I read a story about a guy in Africa in the early 1900s hunting Cape Buffalo. One charged him and he turned around to get his rifle from his trusty gun bearer only to find that the gun bearer was gone. The hunter climbed a nearby tree. The Buffalo waited for him to come down. The hunter had a 22 pistol with him with something like 60 rounds. He made a dummy out of his clothes and hung it down for the Buffalo to charge at. Every time the Buffalo went by, he put a 22 into it. Fired every last cartridge and the Buffalo stood there looking at him. The guy was in the tree all night. The Buffalo was gone next morning.
I wonder how close the buff was. Even on a buff, the eyes are vulnerable to a .22.