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I watched a hunting show on TV last night and the hunter killed a Cape Buffalo with a double-barreled 20 gauge shotgun. The distance wasn't too great--no more than 40 yds--but I was amazed. He dropped the buff with the first shot, but as his PH instructed, he put another shot in him "for insurance." The hunter was using some special slugs that he showed, but I didn't recognize them. Anybody have an idea what kind of 20 gauge slugs would be used on a Cape Buffalo?

Crash

I wold assume it uses a broad metlap slug. A 20 GA slug traveling at 1600 fps is not that different ( especacily at that range)than a .600 Nitro Express ( a big boy)traveling at 2000 plus fps. I'm sure the 20 GA is quit lethal .

20 gauge biggest slug I know of was a Remington.
400 grain slug, 40 grains HS6 powder, 1659 fps at 50 yards, 2240 ft lb energy.
.600NE, Kynoch.
900 grain soft nosed, 178 grains Kynoch proprietary, 2020 fps at 50 yards, 7597 ft lb energy.
Not comparable. What was the name of the show? This I gotta see!

Dadtodabone is correct. The .600 new also has a .620 diameter.

AndyC wrote:I'm not sure I would want to go after a Cape buff with anything less than a German 88 flak-gun, personally.

puma guy wrote:

AndyC wrote:I'm not sure I would want to go after a Cape buff with anything less than a German 88 flak-gun, personally.

Very tough, treacherous beasts from stories I've heard and also from a friend that has taken two.

Dadtodabone wrote:20 gauge biggest slug I know of was a Remington.
400 grain slug, 40 grains HS6 powder, 1659 fps at 50 yards, 2240 ft lb energy.
.600NE, Kynoch.
900 grain soft nosed, 178 grains Kynoch proprietary, 2020 fps at 50 yards, 7597 ft lb energy.
Not comparable. What was the name of the show? This I gotta see!

I can't imagine the recoil on that thing. Especially coming out of a double barrel.

AndyC wrote:

puma guy wrote:

puma guy wrote:

AndyC wrote:I'm not sure I would want to go after a Cape buff with anything less than a German 88 flak-gun, personally.

Very tough, treacherous beasts from stories I've heard and also from a friend that has taken two.

I lived for a time with a friend in Cape Town whose father had a withered left arm. He'd shot a buff and was following the spoor when it attacked him from the left side and gored him badly; others had to shoot it off him but it took many bullets. Apparently it's common for Cape buffalo to run straight then curve around 270 degrees once out of sight to ambush their attacker (who's following the spoor) from the flank...

That fits with many stories I've read and from my friend's experience. Fast and agile as well and they use their horns and the boss mercilessly. Like you I would never think of using a 20 ga slug on such an animal. From the danger a wounded poses and also from wanting to make as humane a shot as possible.
I think it was Robert Ruark who said "Use enough gun!"

george wrote:Wow.

Every time I have shot and wounded a jackrabbit, I noticed it always ran in a half-circle. I never considered that it was coming in to ambush me!

Use enough gun!