10 more pounds for Cape Buffalo?

[BUFF]

I have a Cape Buffalo hunt booked for 2009 with Dries. I'm shooting a 74# BW recurve for most of my hunting now. My question is should I go up to 84? I really don't want to chance wounding one of those high dollar critters and having to finish it with a gun. My biggest concern is every time I buy a heavier bow I end up hunting with it all the time and I worry about the abuse a 84 pounder might do to my shoulder over time. Thanks
Buff

[Dr. Ed Ashby]

Marty,

One can NEVER have too much bow, or too much arrow performance when hunting buffalo. However, having said that: I've now taken a few of both the Cape and Asian buffs. The Asian buff is TOUGHER than the Cape buffalo. If you get your arrow right, your 74# BW should be plenty.

In about two weeks, I'll be sending the Part 4 2007 Update to the Gang. It has buff test results with a very modest performance 54#@27" straight-end longbow that you should find very, very interesting. Part 5 has comparisons of the Extreme FOC arrows from the 54#, 70# and 82# longbows; and will sent be to the Gang about the first of May.

All the Cape buff I've taken were a few years back, and all were with a 94#@27" longbow. All the Asian buff were with 82#@27". However, as the Study has progressed with the Asian buffalo, I've found arrow setups that, from the 82# LB, FAR out perform any of the heavier double-shafted and exotic hardwood shafted arrows I used from the 94# bow, on the Cape buffalo.

I fully expect that, with a given arrow, your 74# BW will generate considerably more arrow force than my straight end 82# LB. So ... I'd recommend that you save that money you would spend on a new bow, and pour it into developing a PERFECTLY TUNED Extreme FOC arrow, using a very high performance single-bevel broadhead - and, ideally, one having an Internal Footing too. The Part 2 and 3 Updates should give you some idea of a starting place.

Hope you have a great buff hunt. Not many animals can get the blood flowing the way a buffalo does!

Ed

[DG2]

Draw length is important variable. There is a big difference between 74#/26" and 74#/30". I will be hunting water buff in Australia next summer with 76#/29" (Fox TD longbow) and with 950 gr arrow.

[BUFF]

wow thanks for the info and I look forward to your report. I'm obligated to use the German Kinetic heads but I really have alot of faith in my 74# BW Recurve

[Dr. Ed Ashby]

Marty, the SilverFlame was the first screw-mount BH to make my 'best quality' list. It would add a bit to it's "certainty" if you'll add a SMALL Tanto profile tip though. I did have a number of the factory-profile tips bend or chip the tip, on angular bone impacts. Other than that, and a few bone gouges on the ferrules, there was no damage to any of the SilverFlame BH's.

Other than the bevel difference, they also give up a bit of penetration capability because the ferrule fade-in to the blade is a bit abrupt, but with a suitable arrow setup they performed/penetrated reliably enough on all reasonable-shooting-angle rib impacts. Their steel is among the best I've seen on any broadhead. Edge sharpness should be no problem at all!

Even with perfect flight and Extreme FOC, I'd be inclined to use a bit more total arrow mass with the SilverFlame than I would with a high mechanical advantage single-bevel BH. If you look at the IF Extreme FOC arrows in the 2007 Part 2 Update, you'll see that they are giving consistent (100% frequency, to date) exit wounds on every broadside, back-of-the-shoulder hit on trophy class Asian buffalo. That is from a relatively low-efficiency straight end 82# LB, with a total arrow mass of 790 grains.

Looking at the relative penetration difference shown on normal and high FOC arrows (between the Modified Grizzly I used on those arrows and that shown by SilverFlames) I'd be inclined to say that a "like performing" Extreme FOC arrow with the SilverFlame would need to be around 900 grains total mass (from a bow of like performance).

Your BW is relatively high-efficiency. Its performance likely exceeds that of the 82# LB, especially if your draw length is longer than my 27 inches. That may let you drop down a bit in arrow mass, but I think you will still need to be AT LEAST around 850 grains even to get close to 'like penetration-performance'.

I can't stress enough the 'perfect flight' portion of 'likeness' to the arrows I tested. Regardless of what arrow setup or mass you decide to use, spare neither time, effort nor expense to get arrow flight perfect. It needs to be absolutely "spot on".

You can use the 20 yard impact momentum level shown in the Update's 'arrow setup' descriptions to get some idea of how whatever arrow you decide on SHOULD stack up. All I can you give at this time is guideline calculation formula that will give you a 'theoretical' approximation of what you'll need to equlize the Modified Grizzly and the SilverFlame; on 'like arrows' (Same external dimensions, excepting the BH, and with Extreme FOC and perfect flight.)

The normal and high FOC data, for rib hits, suggest that the SilverFlame needs roughly 10% more impact MO to offset the Modified Grizzly's higher MA and single-bevel advantage. This implies that you need to be trying for around a minimum of 0.60 slug feet of impact momentum at 20 yards - and MOST of that momentum increase needs to come from increased arrow mass, rather than increased velocity. That, in theory, should give you approximately the same amount of outcome penetration on like-hits.

I must stress that the above is still very theoretical. I have not yet tested the SilverFlame on Extreme FOC arrows. However, the above calculation apperas to give a fairly accurate 'outcome performance' guideline between the 'similar profile' BH's that have been tested at Extreme FOC.

Regardless, you can count on such a setup giving you at least a solid thorax-traversing hit, from all reasonable shooting angles.

Hope that helps.

Ed

[BUFF]

Thanks again

[tradtusker]

Marty are you goin to be hunting from a hide or walk and stalk?

[BUFF]

walk and start to begin with 5 days... If I don't get it done we will change to tree stands over water

[Mooseman]

That sounds exciting Marty! Are you going to have someone film you?

The way you shoot......I am sure that buff will not know what hit him!

[AnointedArcher]

I heard Monty Browning talk about his buff hunt and he used a fiberglass fish arrow to get the weight desired for his hunt, he used a 90lb long bow I believe?

[BUFF]

I went ahead and ordered a PSAV 84 pounds        ( wanted a new toy)  and put together a dozen heritage 350 shafts with the 8 grain per inch weight tubes, 100 grain brass insert and a 200 grain head they weigh in right at 900 grains

[8th Dwarf]

For what it is worth, I have taken one Cape and two Water Buffalo with 74# bow.  All three were one arrow kills.  My arrows were 960 grain Diamond wood shafts made by Bob Burton for me.  All three kills involved ribs and arrows went in to the fletch.  The Cape was down in 8 seconds/fifty yards or less.  One Water Buff went down in sight at about 100 meters.  The second one was down in 37 meters, by measure.

I tested my 85 pound Wolverine and it was only 3 fps faster than my 74 pound Wolverine and my 74 pound Morrison recurve.  I shot the 74 pound bow better, so I went that way.  Magnus 125 grain head.

Good luck...

Too Short

[DG2]

Do outfitters in RSA or other African countires usually accept bows that are under "legal" requirements (kinetic or bow weight)?

What I have seen around the world is that usually almost anything goes....

[Bob]

Buff,

I've seen you shoot. While I wouldn't worry about being "overbowed" with your 84, you and I both know that where you put it is the most important factor.  And I know that you can put it where it needs to be put.

LBB