Rifle/cartridge for Cape Buffalo

Big caliber guns in Africa were mostly used by the rich people of Europe and North America, the Africans in particular the farmers used mostly 30-06's 9.3x62 and the occasional. 375H&H.
Even though this 3 calibers will kill any animal in the world they don't sound as cool as for example the 458 Lott or the 470 nitro express and so on.
And people would argue that for example the 30.06 doesn't have the necessary stopping power to hunker down a cape Buffalo, well I'm not arguing with that but that's when your first shot comes in to play, make it count, you can't rely solely on a belief that a rifle with big stopping power will save your bacon.
And yes I do agree with some of the members when they say the (dangerous game) is a bit exaggerated one of the members even said that without the dangerous in it hunts don't sell as much.
but again even though this calibers will kill any animal in the world bigger is always better as long as you can handle those rifles properly.
Remember the .375H&H is the Queen of Africa 😉
 
375h&h is an exceptional all around cartridge for africa. But since you are specifically thinking about cape buffalo, this is an excellent oppurtunity to get something over 40 cal. But that also depends on your budget.

I would lean towards a cartridge with some old world style. 416 rigby or 404 jeffery.
 
That’s where a switch barrel rifle would be awesome! 416 rem mag and maybe 300 rem mag or anything that uses the same bolt face!
 
If your wanting a rifle, useful for more than a 10 day African Safari, the 375H&H. Minimal rifle for Satan's cattle. But go from a 300 gr for the Buffalo to a 220-235gr handload, and you have a powerful versatile rifle with close to the trajectory of 30-06.

If your not going for versatility. Get a powerful 45, probably 458win. Take a second caliber for plains game. A 300win or 7 rem mag.sounds about right.

My two big ones are 375 rum and 416 Rigby.
 
nowarningshot said:
If your wanting a rifle, useful for more than a 10 day African Safari, the 375H&H. Minimal rifle for Satan's cattle. But go from a 300 gr for the Buffalo to a 220-235gr handload, and you have a powerful versatile rifle with close to the trajectory of 30-06.

If your not going for versatility. Get a powerful 45, probably 458win. Take a second caliber for plains game. A 300win or 7 rem mag.sounds about right.

My two big ones are 375 rum and 416 Rigby.
Click to expand...

If you reload, you can make the .458 Win more versatile than you might expect. Barnes 400 SP at 2300, with a 3" kill zone radius, 0 - 230 yards, with reasonable Kentucky windage further... many don't envision the cartridge beyond 100 yards... note; this is not a buffalo bullet, it is an "everything else bullet." Load here;
Screenshot_20250426_104820_Samsung Internet.jpg
 
Speaking of light bullet loads for the 458; used 350 grain TSXs taken up to 2650 over a pile of H4198 while culling asiatics. It was sort of a multi level experiment, seeng how they worked, seeing how close a guy could get to making a 458 into a 375, and an effort to control recoil on big days. It was basically a success the lighter TSXs worked about the same as the heavy ones, and recoil was
basically 375 level. Shot about 60with that load, 29 one day, not counting shooting clean up for the other two shooters. I never count those on my own tally, but about another
25. I ran out of ammo that day😂 It worked well; killed like a 458 and kicked like a 375. Or at least a 458 with TSXs.
 
My personal experience, 416 Rigby, 458 WM & Lott. I have used , the buff in my picture was a 470.
I have a 450 Rigby, but its best for jumbo , recoil is stout.

Good hunting
Pat
 
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