I am 12 months away from my first safari. It's a combo buffalo rifle and plains game archery in Zimbabwe.

A question for you experts, I plan to use a 375 H&H on the buffalo. I have 300 grain Swift A frames and Hornady 300 solids for bullets. I will load my own.
My outfitter is recommending a soft for the first shot and then solids for additional shots.

Will I see any practical difference in point of impact of those two bullets at buffalo hunting ranges?

try North Fork cup point bullets!! you will not be disappointed. John and the guys at North fork are great to deal with too.

You have to shoot your loads and see where they shoot.

But, You really do not need any solids for buffalo if you use a good permium bullet.

There is nothing wrong with the Swift A-Frame, but it would not be my first shoice for buffalo.

I presonally prefer monolithic hollo poin copper bullets - like the Barnes X.

With something like these, all you have to do is use one load for everything.

This is what we have been using for so many years, shooting every available species of African game, including several hundred buffalo.

Never found any need for a solid.

Change in the point of impact between different bullets can be very small, or very large. Depending on the particular rifle.

Many years ago, we built a rifle for the 416 Rigby Improved. I wanted to use Trophy Bonded Bear Claw bullets in it, as well as Barnes Super Solids.

I used a load that worked for the 416 Weatherby, and thought I might try that one to start with.

I loaded 3 rounds with the Bear Claws, and fired them. My rifle had a 1.5-5 Leupold scope. After the shots were fired, I looed through the spotting scope, and saw a one hole group!!

I took the same 3 empty case, sized and primed them, used the same powder charge, and loaded 3 Barnes Super Solids, and fired another group at the same target.

All 6 shots went into something like 0.7"!

I stopped right there, and that rifle has only used one load ever since.

quote:

Originally posted by df06:
I am 12 months away from my first safari. It's a combo buffalo rifle and plains game archery in Zimbabwe.

A question for you experts, I plan to use a 375 H&H on the buffalo. I have 300 grain Swift A frames and Hornady 300 solids for bullets. I will load my own.
My outfitter is recommending a soft for the first shot and then solids for additional shots.

Will I see any practical difference in point of impact of those two bullets at buffalo hunting ranges?

Two good choices. To answer your question: No you won't.

I seriously doubt that you would see too much of a difference in your shot placement at 50 yards. However I would definitely shoot both loads so that your mind is at ease when it comes time to shoot your buffalo. Being that you have 12 months before your safari it gives you ample time to find what combination of softs and solids your rifle likes. I would also go with whatever your PH recommends if he recommends A-Frames all the way down do that if he recommends an A-Frame in the throat and solids all the way down then go with that. He is basing his answer with what he feels comfortable with and will appreciate you listening to his initial advice.

quote:

Posted Jul 9, 6:23 AM Hide Post
try North Fork cup point bullets!! you will not be disappointed. John and the guys at North fork are great to deal with too.

+1
I shot a cape buffalo 3 months ago with the cup point and it blew through both shoulders. No need for solids. That was the first time I ever had a non solid exit a buffalo.

quote:

Will I see any practical difference in point of impact of those two bullets at buffalo hunting ranges?

Yes...sometimes you can. Shoot on paper and see.

I think you would do well with the Barnes only. Alternately those North Fork Cup points are getting rave reviews
However, if you are ever going to have to make a long shot it will be with the solid on a departing buff.
If I was in your shoes and wanted both I would zero the rifle at 150 yards with a solid that groups well. Then test your softs out to 50 yards. If they are good enough for a heart shot then so be it.
Just make sure you get in close and then get 10 yards closer.

I appreciate all the insights guys.

dfo6

It can be quite easy to get softs and solids to print together or it can leave you tearing your hair out. The last time I tried it I only had to adjust the powder charge 2 gr and they shot together nicely at 100 yards. The previous time they shot into 1.5" initially but the first time I tried it I couldn't figure out what to do. The solids and softs were 6" apart vertically and 4" horizontally. I tried all kinds of stuff and could not get them together.

Saeed has the simpliest answer. Use a monometal expnding bullet and forget the solids for buff. If you can make the solids shoot to the same POI as the softs use them for the litte guys and elephant.

Mark

I used Barnes TSX on my buffalo hunt last month and the first TSX went in front of the left shoulder and stopped in the stomach.

The second going away shot, went in dead center of the hams but I was shooting at about a 45 degree angle so it went into the left ham and never exited.
(Saeed, I couldn't get the buff to hold it's tail down when it was running away so I couldn't match your split the tail shot)


I'm seriously considering using solids after the first shot since my loads hit within an inch of each other at 100 yards.

I shot a buff bull in May. The first shot, a North Fork soft point (not the cup point) made a "bang, flop, death bellow" as it hit the shoulder-spine junction at 65 yards. Since the buff's head was up, I fired several more insurance shots. These were at an angle and not all the solids exited.

I would use solids for the second and subsequent shots. My PH preferred me to use softs for the first two and solids thereafter.

I do not think that .375 solids will exit when fired lengthwise.

I used North Fork solids as well as softs. With the same powder load, they both shot in the same group at 100 yards, even though the soft points are "pointier."

Incidentally, my 300 grain soft point weighed 291 grains. The North Forks were slightly more accurate than A-frames.

quote:

Originally posted by samir:

quote:

Posted Jul 9, 6:23 AM Hide Post
try North Fork cup point bullets!! you will not be disappointed. John and the guys at North fork are great to deal with too.

+1
I shot a cape buffalo 3 months ago with the cup point and it blew through both shoulders. No need for solids. That was the first time I ever had a non solid exit a buffalo.

............................HUH???

The North Fork CPS (cup point solid) "IS" a nono-metal solid!

after discussing this matter at length with the guys from north fork, I'm going to use the .375
cup point solids as a general purpose load. They reccomend it highly for buffalo.

quote:

Originally posted by timg953:
after discussing this matter at length with the guys from north fork, I'm going to use the .375
cup point solids as a general purpose load. They reccomend it highly for buffalo.

I totally agree with everything you, and North Fork said above on the North Fork CPS as a very good general purpose bullet for every thing up to and including Cape buffalo, and IMO the North Fork SPS for elephant. On that last note I'm really not qualified to reccomend any thing on Elephant since I'm not an elephant hunter!

..................................

after what happen with barnes bullets in Uganda last year and seeing the video of the shock channel created by N/F cup point I don't think I will shoot anything but n/f from now on

Your loads are the same I've used for buffalo. In my rifle, and each can be an individual, those bullets shot within 1/2 inch at 100 yds. I don't think you can do much better than those bullets and that kind of consistency. I've never tried the North Fork. Shot placement is the issue so long as you use good bullets with adequate penetration.

shot placement is great until your bullet turned right on impact, due to structural failure, sorry

I would try shooting both loads off sticks. My .375 solids grouped 1 inch left of my Swift A-Frames at 100 yards. Not much to worry about but that was my rifle. You really need to practice to tell.


Dutch