Great buffalo video …. Lessons learned

[deewayne2003]

Close call

 

[375Fox]

I saw this earlier today. Crazy charge. Down on first shot plus 2 insurance shots on ground and still gets up to charge. I couldn’t imagine anyone expecting that. Walking into the lionesses with cubs was interesting too. I hope they do more of these podcast type videos.

 

[skydiver386]

I'm beginning to think wearing a CMS shirt is hazardous to your health. Dang thing's ought to have a Surgeon Generals warning sewn on the collar!

 

[Vintageguy]

I'm beginning to think wearing a CMS shirt is hazardous to your health. Dang thing's ought to have a Surgeon Generals warning sewn on the collar!

They certainly seem to have a lot of charges and close calls.

 

[Cotton King]

Excellent footage and informative to those of us who are aspiring buff hunters. Nykasanga is the destination for my 2026 hunt.

 

[Sabre]

This seems like it would be interesting to people who are into buffalo hunts.

 

[Spearhead]

Nice charges by both buffalo and lion. Trackers never cease to amaze me with their skills. Kudos to them.

 

[Sabre]

This seems like it would be interesting to people who are into buffalo hunts.

Just to clarify, I had made a separate thread because I missed this one and asked the moderators to delete it if it was a duplicate. They moved my new post into a comment on this thread. I wasn't just reposting OP's video in the same thread.

 

[Philip Glass]

Dave is doing a great job with his new format. I am eager to see more of these. This video is an example to learn from for sure. I'd say practicing at super close range is a must for DG safari prep. I also will cite this charge as an example is why I pull the back trigger first.

 

[Russ16]

Dave is doing a great job with his new format. I am eager to see more of these. This video is an example to learn from for sure. I'd say practicing at super close range is a must for DG safari prep. I also will cite this charge as an example is why I pull the back trigger first.

I’m not sure why pulling the back trigger first would have helped. The issue is he didn’t switch triggers. I’ve shot tens of thousands or rounds through double trigger shotguns including at competitive pigeon shoots where a quick second shot is critical. Other than in a few hunting situations where I want to hit the tighter chokes barrel and a few rounds of alley shooting back to front for practice, I’ve always pulled the front trigger first. The hand slides quickly to the second trigger under recoil rather than having to reset in the opposite direction of the recoil.

 

[Andrew62]

Some of these film guys are truly amazing! I was in Cameroon 2 years ago for a buffalo hunt, Andy MacDonald was in camp filming the other hunter, campfires and sundowners were extra special that week just listening to and watching some of Andy’s stories and content!

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I am curious why the PH didn't ascertain where the first bullet was placed. I shot my buffalo bull on the run. All three of us could hear the impact: "You hit him!" But the bull kept running. Immediately as we ran after it my PH asked (with a definite tone of concern!) "Where did you hit him?" I pointed just behind my right shoulder (the bull was quartering away slightly). And that's where it hit. He ran for maybe 80 yards before turning to face us. I shot him again in the chest but the first one was the killer. I guess maybe because this video bull went right down there wasn't any questioning about shot placement. The PH assumed it was a spine shot but I don't think it really made a difference. Spine and brain are both CNS. In my humble opinion, the insurance shots were very poor angle. I would have moved around to the right a bit more. It is certainly understandable that some of that thick brush deflected the first shot enough to miss the brain. But I'm sure I would probably have done the same. PH told him to shoot (I assume he did ... I didn't actually hear him say shoot but I'm not wearing my hearing aids).

Years ago I shot a bull moose in his bed with my Springfield at about 75 yards. He rolled right over. I headed to where I'd dropped my pack fifteen yards behind me. Turned to look back and the bull was on his feet. Shot him in the neck again and down he went. But then got up again. Three more shots into him before he was done and the last one was him incoming at about the same range as this PH's finisher (but my bull was not moving nearly as fast!). Brained him. When we butchered my bull the first bullet was found lodged in his spinal cord! Spine shots are never a sure thing.

 

[HookMeUpII]

CMS shirt...yet again. Oh man.

It's becoming like a bullseye at this point.

 

[MacJenkins]

Miles is so down to earth. I just had lunch with him last thursday and he didn't bring this up when I asked how his season had been.

 

[Lancaster]

They certainly seem to have a lot of charges and close calls.

I'd say it's because A. CMS are a big outfitter (inc the biggest in Zim) with a large team of (top class) PHs and B. they have a lot of hunts filmed

 

[deewayne2003]

I’m not sure why pulling the back trigger first would have helped. The issue is he didn’t switch triggers. I’ve shot tens of thousands or rounds through double trigger shotguns including at competitive pigeon shoots where a quick second shot is critical. Other than in a few hunting situations where I want to hit the tighter chokes barrel and a few rounds of alley shooting back to front for practice, I’ve always pulled the front trigger first. The hand slides quickly to the second trigger under recoil rather than having to reset in the opposite direction of the recoil.

Agreed, the issue came from the hunter having shot thousands of rounds from a double barreled shotgun that had a single trigger..... it's muscle memory for it to go bang when you pull the same trigger a second time.

What I don't understand is with the animal being down why he didn't reload the bolt action he was using?.... there was plenty of time.

 

[375Fox]

What I don't understand is with the animal being down why he didn't reload the bolt action he was using?.... there was plenty of time.

I don’t think it had anything to do with reloading. Many people look for an excuse to use a double. The final insurance shot in this situation looks like it would be a pretty safe opportunity and quickly proved wrong. I think that’s lesson learned I take from this. Don’t switch to a rifle you are unfamiliar with. I was thinking of the scene from movie ghost in darkness when he couldn’t shoot lion because he took an unfamiliar rifle.

 

[UpNorthMI]

Excellent video, a key lesson to learn is to remain focused and to expect the unexpected! Buffalo are tough animals.

The celebration before the insurance shot was a little premature. Not sure the gun swap to a double rifle was a good idea, I'm sure he had no spare ammo. I appreciate that everyone was sure this buffalo was down, shot well and having it's final breaths, but things do not always go to plan.

I'm going to be controversial about liking and supporting the comment from the presenter that a .416 is a preferential choice over .375 for buffalo, assuming you can shoot both well. I know its possible to shoot everything on the planet with a .22lr. I also shoot .375 H&H but recent hunt experiences made me buy a new .416 Rem bolt action rifle for future hunts alongside my .500/.416 NE double.

 

[375Fox]

Excellent video, a key lesson to learn is to remain focused and to expect the unexpected! Buffalo are tough animals.

The celebration before the insurance shot was a little premature. Not sure the gun swap to a double rifle was a good idea, I'm sure he had no spare ammo. I appreciate that everyone was sure this buffalo was down, shot well and having it's final breaths, but things do not always go to plan.

I'm going to be controversial about liking and supporting the comment from the presenter that a .416 is a preferential choice over .375 for buffalo, assuming you can shoot both well. I know its possible to shoot everything on the planet with a .22lr. I also shoot .375 H&H but recent hunt experiences made me buy a new .416 Rem bolt action rifle for future hunts alongside my .500/.416 NE double.

You saw that was a 416 he used?

 

[UpNorthMI]

You saw that was a 416 he used?

I did see he was using a .416, as discussed his choice of shot placement was not great.

My recent use of .416 400 grain loads on buffalo was eye opening compared to prior 300 grain .375 use. It's all about personal choice. I'm sure .600 NE is even more eye opening! ...lol