Fire Power
Ken Moody
Now that you’ve decided to hunt this menacing beast [the cape buffalo], let’s discuss what you’ll need to do the deed. There are scores of calibers and types of rifles one can use to cleanly dispatch a Cape Buffalo; single shots, bolt actions, double rifles, even lever actions can be utilized with calibers galore to satisfy the requirement of delivering adequate killing power, but unless you’re set on using grandpa’s old iron sighted Mauser, I’d suggest we look at the best client options. For me, I prefer to see a client arrive in camp with a well-used, bolt action rifle carrying a 1×4 power scope in a caliber that he/she can shoot accurately. While I believe a buffalo caliber should begin with a 4, the most common caliber used for buffalo hunting is the .375 H&H Magnum. In capable hands, the .375 can do the job and double as a good caliber for various plains game species as well. Its big brother, the .416 (Rigby or Remington), is what I’d consider the best client option when buffalo is the primary game to be hunted. Thousands of buffalo have been dropped with these two rounds and thousands more will be dispatched with ammo bearing a .375 or .416 headstamp.
Other calibers are certainly worthy of mention when it comes to hunting buff. The .404 Jeffrey is an old standard that still works and if you need your jawline re-aligned, the .505 Gibbs will help in that regard. For the client determined to hunt with the larger bores, a .458 Winchester Magnum is a good choice for close work, but if you can handle the recoil, the ultimate big bore bolt action caliber for hunting buffalo is, in my opinion, the .458 Lott. This caliber was designed specifically for buffalo hunting and remains atop the field of big bore stoppers in bolt action. Let’s discuss this caliber in a little more detail.
One cannot explain the genesis of the .458 Lott without first delving into its controversial predecessor, the .458 Winchester Magnum. Introduced to the hunting world in 1956 as a less expensive but equally powerful alternative to its high dollar double rifle brethren, the .458 WM in bolt action quickly gained worldwide acceptance and became the standard African dangerous game rifle/caliber combination. Now, professional hunters, game wardens, and the like could go a field with affordable solutions for nasty situations. In the early 1970s, however, problems with powder clumping and erratic powder burning began to surface due to the compressed ball powder being utilized by Winchester. To remedy the problem, Winchester simply reduced the pressure of the powder column, which, in turn, slowed the velocity of the caliber to around 1950 feet per second, a full 200 feet per second slower than the original design specs. Enter the .458 Lott.
After suffering injury during a 1959 Cape Buffalo hunt in Mozambique while using a .458 WM, Jack Lott surmised that something better must be made available. Beginning with standard .375 H & H Magnum brass, Lott married that existing brass with a .458 bullet, resized at the base to fit the .375 casing. Through the process of fireforming, the .458 Lott was born. Not only did Lott build a .458 that met the original performance intent of the Winchester Magnum, this new shoulder cannon exceeded it. Capable of firing 500 grain bullets at 2300 feet per second (at safe pressure levels), and yielding nearly 6000 pounds of energy, this new wildcat cartridge surpassed not only the old .458 WM but the .450 Nitro Express as well. When loaded with a 600-grain projectile, the Lott still speeds past the WM loaded with a 500 grainer in that it can attain a velocity of 2150 feet per second. All this extra performance does come at a price, however.
The felt recoil of the .458 Lott is substantial and easily more damaging than that of the WM.
If you are small in stature and lack the bulk to accept this punishing round, then I’d suggest a less aggressive caliber that you can shoot more accurately. It’s far more important to place your shots in the right spot than to flinch at anticipated recoil and miss the mark. Many an over-gunned client has suffered the consequences of poor shooting at dangerous animals. Once found only within the purview of the handloader, the cartridge became so popular over the years that now many factory-loaded options are available. Quality offerings from Federal, Hornady, Barnes, Nosler, Swift, etc. are available for those who do not wish to delve into the tedious, albeit rewarding, task of handloading. Find out what your rifle likes and feed it that! Just make sure it’s topped with superb, quality bullets. When hunting dangerous game, the two most important aspects to success are where you hit it and what you hit it with. The rest is just recovery. If you can handle it and shoot it accurately, then there’s no better cartridge for dispatching the big nasties than the .458 Lott. It’s not a long-range cartridge so your work will be close, but close is the goal and when things go bad, and sometimes they will, you’ll be confident knowing that you’ve armed yourself with the solution provided you can do your part. While the Lott is king, don’t be swayed against the Win Mag version as advances in powder have solved the old clumping issues and the newer .458 Winchester is now a sufficient buffalo caliber.
If your heart is set on hunting buffalo in the classis sense, with a double rifle, look at a caliber suited to the job and one that is not too clumsy in the bush. For client use, the perfect double rifle caliber is one of the .450/400s. These rifles are normally nimble in the hand, a pleasure to shoot, and devastating on buffalo provided good shot placement is realized. I’ve owned a .450/400 3” and loved shooting it, the mild recoil a bonus for long sessions on the range. Other classic double calibers include the .470 Nitro Express, the .500 Nitro, and the big hammer itself, the .600 Nitro Express. All these big bores will certainly make mince out of a buffalo, but double rifles are expensive and must be regulated to ensure both barrels strike in proximity to one another. While hunting with a double is something to romanticize about, one certainly isn’t required for client use. A good bolt action will work just fine. For the professional, however, a double rifle is a near necessity when facing a buffalo charge. There isn’t much time to cycle a bolt when Nyati comes calling.
Just as important as caliber is bullet type and weight. I have never advocated for a client to bring or use solids for hunting buffalo. Solids are for elephant, rhino, hippo, and backup work, not as a primary bullet type for client use on buffalo. They can over penetrate and can cause two or more buffalo to be struck with one shot. No, leave the solids to the professionals that are there to stop a charging buffalo, not the client who has little to no experience in such circumstances. A client should use softs on buffalo and my favorite is the Swift A Frame, a bullet simply designed to work. The A Frame delivers the goods, and equally as good, is the Barnes X or TSX. Rounding out the field are Trophy Bonded Bear Claws, Nosler Partitions, Accubonds, and even the Hornady DGX, which is tremendously better than previous Hornady offerings. The bullet is the most important aspect of the hunter’s arsenal and only quality, proven bullet designs will consistently bag a Cape Buffalo whose only reason for living at times is to torment and harass safari operators. Don’t skimp on bullets. Buy and use A Frames or other acceptable options and practice with them extensively.
Once you’ve settled on your rifle/ammo arsenal, go to the range and practice. Buffalo hunting is normally done in thick bush, so practice shooting from your knees, in the prone position, and from shooting sticks. Every professional in Africa has a pair of well-used shooting sticks and it is from these that you’ll most likely be shooting. While most are a tripod configuration, some professionals carry a bipod version with two long sticks that are separated and extended to cradle the client’s rifle. Practice with sticks so that when they’re dropped, you can mount them effortlessly. The time to bungle it up is not in the presence of your quarry. Save the screw ups for the range and practice until you can perform when needed. Also, you’ll not be entering into any long-range competitions while hunting, so practice at bush ranges. 50 to 100 yards is your likely firing distance, so become proficient at these so that you can mount the sticks, acquire your target, and get your shot off in an acceptable amount of time. Most opportunities are lost due to slow reaction times by the client or worse yet, cold triggers from a client who becomes a bit paralyzed when confronting a buffalo. Work these things out on the range and become an instinctive shooter so that when the time comes, you can do the job effectively.
And what about the client who doesn’t want to use a firearm to hunt the old dugga boy? Yes, believe it or not, there are many hunters who pursue Black Death with nothing more than a stick, string, broadhead, and good intentions. For the archery buff, pun intended, equipment choices can become a matter of life and death. Buffalo don’t like to be shot with arrows, so one must be sure to go afield with the proper rig to kill the beast.
Gone are the days of needing 100-pound bows and Herculean strength to draw it. Today, any good conventional compound bow drawing 70+ pounds can adequately kill a Cape Buffalo. Obviously, the greater poundage the better, but today’s bows are so much more efficient than those we used ‘back in the day’ that a 70 pound bow can do it. It’s the arrow that now matters and it must be of proper spine and weight. I highly recommend that the total arrow weight be no less than 950 grains and that the end of the arrow be collared to provide strength to that failure prone area where the broadhead screws into the arrow. Broadhead construction is crucial and cannot be anything other than a solid steel, two blade design. A Cape Buffalo is not the animal to try a stunt with, so leave the gimmicky heads at home and use trusted, proven heads like the original German Kinetics, Iron Will Buffalo Head, Grizzly Stik Heads, VPAs, etc.
A bow hunt for buffalo is already a dangerous proposition, so come prepared with the right gear. As with a rifle, practice, practice, practice. Draw and hold your bow for extended periods. Draw from your knees. Draw and move with your bow into a shooting position. Practice hitting a grapefruit sized target from 40 yards and closer until it’s second nature. Leave nothing to chance so that when opportunity is given, you’ll do your part. And don’t forget to pray, a lot!

Bulletproof – 30 Years Hunting Cape Buffalo is a beautiful, full color, exciting read from Ken Moody. It contains good information regarding hunting cape buffalo and many adventure stories throughout its chapters.
“Thirty years of hunting ‘Black Death’ has provided me with many lessons and encounters and while I didn’t want to do an encyclopedia on the subject, I have created 136 pages of informative content that makes for an easy weekend read,” says Ken.
Purchase price is $25, which includes shipping to anywhere in the US. You can pay via Venmo at Ken Moody Safaris or PayPal @kenmoody111. Please provide your shipping details with the order. If you’d prefer to send a check, send $25 to:
Ken Moody Safaris
POB 1510
Jamestown, TN 38556