Gary Reeder
a hot loaded 45-70 will take just about any animal
Monday, February 12, 2018, 20:45

in Africa. With 500 grain solids and chambered in the Ruger #1 I wouldn't be afraid to go after the big 7. Pondoro Taylor took elephant with the 450/400 with no problem and the top end 45-70 will easily equal that with shots within 100 yards. In Africa the dangerous game shots are normally within 30 yards.

On one hunt where we had a wounded Cape Buff, the Buffalo went into a big bush and we could hear him huffing and snorting. We were within 20 feet of the bush. I was there with my video camera and John was beside me with his double 475. The trackers had moved the hunter that had wounded the buff back a ways, maybe 75 yards or so as John was planning on handling the buff himself. After about 15 minutes I glanced around expecting to see the hunter, John and one of the trackers all with guns waiting. Surprisingly there was only John and me and all I had was the video camera. My 510 GNR was in the truck a mile away. Finally John managed to move around to where he could see the buff's head and put another 475 in the side of his head ending it. I asked him why he sent the hunter and trackers away. He said with too many people around, somebody was going to get killed if the buff decided to do that last charge. He said he wasn't worried about himself as the wounded buffs always came for the camera man first. That was reassuring. But that buff had taken 5 or 6 rounds of hot loaded 378 GNR and 4 or 5 of John's 475 Jeffery #2 rifle and was still trying to get enough to make one last run. After that little incident I carried the 510 no matter where I went. At the time it was exciting. Later on watching the video I realized we were about 5 paces from the bush and the buff was maybe another 2 paces into the bush. In a situation like that you have to trust your PH.
John told me later when taking a big Cape Buffalo, forget the heart shot. Break him down with a shoulder shot or a spine shot, then kill him. And keep killing him until he quits breathing, then put one more into him. A Cape is mean and is just looking for a fight. When you have this guy looking at you at 20 yards, one of you is going to die.