You're Going on a Cape Buffalo Hunt...What Rifle Do You Want?

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Nalapombu

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Hey all,

I have been curious about Cape Buffalo hunting and Dangerous Game rifles for a while now. I thought I would ask you all and see what your opinions are. If you were going to Africa on a Dream Cape Buffalo hunt what rifle would you want hanging off your shoulder and why?

Thanks

Nala
 
John Rigby double in .470 or .500 NE, or an H&H double:D nothing beats the stopping power and elegance of a classic double rifle

on the lesser side of $30,000, a controlled round feed bolt action in a very large caliber, probably .416 rigby or .460 weatherby, reliable, relatively affordable, and will still drop most dangerous game when it counts
 
458 win comes to mind. 500 grains going 2100 fps... should do the trick...
 
Hmm, good question. The biggest thing I own is a Browning BAR in .338 Win Mag. I took a moose with it, but of course those Cape Buffalo are bigger then that aren't they. Thats my ticket, 250gr at 2900fps...
 
British .303 is used quite extensively over there in Africa if I am not mistaken. Not to mention my favorite the .308. I would also consider a Ruger MK1 in something like .375 H&H or better.
 
there is a barret .50 modification company out there that makes a mag fed 20mm vulcan rifle... im sure that would do the trick... and you can even get a supressor for it
 
At a bare minimum a .375 H&H. I would prefer a double rifle in .577 Nitro Express.
 
Solothurn.
I dont even want to be in the same county as a pissed-off cape buffalo when he realizes I just took a shot at him.

Kharn
 
Yeah, from my time reading Africa books, I seem to recall that the .375 H&H was recommended as a minimum rifle, but more than that, it was recommended as the rifle that would reliably do the job if you could only take one rifle. Those same guys would recommend a two rifle battery of .375 H&H and .458 Win Mag.
 
I had a friend, a Navy Corpsman, who did a stint in Africa with the Peace Corps.
He told me that you see 12ga. shotguns and 375 H&H pretty universally over there.

Square business, I would never hunt one, but if one required being fired on, I would like something that could do it from a neighboring zip code, like a 50 BMG.
 
It's not so much that the Cape Buffalo is bigger than a Moose. It's the physiological difference in their nervous systems.

The buff is much more simple in design. And, it's CNS is much more difficult to hit because it's so rudimentary. And, the buff is so massive.

I'd take the aforementioned double rifle in 375 H&H or 416 Rigby. What's reward without risk? :D
 
.500 A-Square. A friend went on safari about ten years ago and the airline temporarily lost his .416 Remington. His professional hunter loaned him a .500 A-Square. He said it knocked the buffalo flat reliably.
 
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