Nothing will mess up a cape buffalo hunt faster than a poorly placed shot.
Cape buffalo have a well deserved reputation for toughness and aggression. They also have the ability to soak up incredible amounts of lead from poorly placed shots. The good news is that they aren't bullet proof and a properly placed bullet from a heavy hitting rifle will bring them down.
Fortunately, Craig Boddington made this outstanding video showing proper shot placement on cape buffalo in various situations.
Craig Boddington is an extremely experienced hunter who has a lot of time afield in Africa hunting all sorts of game, including plenty of buffalo. So, it's certainly a good idea to listen to what he has to say.
Watch the video to see his thoughts on exactly where to shoot a cape buffalo.
A charge is the last thing anybody wants on a cape buffalo hunt. While bad shot placement won't necessarily result in a charge, it certainly has the potential to do so. At a minimum, it will result in much more stress for you and your professional hunter.
Fortunately, good shot placement on buffalo isn't extremely difficult. They're very large creatures and their vitals present a relatively large target. Shooting distances on buffalo are also normally pretty short (50-100 yards).
As long as you pay attention to what Boddington was saying in the video and practice shooting under realistic conditions before your hunt, you'll probably be fine. This applies regardless of whether you're hunting with a .375 H&H, a .375 Ruger, a .416 Remington, a .416 Rigby, a .458 Win Mag, a .458 Lott, or something else.
No buffalo will go very far if you put a well constructed bullet where it's supposed to go.
If you keep those things in mind and take your preparation seriously, things will probably go as planned on your cape buffalo hunt.
On the other hand, things can very rapidly go sideways out in the bush if you don't.
Like what you see? You can read more great articles by John McAdams on the Big Game Hunting Blog. Subscribe to his show: the Big Game Hunting Podcast or check out one of his African hunting safaris.
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