Hi guys.

I wanted to introduce myself to the forum, and this seemed as good a place as any to start. We are off to Tanzania in '06, and buffalo is the motivator.

I've already picked up alot of good information from various threads in this forum, but after watching video of buffalo being taken with all sorts of rifles and cartridges I am perplexed on what should be the appropriate aiming point. I wonder if there isn't something tricky about finding the shoulder on one of these guys. Logic would seem to dictate that if the shoulder is broken it would be unable to support the weight of the animal. Yet in the videos, time and again the buff is able to run off, seeminly on 4 legs, after the client and the PH agree that a good shoulder shot was made. I'm wondering if the "shoulder shot" did not miss the shoulder(s) and perhaps hit the heart and/or lungs. Although fatal, such a shot would not be an immediate stopper on an animal this resiliant. I suppose there is always the possibility of bum bullets, but in the videos there must of been a run on bad bullets if those were all good hits. Unfortunately there were no post-mortems on bullet performance.

If I had a buffalo broadside right now I would aim about a third of the way up the body and slightly forward of what appears to be the center of the shoulder. If he was quartering towards me, I'd go for the point of the near shoulder. Quartering away I'd try to get the center of the off side shoulder. Head on I'd try to brain him at the base of the boss. Straight away, I'd pass up unless it was a follow-up shot, then I'd try to spine him. Am I on the right track, or do I need to be straightened out?