BOWHUNTING Buffalo

[AfricaHunting.com]

Bowhunting Buffalo Shot Placement

Post your questions, comments or pictures relating to bowhunting shot placement.

Bowhunting Buffalo

Bowhunting Buffalo

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

Bowhunting Buffalo Front View Shot Placement

Bowhunting Buffalo Front View Shot Placement

Post your questions, comments or pictures relating to bowhunting shot placement.

Bowhunting Buffalo

Bowhunting Buffalo

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

Bowhunting Buffalo Rear View Shot Placement

Bowhunting Buffalo Rear View Shot Placement

Post your questions, comments or pictures relating to bowhunting shot placement.

Bowhunting Buffalo

Bowhunting Buffalo

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

Bowhunting Buffalo Top View Shot Placement

Bowhunting Buffalo Top View Shot Placement

Post your questions, comments or pictures relating to bowhunting shot placement.

Bowhunting Buffalo

 

[Gerhard]

Bowhunting Buffalo Shot Placement

Post your questions, comments or pictures relating to bowhunting shot placement.

Bowhunting Buffalo

Bowhunting Buffalo

This will be the perfect shot for a buff with a bow.

950gr + arrow out of 90# bow will have enough energy to punch through that overlapping rib bones.

I have had a lot of guys arguing about using the new generation 70# bows on Cape Buff.

My question to them is....

Why would you want to spend a lot of money to hunt a Cape Buff and then be happy to shoot with the minimum pounds and have the PH kill your trophy with the rifle...

Rather be over "gunned"....

If you want to hunt buff with any thing less than 90# let me know as my 500 Jeff is always ready to do a bit of extra work...

 

[stalkhunter]

Hi Gerhard,
Your are right, there canot be power enough for buffalo. But think about older hunters ore hunters with a handicap in the arm ore shoulder. I can't draw not more as 70#. But my bow is a speed bow and nearly so fast as on older 90# bow. Important is the momentum not the KE (Dr.Ashby). My 750 gn. arrow comes with 240 ft. and 0.780 Momentum

 

[stalkhunter]

And what's about the lot of stick bow hunters ? (Buff) The energy of there set up is explicit lower as mine.

 

[lpace]

This will be the perfect shot for a buff with a bow.

950gr + arrow out of 90# bow will have enough energy to punch through that overlapping rib bones.

I have had a lot of guys arguing about using the new generation 70# bows on Cape Buff.

My question to them is....

Why would you want to spend a lot of money to hunt a Cape Buff and then be happy to shoot with the minimum pounds and have the PH kill your trophy with the rifle...

Rather be over "gunned"....

If you want to hunt buff with any thing less than 90# let me know as my 500 Jeff is always ready to do a bit of extra work...

Agreed, there in never too much penetration - especially for an animal like a cape buffalo. However, the argument of shooting a new generation 70 pound bow does have merit. That being, I can not draw a 90 pound bow. I can not draw an eighty pound bow. It remains to be seen if I can draw a 70 pound bow (although I'm optimistic about my ability to draw a 70 pound bow with the PSE Evolve cam). I designed an arrow (using OnTarget 2) that delivers a momentum of 0.896 (unknown units) and KE of 90.599 (I assume foot pounds). I would have no compunction about running that arrow into any cape buffalo on the planet. Perhaps I'm naive, but it is either that or never hunt a cape buffalo with a bow - in my little fantasy world, the ultimate hunt.

 

[firehuntfish]

This will be the perfect shot for a buff with a bow.

950gr + arrow out of 90# bow will have enough energy to punch through that overlapping rib bones.

I have had a lot of guys arguing about using the new generation 70# bows on Cape Buff.

My question to them is....

Why would you want to spend a lot of money to hunt a Cape Buff and then be happy to shoot with the minimum pounds and have the PH kill your trophy with the rifle...

Rather be over "gunned"....

If you want to hunt buff with any thing less than 90# let me know as my 500 Jeff is always ready to do a bit of extra work...

This opinion was offered in 2009.... What we have now learned to be true about momentum, heavy FOC arrows, and 2-blade, single bevel broadheads, has proven that is is both possible and ethical to hunt dangerous game and particularly buffalo with as low as 65lbs. of draw weight provided the arrow is constructed properly. Many, many buffalo have been taken with 65-75lb. draw weights with heavy FOC arrows with a taw of at least 950 grains.

Nothing wrong with being "over-gunned" when dangerous game is being pursued, and I agree that one can never have too much penetration... Having said that, being able to shoot a lower poundage opens up the possibility for lots more hunters who previously thought they couldn't think of a buffalo hunt because they couldn't draw the weight. The laws of applied physics tells us otherwise...

Still, when hunting any dangerous game with archery equipment, I would advise bringing the double rifle regardless of the poundage being drawn. I would think a bad shot is more likely drawing 90lbs than 70....

 

[lpace]

Oop, I missed the post date of 2009. A lot has changed in bow technology in the past 8 years! But yeah, given the opportunity to run an arrow into a cape buffalo, it won't happen without the PH nearby with a shoulder-able cannon!

 

[G Skinner]

MY DREAM HUNT ! or nightmare ?
Glen

 

[lpace]

MY DREAM HUNT ! or nightmare ?
Glen

It could go either way...

 

[jeff]

What is the truth about buffalo ribs, many say they overlap and yet NONE of shot placement drawings show that, they all show a space between the ribs? One video shows a complete pass through and it's seems rather unlikely if he had to cut ribs off on both sides.

 

[BRICKBURN]

http://www.france-animaux.org/pages/mammiferes/cetartiodactyla/syncerus-caffer.html

 

[BRICKBURN]

They don't look like they overlap so much and have diminished space.
Given the way the bulls fight I can imagine that those ribs would be a great safety adaptation.

 

[gpelkhunter]

thx for the pictures Brickburn of the buffalo skeleton, very interesting!!
as a lot of guys have noted, it has to do with the speed of the arrow that the bow produces, not the poundage of the bow.
I have a 75 lb Bowtech Destroyer 350 that throws out a 700 grain arrow at an amazing 280 feet per second.

https://www.realtree.com/kinetic-energy-and-momentum-calculator

Arrow Weight: 700 grains / Arrow Speed: 280 fps

Kinetic Energy: 121.84 FOOT-POUNDS

Momentum: 0.87 SLUGS

I would be curious to see what speeds, KE and momentum I could get with a +950 grain arrow.
The Destroyer produces arrow speeds 3% faster than my Monster MR6 - 80 lb bow.
My Destroyer is a dream to draw and shoot compared to the Monster.
Spend the time to use a chronograph and check your arrow and speed, it may surprise you.

I hope to one day hunt a buffalo, so great info on these forums, thanks to all for your posts.
I am heading back for my 3rd trip to Namibia this May!

 

[Hunter101]

thx for the pictures Brickburn of the buffalo skeleton, very interesting!!
as a lot of guys have noted, it has to do with the speed of the arrow that the bow produces, not the poundage of the bow.
I have a 75 lb Bowtech Destroyer 350 that throws out a 700 grain arrow at an amazing 280 feet per second.

https://www.realtree.com/kinetic-energy-and-momentum-calculator

Arrow Weight: 700 grains / Arrow Speed: 280 fps

Kinetic Energy: 121.84 FOOT-POUNDS

Momentum: 0.87 SLUGS

I would be curious to see what speeds, KE and momentum I could get with a +950 grain arrow.
The Destroyer produces arrow speeds 3% faster than my Monster MR6 - 80 lb bow.
My Destroyer is a dream to draw and shoot compared to the Monster.
Spend the time to use a chronograph and check your arrow and speed, it may surprise you.

I hope to one day hunt a buffalo, so great info on these forums, thanks to all for your posts.
I am heading back for my 3rd trip to Namibia this May!

The destroyer is a powerful bow

 

[BenKK]

Guys, if you disagree with bowhunting buffalo, that’s fine. But there’s a lot of misinformation here regarding ultra heavy compound bows being the only way to go, and regarding stickbows. Talk to the guys that have done it, especially the Australian guys with lots of experience, and you’ll get some solid data on draw weights used, both compound and traditional, and arrow weights.

 

[BenKK]

My apologies, I was in a hurry when I replied earlier, and ought to have added a little more information. I’ve been “following” the bowhunting of buffalo (African and Australian) out of interest for over fifteen years, so have synthesised (in my head) a lot of reports. Simply use the search function of various bowhunting forums and start reading. My personal experience relates only to Australian buffalo, and I would prefer not to repeat the size or temperament comparisons I have read about, as I don’t really know - but comparisons by folks familiar with both kinds are plentiful. Anyway, I’ve been involved in eight successful buffalo bowhunts, both mine and others’, using recurve, longbow and compound. My experience is minuscule compared to some Australian compound bowhunters. Anyway, typical draw weights seem to be roughly 70# to 75#, sometimes less, sometimes more, regardless of bow type. Penetration can be the same for traditional bows as for compounds (lots of variables). Most people think you need a heavy arrow - and that’s nearly right... in fact, it’s completely right for traditional bows. Australian compound bowhunters found they could get equal results on most shots with 600 grain arrows as with 1200 grain arrows (except when encountering the very worst bone - not standard rib or shoulder blade). I don’t know what the current compound lads are using but will try to find-out. I’ve often looked upon dried rib bones with utmost wonder as to how a humble arrow from a bow could stand a chance. But no buffalo alive carries dry rib bones around. Of course, two-bladers are the only way to go.

 

[bea]

lots of great info