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Best Caliber for Cape Buffalo Hunting

November 6, 2024

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There isn’t much agreement regarding the best caliber for Cape buffalo hunting. They don’t call these Kings of African Dangerous Game Hunts “Black Death” for no reason. We’ve all heard stories about the ferocity of a wounded Cape Buffalo, and anyone who’s been to Africa agrees that they are one of the toughest animals in the world to kill.

One of our hunters shot one SEVEN TIMES with 500 grain solid bullets from a .458 rifle. They tracked it in the thick bush for over 45 minutes for more than a mile, and it took an additional shot by the PH before expiring. Another buff took eleven shots from a .375 and two more from a .470 N.E. We even heard a recent story from one of our hunters about a big Dugga Boy that took nine shots from a .470 and a 500 before hitting the dirt. Are you ready to discuss the best caliber for cape buffalo hunting?

Ernest Hemingway poses with a cape buffalo he shot in 1953. — Ernest Hemingway poses with a cape buffalo he shot in 1953

Cape Buffalo Calibers Used by the Famous “White Hunters”.

In the quest for the best caliber for Cape Buffalo hunting, let’s look at what these guys used on their dangerous game hunts.

It took some big guns to bring the likes of Teddy Roosevelt, Ernest Hemingway and Peter Hathaway Capstick in the mouth of the fatal five and back out again safely (not to mention “the poor man’s buffalo” AKA the Blue wildebeest).

Theodore Roosevelt was a fan of an H&H 500/.450 double rifle given to him by a group of admiring Britons and a Winchester .405 1895 rifle.
Capstick was known to use a .470 rifle. The .470 Capstick rifle cartridge was developed by Colonel Arthur B. Alphin in 1990 named after Peter Capstick.
Some of the earlier rifles used included the .416 Rigby, 404 Jeffery and the .505 Gibbs.
The .505 was a scary rifle with a four inch long cartridge that would fire a 525 grain bullet that is still classified today as a “ destructive device.”

See also 7mm-08 Remington for Black Bear Hunting? Best Ammo (Round, Load, Cartridge) for a Successful Black Bear Hunt Hunting Calibers 04 Apr, 2020 Posted By: Foundry Outdoors Is the 7mm-08 Remington a viable caliber/load/round/cartridge for black bear hunting? The accurate answer is “it depends”. However, the goal of this article is simply to address the question of whether the 7mm-08 Remington is within the ideal range of suitable calibers to harvest black bear. As with anything, the devil is in the details. To answer the question completely, we would need to evaluate the downrange distance to the black bear, the bullet type, the grain weight of the bullet, the physical condition of the firearm, the size of the black bear in question, the shot placement, the local wind conditions, the expected accuracy of the shooter, the ethics of the ideal maximum number of shots – the list goes on. [Click Here to Shop 7mm-08 Remington Ammo]What we can do is provide a framework to understand what average conditions might look like, and whether those are reasonably viable for a shot from the average shooter to harvest a black bear in the fewest number of shots possible, i.e., ethically. Let’s dive right in. In the question of “Is the 7mm-08 Remington within the ideal range of suitable calibers for black bear hunting?” our answer is: Yes, the 7mm-08 Remington is A GOOD CHOICE for black bear hunting, under average conditions, from a mid-range distance, with a medium grain expanding bullet, and with correct shot placement.Let’s look at those assumptions a bit closer in the following table. Assumption Value Caliber 7mm-08 Remington Animal Species Black Bear Muzzle Energy 2450 foot-pounds Animal Weight 340 lbs Shot Distance 150 yardsWhat is the average muzzle energy for a 7mm-08 Remington? In this case, we have assumed the average muzzle energy for a 7mm-08 Remington round is approximately 2450 foot-pounds. What is the average weight of an adult male black bear? Here we have leaned conservative by taking the average weight of a male individual of the species, since females generally weigh less and require less stopping power. In this case, the average weight of an adult male black bear is approximately 340 lbs. [Click Here to Shop 7mm-08 Remington Ammo]What is the distance this species is typically hunted from? Distance, of course, plays an important role in the viability of a given caliber in black bear hunting. The kinetic energy of the projectile drops dramatically the further downrange it travels primarily due to energy lost in the form of heat generated by friction against the air itself. This phenonemon is known as drag or air resistance. Thus, a caliber that is effective from 50 yards may not have enough stopping power from 200 yards. With that said, we have assumed the average hunting distance for black bear to be approximately 150 yards. What about the other assumptions? We have three other primary assumptions being made here. First, the average bullet weight is encapsulated in the average muzzle energy for the 7mm-08 Remington. The second important assumption is ‘slightly-suboptimal’ to ‘optimal’ shot placement. That is to say, we assume the black bear being harvested is shot directly or nearly directly in the vitals (heart and/or lungs). The third assumption is that a projectile with appropriate terminal ballistics is being used, which for hunting usually means an expanding bullet.Various calibersA common thread you may encounter in online forums is anecdote after anecdote of large animals being brought down by small caliber bullets, or small animals surviving large caliber bullets. Of course those stories exist, and they are not disputed here. A 22LR cartridge can fell a bull elephant under the right conditions, and a newborn squirrel can survive a 50 BMG round under other specific conditions. Again, the goal of this article is simply to address the question of whether 7mm-08 Remington is within the ideal range of suitable calibers to harvest black bear - and to this question, the response again is yes, the 7mm-08 Remington is A GOOD CHOICE for black bear hunting. [Click Here to Shop 7mm-08 Remington Ammo]This article does not serve as the final say, but simply as a starting point for beginner hunters, as well as a venue for further discussion. Please feel free to agree, disagree, and share stories from your own experience in the comments section below. Disclaimer: the information above is purely for illustrative purposes and should not be taken as permission to use a particular caliber, a statement of the legality or safety of using certain calibers, or legal advice in any way. You must read and understand your own local laws before hunting black bear to know whether your caliber of choice is a legal option.Foundry Outdoors is your trusted home for buying archery, camping, fishing, hunting, shooting sports, and outdoor gear online.We offer cheap ammo and bulk ammo deals on the most popular ammo calibers. We have a variety of deals on Rifle Ammo, Handgun Ammo, Shotgun Ammo & Rimfire Ammo, as well as ammo for target practice, plinking, hunting, or shooting competitions. Our website lists special deals on 9mm Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 45-70 Ammo, 6.5 Creedmoor ammo, 300 Blackout Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 5.56 Ammo, Underwood Ammo, Buffalo Bore Ammo and more special deals on bulk ammo.We offer a 100% Authenticity Guarantee on all products sold on our website. Please email us if you have questions about any of our product listings. Leave a commentComments have to be approved before showing up Your Name * Your Email * Your Comment * Post Comment

A classic Westley Richards .470 Double Rifle

Modern Dangerous Game Rifles

When you ask the question: “What is the best caliber for Cape Buffalo hunting”, odds are one of these heavy hitters will be mentioned.

Ruger Tropical .375 H&H
Browning Bar Safari rifle
.500 nitro
.460 Weatherby Magnum
The .700 nitro and the .950 JOJ are meant for elephants, not cape buffalo hunting.