Cape Buffalo with 577 NE Cast Bullets

Since the recent changes here I may have lost some of my posts so I will tell you a bit about my recent hunt. ( I love talking about myself! )

First, I have a lot of people to thank. In about march of 2015 I took up casting as a hobby. Lots of good folks on Cast Boolits and CBA taught me most of what I know now about making a good, strong hunting solid for dangerous game.

Also, two great guys, Sam Rose, and Ed Hubel helped me greatly with developing the loads for the 577 NE. ( Ed calls it “The 24 Gauge From Hell”  Good name!)

Before I used my cast bullets and single shot on cape buffalo you should have heard the nonsense people fed me on the subject. I am here to tell you that they were wrong.

1.  "Cast bullets are not good enough for DG.”  My cast bullets performed flawlessly on all three buffs. They held together with a wide flat meplat exactly the same as I have experienced with North Fork and Cutting Edge Bullets which are amoung the best in the world.  They would break the shoulder , rip through the heart and stop in the hide on the other side ,losing only about 10 grains of weight.( I will get photos up later. Also, I will dig out my alloy formula if anyone is interested but I think just Lyman #2, heat treated would make a heck of a DG solid.)

2. “You're a fool to use a single shot on cape buffalo”  Ya' right. First of all, I get close before I shoot.  Secondly, I was with a PH that can handle his 458wm better than I can shoot my deer rifle.  Thirdly, they call it “dangerous game” for a reason. You are there for a good time, not a long time!

I was hunting in the beautiful LowVeld near Kruger Park.  The farm was Buffalo Land Safaris on the Klaserie river. Other than the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, Buffalo Land Safaris is one of the most beautiful place I have ever hunted. 

It was the end of a year long drought and many animals in the Lowveld and KNP had perished.  Every farmer and the parks were feeding  to keep animals alive. ( Game farmers are the good guys in the wildlife protection story.)

Who says cast bullets don't work on dangerous game?

Converted H@R Shotgun!!                                                      Works on Zebra also!

Heart damage of a cast .577 bullet after breaking cape buffalo shoulder.

  Recovered cast bullet as good as any custom dangerous game solid bullet on the market.

Each buffalo took one cast bullet to kill. ( 700 grains at 1800 fps.) I will get photos up with the help if some good pal on CBA. There is a video of the hunt on You Tube, as I mentioned on a post on the old forum format. ( Please just go to You Tube and type in the search box, “Brian hunts cape buffalo.” Please remember to click “like” to help me.)

Also the story of the hunt is published in the upcoming January issue of The African Hunting Gazette.

I look forward to using this new format on CBA. I think it's going to be great.  

Cheers, Brian