by hunter1941 » 04 Aug 2018, 12:04 am
Hello,
I would like to add something that may help Baz460 and Daddybang and for others who may be contemplating a buff hunt this year 2018 or in the future.
First off I would like to give some background into my hunting experience. Next birthday coming up.78. have hunted alot in Oz, Tasmania and also dabbled in NZ. ( I won't dabble into the dim past re UK, Asia and China. )
I was very fortunate to be working in the NT after cyclone Tracy in Darwin in 1974 for the next 15 years. I would spend 6 weeks in the NT and WA, I would do 2 peoples work in 3 days so I had 4 day weekends. for 6 weeks, Sept.-Oct or Oct.-Nov. . Jabiru did not exist, it was the site of the Ranger Uranium Project and there was only a dirt tract out there, eventually a gravel road , then a bitumen highway raised above the flood plains. I am basically a meat hunter and when given the opportunity do culling or pest control. I was also fortunate to make the acquaintance of DM , the chief flying instructor and also many members of the Darwin Aero Club e.g BB, NB, who had their own Cessnas and who willingly fly me around, and also the odd commercial Charter where I was fortunate to pay only a nominal fee. in those days there were only 2 Darwin Resident Safari operators, many others did it from interstate.. MD was the only one i used and trusted. I was lucky to have shot numerous times as far as Wyndham, Kunnunara, and Fitzroy Crossing, ( that was pre Argyle mine)
plenty of wild camels and donkeys. and also the Wagait Reserve, Wild Man area, Point Stuart, the Marraki Plains, West Arnhemland, the Coburg peninsula and other private properties. also in between I would do 1 week Safaris mid year. I would take anything from 3 to 6 rifles up. Double rifles I had 20 of them at the time from 7 x 65R, 450/400, 375, 450, 475, 485 , the more regulated ones were the H and H 375 and 450 and 475 Cogswell, I also had a Lang and Woodward in 375, these two were spot on, I also used the bolt action rifles, 6.5 x 55, 270 Win, 7 mm Rem, 300 Weatherby, 375 HH, 458 Win, (in those days with the powders available I could only get 1750 fps) funnily out of my two rifles in 45-70 I could get 2000 fps. also had a 505 Gibbs. the 6.5 x 55 and 7 mm and 270 Win. I would be more confident if I was up a tree./or tree platform.
I also had a custom 460 Weatherby weighed 12.5 lbs with recoil reducer and a a custom 500 Weatherby came in at 15 ibs, with recoil reducer, that was before muzzlebrakes. also have a Rigby 416, with 2 mercury reducers and a muzzlebreak. Loaded up i can get 416 Weatherby ballistics, but i load more conservative ballistics. also in the 70's was the start of the buffalo eradication programme which finished in 1997 which left many areas with zero buff. I am an experienced and fast shooter, having used all these calibres, on hundreds of buffaloes ( most during the culling time.) I usually take shoulder/Heart Lung shots. most of the shooting has been done with the 375 HH, however there have been 3 occasions even with heart shots where the buff ran for 80 yds. luckily not towards me, out in the open its OK, one buff took one 300 gn Nosler Partition in the shoulder turned around, and I gave it two more in the lungs and heart shot, and it still ran for 80 yds. another took a 416 Rem in the lungs and ran for 100 m.
but in thick country and close conditions, I prefer the 416 Rigby. the Doubles from 450 cal up and the 460 Weatherby and 500 did the job super adequately. but unnecessary. Bullet wise the Woodleighs for the lower velocities, or the Nosler partition and Barnes for higher velocities.. In the 70's herds would be a few hundred. running beside the track or flood plains.
Re wet/dry season also depending on the area, the lay of the land, and the seasonal wet, there is no rough rule of thumb. last year 2017 in the area I was shooting in June 90 % was still under water, an airboat would have been a help, that particular area didn't dry out till end of August. this season the Wet started last Dec. 2017 early and finished in end of April, wettest wet season for 35 years, so where I am going it wont be dry till Sept. 2018, if there are plenty of Billabongs and plenty of grass, the buff will be still in good condition regardless of time in the dry. Having spent this amount of time hunting in the territory, and experimented with many calibres and having shot large numbers of buff and pigs, I cam only give an opinion of what worked for me, only taking the 300 Weatherby and 416 Rigby, friend B. is taking the William Evans double nitro 470. ( which I once had the previledge of owning. beautiful best quality.)
re guides on paid buff. hunts , There are only two I know personally and can recommend.. my top person MD has passed on last year. having done some 40 plus hunts of 4 days or more, in the NT. I think that my experience has some meaningful points to pass on, only of what worked for me.