Hoppdoc, a brain shot on a charging buff can very well turn into a neck shot if placed high or low depending on the terrain on which the animal is running, i.e. if he is above or below you and if a heavy NE-type round is used. On level ground, as discussed, depending on position of head, the shot can range thru the nose and hit neck. Any of the heavy calibers should be quite able to accomplish this. I suppose one of the somewhat "unspoken" values of shooting for brain on a charging buff is the fact that even if the actual brain is missed, the shot may contact spinal column somewhere in the cervical vertebrae and drop the animal permanently if the cord is cut, or at least temporarily if the shot shocks or damages vertebrae.

As I've said, I have no experience with Cape Buffalo as the only ones I've been near were running away, but all the big bovines I've looked in the face as they were coming for me, especially at close range, make me think that talk about "pick this shot" or "pick that shot" sort of becomes a bit absurd. A guy shoots for what he can and shoots for what is available on an almost instinctive basis, just like he does when shooting fast in other circumstances. Thus the value of REALLY learning where the vitals thru Robertson's and Boddington's excellent books {or 4-H carcass evaluation and lots of "physiology" classes during home butchering for my kids or the excellent and simple Scandinavian Moose Clock

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I know this, on big cattle I've faced, the neck would have been a "secondary" target for a big heavy NE round that was fired at the brain but the instinctive first target would, I think, still be the brain. Not sure if I'm saying that clearly.

I'm still mulling over the "Shoot for the point of the nose" and your question highlights it. I wonder how many of those shots drop the critter immediately, appear to be brain hits but are not, rather, they are neck hits that actually down the animal. A shot on the nose of an animal that has its head pointed even a little down would, depending on terrain and position of the hunter, IMO probably range back between the jaw, thru the base of the skull and into...cervical vertebrae, giving the appearance to all standing around of a brain hit but actually being equally effective as a neck hit. ?????