Open Sighted 45-70 in Africa

[edward]

Yes, because they didn't have to go into the thick stuff, chasing after a buffalo poked in the wrong place with too flimsy of a stick.

As we all know, Bell killed numerous elephants with a 7x57. Is it enough gun? You decide.

poke them in the wrong place with a 700 nitro and you have trouble.RIGHT?

 

[CTDolan]

poke them in the wrong place with a 700 nitro and you have trouble.RIGHT?

It's referred to as having a margin for error. Why leave yourself none? Why put those you've hired at risk?

Like I said, you could just as well do the job with a 30-06 (or less, as was common way back when), but why? You're no more of a man for having taken less gun to the fight (and, in some ways, you might be less...trying to prove something).

 

[edward]

obvious your trying to prove its your way or no way.ill leave the decisions as to whats safe and whats not to the pros that i want to hunt with.ive never brought any weapon to hunt with that was not agreed upon by the p.h.youll forgive me for not taking your opinion as the last word from god.ill continue on with my little cap guns if its all the same to you.weve done all right so far on our 5 little trips to africa,and im sure if we go again it will still be hunting with our cap guns weather you agree or not.dont mean to be rude but im through with this subject as it is another beating the dead horse issue.youve got your opinion and ive got mine that ill stick with.over and out!!!

 

[CTDolan]

"ive never brought any weapon to hunt with that was not agreed upon by the p.h."

Well, as you know, the customer is always right.

 

[CTDolan]

Sorry, now I'm just poking fun.

 

[IvW]

Except a .30-06 with 220-250 grain solids penetrates better than a .45/70 will. ... Sorry. Can of worms.... opened.

Penetration is not all you need for DG!

 

[IvW]

poke them in the wrong place with a 700 nitro and you have trouble.RIGHT?

RIGHT!!

Poke them in the wrong place with a 45-70 you will have a lot more trouble!!

Would you then be comfortable following up whatever you poked in the wrong pace with the 45-70?

I would most certainly not.

Hunting an undisturbed buffalo that does not know you are there is quite different to hunting buffalo that know you are there. The average visiting client may shoot only one buffalo in his life, why on earth would you want to do so with a rifle/cartridge that is so marginal for the task that it borders on being unethical for the task?

By all means take a 45-70 to Africa, but use it sensibly and within its capabilities.

 

[Philip Glass]

I'm in Zim and a hunter just shot a buffalo with a .45-70 but they lost it. They tracked the wounded animal for miles to no avail.
May not be a good choice. I shot my buff with .416 Ruger and that seems to be good medicine For the Black Death!

 

[ChrisG]

Penetration is not all you need for DG!

Oh I am aware of that... but straight line penetration is what ensures a kill shot. I would rather hit them with a .30 caliber rifle that punches a laserline straight through where I am aiming , than a .50 caliber that carries 10,000 ft.lbs of energy and deflects off a bone or tracks like the Amazon river. I was by no means advocating a .45-70. I was saying that the .30-06 with right bullets will penetrate better. The test for me would be "can you take a frontal head shot on an elephant with this load, and will it make it to the brain 99% of the time." .30 cal with a 220-250 grain bullet. Yes. .45/70 with a 480, 500 or 535 grain hard cast.... Who knows. I know this is a thread about buffalo, but my metric for a dangerous game rifle would be one that can accomplish that. I'll stick with my .375 and .416...

 

[TTundra]

RIGHT!!

Hunting an undisturbed buffalo that does not know you are there is quite different to hunting buffalo that know you are there. The average visiting client may shoot only one buffalo in his life, why on earth would you want to do so with a rifle/cartridge that is so marginal for the task that it borders on being unethical for the task?

By all means take a 45-70 to Africa, but use it sensibly and within its capabilities.

This is pretty much where I stand. Personally, I do not want to rely on the 'extreme' of any caliber. meaning, I don't want to have the heaviest (or Lightest) load and depend on that. I want to be able to run the gambit with cartridge loading's and not have to worry. I'd rather work in the mid range of a cartridges capability than max it out. A screaming 30 could certainly do the job, as could a screaming 45-70....but I rather have a moderate 416 Rigby and be able to go to any outfitter and grab whatever box off the shelf and know that they will all do just fine...

 

[cagkt3]

I was thinking of using frozen herring per @Velo Dog recommendation.

 

[Rule 303]

I was thinking of using frozen herring per @Velo Dog recommendation.

This could work, after all a frozen chook will go through the windscreen of an F111