Rifle drills for Cape Buffalo

[wesheltonj]

SAAM has a shooting drill. Ammo pouch on your right. Shoot three standing, while your gun is still shouldered pull two from your pouch load and shoot again keep repeating until out of ammo. Load another pouch and start over. Best to wear a shoulder pad.

 

[Fatback]

I will be using my 404J for my buffalo hunt and it is a Winchester model 70. I am thinking about using my 7x57, also a model 70, for some of the practice sessions, just to save on ammunition and also my shoulder. Comments or suggestions?

I do the same thing but instead of a 7x57 I use my 270 Win. Seems to work for me. In a typical practice session I’ll shoot the big/ buffalo caliber half as much as the 270 Win. I feel like this gets me the best of both worlds, plenty of trigger time without shooting up all if my larger caliber ammo prior to my safari.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

If you reload, maybe just lighten your 404J loads for initial practice. I'm a firm believer in eventually using the real ammunition that you plan to hunt with to get used to the recoil, weight of the gun and being competent in handling and all all the functions of the actual gun you are going to be using.

Yes, I do reload. The problem is obtaining bullets, as I use 400 gr Swift A Frames and they are scarce. I probably have enough Hornady factory ammo for early practice sessions and maybe 80 rounds of handloads with the Swift AF for final tune up practice, right before the hunt.

My thinking on using the 7x57 for early practice is the muscle memory should be the same or close enough, while shooting off of the sticks, cycling the bolt and performing reloads. And 7x57 ammo is plentiful.

 

[Pheroze]

Yes, I do reload. The problem is obtaining bullets, as I use 400 gr Swift A Frames and they are scarce. I probably have enough Hornady factory ammo for early practice sessions and maybe 80 rounds of handloads with the Swift AF for final tune up practice, right before the hunt.

My thinking on using the 7x57 for early practice is the muscle memory should be the same or close enough, while shooting off of the sticks, cycling the bolt and performing reloads. And 7x57 ammo is plentiful.

Both my 400 H&H and 308 Norma Mag are built on the Brno ZKK model. I did that for the same reason you mention. But the cost difference is not there, same for the difficulty getting brass etc. I hope to chance across a 6.5x55 or something smaller on a ZKK model to use for practice one day. Right now I shoot a lot of 22LR but the bolt works totally differently so I suspect it helps more for flinch control than anything else.

 

[AZDAVE]

Last October we hunted Mozambique for my wifes first buffalo.

Started with range practice off sticks at 25-75 yards. Had her shoot 5 shots with the 375, then 25 shots with her 22. (Her 22 has the same stock and red dot on it as the 375) and repeat this over the range session till she shot 20 375 and 100 22LR.

Dry fire practice: 6 rounds of dummy rounds.
Set a full size target up with a broadside angle and a 1/4 size of a frontal. The full size was at 25 yards and the frontal was at 15. She would walk around the porch and get on sticks and shot the full size come off sticks and move 10 quick steps to the left and shoot off hand at the frontal, then repeat going to the right after the full size target. Then the same with 2 shots being done quickly, with a reload from her ammo pouch and repeat. Made her do the sit on your butt with the rifle across your lap and simulate a final stalk with little cover and shoot from the sitting and kneeling positions. use the pillar on the porch to simulate use a tree for support on a shot. Did a few prone and standing using a backpack for support kinda shots.

Physical training:
started off walking 3 miles a day 6 days a week and worked up to 7-9 miles a day 6 days a week. We are also lucky as we can hike a huge number of trails in the mountains behind us. One of the areas we have domestic cows and talked my wife through shot placement from all the different angles. Really helps with visualization. Plus we got to see a good bit of wild life on our hikes. Since we are in southern Arizona and the flora and fauna is like Africa in the it all pokes, stings, and scratches like the African bush so we get practice before we head across the pond.

 

[thriller]

Hello all

I am booked for my first Cape buffalo hunt. My rifle (400H&H) and load (Swift A-Frame) are ready to go. The range I use does allow standing shots, so I can practice from sticks. I dry fire a lot. But I also have a camp property that I could use to set up other practice drills. So, I am wondering whether you folks have any drills that you think help with preparing for this kind of hunt that I could set up.

Thanks

Make sure to practice reloading. I am sure you already are but it’s not something to fumble in the heat of the moment.

 

[bowjijohn]

Agree with the above. I also spent a fair bit of time and rounds practicing fast repeat shots at small targets. I saw this video years ago:

Purportedly a test in SA for "wildlife guides". According to the video, par time for the test is 15 seconds. At any rate I replicated this drill, using a timer, with 3 inch bulls at 15, 10, and 5 meters and put a hit on each, starting far (15) and ending up close (5) yards. I ran this drill both with an empty chamber as in the video, as well as loaded chamber and 4 rounds total. When I did the drill with 4 rounds I put two on the 15, then 1 on 10 and 1 on 5. I found I could consistently hit the three 3" bulls around the 9 second mark. I could shoot considerably faster, but if I pushed the speed too much I would miss a bull or two. It is a fun drill and good for sorting out functioning issues as well as training to aim small (buffalo brain) even at close ranges.

That video very very loosely mimics one of the shooting drills that SA Field guides are required to pass annually

The close up of the ‘easing springs’ drill, on the vid, is a close representation of what is required in order to prepare your rifle prior to taking tourists out on a game drive

It is a pass/fail element to the assessment

I do have a course of fire, based partially upon the FGASA advance rifle assessment that I have, in the past, used for a DG course I’ve run for hunters and zoo staff

PM me if you would like the basic bones of the shooting elements

Do bare in mind though, that these drills are skewed towards the non hunter who is required to be able to stop a charge in protection of their clientele

As such, destroying an animal that you are there to watch, not hunt, is loaded with paperwork and justification

It means that you cannot engage an animal at a distance greater than 15m

This means 2 things

1. Your skills must be exemplary

2. Shooting means that you have screwed up

Unnecessarily putting animal and client in danger

 

[Hammergun]

As others have pointed out, a good first shot and quickly reload and keep shooting as long as he is upright. Plan on shooting your gun until empty. Dry fire with dummies is great for this. Always practice as if it's the real thing. NO catching brass while practicing. If you do, you'll do it while under pressure on your hunt.

It's very important to be able to reload while watching your Buffalo. Mine went down in the hind end after two shots in his chest. Bawling and spinning. I stepped a few feet left from some cover to better see him while I reloaded. I opened the bolt and caught the round in my hand and just then he saw us and he got back up and started running. I only had time to put the round that was in my hand back into the magazine and start shooting. Two more into him and he was down for good and my gun was empty. If I hadn't been watching while I reloaded who knows what would've happened.