Ratliff

Greetings fellow bowhunters!

I just returned from a hunt in Argentina. I didn't go to Argentina to take a Water Buffalo but once there I decided to attempt this big beast. I was pulling 70-pounds on a 28-inch draw with my Jennings Buckmaster Bow. I was shooting 2314's with a 125-grain Thunderheads.

To my surprise, I was a bit underpowered for this big of an animal. While my hunt was successful, I did not get the performance from my arrows that I was expecting.

Any suggestions for taking on this large of an animal? The one I took weighed almost 1500-pounds!

BOWFANATIC

Welcome to the board!

Congrats on the buff!

How much penetration did you get?

How fast are you flingin those 2314's?

I've never hunted game that size. There are others around here with experience on game that size that can probably answer your questions.
I guess maybe thats why some people draw a 100lb bow when they head to africa , but I just assumed that with arrows like you were using and decent speed (260+fps) , that any animal other than maybe a hippo , rhino or elephant would be meat in the freezer. This should be a learning experience for me as well.

Straightarrow

Sounds like they preformed adequately. You didn't expect a pass through on something that big, did you? <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

nntramp

I have read that in africa there are some pretty stingent rules on game like buffs, like a 90# draw. However I have heard of people filling there arrows with salt to give extra weight. I have shot the 2314 for years and loved them and their performance, a buff is a big animal though, congrats. I know a dealer that has gone on hunts for game like this if you have more questions i can get you his name.

JimPic

For an animal that has ribs like 2x4's you need heavy draw weight,heavy shaft,and heavy broadheads.Glad to hear you were successful.I'm curious too-what kind of penetration did you get?Would like to hear the story.

Ratliff

Hey guys,

Sorry for the slow response. First off, let me clarify that this was a water buffalo, not a Cape buffalo like you see in Africa. Closely related, but not quite as big and thick. I'll post a picture when I get back to work tomorrow if I can figure out how. For those interested in the story, here it is . . .

I shot him 5 times, but only 4 really counted. My first shot came in at 35 yards on a quartering away profile. I came in behind the ribs, a little low, and buried to the fletching. I hadn't expected a pass through, but I did expect my fletching to disappear. It didn't. while my first shot was a good one it didn't put him down, not even close. Had I had more penetration, the arrow would have continued up into the body cavity and struck some more vitals. We tracked him and came up on him several hours later standing in some trees. I moved up to 20 yards and he simply stood and watched. My first arrow had slowed him way down and it was obvious he didn't want to run anymore.

I didn't have a clear shot while standing due to branches and limbs so I got down on my knees to shoot up under the limbs of the tree. I had a clear shot from this vantage point. He was standing broadside watching me closely. As I drew, he turned to face me. The guide touched me on the shoulder and told me to be careful and as I zeroed in on his chest, I found out why. He charged me, dropping his head and crashing through the trees, sending limbs and twigs flying in every direction. I flinched, (Read: PANICED!) released my arrow, only to have it imbedd in his horn! Yes, I shot him in the horn. He had his head down so I would have hit him in the chest just off center, but instead I buried my 125-grain Thunderhead in his horn. To be honest, I'm surprised I didn't jerk so bad that I missed him entirely.

I'm not sure if my shot startled him and stopped him or if he was not actually going to charge over me and stomp me into little bits, but he stopped, turned, my arrow protruding prominently from his horn, and crashed off through the trees, immediately snapping my arrow off in the process. We followed.

We came up on him again in just a few minutes, I moved up to 20 yards, but my heart was pounding a bit more wildly this time! Once again I had to kneel down to shoot up under the trees, which was good cause it stopped my legs from shaking! I zeroed in just a few inches off the shoulder, squeezed my release, and my arrow thudded into a rib. While the arrow broke the rib and continued to penetrate, it only penetrated about 5-6 inches after breaking through. Not good. A shot that I thought would be the kill shot, turned out to be nothing more than an annoyance. He crashed off again, still slowed considerably by my first arrow.

We followed, and this scenario was repeated again. I moved over an inch or so, same side, fired an arrow, and it thudded into the next rib over. Same result. 5-6 inches of penetration after breaking through the rib. At this point, I was beginning to wonder if I had what it took to drop this animal.

We followed, and once again, another 20 yard shot from a kneeling position. This time I put it as close to the shoulder as I could get without hitting it. I released, and this arrow buried up about 21-22 inches. I had finally hit between the ribs. My arrows are only 26.5 inches long, but it was enough to get the lung and a bit of the heart. He crashed off through the trees, wandered across an open area, and went down....finally. It was nice of him to go down in a nice open area!

After waiting another hour, we moved up. He was done. Pictures ensued, of course, and when we brought him back to the ranch house for processing we were able to find and remove three of the 125-grain Thunderheads. The Thunderheads performed GREAT! They were still in tact and no blades were broken. I was impressed with that.

But I still wish I had gotten the penetration on the first broadside shot. It would have meant less suffering for the animal and more of what I expected. I guess my expectations were off, maybe not my bow/arrow performance.

Next animal of this size, I will make sure I am pulling at least 80+ pounds and will make sure I have a heavier arrow and 150-grain broadhead. The guide talked to me about filling the arrow shaft with some sand to increase weight. I have never considered that and it would certainly throw off the arrow balance, but something to think about.

Thanks for all the input. I'll post a picture of my Capybara also if I can figure out how!

Straightarrow

Interesting story!

I agree with the 80 lb draw weight and the heavier arrow for the next time. Maybe even consider a cut-on-contact broadhead sharpened to a razor edge to help with penetration.