What set up to use on a Cape Buffalo
Contributors to this thread:International
From: JAGER
03-Dec-14
Am thinking of going back to Africa to hunt Buffalo so was wondering from people who have gone before which broad heads worked the best and if a 70# Bear Motive 6 shooting easton 340 FMJ was enough with the right broad head. Thanks
From: Beendare
04-Dec-14
Not enough weight with that setup. I used an 80# Allegiance, 840 gr PSE Black Mambas - with the fuzzy weight tubes [glued in]. The old Steelforce 210 DG head is no longer...but that heavy VPA 2 blade will work great as will a couple of the other very expensive boutique heads. We all got full pass throughs with the above setup...
I bet if you front end load those FMJ 300's with a heavy head and insert then use the weight tubes that will get you 900 gr easy-the weight i would shoot for if I shoot another one of those beasts.
From: Sapcut
04-Dec-14
TuffHead 300s are popular and very good heads for very big game.
From: TradbowBob
04-Dec-14
PM Buff, he shot one.
I believe he did it with an 85 lb. Widow and a Silver Flame and a very heavy arrow.
Best to ask him though. He has a video of it somewhere in the archives.
TBB
From: Buffalo1
04-Dec-14
Lou,
You know that a cape buffalo can't even begin to be compared to a public land Alabama Tom turkey !! Turkey is higher wired, will charge if pursued and tough to penetrate with any type of bowhunting setup. Minimum arrow must weigh at least 1000 grs. and have a Simmons 175 gr. 2 blade BH with homemade bleeder blades.
From: Buffalo1
04-Dec-14
Check out Pat's video and thread/report on his buff hunt. Lot of good info there.
From: master guide
04-Dec-14
The 340 F M J will be just fine,and a few more lbs would not hurt. The most important thing is the insert and broadhead . Have had good luck with Custom glue in adaptors and two blade Mangus Broadheads, Vap two blades would work well. The type of Buffalo hunt is the question. Free range wild buffalo, are extremely wild and hard to get the right angle for a shot. You May only get one or two shoots on a hunt. The buffalo in South Africa on some game farms can be a different animal, some of the T V bowhunts show this. Good luck
From: Spiral Horn
13-Dec-14
From: Buff
13-Dec-14
I use a 84# BW recurve with a 200 grain German kenitec head total arrow weight was 980 grains. I have since changed to the 300 grain Tuff Head with a titanium broad head adaptor that I like better.
Good luck on your hunt
From: Florida Mike
13-Dec-14
It would be more informative if ya'll would define the minimum kinetic energy or even the momentum needed to reasonably hunt whatever animal is in question. The reason I bring this up is a friend of mine has a 100 lb Mathews Safari that has less kinetic energy than his newer 80 lb Elite. Thats an example of technology. I doubt any recurve would approach the kinetic energy of most compounds. Not trying to start an argument just trying to interject some common sense. Mike
From: Rayzor
15-Dec-14
GT Kinetic Dangerous Game footed across the halfout/shaft joint and one of our 300gr 2 blades. .115" thick blades. Once piece machine and the ferrule matches the cutting angle. Tanto design carried through he entire head. No gouger head on the market. Several cape buffalo and lots of Asiatic buffalo (Including No.1) have been taken with our 2 blades.
From: Rayzor
15-Dec-14
GT Kinetic Dangerous Game footed across the halfout/shaft joint and one of our 300gr 2 blades. .115" thick blades. Once piece machine and the ferrule matches the cutting angle. Tanto design carried through he entire head. No gouger head on the market. Several cape buffalo and lots of Asiatic buffalo (Including No.1) have been taken with our 2 blades.
All of our heads are satisfaction guaranteed.
From: Toby
18-Dec-14
I use a Hoyt 80 lbs with a 315 grains 2 blades broadhead
From: Bowfreak
18-Dec-14
Beautiful pic Toby. Congrats on such a great trophy.
From: Swivelhead
18-Dec-14
PH you book with will likely advise what their expectations of YOU and your equipment. That being said, boards like this have many members who have taken buff with archery tackle. Compare recommendations between the two entities. Whatever your decision, let your PH know your choice of equipment well before your hunt dates.
Ten years ago, I used a duplex carbon arrow, 190 grain grizzly 2 blade w/125 grain steel BH adapter. Total arrow weight was 1015 grains. Used a slow curing two part epoxy on arrow insert and BH adapter.
Bow was a spiral cam Hoyt Ultra Tec at 76# w/29.5" draw. Launched the heavy at 205 FPS. No issues with penetration, arrow or BH.
Have fun! Preparation is almost as good as the hunt.
From: Florida Mike
18-Dec-14
Swivelheads setup had 95 lbs of kinetic energy. I would say that's higher than most. I bet the average is 90. Mike
From: master guide
22-Dec-14
I will say this again , shows like the Hollywood hunter or the recent Scott Schultz South African game farm Buffalo or Sable hunt Distort what real African hunting is. Have Your gear setup right, and know what you are getting into. Real wild buffalo are a hand full with few good chances per hunt.
From: Swivelhead
22-Dec-14
Guys if you spend the dollars to go for a buffalo, I strongly recommend you do it in the traditional manner. Tracker(s), PH and yourself. IMO, the best part of a buffalo hunt is watching the trackers sort out the trail, PH informing you of the progress on the track. It's what it's all about. I could not imagine taking a buff any other way. Sorry for the hijack.
From: Barty1970
23-Dec-14
Where's Warthog [Andy from Oz]; he knows whats needed to take down big buff :-)
'All the way...VPA'!!
From: TurkeyBowMaster
23-Dec-14
I'd just use the same setup as for deer.
From: Fuzzy
23-Dec-14
lol@TBM
From: Sapcut
23-Dec-14
Barty....you would know what was needed as well...depends on which prostaff you're on.
From: Ishy Isomer
24-Dec-14
Check out Alaska bowhunter supply and Ed Ashby's video... most south african PH's that do archery subscribe to single bevel broadheads, high FOC and momentum from a heavy arrow - I used silver flames for an Eland, but it seems the single bevel broadheads have some serious advantages blasting through the tough ribs of bovines
From: Purdue
24-Dec-14
Check the laws for the country in which you intend to hunt. Zimbabwe requires a minimum of 80 pound bow and 700 grain arrow for class "A" dangerous game.
From: Medicinemann
24-Dec-14
"I'd just use the same set-up as for deer".....TBM is obviously joking.....you wouldn't be allowed to bowhunt for some African dangerous game with the typical Alabama deer set-up......
From: Jaeger63
25-Dec-14
ICH MAG DEINE GRIFF! Auf English? I like your handle. Technically you need an umlaut over the "a" when you spell it that way. Best of luck on them Buffs!
From: KTH
25-Dec-14
Stay away from the Ashby heads!!!!!! Way too brittle!!!!!! I shot a Cape buffalo and Water buffalo this year with them and it was a huge mistake. If I had more time between hunts I would have changed broadheads. Every time I shot an arrow at an animal the heads broke. Most of the time, right where the threads start. Also the tip broke off on a rib shot Cape buffalo. Got crap penetration. A guy in camp was shooting the heaviest VPA 2 blade with a brass insert. It performed well.
From: KTH
25-Dec-14
My buddy also used Ashby heads on our water buffalo hunt. Same broken heads on his shots. You know for almost $40 per head, you'd think you'd get some resemblance of quality.
From: Ishy Isomer
25-Dec-14
There are a lot of different single bevel broadheads out there... the concept is a valid one... if you take a shoulder and shoot through it - compare a single bevel to a double bevel and you won't even come close to penetration with a typical light whitetail setup.... I'm using a 200grain Masai and haven't had those problems.. the "Ashby" design is made by lots of different manufactures.. just like the "silver flame" was tops by german kinetics but not so much with the chinese counterpart... check out these concepts - http://www.alaskabowhunting.com/Webpage.aspx?WebpageId=85
I'm sure VPA makes a fine broadhead too
From: warthog
25-Dec-14
amusing you have a decent draw length, 70lbs and up with most compounds is enough, you need a good quality heavy arrow and strong broadhead. Aim for 600+ grains total and make sure that thing is coming out of the bow tuned PERFECT!!
Assuming you shoot it as accurately...the more of everything the better.
From: Fulldraw1972
25-Dec-14
I always thought my daughters 40 lb bow with 300 grain arrow was good for an Alabama deer hunt. But then again I always thought TBM's set up was overkill;-). Lol
If I ever win the lottery and get to go on a buff hunt I am thinking. 80 lb limbs, FMJ dangerous game arrows and a heavy VPA broad head.
From: 1Arrow
07-Feb-15
I'd go with nothing but the Ashby 315's with a Bowhunting Supply's Safari Grizz Stick Arrow. My total arrow weight was 956 grains with the 315 grain Ashby. Used PSE Dream Season DNA set at 70lbs. Had 88 foot pounds of energy and was pushing the 956 grain arrow at around 206 fps. I shot Cape Buffalo, Livingston Eland and Sable this July, 2014 with Chattaronga Safari's in South Africa. One shot, one kill on all three. Great penetration and the broadheads worked great. My Cape Buffalo went down in 60 yards, in sight and right a 60 seconds. Didn't even get the Death Bellow as he had such massive hydralic failure in his lungs and heart. Sable was about same distance, down in sight about 60 yards away. Livingston Eland ran dead away and was down in 100 yards however long it took him to sprint that far, less than a minute. That was my experience.
From: Beendare
07-Feb-15
KE would help a guy compare bow vs. bow....but it doesn't help you evaluate how effective arrows of different weights are from a particular bow. The heavier arrow will always outperform.
case in point; This bull was killed by an 80# bow, 840 gr arrow- complete pass through. Pictured is a 540gr arrow from the exact same bow generating slightly less KE of the heavy arrow that went though like butter.
From: skipmaster1
07-Feb-15
I looked into a hunt a few years ago. Hoyt was willing to get me 100# limbs for my Vulcan. I was planning on a 1000 grain, silver flame tipped arrow. I'd shoot as much weight in as fast a bow as you can handle.
