Each of these bovines presents a unique hunting challenge.

By Craig Boddington

The Cape buffalo of Africa is genus and species Syncerus caffer; and the water buffalo, native to Asia, is Bos bubalus. We call them both “buffalo” (as we do the American bison, which is yet another genus and species), which is confusing. The Cape buffalo is a signature African animal, but for some reason, many people refer to Cape buffalo as “water buffalo.” While this mistake is common and adds to the confusion, for totally unknown reasons I have never heard anyone refer to a water buffalo as a “Cape buffalo.”

As hunters, I think it’s important to understand that water buffalo and Cape buffalo are significantly different animals. In biological terms, they are not as close as white-tailed deer and mule deer (which do share the same genus), and thus might be considered as disparate as sheep and goats or even elk and mule deer. They do have similarities. Both are cloven-hoofed ungulates; both are primarily grazers.

Try out a variety of dangerous game rifles and learn how to stop a charge at this unique shooting clinic.

by Diana Rupp

All I could see of the large Cape buffalo was its face, horns, and chest as it started toward me from the edge of the trees, coming at a steady clip. I readied the double rifle and settled the open sights between its nostrils, just as the professional hunter had instructed.

Question:

It seems the .450 Marlin meets the requirement for Cape buffalo, i.e. large enough to launch a 400- to 405-grain bullet at 2,023 fps or a 350-grain (larger than the standard 375 H&H bullets) at a respectable 2,223 fps. Tell us what you think. Does the .450 Marlin pass muster for buffalo?

Answer:

No, it does not, in my opinion. To be “buffalo suitable” a caliber/cartridge/bullet combination MUST have all the following attributes:

1.  About 4,000 ft-lbs of muzzle energy
2.  About 100 lbs-fps of momentum
3.  A bullet sectional density of at least .300
4.  At least 2,000 fps of muzzle velocity

Mozambique is now one of the best countries in Africa for a buffalo hunt.

By Craig Boddington

The sun was dropping fast when we walked up on my buffalo, and it would be long past dark by the time we got back to our spike camp at the edge of the big swamp. But this was the third buffalo we’d taken that day, all mature bulls—and as we brought in the Argos and did the necessary work, there were four other herds in sight, at all points of the compass.

Life-size (and smaller) targets to help you get ready for your Cape buffalo safari.

If you're planning to take on dangerous game in Africa, it's very important to practice with your big-bore rifle under the most realistic conditions possible. With this life-size buffalo target, you can set up a training regimen that's as realistic as it gets. You'll need the right range setup, but if you have a place for it, this target is the ideal way to get realistic shooting practice with your dangerous-game rifle at the same distances you'll be shooting at buffalo on your safari. The target is 5 feet high and 8 feet long, and is printed on lightweight, weather-resistant, corrugated plastic board that folds up into five sections.

Life-size freestanding buffalo target.