What ever happened to the guys that were testing these solids on Buffalo this year. Surely they are back by now?

Jerry,

I was trading some email with Mike B. from North Fork this weekend; he does not have the reports yet either.

Perhaps your request will shake something loose.

jim dodd

I think Ray Atkinson used those bullets and he may have already posted a bit of information about them? Can't remember the thread.

Here is the report that I have to offer from our hunt in 'The Selous' this October. My delay was in getting the bullet to Mike which I have been slow in doing.

.416 Rigby 2500fps. 370 gr. soft point. Same point of aim gave same point of impact from 25/50/100 yards.

SOFTS; First Buff shot at 60yards. Hit the right scapula, through the cervical spine, stopped under the skin at the front of the left shoulder. Bullet weight; 325 grains. Frontal section, size of a penny. (sorry, didin't measure it). Buff went straight down. Insurance shot was through the back, into the heart, went straight through.

Second Buff was shot at 80 yards. He moved from a broadside pose, to a front on position with the other Dugga Boys, when we stepped out from the bush to shoot. He raised his nose to wind us. I shot thim through the front of the cervical spine. He went down so hard, he knocked over a Termite mound.

I could put 4 fingers into the front of the spine and 2 fingers would fit all the way through. This bullet was not recovered by the skinning staff. It was apparently left in the vital organs. I didn't know this until after we got back fron dragging it around and hanging it for lion bait. Sorry. I was pissed, to say the least.

As you can see, I did not have much need to shoot the Cupped Solids in anger. The second Buff became a "Test Specimen"

Cupped Solids 370gr. 2500fps.

All shots are from approx. 25 yards away with me sitting on the ground.

One shot through the left neck muscle, angled towards the right rear hip. Bullet passed through, going through the femur. Wound channel(where it could be identified) was about the size of a dime. The line was straight through. The impact into the dirt was recorded by the video.

Two bullets were shot through the right scapula, on through the left scapula. Both went straight through, breaking bone and making a general mess out of the shoulders.

One shot through the left rear hip, angled towards the head. Came out at the right shoulder/neck area, missing bone in the front. Too much of a mess to ID a wound channel. NO BULLETS FOUND. I was some what disappointed that I didn't get to shot a live Buff with the solids, but when Bill was up shooting, I had to be just far enough back to not spoil the stalk, that I couldn't get a shot in.

Shot a Zebra stallion at 120 yards with the .375 300gr. soft, 2525fps. Went through the right shoulder angled towards the left rear hip. Went out just before the end of the short ribs. Went 30 yards and went down. No bullet to be found.

A boar Wart Hog shot with the same .375 load at 80+ - yds., went through the right shoulder, bottom of the thoracic spine, and exited through the off side ribs. Made a large elliptical exit wound. Went straight down. No bullet to be found.

Impression; The softs are a very stout bullet and are EXTREMELY accurate. My bores are very easy to clean. I have absolutly no reservation in using these bullets for the Dangerous Game. Yes, I am disappointed in not beinging able to see results on live game with the solids.

In the .416 and .375, the solids printed just a fraction under the group of softs. However, I will again use them on such a hunt and feel that they are more than adequate. I did leave some of the .375 solids with the PH's that had this cal.(don't let the government know). They said that they would let me know how they performed. We'll see. I did come up some what short on the testing that I was hoping to provide. Guess that means I will need to go back for some more!!

After shooting close to 700 rounds in practicing for this hunt over 2 years, as well as being an avid student of these animals anatomy, I was expecting nothing less than one shot stops. I even bet my PH that they would be. No appoligies for the shooting. We are looking at Plains Game (big stuff) in about 2 years. I will use these in my .300 Ultra and some lighter ones 'jacked up' in the .375. I am sold on these bullets from this experience and what I have read from others.

If I can be of any asistance to any questions that you may have, feel free to contact me. I am in no way connected to Mike Brady of North Fork Bullets, and was introduced to these by Ray.
Sam Clemmons
eclemmons@hotmail.com
(828) 754-0841

All the best and keep practicing.

SAM

Notice that I recovered 8 bullets from my game shot with the same bullet in my 416 Rem. My loads were 78 grs. of RL-15 for about 2300 FPS. that is very mild and about 83 is max.. ALL of my bullets were recovered under the skin on the far side of the animals...

When Mike Brady and I discussed this, and I told him this was the perfect herd shooting bullet, he told me I was shooting them to slow and to kick them up to 24 or 2500 FPS which is no big deal, and they would shoot through anything and give me an exit hole...

Sam had his loaded at 2500 FPS and that pretty well supports Mikes suggestion, as he didn't recover a bullet under near identical circumstances...All his shot through the Buffalo.

Apparantly Mike Brady at Northfork has the perfect bullet for herd shooting OR for hunting bachlor bulls, just load them accordingly.

We are only discussing the regular soft points here that Mike produces...Man, what a bullet. Based on Sams report and mine, the quest for perfection apparantly is over IMO...All one has to do is load them to your needs. 2300 for herd shooting and 2500 for everything else.

They are also the most accurate bullets that I have shot and no, I am not affiliated with North Fork in any form or fashion..Just really am sold on their bullets...

Has anyone used the North Fork bullets in a High Velocity gun? I just purchased some 200 grain bullets to work up in my 300 Ultramag.

Thanks,

Thanks for the info guys...very nice reports

HI,

I have posted this question before and have not got any information on it. Does anyone know the BC of the 370 Northfork .416 bullet?. Thanks,Kev

I received some sample North Fork bullets from Mike B., and loaded them in .450 WSM cases to check feeding from the magazine of the test rifle I have. I have .458"/350 grain, 400 grain and 450 grain softs, and 450 grain solids.

These are very nice looking bullets, but performance is the obvious thing with such bulleys. The reports posted above make interesting reading indeed.

I have some .375"/270 grain GS FNs that a friend hand-carried over, but I have not been able to complete an order for .458s from GS. I will stop flogging the dead horse, and just switch to North Fork.

These bullets would obviously complement the Harald Wolf .458 Win Mag Jungle Carbine.

jim dodd

Bill Dowtin used the North Forks in a hi vel 7 mag wildcat and he said they were very accurate indeed and he had a expanded 284 bullet and it looked just like the rest..you can make book on picture perfect expansion with ANY North Fork bullet, they all clone each other....and they are all super accurate...

All my rifles shoot them as well or better and mostly better than any other bullet, That is quite a claim and I am sure yours will too... like Balistic tips they are just accurate bullets, try them and see what I am talking about...

Were do you buy the NORTHFORK bullet? And what is the app. price?

Why is the .416 bullet made in 370 grains?

Would their .375 bullets work in .378 wea at full speed?

Regards

Mads

Mads,

North Fork Technologies, Inc.
P.O. Box 1689
Glenrock, Wyoming 82637 USA
phone 307 436 2726
fax 307 436 5780

The brochure insert lists 416"/325 grain and 416"/370 grain bullets.

I expect that the weight is determined by the mostly copper alloy construction of the bullet (it also has a forward bonded lead core). Making a slightly lighter bullet keeps the bullet length down.

jim dodd

/

Alf,

I sent some bullets (handloading components) to a fellow in BC this summer. He maintains a USA address just over the line, and comes down to pick things up from time to time.

Appears to work for him.

jim dodd

There is also a North Fork bullet thread running in the Big Game forum, and it has some photos of recovered bullets.

http://www.serveroptions.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=002751

jim dodd