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Any Single Shot Rifle, Cape Buffalo Hunters Here?

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#21 ·
BC Brian said:
!oldHorseman,

Thanks for the great post and especially the pictures! Congratulations your excellent hunting achievements.

Also, excellent pistol and cartridge.That .416 Ruger is an excellent DG cartridge. I think that Buffalo Bore loads good bullets in their cartridges. ( It goes without saying that the bullet does all the heavy lifting)

I am very interested, what velocity do you figure you are getting. Is that about a 10-12 inch barrel?
Click to expand...
It's a 14" barrel with a 1/12 twist. The 350 gr monometal solids chronographed at 2,506 fps for 4,883 ft lbs / 6,620 joules of energy. And yes, it's a handful to shoot! Have other single shots in 400 Tembo and 400 Holland & Holland but I sure like that .416 Ruger. All the Ruger rounds shoot well out of 14" barrels. I have used a 300 RCM and 338 RCM pistols on a lot of game in the US and Africa.
 
Discussion starter · #22 ·
1OldHorseman said:
It's a 14" barrel with a 1/12 twist. The 350 gr monometal solids chronographed at 2,506 fps for 4,883 ft lbs / 6,620 joules of energy. And yes, it's a handful to shoot! Have other single shots in 400 Tembo and 400 Holland & Holland but I sure like that .416 Ruger. All the Ruger rounds shoot well out of 14" barrels. I have used a 300 RCM and 338 RCM pistols on a lot of game in the US and Africa.
Click to expand...
That is an excellent firearm and cartridge as far as I am concerned.
A 14" barrel is perfect, and 2,506 fps, .416, 350 gr bullet takes it right into the Cape buffalo stopping category. 👍

I will take a look again at that BB cartridge/bullet but I remember it as having a wide flat nose ( meplat.)

Michael458 of B&M Rifles and Cartridges who developed the CEB Safari Raptor and Safari Solid bullet proved that a 67% flat meplat was about ideal for straight deep penetration with a big permanent wound channel. ( maybe that is the same bullet that you are using in the Buffalo bore ammo?)

For sure that is very first class DG rig!

Thanks for your post. Brian
 
#23 ·
dough.4x4bucks said:
The PH had fired the shot that actually knocked the buffalo down, but when he cycled the bolt the next round failed to feed and he closed the bolt on an empty chamber
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It could have been that he 'short cycled' the bolt and didn't get the bolt face behind the cartridge rim.....but, you wouldn't expect an experienced PH to get 'rattled' under pressure and do that! I guess stranger things have happened. If so, that would have still happened with a CRF gun....ya gotta get the bolt to the right place, or.....
 
#24 ·
crooked creek said:
It could have been that he 'short cycled' the bolt and didn't get the bolt face behind the cartridge rim.....but, you wouldn't expect an experienced PH to get 'rattled' under pressure and do that! I guess stranger things have happened. If so, that would have still happened with a CRF gun....ya gotta get the bolt to the right place, or.....
Don't know. I was kind of busy at the time so I wasn't watching him. I will say that I never saw him be anything except cool under preasure, and he also owned the safari company. My feeling at the time was that the floor plate spring was "sticky" and just didn't feed the next round up. He carried his Brno in .375 H&H for the rest of the safari. I have always made sure that springs, floorplates, and anything else that might need to slide against anything else be smooth and oiled since then. I like hunting buffalo but I'm not into unnecessary risk.
Click to expand...
 
#27 ·
A few years back, before some health issues, I booked a buffalo hunt that never got taken. At first it was gonna be my Ruger#1 in 450 3 1/4 Nitro Express. After some realistic thinking, I decided to bring my Mauser in 416 Taylor. Much more sense for me at least. Now, still shoot them both, but the dangerous game hunting is in the rear view. It is all good, whatever flavor you like.
Rick
 
Discussion starter · #37 ·
Thanks, That was from a 2016 buffalo cow hunt at Buffalo Land Safaris on the beautiful Klasarie River near Hoedspruit.

We hunted 3 cow and it was a great time. The excellent Kobus Kok was the PH. The story of the hunt was published in the African Hunting Gazette Summer 2017. "Never Mind the Bull", by Brian Gallup

I was using my own 700 grain hard cast bullets on that hunt. The Rifle is a re-barreled .577 NE H&R Handi Rifle. All one shot DRT kills. That cartridge kills buffalo like a lightening bolt.(y)

I will get out a few more photos from a 6 cow hunt I did near Rustenburg in April this year, with the same rifle, but different bullets. It was after a couple months of steady rain and the grass was 3-4 feet tall in places and the bush was dense and green. At my age I had some trouble walking in the deep grass. It was high adventure. Sometimes those buffalo cows don't play by the rules in the thick bush. Inspite of my clumsiness the PH kept me out of harms way. I was an excellent hunt. Pictures to follow.
 
Discussion starter · #38 ·
I have made several different stocks for my .577NE single shot rifle.. The one that I like to shoot is the ugliest one. Also, I have gone on a "camo craze" and my buffalo rifles have gotten pretty weird looking.
I like them all covered in camo and have not gotten one complaint from a buffalo.🙂
In my ripe old age the .577 NE recoil has gotten to me a bit so I machined a "tank" muzzle brake and it makes a huge difference, it now kicks like a .375. The rifle weight just under 12 pounds with it's 26.5 inch barrel.
Here are pictures from my April 2025 hunt for six cows in North West Province. Enjoy...

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