Been gone again, met up with Mbogo.

[Coues Sniper]

Great bull, and awesome story. I hope to do that one day. Thanks for sharing.

[MT4XFore]

Ian, what a great story. Really a nice looking bull too. Those white marks on his face really give him character and his horns are perfect. Thanks for sharing.

[Fiftydriver]

While the 458 Win Mag is extremely popular, you keep hearing stories like this, buffs taking a pounding and keep on rolling. Now surely these are tougher critters then I have ever hunted and I know they are not easy to put down with any chambering but what is your opinion of the 458 Win Mag and now that you have done it would you have rather used a 458 Lott or better yet a 475 capstick for more terminal authority?

Just wanting your opinion. I have a 458 Lott and feel its about the best there is in practical 458 caliber magnums after playing and loading for several 458 Win Magnums. I got very frustrated getting only 2000 fps with the 500 gr Hornady SPs. With the Lott its a simple matter to get 2350 fps with the same bullet SP or FMJ.

Also, do you think one of the larger chamberings would have resulted in a quicker end to the fight?

Great story. Of the african game, you just killed the one I want to hunt the most!!!

[Len Backus]

Good to have you back, Bwana!

[Ian M]

Kirby,
I have read some of the horror stories from the early ammo production of .458 Win mag - sure hope they have overcome all the powder problems in current ammo. No doubt the Lott will outperform the standard 458 Mag with ease. When I hunted brown bear I felt the .416 Rigby had the energy to completely overwhelm the charging bear. Far better performance than the .375 H&H.
This time was different. I hit him in the heart and lungs, broke a shoulder and several minutes later he was waiting to ambush us. Would a Lott or a larger bore rifle have done a better job? Truth is I have no idea since this was my only experience with the cape buff, but I would expect they might have caused death quicker.
Throughout my life I have always dreamed of hunting two animals, the Alaskan brown bear and the cape buffalo. Now my dreams have been fullfilled - I will go into a form of depression for a while and then set another goal.
Kirby, I hope you get to hunt the big black buffalo someday - he truly is awsome.
Thanks for the kind words all you guys.

[Fiftydriver]

Ian,

Thanks for your thoughts, I just wanted experience from someone that had been there done that and it was still fresh on their mind.

From the sounds of it, your buff was dead on his feet but like so many of the good old stories we have all read about old Black, he had a score to settle before he gave up the ghost.

It also sounds like with your good shot placement that a few hunderd fps would have made little difference. I imagine the only thing that would have increased his passing would have been more bullet diameter and more bullet weight but then again you get dramatically heavier recoil and rifles that no one I know could afford without taking out a second morgage on their house!!!

Thanks for your thoughts.