Cape Buffalo: Ideal range for a 375 rifle? (H&H or Ruger)

[Red Leg]

I think there are pro's and con's to "getting in close". In theory you are more likely to make a good shot at 25 yards than you are at 100 yards, but you are also more likely to be shaking like a leaf up close and personal. I don't subscribe to the idea that you must get in as close as you can to avoid feeling ripped off.

I really disagree with those two conclusions. Fortunately, so does every PH in my experience hunting dangerous game.

 

[WAB]

I really disagree with those two conclusions. Fortunately, so does every PH in my experience hunting dangerous game.

You beat me to it.

 

[Tom Y. Hanssen]

How far from the animal is the first shot usually taken when hunting Cape Buffalo with a medium bore rifle such as a 375 H&H or 375 Ruger (loaded with proper ammunition, i.e. Swift A-Frame or Barnes TSX)? What is a typical average distance while on Safari?

What is the maximum range to be considered for an ethical first shot?

What is the best distance to sight in a 375 rifle for a Cape Buffalo hunt? (50 yard zero, 100 yard zero)?

Regards.

I shot my first ever buffalo on Jan. 1st with my Blaser R8 Professional and .375 H&H Mag barrel. Used a scope, and this was zeroed to 100 meters with Federal Trophy Bonded Bearclaw and Sledgehammer, 300 grs. Shot it from a distance of 90-100 meters, and needed only one shot

I would say that you should noit shoot beyon 100 meters.

Next time I will use my newly acquired Merkel Double rifle in .470 NE, but thst will be at max. 50-60 meters if not closer

 

[revturbo9967]

I think there are pro's and con's to "getting in close". In theory you are more likely to make a good shot at 25 yards than you are at 100 yards, but you are also more likely to be shaking like a leaf up close and personal. I don't subscribe to the idea that you must get in as close as you can to avoid feeling ripped off.

I don't remember where I read this, but someone once said when elephant hunting "get as close as you can handle, then get 10 yards closer, giving you the best shot opportunity possible" I would suspect it should be similar when hunting buff.

I for one would rather mentality and physically prepare myself so I'm not shaking like a leaf up close and personal then bank on taking longer shots.

 

[375Fox]

I think there are pro's and con's to "getting in close". In theory you are more likely to make a good shot at 25 yards than you are at 100 yards, but you are also more likely to be shaking like a leaf up close and personal. I don't subscribe to the idea that you must get in as close as you can to avoid feeling ripped off.

Going from a stalk to sticks there isn’t much difference in your heart or shaking at 25 or 100 yards. There isn’t time for buck fever to set in. I was “charged” by a water buffalo in Australia (not a true charge just direction it wanted to go), there isn’t time for fear at 10 yards just clarity to reload and shoot again. The biggest challenge is going from complete rest (like in a blind) to action of shooting because your adrenaline and heart rate kick in from complete rest, which is partly why I suspect so many wounded leopards with “easy” shots. No reason not to get in as close as you safely can on a buffalo.

 

[NIGHTHAWK]

How far from the animal is the first shot usually taken when hunting Cape Buffalo with a medium bore rifle such as a 375 H&H or 375 Ruger (loaded with proper ammunition, i.e. Swift A-Frame or Barnes TSX)? What is a typical average distance while on Safari?

What is the maximum range to be considered for an ethical first shot?

What is the best distance to sight in a 375 rifle for a Cape Buffalo hunt? (50 yard zero, 100 yard zero)?

Regards.

Practice and be prepared to shoot at 50 to 100 yards. It is likely that you will not experience what you dream of, at least I didn't! And it was better...I wasn't scheduled to hunt buffalo but was open to the opportunity, but my PH said is an "exceptional old bull past his prime and pushed out of the herd" in the Waterberg Mountains.

After an all day stalk, chase, push, seeing him disappear at 30 yards through the brush and then (unknowingly) this old Dagga Boy circled back and followed us through the thick bushveld (it rained a week earlier), fresh dung and tracks where we'd previously stalked, until finally at the end of the day he just appeared! He was briefly looking the other direction. I had just enough time to get on the sticks, line up a shot (slightly quartering towards me), safety off and let one go. As soon as the safety was off he turned to see us! Not the shot I expected; higher on the shoulder and hit him in the spine because he went right down! It happened so fast that my camera guy could not get the video rolling! A soon as he was down we ran up and at I put two more in his heart because he was stunned and still moving... Very exciting. You would not believe the excitement everyone had - Two PH, two trackers, film guy and me were all thrilled and celebrating.

.375 H&H Sako Finnbear with a Leoupold 1-6, using 350 Grain Barnes TSX which I hand loaded. At this point I had already taken a Giraffe with a great neck shot at 40 yards and he went straight down as well as a Sable in thick brush at 70 yards with a clean shot behind the shoulder, so I was confident the rifle would shoot well... I believe I use 100 yard zero and practiced at various distances.

 

[Tom Y. Hanssen]

Practice and be prepared to shoot at 50 to 100 yards. It is likely that you will not experience what you dream of, at least I didn't! And it was better...I wasn't scheduled to hunt buffalo but was open to the opportunity, but my PH said is an "exceptional old bull past his prime and pushed out of the herd" in the Waterberg Mountains.

After an all day stalk, chase, push, seeing him disappear at 30 yards through the brush and then (unknowingly) this old Dagga Boy circled back and followed us through the thick bushveld (it rained a week earlier), fresh dung and tracks where we'd previously stalked, until finally at the end of the day he just appeared! He was briefly looking the other direction. I had just enough time to get on the sticks, line up a shot (slightly quartering towards me), safety off and let one go. As soon as the safety was off he turned to see us! Not the shot I expected; higher on the shoulder and hit him in the spine because he went right down! It happened so fast that my camera guy could not get the video rolling! A soon as he was down we ran up and at I put two more in his heart because he was stunned and still moving... Very exciting. You would not believe the excitement everyone had - Two PH, two trackers, film guy and me were all thrilled and celebrating.

.375 H&H Sako Finnbear with a Leoupold 1-6, using 350 Grain Barnes TSX which I hand loaded. At this point I had already taken a Giraffe with a great neck shot at 40 yards and he went straight down as well as a Sable in thick brush at 70 yards with a clean shot behind the shoulder, so I was confident the rifle would shoot well... I believe I use 100 yard zero and practiced at various distances.

Top story, must have been really exciting and rewarding

 

[Happy Myles]

Red leg always give good advise. I think you should sight in zero at 100. Then practice off the sticks frequently using a full magazine. Be confident with your rifle. Your PH is not going to let you take a bad shot or a long one if you listen to him. If you do not feel comfortable with the shot offered do not take it. Give or take a few, i have killed around 100 buffalo scattered all over Africa in various conditions over fifty years . Using a variety of calibers. As i recall most were taken fifty to a hundred yards. Only had a problem with one that i can remember. I was using a borrowed 375 with a handful of unknown rounds neither by PH or i. We had hunted together on two other occasions. So he knew my abilities, good and bad. My first round blew up on the bulls shoulder broadside, my second killed him in full charge at around 30 yards or so. That is a pretty good record not because of my talent but because i know my rifle and try not to take bad shots. There are lots of buff all over Africa. So you will have another chance if you relax and are patient . Kindest Regards

 

[Happy Myles]

Your first shot is your best one. Use it wisely

 

[Stephen Ausband]

I've only shot two, so I'm certainly no expert. The first was maybe 30 yards, the second about 20. It's usually a close range proposition.

 

[One Day...]

What is the best distance to sight in a 375 rifle for a Cape Buffalo hunt? (50 yard zero, 100 yard zero)?

It really does not matter...

A .375 H&H 300 gr zeroed at 100 yards will be within 0.2" at 50 yards. Who cares!

I am pretty sure that some auto-correct glitch messed up with Stuart's post, he could only have meant 0.2", unless he meant a 200 yard zero, in which case, it will indeed be 1" something high at 50 yards.

If you sight in at100 with 375
You should be about 1-2” high at around 50m

Shoot or hunt?

How far from the animal is the first shot usually taken when hunting Cape Buffalo ... What is a typical average distance while on Safari? ... What is the maximum range to be considered for an ethical first shot?

I think there are pro's and con's to "getting in close". In theory you are more likely to make a good shot at 25 yards than you are at 100 yards, but you are also more likely to be shaking like a leaf up close and personal. I don't subscribe to the idea that you must get in as close as you can to avoid feeling ripped off.

I really disagree with those two conclusions. Fortunately, so does every PH in my experience hunting dangerous game.

I do not know about the idea of being ripped off, but sniping a Buff at 100 yards lowers it to the level of a glorified Black Wildebeest.

If the purpose if to shoot a Buff just to put horns on the wall, sure, any distance will do; but if the purpose is to hunt a Buff, to experience a DG hunt, you will be missing 90% of the experience if you shoot at much more than 50 yards, but you will remember your entire life the last 25 yards if you get up close and personal.

 

[curtism1234]

I do not know about the idea of being ripped off, but sniping a Buff at 100 yards lowers it to the level of a glorified Black Wildebeest.

If the purpose if to shoot a Buff just to put horns on the wall, sure, any distance will do; but if the purpose is to hunt a Buff, to experience a DG hunt, you will be missing 90% of the experience if you shoot at much more than 50 yards, but you will remember your entire life the last 25 yards if you get up close and personal.

Everyone will be different, but I think the goal is to kill a buffalo and to have everyone come home safe. It is all a crapshoot - you could shoot at 100 yards and never have the chance for a followup shot or you can stalk to 20 yards and immediately be charged.

Imo don't go in there with a Mark Sullivan approach.

Take your first good shot. If it is at 10 yards, so be it; if it is at 100 yards, so be it imo.

 

[Jaegger]

Shoot or hunt?

If the purpose if to shoot a Buff just to put horns on the wall, sure, any distance will do; but if the purpose is to hunt a Buff, to experience a DG hunt, you will be missing 90% of the experience if you shoot at much more than 50 yards, but you will remember your entire life the last 25 yards if you get up close and personal.

Well Stated … my 1st PG Hunt, 5-trophies: 4/hunted & 1/shot (Oryx). A good friend was @ the house when my trophy crate arrived (like XMas!) & asked, “tell me about this trophy.” The Oryx “well, the buggy turned a blind corner in bush, lone Bull standing @175M, I was off the buggy, stix up & BOOM.” Friend: “Huh, that was it?” Me: “Yea, that was it …”

My friend is a non-Hunter but supports Hunting & I took away allot from his simple 4-words that day - I’ve worked hard over my following 7/Trips to be a Hunter Vs. merely a Shooter.

My one Buff Cow hunt had us 32M away from 2/mature Bulls, 1/Bull giving us the hairy eye ball & Yes: that close encounter, that look, & hunting moment etched in my mind forever! I explain it as, good fear & can’t wait for Round 2!

* Huntershill looks like a very nice stand-up operation!

Happy Trails

 

[One Day...]

Everyone will be different, but I think the goal is to kill a buffalo and to have everyone come home safe. It is all a crapshoot - you could shoot at 100 yards and never have the chance for a followup shot or you can stalk to 20 yards and immediately be charged.

Imo don't go in there with a Mark Sullivan approach.

Take your first good shot. If it is at 10 yards, so be it; if it is at 100 yards, so be it imo.

I am of course not disagreeing with the goal of having everyone coming home safe. Arguing the opposite would be idiotic or suicidal.

I will not develop on the Mark Sullivan comment. I have never met him, and, more importantly I have never hunted with him, neither do I personally know people who have, therefore, I do not have factual data to appreciate whether disturbing things rumored about him are true or not, and consequently I abstain from judgement. I could add that I have lived long enough to have developed a healthy skepticism about human motivations, and that I would only wish that more people would adopt a bit more reserve, but I know that this would be naïve on my part in an era of no-peer-review and no-accountability internet posting...

Anyhow, there is a sensible and common sense middle ground between sniping a Buff (heck! I reckon that 200 yards off the sticks would do too) and "slapping the bull" or any other stupid shenanigan. The point I make, and that I believe a lot of folks understand, is that the full experience of hunting dangerous game cannot be truly lived, if a modicum of danger is not in it. In my own personal estimation, and having been there and "met the elephant" (pun fully indented), if one takes entirely the D out of DG all that is left is the G.

I wholeheartedly agree that this is a point of personal appreciation, but my own recommendation would be that while, of course!, abstaining from being stupidly suicidal, or dangerous to PH and trackers, a DG hunt should be a little more than just aseptic shooting.

Just my own view, and indeed to each their own


PS: interestingly, my own goal is not "to kill a buffalo," but to hunt it. Sure, killing comes as a logical conclusion of hunting, but believe you me, if I could tell the animal "OK, now get up and leave" - should I spell it live? - I would do it in a heartbeat..........................................

 

[Aardwolf]

Sincere thanks to all who provided guidance and opinions. I will certainly validate with my PH once plans are firmed up. In the meantime I will put your sound advice to good use.

Cheers!
Aardwolf

 

[Jaegger]

@Aardwolf … I 2nd that! I glean applicable wisdom from the AH crew each log-in.

Word to the Wise … Buff Hunting, turns into phases of obsession & excitement all in a good way & not limited to just The Hunt. I cut my teeth on a 1st time Buff Cow Hunt in 2021, my next 1st time trophy was Sable & sadly I cannot refocus or get my mind (obsession) off Buff, or thoughts of a new .375 H&H for Buff, or plans for a return Buff Hunt. Sorry Sable, back burner for now.

Great success for you on 1st Buff Hunt. Happy Trails.

 

[WAB]

@Aardwolf … I 2nd that! I glean applicable wisdom from the AH crew each log-in.

Word to the Wise … Buff Hunting, turns into phases of obsession & excitement all in a good way & not limited to just The Hunt. I cut my teeth on a 1st time Buff Cow Hunt in 2021, my next 1st time trophy was Sable & sadly I cannot refocus or get my mind (obsession) off Buff, or thoughts of a new .375 H&H for Buff, or plans for a return Buff Hunt. Sorry Sable, back burner for now.

Great success for you on 1st Buff Hunt. Happy Trails.

If you think buffalo mess with your mind, wait until you hunt elephant! Buffalo become an addiction, elephant change you.