber for any African game animal.

I am a little curious why your PH chose this bull. I may have missed it, but did this hunt take place in South Africa?

 

[coreydb]

Sage advice! Your .416 recoil shots are humbling though, and am glad I chose the .375 to bag my first buffalo.

 

[mark-hunter]

I hope it is helpful.

I shot my first cape buffalo, just like 6 months ago. (so I am not an expert)
But your narrative is mirroring most of the path I took, till I got to that buff.
Great video! Really well done!

But, man! "Only a controlled round feed action is appropriate"...
You cannot speak like that!
Now you will bring a wrath of all those Blaser R8 and push feed fans on yourself!

I used ZKK 602 in 375 H&H.

Each of us have a different story in rifle choice.
I grew up with my grandfathers mauser 8x57, with the scope on german claw mounts.
Then when i grew up older I went to sport shooting and hunting.
More proficient I became in those activities, I needed more specific or specialized rifle or pistol for this or that.
Thats how I got my inventory of guns growing for last 20 years. (including most of action types that i can compare, push feeds, modern sako 85 CRF, classic CRF, semiautos, pump action, break action, rimfires etc. But all this not necessary for single purpose, of all around hunting.

So after experiencing continental hunts at home my next step was Africa. This is what kept my next interest, and learning curve steep.
Two PG safaris I have done on rental rifles, and as I had no intention of quitting on safari, next decision was to have my dedicated safari rifle.
And in a same time, next step after plains game hunt would be DG, first on list was buffalo.
So, caliber for African rifle needed to be 375. On action: push feed of CRF?

I grew up on granpas rifle mauser, have fond memories of it, and thus knowing nothing better, I grew up conservative in choice of firearms. I am biased. I realised then I dont have yet a rifle like my granpa!
I have my gun library books, and internet, and while understanding the differences between the two actions, I also came to conclusion that this is endless debate without final conclusion. If I want to jam CRF rifle or push feed rifle with wrong handling, I can do both. Both of them can jam, if person is not trained.

On the other hand I consider safari as old fashion hunters romantic and exotic affair, so no way I will bring anything else to Africa but CRF rifle.

Being biased like that the choice for me was obvious. CRF rifle, on classic looking rifle, and safari as old fashioned as it can be. But that is me.
If I had been differently raised urban kid, (without granpa who had mauser), I wouldnt mind taking Blaser R8 (or remington 700).
For a beginner non biased hunter who will take my advice, and who will not want to spend money buying numerous rifles, one rifle per specific purpose, (like I did): I would say just buy Blaser R8, and later just add barrels of appropriate caliber as the need arise, especially if you want to travel abroad.

Below photo: CRF rifle ZKK 602, and Ruger no 1 (Farquharson system), on my buffalo safari with a friend in 2024. Two classics in action. As old fashion as it can be.

 

[intj]

This

Good video and congratulations on your bull. I think providing a post mortem from a first time buffalo hunter was an excellent idea.

I appreciate your frankness in showing you firing that .416. Many, and I frankly think the vast majority, of first time buffalo hunters are far better served by a 300 gr bullet from a .375 than a 400 gr bullet from a .416 of some variety. That first time buffalo hunter is typically transitioning from a deer rifle to a dangerous game rifle. There is a meaningful difference and far more demanding transition between 35-38 ft lbs and 54-58 ft lbs of free recoil from a 9 lb .375 or 10 lb .416 RM. That difference can mean a far easier time managing the rifle off the sticks for a second shot and hanging on to one's cap.

In spite of owning a .404, 500/416, .450, and .470, all of my bulls have been taken with a .375. I simply find it lighter to carry, easier to shoot, and nothing else quite so versatile.

I am confident the majority here will agree with your conclusions about the CR action. However, should you decide to move on into the 21st century, I can highly recommend an R8 in an appropriate caliber for any African game animal.

I am a little curious why your PH chose this bull. I may have missed it, but did this hunt take place in South Africa?

Because we were doing some marketing work for the PH and there weee several of us on the trip, we really needed to get the buffalo early. In the video you can see what I think is the herd bull who was deeper and wider than mine. This bull was a hard bossed bull who stayed behind as the herd moved off, so that is the PH chose that one.

While 375s have probably killed more buffalo than any other cartridge, did you notice how hard my buff was hit with that first shot with the 416? The shot was right on the shoulder 1/3 of the way up the body--as I was instructed. The bull hunched up hard at the shot, which let me know he was well hit.

I think with just a little effort most of us can leans to shoot a 416 well, but there is nothing wrong with using a 375 either.

 

[intj]

I shot my first cape buffalo, just like 6 months ago. (so I am not an expert)
But your narrative is mirroring most of the path I took, till I got to that buff.
Great video! Really well done!

But, man! "Only a controlled round feed action is appropriate"...
You cannot speak like that!
Now you will bring a wrath of all those Blaser R8 and push feed fans on yourself!

I used ZKK 602 in 375 H&H.

Each of us have a different story in rifle choice.
I grew up with my grandfathers mauser 8x57, with the scope on german claw mounts.
Then when i grew up older I went to sport shooting and hunting.
More proficient I became in those activities, I needed more specific or specialized rifle or pistol for this or that.
Thats how I got my inventory of guns growing for last 20 years. (including most of action types that i can compare, push feeds, modern sako 85 CRF, classic CRF, semiautos, pump action, break action, rimfires etc. But all this not necessary for single purpose, of all around hunting.

So after experiencing continental hunts at home my next step was Africa. This is what kept my next interest, and learning curve steep.
Two PG safaris I have done on rental rifles, and as I had no intention of quitting on safari, next decision was to have my dedicated safari rifle.
And in a same time, next step after plains game hunt would be DG, first on list was buffalo.
So, caliber for African rifle needed to be 375. On action: push feed of CRF?

I grew up on granpas rifle mauser, have fond memories of it, and thus knowing nothing better, I grew up conservative in choice of firearms. I am biased. I realised then I dont have yet a rifle like my granpa!
I have my gun library books, and internet, and while understanding the differences between the two actions, I also came to conclusion that this is endless debate without final conclusion. If I want to jam CRF rifle or push feed rifle with wrong handling, I can do both. Both of them can jam, if person is not trained.

On the other hand I consider safari as old fashion hunters romantic and exotic affair, so no way I will bring anything else to Africa but CRF rifle.

Being biased like that the choice for me was obvious. CRF rifle, on classic looking rifle, and safari as old fashioned as it can be. But that is me.
If I had been differently raised urban kid, (without granpa who had mauser), I wouldnt mind taking Blaser R8 (or remington 700).
For a beginner non biased hunter who will take my advice, and who will not want to spend money buying numerous rifles, one rifle per specific purpose, (like I did): I would say just buy Blaser R8, and later just add barrels of appropriate caliber as the need arise, especially if you want to travel abroad.

Below photo: CRF rifle ZKK 602, and Ruger no 1 (Farquharson system), on my buffalo safari with a friend in 2024. Two classics in action. As old fashion as it can be.
View attachment 672218

The CRF comment was based on what Kevin Robertson has said/wrote. A push feed that is well sorted out would be fine--especially with a center feed magazine-- and I think the Blaser takes the push feed up both from that. Still, I think the CRF wins the reliability game, maybe even over a double. You can drop an M-70 or Mauser in a mud hole and it will still fire. I think a nice DR would object to that kind of treatment.

 

[mark-hunter]

You can drop an M-70 or Mauser in a mud hole and it will still fire. I think a nice DR would object to that kind of treatment.

I agree to this! The CRF was test proven for trench war condition, unlike other exclusively sporting rifle types.
The question is how tough do we push our sporting rifles? Not many are dragged through mud.
(I pamper mine all the time, oily rag baths, etc)

The point is modern sporting rifle, does not suffer nearly as much as ww1 and ww2 bolt action rifles did.
But it is nice to hold CRF hunting rifle in hand nonetheless.