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Hunting >> Hunting in Australia, NZ & the South Pacific

Marrakai
.416 member

Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 3563
Loc: Darwin, Top End of Australia

Buffalo Head Shot
12/06/05 12:45 AM

From time to time on these forums, we are treated to some arm-chair expert's opinion on using small-bore rifles on buffalo. Generally, the head-shot is suggested, with the presumption that even a .22 centrefire must be adequate if it finds the brain. Well, there lies the problem: finding the brain!

Here is a photo of a buffalo skull from the front, showing the large cavity between the outer skull and the actual cranium. This cavity is capable of 'catching' a bullet and deflecting it away from the brain, and may even pull-up a well-directed small-bore projectile before it gets to the brain.

The cavity is filled with fluid and soft-tissue, and strengthened with bone 'girders' which are clearly visible in the close-up. Obviously the cavity is a shock-absorber for the head-to-head clashes when the big bulls fight! What chance does a small-bore bullet have?

The side-on head-shot is even more difficult, as the bases of the horns on a big bull will almost completely protect the cranium from the side. The brain is a lot smaller than most people realize, too. Also, there is a lot of heavy bone between the horn-base and the cranium, needed to hold up that massive trophy we so keenly covet!

Buffalo are routinely head-shot from above (mainly from helicopters) with .308s without incident, but a shooter at ground-level really needs to know what he's doing to employ the head-shot successfully over the longer term. Of all the buff I've seen taken in the hunting field, the head-shot is the one which has produced the most stuff-ups.

Whenever my mates hear some 'expert' expounding the virtues of small-bore rifles for the head-shot on bull buffalo, they just chuckle softly to themselves and walk away. Now you know why!

--------------------
Marrakai
When the bull drops, the bullshit stops!
--------------------------------
www.marrakai-adventure.com.au

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Subject	Posted by	Posted on
Buffalo Head Shot	Marrakai	12/06/05 12:45 AM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	ALAN_MCKENZIE	14/06/05 10:31 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	500Nitro	15/06/05 02:17 AM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	ALAN_MCKENZIE	15/06/05 01:47 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	500Nitro	15/06/05 04:30 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	ALAN_MCKENZIE	15/06/05 04:50 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	500Nitro	15/06/05 05:56 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	DarylS	28/09/05 02:01 AM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	500Nitro	28/09/05 04:25 AM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	NitroX	05/10/05 12:56 AM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	500Nitro	05/10/05 05:02 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	ALAN_MCKENZIE	05/10/05 10:53 AM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	NitroX	05/10/05 01:18 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	ALAN_MCKENZIE	05/10/05 08:42 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	ORION	07/10/05 08:11 AM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	500Nitro	07/10/05 03:59 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	DarylS	28/09/05 08:43 AM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	ORION	03/10/05 09:31 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	500Nitro	03/10/05 11:09 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	NitroX	15/06/05 12:30 AM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	Marrakai	14/06/05 11:32 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	ALAN_MCKENZIE	15/06/05 12:21 AM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	4seventy	13/06/05 04:47 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	Marrakai	13/06/05 10:59 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	ORION	15/06/05 06:14 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	ALAN_MCKENZIE	16/06/05 12:50 AM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	Marrakai	15/06/05 11:08 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	ORION	16/06/05 06:28 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	ALAN_MCKENZIE	16/06/05 08:50 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	ORION	12/09/05 05:07 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	Marrakai	12/09/05 11:58 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	ORION	13/09/05 08:33 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	500Nitro	27/09/05 08:55 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	NitroX	27/09/05 11:30 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	ALAN_MCKENZIE	27/09/05 11:28 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	Marrakai	14/09/05 10:51 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	ORION	15/09/05 10:19 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	NitroX	14/09/05 11:20 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	Bakes	14/09/05 11:53 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	Marrakai	15/09/05 11:13 AM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	NitroX	15/09/05 01:05 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	ORION	15/09/05 08:30 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	ORION	13/06/05 10:48 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	NitroX	13/06/05 02:48 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	500Nitro	13/06/05 04:13 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	Marty	12/06/05 01:18 PM
Re: Buffalo Head Shot	Bakes	13/06/05 10:20 AM

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