mlg, 500Nitro, and Alan McKenzie,

Count me in with your opinions.

Although I have never seen a water buffalo, much less shot one, I think the quarry is worthy of the hunter's best effort. I see nothing noble about trying to solve the riddle of, "What is the least force I can apply to achieve a death blow on this innocent critter I decided to shoot today?" If the object is to kill, then the ethical hunter should use a good margin of force over and above what is calculated as the minimum required. Then he can dispatch the game quickly and efficiently without needless suffering.

That's my ethics, and I don't think a 6.5x55 is proper for buffalo. Sure as hell you can kill one with it. That's not what it's all about IMO.

They slaughter beef and hogs with .22RF by putting the muzzle right behind the base of the skull (good shot placement). That doesn't mean you should hunt feral hogs or feral bovines with a .22RF does it? Yes it will kill. Yes you can argue that shot placement is the skill of the sport. NO THAT'S NOT AN ETHICAL HUNT BY MY STANDARDS.

That's my opinion. Not meant to offend.

Curl

P.S.

Twenty years ago I hunted Elk with a .30-06. In 1985 I got a shot at a bull, but the shot was a little off. The bull was well wounded, but still on the move. We tracked the blood for a mile or more. There were places where the bull had stopped and left a puddle of blood three feet in diameter in white snow. Finally the blood trail disappeared, and the elk was lost. I felt so low that I couldn't hunt for two days.

The next season I hunted (1987) I used a .375 H&H Mag. loaded with 235 grain Speer bonded bullets that were screaming! I got a shot at a nice 6x6 bull at 320 yards, and he is mine.

I didn't intentionally hunt with a light gun, and .30-06 is considered a good choice for elk. In my opinion it is a bit light. Elk are tough as hell. They are noble creatures and deserve more.

MHO
Curl