This morning I was told of a gentleman with extensive africa hunting experience who claims his favorite ("spectacular") Buffalo load for his Lott is a 350 grain TSX (IIRC around 2700 fps).

I know the TSX is a good bullet, but I can't imagine it would be a good choice for Buffalo. Sectional density of that bullet would be pretty low, and I would think 2700 fps would be putting an aweful lot of strain on a bullet when it hits a Buffalo.

Does anybody know of buffalo being taking with the 350 gr TSX (.458)?

The 350gr 458 with a SD of .238 has the same SD and the 300gr .416. Its SD is worse that the 235gr .375 or the 130gr .270.

That would not be my choice for buffalo, but I bet it would work fine on broadside shots.

The only question is why anyone would want to use it on buffalo.

Have not used the .458 TSX but have used the 350 gr .416 TSX at 2700 fps from a Rigby.

It has an SD of 0.289.

Have only recovered one projectile. It was a followup shot on an old duggaboy. Entered the right thigh, smashed the femur, and continued on through the gut. Came to rest just under the skin on the front of the Buf's chest. A good 6 to 7 feet of penetration ... after smashing a huge bone. Simply amazing.

recoil?

Roy Weatherby Syndrome??

100 to 150 grains too light for caliber for my tastes.

I'm confused on what the argument is here. Is it that folks don't think the TSX bullet is good for buffalo, or is it that the 350 gr. bullet is wrong, or something else??

I use a .375 RUM with a 270 gr. TSX bullet at 2,900 FPS. Shot 9-10 buffalo and 3 elephants with it, they all go no where, just dead!! So why would the example given by Austringer of a 350 gr bullet out of a 458 lott at 2,700 fps be bad???? Just curious.

quote:

Originally posted by Aaron Neilson:
that the 350 gr. bullet is wrong

At least that was how I read it.

quote:

I use a .375 RUM with a 270 gr. TSX bullet at 2,900 FPS. Shot .... 3 elephants with it, they all go no where, just dead!!

I would like to hear more on the use of the TSX on your elephant. Performance, etc.

Aaron, have no problem with the tsx's, am actually a fan. I don't understand shooting a 350 gr bullet out of a 458 lott. The only thing I could come up with was that it would cut the recoil significantly from a 500g. But then what is the point of the 458? Just shoot a 375 or 416.

quote:

Originally posted by Aaron Neilson:
I'm confused on what the argument is here. Is it that folks don't think the TSX bullet is good for buffalo, or is it that the 350 gr. bullet is wrong, or something else??

I use a .375 RUM with a 270 gr. TSX bullet at 2,900 FPS. Shot 9-10 buffalo and 3 elephants with it, they all go no where, just dead!! So why would the example given by Austringer of a 350 gr bullet out of a 458 lott at 2,700 fps be bad???? Just curious.

Nothing wrong with the TSX mate ... on the contrary!! A 350gn in 458 is just a tad 'light for calibre', especially at Lott velocity...

quote:

Originally posted by JBrown:

quote:

Originally posted by Aaron Neilson:
that the 350 gr. bullet is wrong

At least that was how I read it.

quote:

I use a .375 RUM with a 270 gr. TSX bullet at 2,900 FPS. Shot .... 3 elephants with it, they all go no where, just dead!!

I would like to hear more on the use of the TSX on your elephant. Performance, etc.

Jason - Sorry, it was obviously not the TSX on the elephants, but the Barnes Solid, my mistake.

quote:

Originally posted by Aaron Neilson:

Jason - Sorry, it was obviously not the TSX on the elephants, but the Barnes Solid, my mistake.

I thought maybe you had used expanding bullets on elephant. I know one forum member who has quite a bit of experience and he likes softs for elephants.

I'm always looking to learn more.

Aaron,

I'm going on my first african hunt in September and am making my final descision on how to load my 458 Lott.

All research I did indicated that for DG you should select a high sectional density (over .300) bullet at around 2100 - 2400 fps.

I happen to have a couple of boxes of 450 grain bullets so that's what I plan on going with, loaded to about 2150 - 2250 fps. That 450 grain bullet in a 458 caliber puts me at a sectional density of just over 0.300.

The only reason I was wondering is that the light for 458 caliber 350 grain goes against conventional wisdom. That said, I have heard how good TSX bullets are, so I was wondering if anybody had any experience with them on Buffalo. It sounds like the 375 and 416 have no problems holding together and penetrating at those speeds.

My experience with a 270 gr. TSX, at 2,900 FPS on buffalo has been great! But I will be the first to admit, I am no bullet, load, gun, expert.

Austringer,

The low SD of the 350 TSX equals shallow penetration and that's not what you want for buffalo. I used the old 350 X quite a bit in Alaska when I lived there. It killed very well but on moose it never gave a through and through.

Aaron,

Your 270 TSX is one of my favorites. I've only shot eland and other antelope with it but several of my clients have killed buffalo and everything else with it. Personally I think it may be the best all around bullet for the 375s.

Mark

I took 3 buff last year with 450 tsx's loaded to about 2200 in my lott last year. Performance was more than satisfactory. 1 was drt, one lasted about 20 seconds on his feet and soaked up 3 shots total but only made it about 20 feet from the original shot. And one was a flubbed first shot with a .375 that was absalutely stoned by a .450 tsx in his north end while he was headed south at a high rate of speed.

I think only one bullet passed thru,- I personally wouldn't go any lighter than 450.

.375 H&H = 300gr.
.416 Rem = 400gr.
.458 Lott = 500gr.

Any questions?

Armchair ballistics experts aside, if you can shoot a buff perfectly with a 300 gr .375 @2550 fps, you can damn well shoot the same buff as well or better with a 350 gr .458 @ 2550 fps, SD notwithstanding. Bullet placement is key,niggling diferencesin SD are HS

I saw a video of a guy shooting a very big Bison with a .458 Lott and 350 grain TSX. It was broad side and darn near toppled the buff. Granted it was an American Bison and not a Cape Buff but they are all big tough animals. There is no reason it would not work.

emron,

true, as will be attested by the thousands of Cape Buffalo and Elephants killed with FNs and AKs.

We have in excess of 110 years of solid evidence that a 480-500gr bullet with an MV of 2150-2200fps is a dead nuts DG killer and stopper as well.

I have a CZ in 450 Dakota. I shoot the 500gr bullets, Swift A-Frame softs, or old-style single driving band Barnes solids for two reasons.
1. I got a crate full of each one
2. They kill DG very dead, very fast.

I see no need to experiment when my life and the lives of others could hang in the balance based on my choice of projectiles.

458 Lottfan,

I shot a big bison with a Shiloh Sharps 45-70 at about 140yds. 520gr cast bullet at slightly under 1500fps. He fell down, got up in a couple minutes and staggered thirty feet to a mudhole where the sob bellowed once and died.
20-degrees and a foot of snow. Long day...

The issue is not what you can kill an animal, especially a Dangerous Game Animal with; but what you can flatten one in an instant with if you need to to keep it from killing you or somebody else.

Too many of you are trying to find a way to kill something with under ideal conditions with (and no recoil) when you should focus on something that will hit DG like a forty-ton loaded semi and slap them tits up in a nano-second. I can KILL Cape Buffalo with a 22 Hornet with some fmj Air Force Pilot survival ammunition.

Rich
DRSS

I think the 458 Lott is to be used for heavy projectile dangerous wildlife (465 grains or more). The lighter weight have to use non-hazardous for large mammals.

Oscar.

we kinda back to the same old story it's all about placement. Read Bell's books you can kill anything with the right bullet placement if you muff the shot bend over and kiss your ass goodbye

Idaho

I agree with you. I shoot 450 gain North Forks and 500 grain TSX and Solids thru my Lott. I have shot some 350's that shot very well. I think that the 350 grain bullets are more uncomfortable to shoot due to recoil than the 500 grain bullets. I have the same results with my .480 Ruger, Heavy bullets feel better to shoot than light and fast.