Westy wrote:Look I just gotta ask this, the old man was using a 303 to shoot Buff in the territory all through the 50-60's and we were using them in the late 70's so why wouldn't a 308 or a 30-06 work now?
Ohh yer and we were using FMJ's.
You're right, people have and I expect will continue to take them with .30 cal rifles.
Some people also hunt deer with a .22, but it's not something I'll ever advocate as a suitable calibre.
There are 300kg buffalo and there are 1,000kg buffalo. I'm sure we can both come up with lots of hypotheticals and examples which show larger calibres are needed or smaller calibres are sufficient depending on what size animal we're talking about, and go around in circles all day.
As general advice to the OP (which is all my comment is) and when choosing a hunting calibre, I will always go with something that will consistently and humanely take game, and cover the variety of sizes I'm likely to encounter the animals in. Not just what I can get away with.
Quoting my original comment the OP, "IMO I'd forget about the buffalo for now. Get a centre fire calibre which will do everything else instead for now and add a dedicated buffalo gun to the safe in due course if it turns out you really want one."
If I was choosing a new buffalo gun, it would not be chambered in .303, .308 etc.
That's my opinion, though others may disagree.