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September 2008. Cal Pappas (r) and PH Gary Hopkins. A typical mid-thirties cape buffalo taken with a John Wilkes .600 nitro
express double rifle. Not the widest bull, I know, but with excellent bosses that are solid! This old dagga boy was covered
in dried mud and we tracked him most of the morning with four of his brothers. After winding us, three went in one direction
and two another and we took an early lunch to let them settle down. Taking up the spoor again, this bull stopped to look back.
I
should mention here that brush fires in the area I was hunting in caused the buffalo to move off the concession. After seeing
zero buff for five days we were given permission to hunt on a neighboring concession for only one day. If time was longer
I would have passed on this buff and gone on to look for a wider bull. Time was short, so I took the shot. I needed a buff
for a book on the .600 nitro express rifles that will be published in 2009.
My first shot hit the
bull higher than expected in the chest. The 900 grain Woodleigh soft point drilled a 1 1/4 inch wound channel all the way
back to his rear quarter. his head went down in the cloud of dust that erupted from his front side. As his head raised I gave
him the second barrel. Tracking was easy as a prior fire had burned off the grass to bare sand. We saw him a few quick glances
but the brush was thick. A couple of quick "hail Mary" shots, two more and he came to rest. A final shot through the shoulder
put him down.
A great hunt with great friends. Life does not get any better.
Safari photographer, Ron Williams and Cal Pappas with
Ron's kudu taken with a .475 Rodda. A one shot kill for Ron's first African experience.
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