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For those of you who have taken crocodiles before, which load would you choose? 1. .270 Winchester loaded with 130 grain Sierra Pro Hunters at 2900 fps. This load shoots .75 MOA. 2. .270 Winchester loaded with 130 grain Barnes TTSX at 2900 fps. This one one shoots between 1.25-1.5 MOA. These are your only two choices. A more accurate load with a traditional cup and core bullet or a mono-metal that's not quite as accurate? Pete | ||
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I can't speak to the caliber choice, but I brained mine with a TSX, it never moved a muscle and didn't do enough damage to the skull to affect the mount.  | |||
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Neither. 22 Hi Power  | ||
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i give up. what's a .22 Hi Power??? Vote Trump- Putin’s best friend… To quote a former AND CURRENT Trumpiteer - DUMP TRUMP | |||
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.22 Hi Power is the Savage Hi-power and a noted killer of tigers amongst other things, I understand. My only croc-hunting experience (an observer) saw a 375 X-bullet break its petals on an average sized croc's shoulder shot. | |||
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I would use the barnes as I shoot sierras for whitetail and know that they are very soft and expand violently. I do not know how hard a crocs braincase is--- but I know the Barnes will get through it. | |||
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Shot mine with .375 and TSX. Brained and the mount is fine. I would probably, for many reasons, consider something larger than .270. | |||
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.375 with Barnes 300 gr.TSX here. Stayed together with all petals. I avoided the brain and shot behind the smile. I wasn't sure if I wanted the whole croc or just the skull at the time of shooting. ______________________ DRSS ______________________ Hunt Reports 2015 His & Her Leopards with Derek Littleton of Luwire Safaris - http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/2971090112 2015 Trophy Bull Elephant with CMS http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/1651069012 DIY Brooks Range Sheep Hunt 2013 - http://forums.accuratereloadin...901038191#9901038191 Zambia June/July 2012 with Andrew Baldry - Royal Kafue http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7971064771 Zambia Sept 2010- Muchinga Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4211096141 Namibia Sept 2010 - ARUB Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6781076141 | |||
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I've only taken 2. Both with .375 .300gr TTBC as that is what I had in my hands when I was hunting. Neither croc moved a muscle.  | |||
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Great picture!!  ______________________ DRSS ______________________ Hunt Reports 2015 His & Her Leopards with Derek Littleton of Luwire Safaris - http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/2971090112 2015 Trophy Bull Elephant with CMS http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/1651069012 DIY Brooks Range Sheep Hunt 2013 - http://forums.accuratereloadin...901038191#9901038191 Zambia June/July 2012 with Andrew Baldry - Royal Kafue http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7971064771 Zambia Sept 2010- Muchinga Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4211096141 Namibia Sept 2010 - ARUB Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6781076141 | |||
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Thanks, Jim...it was amazing that big croc, lived in that little swamp! Regards, D. Nelson | |||
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Pretty scary when you think about it. ______________________ DRSS ______________________ Hunt Reports 2015 His & Her Leopards with Derek Littleton of Luwire Safaris - http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/2971090112 2015 Trophy Bull Elephant with CMS http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/1651069012 DIY Brooks Range Sheep Hunt 2013 - http://forums.accuratereloadin...901038191#9901038191 Zambia June/July 2012 with Andrew Baldry - Royal Kafue http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7971064771 Zambia Sept 2010- Muchinga Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4211096141 Namibia Sept 2010 - ARUB Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6781076141 | |||
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talentrec, The Sierra is pretty frangible and I feel a very poor choice for crocodile. A croc's skin is very tough and if the only shot offered was behind the smile I think you'd get a surface wound only. I'm also afraid that the brain shot with the Sierra might be fatal but would make a huge mess of the head. By your own admission the TSX in your rifle is not particularly accurate so it may be out because of that. Personally I'd go with a larger caliber with a super premium bullet and I might have some solids too in the case I was offered a brain shot. Mark MARK H. YOUNG MARK'S EXCLUSIVE ADVENTURES 7094 Oakleigh Dr. Las Vegas, NV 89110 Office 702-848-1693 Cell, Whats App, Signal 307-250-1156 PREFERRED E-mail markttc@msn.com Website: myexclusiveadventures.com Skype: markhyhunter Check us out on https://www.facebook.com/pages...ures/627027353990716 | |||
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Never seen a .270 used on a croc but suspect it might be a bit light? Would be interesting to here some PH comments here. You have two shot options - one is brain and you have to drive the bullet in a straight line through 3 or 4 inches of bony palette. The other is neck and that would be about foot of solid muscle and enough power to smash the spinal cord. ROYAL KAFUE LTD Email - kafueroyal@gmail.com Tel/Whatsapp (00260) 975315144 Instagram - kafueroyal | |||
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Speaking with experience a TSX will crush him. My 16footer electric impulses did not exist after the shot. 375 300gr. TSX Mike   | |||
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Great photo, but what else was in that puddle behind you?  SUSTAINABLY HUNTING THE BLUE PLANET! "Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful, murder respectable and to give an appearence of solidity to pure wind." Dr J A du Plessis | |||
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Just out of interested where was the shot? Looks like middle neck and between the shoulders? ROYAL KAFUE LTD Email - kafueroyal@gmail.com Tel/Whatsapp (00260) 975315144 Instagram - kafueroyal | |||
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If I was using a .270 Win. I would use 150 Nosler Partitions. This is, as long as the rifle shot them. well. They've been more accurate in my .270 rifles than the 130's and I think a bit more mass might be in order as well. Rich Elliott Rich Elliott Ethiopian Rift Valley Safaris | |||
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I would not use either of those loads ever on a croc. | |||
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Just out of interested where was the shot? Looks like middle neck and between the shoulders?[/QUOTE] You are right. When we first spotted the croc, he was facing away from the puddle on the sand. My hide was across the puddle, amongst the trees. My PH (Craigh Hammond) told me to shoot him in the spine, behind the head. By the time I got into position, the croc was ready to slip back into the puddle. His head was not visiable to me at all because of the tall grass. So...I shot him where you see the pink splat. Although he didn't even twitch, I shot him a couple more times to be sure. Best regards, D. Nelson | |||
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I don't know, but as you can see he was very healthy and the PH aged him as a very, very old croc...so there were enough of something to keep him there. (I was hunting Coutada 11 in Mozambique) We actually never saw him until I shot him, but we had seen his prehistoric tracks on the little stretch of sand. Best regards, D. Nelson | |||
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Mine half switched his tail after 7mmMag Hornady 160 gr SP in the brain...quartering away a little....just under 14-ft....80 yd or so shot | |||
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Well, here I might catch some flack, But, I have had a fair amount of Crocs hunted in the last couple of years, and I personally would not advise anything smaller than 300, and with 200 gr Swifts as a last pointer. A heckuva lot of our crocs was shot with 338 and 375, and clients went home with their trophies, some used smaller and we lost them, or fished them out a weel later all rotten But it is your money, use what you think is best. One question, does anyone ever think of what they are sitting down next to , with that croc next to the water ????? A piece of advice, a BIG CROC IS NOT SCARED OF ANYTHING, he will take you sitting there happily next to his buddy, at any time he wants too, watch your water out there. Walter Enslin kwansafaris@mweb.co.za DRSS- 500NE Sabatti 450 Rigby 416 Rigby | |||
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Whatever you use, you need penetration by a well constructed bullet, not a rapid expanding model. The spine will give you a lot more target area than the brain, but you must penetrate hide and muscle. With a good, tough bullet, and the right angle, your .270 should have no problems killing even a very large Croc. The problem could be, angle and your shot placement. Large calibers won't make up for bad shots, but the shock factor oft times will give you that second shot if you react quickly enough. If you have no choice, it's your trophy fee so make sure of your shot and bullet choice. I like several good bullets, Nosler Accubond is one I'd recommend in 150 grain. Good hunting...dinosaurs are fun to kill LDK Gray Ghost Hunting Safaris http://grayghostsafaris.com Phone: 615-860-4333 Email: hunts@grayghostsafaris.com NRA Benefactor DSC Professional Member SCI Member RMEF Life Member NWTF Guardian Life Sponsor NAHC Life Member Rowland Ward - SCI Scorer Took the wife the Eastern Cape for her first hunt: http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6881000262 Hunting in the Stormberg, Winterberg and Hankey Mountains of the Eastern Cape 2018 http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4801073142 Hunting the Eastern Cape, RSA May 22nd - June 15th 2007 http://forums.accuratereloadin...=810104007#810104007 16 Days in Zimbabwe: Leopard, plains game, fowl and more: http://forums.accuratereloadin...=212108409#212108409 Natal: Rhino, Croc, Nyala, Bushbuck and more http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6341092311 Recent hunt in the Eastern Cape, August 2010: Pics added http://forums.accuratereloadin...261039941#9261039941 10 days in the Stormberg Mountains http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7781081322 Back in the Stormberg Mountains with friends: May-June 2017 http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6001078232 "Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading" - Thomas Jefferson Every morning the Zebra wakes up knowing it must outrun the fastest Lion if it wants to stay alive. Every morning the Lion wakes up knowing it must outrun the slowest Zebra or it will starve. It makes no difference if you are a Zebra or a Lion; when the Sun comes up in Africa, you must wake up running...... "If you're being chased by a Lion, you don't have to be faster than the Lion, you just have to be faster than the person next to you." | |||
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Thanks for the info everyone. It sounds like harder, not softer bullets are the recommendation for crocs. I actually would have thought the opposite, as from looking at them it doesn't seem to me that any shot angle is going to need more than a foot of penetration. I'm glad I asked! I just picked up some 150 grain A-Frames, which hopefully will shoot better than the TTSX's did. Pete | |||
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I was very concerned about this exact subject and you can believe I kept very alert and had others standing by at watch, rifles at hand. Regards, D. Nelson | |||
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I presume most read the article in AHG on same subject...2 or 3 issues ago....I don't agree but it was a good article nonetheless. | |||
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 ROYAL KAFUE LTD Email - kafueroyal@gmail.com Tel/Whatsapp (00260) 975315144 Instagram - kafueroyal | |||
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