Well I am going to include water buffalo in my comments.

Comments by African PHs shouldbe considered if they have actually hunted both.

A comment made to an Australian PH by an African PH when hunting water buffalo in Australia. As he had hunted cape buffalo and water buffalo I think his comments have some weight.

Basically he said something like "cape buffalo are more likely to be aggressive and charge unprovoked than water buffalo, but water buffalo are harder to put down especially when wounded."

My opinion is cape buffalo "charges" are over-rated and part of th African PR hunting industry. Yes they occur, and when they do they get a lot of press. Most hunters even those shooting a hundred buffalo never or rarely are charged. Cape buffalo when hunted can be 'engineered' into a charge for the video camera.

But in terms of numbers there are a lot more hunters hunting cape buff in Africa and a lot more people living in proximity in Africa than Northern Australia. Yes people are killed in Northern Australia too, usually locals in the bush, by water buffalo.

Cape buffalo due to natural predation by lions in my opinion are probably naturally more aggressive and wary.

Water buffalo are considerably bigger than a cape buffalo.

My opinions anyway. We all have them, so if you disagree please share. It is a good debate and good to learn from.

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To the topic:

.375 H&H Mag BA
ONE cape buffalo. Used a .375 H&H Mag M98 bolt action. Two broadside shots, first a Woodleigh 300 gr RNSP just behind the shoulders. Animal did not go far. Seemed to improve a bit, so a second 300 gr Woodleigh FMJ aimed dead centre of the shoulders and complete penetration. Ran maybe 40 yards before stopping and dying.

.450 No 2 NE - Double
THREE water buffalo bulls. All were more or less shot broadside into the shoulder region, with a follow-up shot, or shots if they ran away. Different conditions from wading in swamps, to shooting after dusk where I couldn't even see the front sight

.
480 gr Woodleigh RNSPs.

9.3x74R Double
Twelve water buffalo cows and two smaller bulls. Used mostly 286 gr Woodleigh PPSPs and a couple 286 gr Woodleigh FMJs. Usually a couple shots or three shots to drop the beasts. However I might have been shooting anywhere from one buff to four or five buffalo at once. The cows are smaller than big bulls.

Favourite?

The .450 double of course. It feels right and I like the sound at 25 yards when the big 480 gr bullet smacks into the buffs shoulder and even better the crash (or splash!) of the buffalo hitting the ground from the first shot. Shock and awe!

Then aftr a while the "dead" animal starts to waken up and tries to get up again. Hopefully a shoulder has been pulverised.

My favourite to shoot is the 9.3x74R as it shoots like a .303.

With the 9.3mm I never tried to break shoulders instead went for good heart/lung shots and they mostly died well.

(edited to change quotation of PH. Been thinking on what exactly was said.)