There are some who subscribe to the theorey that in dangerous game hunting of animals like Cape Buffalo, Elephant and Rhino, one should use an expanding bullet for the first shot and solids for subsequent shots. I can see how this is logical in a herd situation where shooting through an animal with a solid could injure another one. Except when shooting an animal in a herd, what is the logic in this? If the solid is more effective on a wounded angry animal, why not use one in the first place? If a soft nose bullet is most effective, why use a less effective bullet for second and third shots?

Solids are better at penetrating from odd angles, not necessarily better at killing.

Your only shot opportunity at a north bound wounded buffalo will be from the south end and require at least 4 feet of penetration to get to the vitals.

The theory is that you're going to pick your shots better for your first shot and hopefully get a nice broadside shot with the soft. The expanding soft point bullet should cause a larger wound channel, transfer more energy and therefore kill more quickly... but at the expense of penetration.

I don't know of anyone recommending starting with a soft for elephant or rhino. With their size and hide toughness it's solids all the way.

Kyler

Agreed. Everything I have read on this forum says that for Elephant you should use a solid for first and subsequent shots. Perhaps because head shots are more common for the elephant as a first shot, due to close range? For Buff the conventional wisdom seems to be soft first, due to herd situations and perhaps because a body shot is a more common first shot?
Peter.

Old habits die hard... When softs were all a little fragile it was standard to use a soft for the first shot on buff, and then use a soild in case it ran away or charged. With many modern cartridges and premium softs like Stuarts or Barnes X there is no need to swap from softs to solids on buff.

Many old time hunters and the younger generation influensed by them are very mistrustful of soft points for any hunting except cats. I have been using softs on buff exclusively since the 1980's buffalo culls and would never choose a solid - they take too long to kill unless you hit the spine. Have seen a buff last 30 mins with a .375 solid through the heart, and seen one last 12hrs and still want to fight with a .375 soild and a couple of
.308 millitary ball rounds through the lungs.

As the heart pumps it contracts and closes the small hole made by a solid. The skin slides and closes off the hole in the lungs (particularly on ele but to a lesser extent on buff).

I have had far too many heart-in-mouth follow ups of buff that were well hit with a solid and yet who made it into the reeds or the jesse for me ever to think of using them.

Elephant- would never use a soft!

Ganyana: Glad to hear this point of view from an accomplished PH. At the behest of my PH, I also only used softs, but after he was down on his haiches and I had worked SO hard in matching POIs for both, I was feeding that buff a solid no matter what! It went through both shoulders and kept going. The other three were swifts and they did a hell of a job on the buff. jorge

Ganyana:

This one time buff hunter and sadly, one time hunter to Africa (successful) read your post with interest. My PH (a man in perhaps his late 30s or very early 40s) asked me to use solids as the first shot. I had zeroed in with SPs in the States. (Hurried 3 shot sighting in across the hood of the Landcruiser. Happily, the rifle was off only about 2" from SPs as I already knew but the PH made me prove it to him!) What I want to say is that I shot my buff on the point of the shoulder (as he started to turn towards me. He was alone at about 35 yards)The solid simply shattered the entire shoulder bone. I won't tell a familiar "war story" to you but this first time buff hunter knew the buff was nearly dead on his feet from the shot -and I did see the results in the butchery that night. (Yes, of course, I did use an "insurance shot" and it was an SP at my PH's urging) My PH had given me a quick previous "prep" when he told me: " "Break bones". Obviously, I'm not remotely "arguing" something with an expert on the subject - but I ask, why isn't the solid simply the best under the circumstances I have described? If breaking bones is the way to put a buff down (or at least make him lose interest in the fight) isn't a solid just great for that purpose? It certainly was for me! Regards. This armchair hunter (nowadays) always enjoys reading your posts.

Ganyana, I think you make a good point regarding the premium softs in 375. What's your opinion of 458 flat nose solids on buff?

In Zimbabwe I was interested in going all soft-points for buffalo this year (Federal TBBC). My PH likes Federals a lot, but he asked for a soft-point followed by solids. I gave him what he requested. Had he told my soft-points, I would have given him what he requested.

Gerry

If you break bones with a high velocity bullet at close range you have a mass of secondary projectiles to assist! Many of the vet culling officers uses only solids in their .404's and .425's and aimed to break something. It works. A good soft in the same place will do more though.

SG- A flat nosed solid is always better than a round nosed, but it is not necessary for buff. I carry flat nosed solids in my .404- which is my back up rifle-but on buff or hippo a premium soft is still better IMHO

Ganyana,

I am glad to see if have come around to the logical conclusion. I'll have to write this down as to have you agreeing with me on anything.

Seems everytime I had used solids the results were not very effective. As I have talked about a zillion times, saying buff are tough when using solids is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

You shoot a buff with a solid which can have not much effect. The buff runs off. See how tough buff are?

The other VERY COMMON ocurrence is the wounding of some neighborhood buff that just happened to get in the way of a solid that flies through the buff of interest.

Most old-time and many not so old PH's still don't get it.

Use softs on buff.

And I agree, obviously, that solids are needed on eles because of the required penetration. But it is equally important about accidentally shooting other elephants in herds.

A side brain shot can easily pass through an elephant skull and bang another one on the other side. I've seen some risky shots taken in some of the hunting videos on the market.

I couldn't agree more with Ganyana and Will!

Right on, Kyler. No-nonsense talk from somebody who obviously has been there.

I have only shot one water buffalo,at the advice of the outfitter i loaded the mag one soft and three solids.

I put one soft in his chest and fired two solids as he ran away.

This shot hit him and the bullet reached this chest cavity,i don't think a soft would have given that much penetration.

When you see the amount of grass, etc in these big animals its hard to believe that anything can get through it. Solids do and often you have an opportunity to hit em a time or two running away and most softs won't penetrate through that stomach mass. Soft on top followed by solids is a good choice