Danger in the Air: Cape Buffalo Surrender to Hammer

Danger in the Air: Cape Buffalo Surrender to Hammer

By Steve Scott

Host of Safari Hunter’s Journal

“You want to hunt a cape buffalo with what?” the professional hunter asked.

“An airgun” I replied.

“You’ll have to find someone else to guide you, sir. That’s crazy.”

I heard that a lot.

When Umarex told me about the power of the Hammer, I was incredulous. Testing the Hammer at the range, the 350 grain hard-cast lead bullet yielded a consistent 942 fps. I knew it was enough energy to do the job. I just needed to prove it to myself first.

On “test” hunts, both an American bison and Asian water buffalo succumbed to the Hammer. Both species went down quickly with one shot, which instilled confidence. But the overlapping ribs and lethal demeanor of the cape buffalo was altogether different. Time to go to Africa.

Like most cape buffalo hunts, there was walking, tracking, and much dust from blown stalks. With persistence and enough encounters, the shot opportunity will eventually present itself. Mine occurred in the form of a mature bull quartering away at 60 yards.

Charged to 4500 psi, the Hammer expelled a violent but measured blast of air. The 350 grain bullet smashed into the bull’s right shoulder, slightly forward, but with enough energy to shatter the bone. The bull ran with the herd for a time, but losing strength he fell behind. With a final effort, he turned to face his tracks and his pursuer.

With the small bottle of compressed air, I refilled the Hammer’s tank and loaded the empty chamber of the two-shot magazine. Our tracker took up the spoor which lead us to an open area where the bull had taken his final stand. The second round knocked the bull flat. The Hammer had harvested its first cape buffalo.

Hunting dangerous game with an airgun is not why Umarex created the Hammer, nor is it recommended. However, if an airgun has the power to effectively harvest creatures approaching a ton on the hoof, this Hammer airgun is more than capable of handling any species one might pursue on the North American continent.