Cape Buff & Plains Game

[Rigbymauser]

Ya, buffalo may be out of my reach financially. But I do want to hunt Africa. Gemsbok above all else calls me.

JI want to go to Africa. I think I've got some medical issues resolved, permitting travel again. Not in the near future, but probably 2019.

Regards, Guy

Hey Guy.

It would so great for you to go to the BIG A...

For gemsbok a .30-06 will do just fine...actually a .30-06 will get you going for 99% of all the african game. Use heavy +200grain for wilderbeast,eland, kudu etc. For impalas, springbok, warthogs etc a superfast 130grain will be crytonite.
Be praying for you ol`chap

 

[Guy Miner]

Thanks. A plains game hunt is in the budget - and I'd be tempted to bring my 30-06 with the same 200 gr Nosler Partition load I used in Alaska last spring.

A cape buffalo hunt is really pushing the ol' budget... We will see. I kinda like beans and rice, so maybe I'll eat beans and rice and save for a buffalo hunt! For buffalo, of course I'd bring the 375!

Guy

 

[Rigbymauser]

Thanks. A plains game hunt is in the budget - and I'd be tempted to bring my 30-06 with the same 200 gr Nosler Partition load I used in Alaska last spring.

A cape buffalo hunt is really pushing the ol' budget... We will see. I kinda like beans and rice, so maybe I'll eat beans and rice and save for a buffalo hunt! For buffalo, of course I'd bring the 375!

Guy

Well..if the choice is to be in Africa for 4 days and hunt/shoot a buffalo or spend 14 days hunting small stuff I would take hunting small stuff at any time. The duration(length of staying) once you are in hunting internationally will give you more fun and experience.

 

[truck driver]

Thanks. A plains game hunt is in the budget - and I'd be tempted to bring my 30-06 with the same 200 gr Nosler Partition load I used in Alaska last spring.

A cape buffalo hunt is really pushing the ol' budget... We will see. I kinda like beans and rice, so maybe I'll eat beans and rice and save for a buffalo hunt! For buffalo, of course I'd bring the 375!

Guy

Well..if the choice is to be in Africa for 4 days and hunt/shoot a buffalo or spend 14 days hunting small stuff I would take hunting small stuff at any time. The duration(length of staying) once you are in hunting internationally will give you more fun and experience.

Yep that's what I would plan for also.
I spent 2 weeks in Montana and wished I could have stayed for a month.
What am I saying, I actually called a real estate agent looking to buy property while I was there. >)

 

[Elkman]

If I was to go to Africa it would be Cape Buffalo, they have always fascinated me. The only rifle that I have that might be suitable is the Ruger #1 in 45-90. With full loads it gets in just under .458 velocities, and of course recoil is substantial. I have the time and money to go but just can't seem to fully commit. I can hunt elk in three states the rest of my life for the cost of one hunt.

 

[IdahoCTD]

There is no use taking the $$$ to the grave with you Bill. I say go for it while your still able. Africa is a pretty cool place and everyone should go at least once. When I go back it will be for Cape Buffalo and I have plenty of suitable rifles to take but I will probably build another one just for that trip. The cost of a suitable rifle for buff is pretty small compared to the cost of the trip.

 

[Guy Miner]

The cost of a suitable rifle for buff is pretty small compared to the cost of the trip.

True!

It's interesting, the price of a plains game hunt is far less than that of a buffalo hunt. Also the PH's I've spoken with echo RigbyMauser's recommendation for a 30-06 & good bullets for most plains game. I'd think my current 30-06 with the 6x Leupold and either 165 or 180 gr Partitions would work just fine. There's also that 200 gr Partition ammo I made for the Alaska trip, that stuff shot really well!

But I've got this 375 Model 70 just itching for a trip to Africa... :grin:

The rifle & ammo are a small, fun, part of the planning. The real issue is coming up with the cash for the buffalo hunt... Plains game hunts are actually pretty doggone affordable.

Guy

 

[Rigbymauser]

The cost of a suitable rifle for buff is pretty small compared to the cost of the trip.

True!

It's interesting, the price of a plains game hunt is far less than that of a buffalo hunt. Also the PH's I've spoken with echo RigbyMauser's recommendation for a 30-06 & good bullets for most plains game. I'd think my current 30-06 with the 6x Leupold and either 165 or 180 gr Partitions would work just fine. There's also that 200 gr Partition ammo I made for the Alaska trip, that stuff shot really well!

But I've got this 375 Model 70 just itching for a trip to Africa... :grin:

The rifle & ammo are a small, fun, part of the planning. The real issue is coming up with the cash for the buffalo hunt... Plains game hunts are actually pretty doggone affordable.

Guy

..get the itching out of your system. Take the .375 &H and blast away. You`ll like it. Take it on a walk-up hunt on warthogs or whatever that pops up.

 

[Cleveland48]

Yeah I believe if I went to Africa the model 70 in 375 H&H would just have to go. I’m not 100% sure but I figure some good handloads with 260-270 grain bullets have a trajectory similar to a 180 grain 30/06.


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[Guy Miner]

Yeah I believe if I went to Africa the model 70 in 375 H&H would just have to go. I’m not 100% sure but I figure some good handloads with 260-270 grain bullets have a trajectory similar to a 180 grain 30/06.
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They do. Very similar. I've nailed a couple of black bear at beyond 300 yards with my 375 Number One and a 260 gr AccuBond. No problem.

Hits pretty danged hard too.

Guy

 

[Cleveland48]

My brother shot a few deer with the 260 AccuBond, and it was a hammer for sure.


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[Guy Miner]

My brother shot a few deer with the 260 AccuBond, and it was a hammer for sure.

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First bear I shot with my 375 Number One and that bullet was in 2010. Shot was 306 yards, we'd stalked and simply ran out of cover. It was shoot from that rocky outcropping, or don't shoot at all.

Bear was feeding on the edge of some bushes. Stood up. Bang. Whump! Could hear the bullet hit. Bear went down like dropping a sack of potatoes. My hunting buddy looked at me, saying something like "wow!"

I remain very impressed with the .375 and today's good bullets. Those 260 gr Accubonds have been difficult to obtain the past couple of years. I've scrounged up a couple of boxes, but am not squandering them on plinking sessions at the rifle range. No sir!

Guy

 

[Cleveland48]

Yes the 260 AB in 375 and 250 AB in 9.3mm have been very hard to find. Really wanting to try that 250 AB in the 9.3x62.


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[russ808]

Where should I look, for a cape buffalo hunt, along with a chance for a few plains game animals? Particularly interested in gemsbok or kudu.

Namibia? Zimbabwe?

Thanks! Guy

I have always liked S.A.

 

[Blkram]

Old thread revival!

I have used the 260 AB in mm 376 Steyr on elk and bison; did a great job!
The 250 AB flattened a young bull moose with authority!
Both great bullets! Will continue using both of these...just need more hunts with both rifles! Would love to use either one on an eland!

 

[matijasever]

I have used the 260 AB in mm 376 Steyr on elk and bison; did a great job!
The 250 AB flattened a young bull moose with authority!
Both great bullets! Will continue using both of these...just need more hunts with both rifles! Would love to use either one on an eland! https://sharpedgeshop.com/it/collections/kiridashi

An eland hunt would be an incredible opportunity to test these rounds further.

 

[Vince]

Eland is on my hunt list.

It’s either the .338 Win Mag or the .375 Ruger for me. I hooked up with an Outfitter/PH that gave me a very acceptable price on eight animals. All plains game. Next trip I’ll do a cow and a bull.

Vince

 

[Blkram]

Eland is on my hunt list.

It’s either the .338 Win Mag or the .375 Ruger for me. I hooked up with an Outfitter/PH that gave me a very acceptable price on eight animals. All plains game. Next trip I’ll do a cow and a bull.

Vince

Cool!
Country?
Outfitter?
Which 8 animals?
When?

 

[Vince]

Cool!
Country?
Outfitter?
Which 8 animals?
When?

South Africa

Umlilo Safari

May 2026


Kudu
Eland
Nyala
Wildebeest
Gemsbok
Impala
Zebra
Warthog

There are three other animals I covet from Africa. One is realistically in my price range, and no import hassles, so I’d like to do a Cape Buffalo cow and bull hunt. Wondering if I take impala and gemsbok off my list and put the money towards hunting at least a bull.

I would like to hunt at least three times in South Africa and surrounding area before I retire. Given my recent heart attack and some other health issues I think it might be best to get the really desirable, to me, animals out of the way first just in case I can’t make a second or third trip over there. Decisions decisions….

Vince

 

[Blkram]

South Africa

Umlilo Safari

May 2026


Kudu
Eland
Nyala
Wildebeest
Gemsbok
Impala
Zebra
Warthog

There are three other animals I covet from Africa. One is realistically in my price range, and no import hassles, so I’d like to do a Cape Buffalo cow and bull hunt. Wondering if I take impala and gemsbok off my list and put the money towards hunting at least a bull.

I would like to hunt at least three times in South Africa and surrounding area before I retire. Given my recent heart attack and some other health issues I think it might be best to get the really desirable, to me, animals out of the way first just in case I can’t make a second or third trip over there. Decisions decisions….

Vince

Which province are they in SA?
Blue or black wildebeest?
And which zebra? Mountain, Hartman, or Burchell's? (I know one has the shadow stripe, while another does not)
Which eland? Cape or Livingston's? (Livingston's are striped (IIRC) and very handsome)
Which kudu? Eastern Cape or Southern Greater? (SG can be bigger)
The nice part is that SA has all of these animals, and is about the least expensive country in Africa to hunt.
And the easiest it seems for taking your own firearms to hunt with. (You are taking your own? Or renting to save on hassle (permitting) an additional costs (baggage fees and permitting?)

As we never know if we will make that next trip, make sure you get your priority bucket list animals that you can afford on the first trip...then you'll have no regrets.
If the cape buffalo bull is high on your list, make it the priority and set aside the gemsbok and impala.
Impala may be cheap enough that if you do not get one of your other target species, you may take one as a contingency if the opportunity presents itself.
(On my hunt the common impala was a $500 extra fee, so not a big cost. It may be more in your area depending on its availability and subspecies, as some are more expensive (e.g. black-faced, Southern or white-flanked).)

I have a good list of animals that I want to get from Africa, some of which I may never be able to afford, such as bongo and mountain nyala. The ones that may afford may have to wait until I can...leopard, cape buffalo, sitatunga, the gazelles in Tanzania (an expensive place to hunt as compared to South Africa and Namibia).
The ones I can afford, I have prioritized...and went with kudu, nyala and bushbuck on my first trip. I did want impala and warthog, and while not priority on my trip, I did get as incidentals when the opportunities presented themselves, and were still within my contingency budget on the trip. Otherwise, as they are so common, I had them lower on the list. Gemsbok and blue wildebeest are also on my list, but lower ranked and potential for a third trip.
I still want eland, but was willing to set it aside for the next trip (of the spiral horns with my outfitter, it was the most expensive), so that I could focus on enjoying the trip and ensuring that my wife could get her animals, and we would still have some extra spending money for contingency and taxidermy if plans changed in the field. Example; I was going to just do a European mount and flat skin on the nyala, but opted for the shoulder mount after seeing how beautiful this animal was in the field. The other factor here was to ensure we had fun on the trip, and did not put any additional pressure on ourselves that we must get every animal on our list and forget to have fun and enjoy the trip!

I had thought about lechwe, but as it wasn't as high on the priority list, I knew that I would set it aside for the second trip. After seeing the red and Kafue Lechwe in the field, and a beautiful black Lechwe shoulder mount, these have risen on the priority list and are high on the list for the next trip with the eland, lechwe, and sitatunga (the spiral horns have always been the highest priority for me), if we go to Zambia. Botswana may be my best chance for the sitatunga...
Am also looking at Namibia. But would be happy to hunt another province in SA (Limpopo???) in order to get the chance for the honey badger!
Susan's bucket list top priority was the sable, so we ensured that was a must have on the hunt, and she was successful. Springbok was also high on her list, along with black wildebeest and gemsbok. She decided that she could wait for the next trip for these last two animals.

Bucket list animals do tend to change after experiencing them first-hand in the field.
Kudu was always my number one. The more research I did on the bushbuck, my ranking of this animal rose, and changed once seeing the two animals in the field, and hunting them. While successful on both, I found the kudu earned its name grey ghost well, but we saw them on almost every day...they were hard easy enough to stalk but hard to get a good shot opportunity on. I got the eastern cape variety.
The bushbuck was a tougher hunt. While we did see a couple females over the course of 7 days, we only found the one old male (cape variety) and had to make a long drive and final stalk around for the proper approach from downwind. We were most fortunate and I got the shot opportunity on a specific male that seven hunters had hunted for 4 years, with one hunter making seven trips over the span of 4 years for this particular animal. Of which he only laid eyes on the buck on 3 of those hunts, and never got a shot opportunity! The bushbuck was a fun hunt, and has taken over the number one spot on the ranking scale for me. There are several subspecies, and I hope to add more of the subspecies as I can, as they are not too expensive for some, in some places, compared to others. There are also several subspecies of kudu, and I hope to get another someday, but for now, I am happy with one...I really want to hunt bushbuck again!
I am looking at the planning process for the return trip...but am thinking that we'll probably do Argentina first, as there are some species there that we want to hunt (axis deer, blackbuck, fallow buck and mouflon), and we haven't been there yet...hoping for 2026 or 2027, and then perhaps Africa again in 2028 or 2029 (for eland (hopefully Livingston's, but would still be happy with the cape), lechwe (all 3, but would be happy with Kafue if only able to get one), black wildebeest, gemsbok and honey badger. A Limpopo bushbuck, and the other colour phases of springbok (black, white and copper) are the additional animals that hope to include).

In New Zealand, I found the same thing with the red stag and fallow buck. The red stag was always number 1 on my list. Fallow buck was on the list but lower (partly because I can also hunt it in Texas, Argentina, Spain and Africa too). The red stag was easy to find, harder to get a shot opportunity on, but ultimately not as challenging, or as fun, as stalking and hunting the fallow buck. I really want to hunt fallow buck again! (I got the dark, spotted buck, and hope to get the lighter coloured or white spotted one next time)

I hope this helps, and doesn't add to your decision-making process complexity...these are just things I learned on our journey so far...
I wish you all the best, and hope you get everything you hope to get on your adventure!
And I look forward to hearing about your adventure!