I just got back a few days ago from a hunt in Africa that was orginally booked as a Buffalo hunt, but became a buffalo/plains game hunt when my wife expressed interest in going.

This hunt was booked several months ago when I saw an advertisement from the same outfitter that a friend of mine had booked with last year. Over the last 2 years I have been doing the work of 2 people ever since my partner retired, and have only have had a total of 7 days off of work , including weekends, so I decided that I needed a mental health break and booked the hunt. I knew that I wasn't getting any younger and between decondioning due to my job, and advancing age, there was a limited time period for me bing able to do a hunt like this,

There were some unfortunate circumstances shortly after booking the hunt, including partially tearing the rotator cuff on my bow arm doing farm work which kept me shooting heavy bows for several month, followed by 3 weeks of tickborne illness(although I didn't miss any work, which I am proud of), followed by breaking a rib in a tractor mishap 3 weeks before the hung.

The time for the hunt came, and after work on July 30th, we drove 3 hours to DFW airpport, took a 9 hour flight to London, 7 hour layover, another flight over 11 hours to Johannesburg, and then a 5 hour drive to the ranch. We were pretty tired by the time we got to the ranch, because neither of us slept during the flights, but there was still a few hours of daylight left and I only had 4 days of buff hunting scheduled.

I brought 2 seperate heavy bows in different bags in case one got lost, and one light bow for plains game. I had a Morrison ILF with carbon foam longbow limbs close to 80# @ 30", and Morrison Max 1 limbs 73-74# @ 30". Both shot the same arrows due to sideplate differences, but the longbow was considerably faster. Since I hadn't been able to shoot heavy for awhile, I opted to take the recurve, because I didn't have time to shoot before heading out to hunt. The arrows were gold tip kinetic 200 with 165 grain footed inserts from ethics archery. I was using 300 grain tuffheads with 125 grain broadhead inserts for arrows around 950 grains with over 590 grains up front, although I also had 190 grain tuffheads with 200 grain broadhead inserts along that also flew well.

We were no sooner in the blind(they call a blind a hide) than the buff showed up. It took the full four days for my friend to get a shot at his buff, so when my target bull turned broadside and then slightly quartering away, my PH(professional hunter) incredulously unttered "That's the shot"

A little background information now. A day before the hunt, my outfitter send me a pic of the vitals and desired shot location. When I arrived at the ranch, I showed this to the PH, because my online search showed vitals located further forward. The PH has guided primarily gun hunters in the past, and we decided to aim a little further forward than the outfitter recommended, which comes into play somewhat later.

The PH picked out a spot on the shoulder and told me that the sweet spot and to aim for that. I was very calm, possibly owing to our elevated position as well as jet lag, and came to full draw and let loose the arrow. It flew true and hit just where I was aiming. We both felt it was a good shot, and got just under a half arrow of penetration.

We gave it a half hour before picking up the track and hoped for a quick recovery, but blood was scant and it was getting dark so we picked up the track the following day. We hoped to quickly find a dead buff or a weakend bedded buff, but that was not to be. With the help of the ranches extremely skilled tracker we finally found the bull laying down over 9 km from the shot, Autopsy showed the broadhead had gone through one lung completely, but not the far side lung. Incredibly tough animals.

The outfitter and guide realized that I was not entirely satisfied with the long track on the bull and made me a very generous offer on a cow, which I took. I asked for the oldest cow that they had to increase any penetration difficulties. I used the heavier bow, and shot further back on a quartering away shot. Penetration was up to the fletching and It took out the entire offside lung and a portion of the closer lung.

The cow went down in around 60 yards, with the herd around her obscuring our view. After 30 minutes we got out of the blind and scuttled the herd, but realized the cow was still alive and darkness approaching. Policy would dictate not leaving a wounded buff until morning if it could be shot to minimize the risk of a dangerous wounded animal on the ground, even though we thought that she would expire quickly. The guide allowed me one attempt to put another arrow in her. I got within 30 yards, with some brush in the way, but knew that I had to try to thread the needle or else she would be finished off with a gun. She was broadside, and I managed to thread the shot perfectly into the crease to take out the closer lung with an arrow tipped with a cutthroat, having used up my tuffheads. Apparently she didn't like that at all. She came to here feet, and spotted us, and began to charge, as we backpedaled quickly. She hit a thick thorny bush after 10 yards, and realized that she doing very poorly and stopped the charge. She went down shortly after and rolled a few times, and left out a death bellow. Somehow, after the bellow she had enough left to call back the herd, then she died. In came the herd, with the herd bull, who had recently deposed the bull that I shot, with his head down, followed by the rest of the herd. We started trotting back to the blind looking over our shoulders, both out of self preservation and so that the PH wouldn't have to put bullets into the breeding bull. We called in a tractor to load the cow and a landrover to help disperse the herd. This worked,but they didn't go far.

The PH wanted pics, which I didn't really want so as not to put the PH or ranch workers in harms way, but he insisted, even though to get them meant multiple jumps back into the back of the landrover as the buff came closer an menaced throughout, and us only seeing their eyes in the flashlights. The followed us on our way out in the landrover. Pretty exciting.

I am including pictures of the lung autopsy. One pic shows a slice in the top of the other lung which was the result of offside carcass testing. I shot two arrows and the offside as the bull was laying mostly on it's side. First shot with the cutthroat demolished the proximal humerus and the broadhead was unscathed. Second shot a little higher with a tuffhead penetrated about 2/3 the shaft length, but was angled upwards due to the postion of the bull. Pretty decent performance.

There are multiple pieces of arrow that were put in the hole to show were the penetration was. The arrow was intact until the bull went down, and it broke in 3 places.

A few things that would have Likely made for better penetration and a shorter track.

1. Using my heavier bow, which I could handle fine, but didn't have time to be sure on the first day.

2. Orienting the nock so the broadhead would impact vertically at the expected shot distance. I didn't have time to do that on the first day, and never really got around to that on the second day. The broadhead hit the small gap between 2 ribs, having to cut both ribs which had considerable drag on the wings, and there was no opportunity to split the ribs with the singel bevel.

3. Listening to the outfitter and shooting a little further back and not going through the heavy shoulder muscle and loosing momentum.

Couple other critters

Looks like you had a great hunt.

Pretty happy with the impala ram and waterbuck, although my wife shot a monster waterbuck, a huge kudu, a nice sable, a nice gemsbok, a warthog, and a wildebeest. I won't post pics because it wasn't with a trad bow.

Ribs on a buffalo have to be quite tough. Did your first arrow centre a rib?

So absolutely straight fletch and zero arrow rotation? Otherwise if the broadhead was vertical at impact it would be luck.

So awesome, congrats!!

Congratulations, Better than shooting big Hogs.

Glad you could get away and take family, too! It is a special place.

https://youtu.be/SVo71oijJ0Q

https://youtu.be/I3IgvipNtZc

If someone could fix the links to the shot vids, that would be great. Can't do that on my phone.

Now, I would just like to make a few comments, and they are not intended to make anyone angry. Just my perspective and experience. This was an educational trip.

I have previously read the Ashby studies, and have done my best to adhere to the advice when building arrows for dangerous game, but it is too easy to believe that the arrow is a bullet. There are definitely some limitations to his studies, which I believe he would acknowledge.

Testing was done on dead animals, which cannot duplicate the energy loss on a living moving animal.

Testing was not done on large old breeding bulls, which are as different from younger bulls as a small hog is from a thickly shielded hog. Actually much more so.

There are probably other factors in play as well. I know of multiple other people that have shot large buff with similar, or worse, experiences regarding penetration than I have had. This is despite using energetic equipment and well tuned high or extreme foc arrows using Ashby recommendations. I hear it said that you can kill any buff with a 45# bow as long as you use the proper arrow. This is patently false. I never care what anyone uses to hunt. I only usually speak up when people spread this misinformation that sets people up for disappointment or danger.

First and foremost, your ability to relate the details of the hunt is very eloquent and well spoken - I almost felt as though I was there and could envision the experience. For someone that has their hunting history entirely rooted in local whitetail deer and small game, it was thrilling!

It sounds like you were well deserving of this hunt and your success (es) confirmed that. This was an eye opener - unique to sat the least.

I agree with barebo2, you did a very good job detailing your hunt and what you think works from your experience. Thank you.

Sloppy fingers - "Say" the least. Don't want the typo cops trailing me!

Thanks for the type-up. And taking the time to really put the facts you found out there. I never intend on going and chasing Buffalo, but interesting information.

-Bones

How far were the buffs when You loosed the arrows? GREAT HUNTING! STAY SAFE / WELL / COOL / COMFORTABLE & BLESSED BE!

Congratulations on your hunt! You got some nice looking animals. And from your story it was well deserved.

Dave, if you are hunting from a blind and expected distance is known, you can rotate the nock with respect to the arrow and have a consistant orientation of the blade at certain distance.

Nice trip and congrats. Nothing better than Africa.

Awesome ! Thanks for sharing

Congrats Pat! You deserved a trip like that after working so hard. Great animals and a dream hunt for sure! And Gongrats to your wife too! You will have to come by sometime or I'll meet you at Mat and Cheryls new place.

Beautiful animals. Congratulations Pat can't wait to see them mounted too. Awsome. And a Cape at that. Wow proud of you.

That is totally awesome!??

Damn, Paddy! That’s an awful lot of meat to try to shoot through!

Pretty cool stuff. Don’t think I’ll ever get there, so it’s great to hear it first-hand and dream a little.

Really glad to hear that you had a great adventure and that no one was ever in dire peril. Those damn Stopping Rifles will wreck your hearing!

Congratulations! Appreciate you sharing the adventure. Great pictures

Thanks for giving us a glimpse of your adventure! I am sure that the memories of this safari will last a lifetime. Happy for you and your wife.

I tell you what man that is just awesome. Great story. I bet that was a grand experience. You did good! I’m happy for you.

Awesome story, hunt and pictures, thanks for sharing! I love to hear TUFFHEAD success stories as they are made right across the street from me and Jason, the owner of TUFFHEAD is probably the nicest guy anyone could ever know!

Wow! Congrats to you and your wife Pat. Thanks for sharing your hunt with us. Nice pictures too. But seriously between you and I. Tell me you brought that"Green Paul Bunyan" as your back up bow. ;-) Really enjoyed your story Pat. Well Done!

Trip of a lifetime Pat! Proud of you bud.

Thanks George

I will tell you, the PH was am awesome guy, and put an incredible amount of effort into tracking the bull, and taking a chance in allowing me to a second arrow into the cow rather than a bullet. Put himself in harm's way for me multiple times.

Thanks for the story. Really appreciate you taking the time and relating your experience based on the Ashby studies. Sounds like you put a lot of research and time into trying to build the perfect arrow for your buff hunt. Congratulations on your adventure.

Congratulations!

Wow! Congratulations Patrick! That looks like one heck of an adventure. Glad you,were able to go and glad you were able to have the success you had! That looks like a great bull!

I am going to disagree with you on the ability of a 45lb bow being able to kill a big bull like that though. All you have to do is slip a heavy two blade broadhead tipped arrow in between those giant, overlapping ribs.

Vertically

Under less than perfect conditions

Under extreme pressure

And get a minimum of what? 12", 15" of penetration? Shouldn't be a problem as long as you miss the ribs... that overlap.

I'm just joking around a bit. I've never been to Africa and probably never will (but you guys really stoke my interest) so I obviously have no experience with REAL Big Game.

Again, congrats on a wonderful hunt.

Congratulations! I really enjoyed your stories and video. Thanks for posting.

Murray

Congrats again Pat! Thanks for sharing your hunt with us.

Well done. Looks like you and your Wife had a great time. Congratulations to both of you.

Are the videos Stout posted the videos of your shots?

Yes

I won't make this into something that it is not. It was a great trip and learning experience, especially in regards to equipment and shot placement. It will come in handy for the next challenge. Spot and stalk buff.

Great trip

Great trip, great shooting when it counted and a great story. Except the tractor-related injuries: tractors are tougher than buffalo!

Very nice! Thanks for sharing

LOL. Now I gotta get my fat butt in better shape for the next hunt. Covid hasn't been kind to me.

Just now seeing this thread, awesome and congrats, Pat!

Missed this the first time. Well done!

Congrats.

Heck of a trip man, congrats!

How did you work through the rotator cuff injury and still be able to pull such a heavy bow?

Good job, nice trophies. What kind of mount you going for? Buff can absorb a ton of punishment, and putting one down with a arrow is awesome.

Was that some sort of feeding station outside that blind? What kind of bait appeals to African wildlife? I would imagine a herd of buffaloes could clean it out in minutes. It must be expensive to get those animals habituated into visiting that place day after day, especially when one of their herd members gets arrowed from time to time. I suppose, like the necessity of drinking from a crocodile-infested watering hole, the animals on that ranch have resigned themselves to the occasional "crocodile" attack from within that blind because the food benefits outweigh the risk.

Just awesome. Esp.,the buff. Wouldnt mind seeing your wifes animals too, no matter what they were shot with. :)

Bugle up, I just really didn't practice so as not to make it worse. I could draw normally without too much trouble, but the release was more painful. The strength of my back was not an issue, so a slightly modified draw put the weight all on my back.

Wow Pat you took some gorgeous animals. Congratulations .

pdk, I had tendonitis in my rotator cuff this last summer that hurt enough to keep me from shooting until I had it rehabilitated (through PT). I'll give you credit for being strong enough to work with it.

PDK,

I'm so happy for you. Thank you for sharing so many details -- much appreciated. Congratulations on a successful trip -- you've absolutely put your time in. Well-deserved!

Scott

Thanks for sharing that great adventure. Also really appreciate your conclusions on bow weight, equipment etc for these animals. Besides, spending the necessary time working into a bow weight that is realistic for these truly big animals is part of the joy of the journey. Rather than blissfully wishing/thinking that one's 50# bow will be plenty.

This is incredible! Thanks for sharing with us!

Congratulations on your adventure and excellent trophies. I greatly appreciate all the details about the equipment and shot placement and the results. I , for one , totally agree with you about the Ashby reports. I was supposed to have gone to Africa already , to try for cape buffalo , but then covid came and it all got canceled for me until who knows when. What do you think of a 98# bow delivering a 1050 grains arrow @ 190 fps for cape buffalo?

I think that is one of the most capable setups that I have heard of anyone using. I am pretty sure it would need to be a compound bow for that performance, but that would be a great choice to get the job done.

Just wanted to say great write up.Just wondering what your reasoning was for using the Tuffheads?I hopefully am going next year,and broadhead choice is killing me.Thanks

Juan, I think your set up will generate enough momentum. But just as important is that the arrow impacts perfectly straight. Driving all that energy behind the broadhead. It can’t impact porpoising or fishtailing at all. I killed a Buffalo with my Mathews Vertix compound set at 75# 1028 grain arrow 212fps it went through the shoulder muscle, inside rib and was stopped by the off side rib. Double lunged he went 150 yards.

Thank you for the input. I agree on that ,and it does fly as straight as can be. Bare shaft tuned and with 5.5 inch 3 fletching helical left wing. Most of the weight is up front. Bare shaft 463 gr (Grizzly Stick 170) Insert/outsert/footing combo 317 gr (custom made) Broadhead 228 (custom broadhead) Complete arrow 1044 gr Speed (average) 189.2 fps Bow Black Widow PCH X 95# @ 31" I can afford to do this hunt only once, so I cannot afford any shortcomings on the equipment. Buck up broadhead 270 gr (custom broadhead) Buck up bow Black Widow PCH X 85# @ 31" Did not test speed with heavier head or back up bow. An again congratulations to Patrick on his hunt.

Watch the shot angle also. Heavy quartering away is not good. Too much energy wasted on glancing off rib angles. Shoot broadside or slightly quartering to. That puts the rib at 90 degrees to the broadhead entrance. Instead of angling in.

The yellow lines are for rifle shots. The above pictures shows how drastically the ribs angle and the further forward the ribs are at a Pretty good angle. Quartering to, the broadhead will impact the rib squarely. The risk is the leg and shoulder bone.

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