Buffalo and the .308

[Treeman]

Yup ! Buffalo hunt with a .308.

One of the lighties I taught to hunt, first shooting to first animal has a farm which has numerous game farms around and against their land, sometimes interesting animals just show up on their farm. Some of these animals like the waterbuck and Impala have taken up residence and now walk in herds on their land.
With careful management and only two hunters on 3 farms the pickings can be good.

Recently a young buffalo bull came onto the farm and took offence to the dairy cattle which resulted in land owner reaching behind seat and putting a 30 06 bullet into its head -  and another and then a few more.
I gather it eventually got so heavy that it could not walk and the farmer drove up to it and finally killed it.

Last Wednesday a small heard of buffalo were spotted on the farm and despite looking into it, no game farm seems to be asking around about missing buffalo. The animals go into some real dense Cape Coastal Forest area which sees no use on the farm and also into some Government Reserve land and just disappear for a while and then reappear later. The diary and beef farms have no time nor place for the buffalo which seem to cause a lot of shit, they also cause the workers to not want to work the lands.

The farmers son to whom I refer to is now 17 and full of dreams and plans, one of them appears to accidently "have" to shoot a buffalo because it charged him - "HERO" status acquired. The lightie has not said this, but the messages inquiring into "solid" bullets and "all metal" got me alerted. The other night I was asked about buffalo and "do you think a .308 will drop a buff? head shot Uncle Dave" as if the head shot would be better.

I explained that any .308 bullet would be hard pressed to head shot a buffalo, not to mention stopping one that has put its head down.

I have no doubt that I would kill a buff with a .308, using everything I know and a shot behind the shoulders with a heavy premium bullet - I am sure the animal will die like any other lung shot animal. Some minutes + that is. Would I fetch the .308 if going on a buff hunt? No! I have better suited calibers.

All the above being said, I knew (he may still be alive) an old English farmer who had shot with a .270 Win many buff, " oh Dave many of them, we did not count back those days, it was just a job that needed doing sometimes". When I asked about the bullets he answered that he used the ones they used to sell at Wolwe Fontein Gun shop. The shop closed in the 60 ties  . Evidently buffalo roamed from Addo and some other area into the farming areas of DaggaFontein - Kommadagga regularly back then, elephant were still being hunted - destroyed in the area as well.
I have no reason to not believe the old man, he was not showing off, he just said when he saw my .270 that the .270 had always been his rifle, and that he had shot a few buffalo in his younger days with the .270 Win, even showed me where the buff would always end up going to on the one hillside, every time they came to area they would gravitate to one part of the land.

What do you guys think about a .308 Win for buffalo ?

[BBCT]

First off, I'm a huge fan of the .308 - it can do anything that most of us will ever need or want from a rifle calibre.

I'm sure it's possible to kill a buffalo with a .308. Stories abound of shooting cattle with a .22 rimfire to the head and the leap from cattle to buffalo in terms of overall size, weight, bone structure etc. (let's leave temperament out of the discussion at this stage) is smaller than the leap from .22RF to .308.

Having said that, I don't think it be would a "good idea" and I would far rather have something more substantial than a .308 by my side, primarily because of the temperament that I left out earlier.

Buffalo hunting is too much of a contact sport to be entered into lightly, even when you have the great 308 by your side.

[Tripodmvr]

I remember a story published in Magnum, where the author told of shooting a few buffalo near the Addo with a 7x57. Good shot placement is the answer. So, yes a 308 will do it. Will I use that calibre - noooo, I have a 375 that is better suited for the job.

[Kola]

As much respect as I have for the .308, I have way more respect for the sharp end of a buffalo.

For me, the least I will be comfortable with is my .416 Rigby, and even that might feel small when SHTF.

[Treeman]

All replies have a dash of nudge and wink 

Ya, bit worried that the lightie is going to do something "clever"
I have actually phoned his mother regarding the subject and asked her t just mention "by the way" that she was just making sure he understands that there is to be no considerations given to even trying that stunt.

[oafpatroll]

Testosterone is powerful stupid medicine. At 17 it is much likely to be overdosed on.

[Treeman]

Testosterone is powerful stupid medicine. At 17 it is much likely to be overdosed on.

*************************
Ya !, he is a REALLY nice boy, but smart and smart arse are close relatives.

[JamesNotBond]

The thought does occur to me that you may have rubbed off on the boy Tree 

[223]

The thought does occur to me that you may have rubbed off on the boy Tree 

Well, that is a frightening thought...

I do recall having read somewhere of a missionary who shot many buffalo with a 30-06.  The story goes that he would stand very close to a thick tree (I wonder why?) and wait till a buff looked at him, head held high, then shoot it up the nostrils.  That should work, most of the time.  If it didn't, well, I suppose that's what the tree was for.

Comparing the length (SD) of a 220gn RN .308 bullet to a 300gn RN .375 bullet, gives me the idea that, with a strong enough bullet, they should both be capable of very decent penetration.

No, don't try that with a 308.  Kid's mother will not take the result well.

[Ds J]

The thought does occur to me that you may have rubbed off on the boy Tree 

Well, that is a frightening thought...

I do recall having read somewhere of a missionary who shot many buffalo with a 30-06.  The story goes that he would stand very close to a thick tree (I wonder why?) and wait till a buff looked at him, head held high, then shoot it up the nostrils.  That should work, most of the time.  If it didn't, well, I suppose that's what the tree was for.

The missionary in the story used a 30-30 lever action

Yes, a 308 would kill a buffalo if the shot placement is correct. That goes for a head shot too. Ask the troepies of the Bush war what they did not shoot with an R1.

As pointed out many times, it is a wise principal to use enough gun, especially on things like buffalo.

[Ds J]

The thought does occur to me that you may have rubbed off on the boy Tree 

Well, that is a frightening thought...

I do recall having read somewhere of a missionary who shot many buffalo with a 30-06.  The story goes that he would stand very close to a thick tree (I wonder why?) and wait till a buff looked at him, head held high, then shoot it up the nostrils.  That should work, most of the time.  If it didn't, well, I suppose that's what the tree was for.

The missionary in the story used a 30-30 lever action

Yes, a 308 would kill a buffalo if the shot placement is correct. That goes for a head shot too. Ask the troepies of the Bush war what they did not shoot with an R1.

As pointed out many times, it is a wise principal to use enough gun, especially on things like buffalo.

In "Fanie se veldskooldae", the author states that his dad shot the buffalo on foot, with open sights. He used either a Martini or a 303. He was a child and was left in camp because it was too dangerous.

[Treeman]

13 more buffalo have wondered onto the farm and the litie has requested permission to hunt one. He posted today that he is "just waiting for the go ahead" from Mom.
I am wandering how this is going to pan out, "interesting times" comes to mind.

[Ds J]

13 more buffalo have wondered onto the farm and the litie has requested permission to hunt one. He posted today that he is "just waiting for the go ahead" from Mom.
I am wandering how this is going to pan out, "interesting times" comes to mind.

Would she seriously consider it?

Call the mother (again if necessary) and beg for her son's life. Send her the video clip of the PH who got gorged whilst backing up with a 30-06.

Maybe they would be willing to sell the buffalo, or have then hunted properly and earn the money?

[oafpatroll]

The mind boggles. I sincerely hope the mom can have her mind changed.

[oafpatroll]

Reminds me of the time when i was 14 and my mom's friend fell on hard times. To help her out she paid off the o/s balance on the friend's husband's XS1100 Yamaha and gave it to me to look after. Sounds about as sensible an idea as the buffalo hunting one.