I have a .416 Hoffman coming and am settling in for some reloading exercise.

For buffalo, would you load the Northfork cup point solid or the Speer AGS solid?

Neither, shoot softs.

I intend to shoot softs, Will, but want to carry a few solids for finishup duties. I should have made myself more clear in the post.

Same advice!

But for solids, I've had good luck with the AGS's. And others have had same with the NF CP. I've never have used them. Probably shouldn't say it, but it won't matter.

I have used the Cup point solids on 6 buffalo and all but one, a one shot kill. The bad shot was my fault as I misread the angle the bull was facing. The second shot did him in though. I really don't see any benefit to soft points on buff. Even at that North Fork makes a wonderful soft point also.

With the excellent, deep penetrating, well-constructed softs available today - such as NFs, Swift A-Frames, Barnes TSXs and Hirtenberger ABCs (I still have my private stock) - who needs a solid for buff?

I have used the Speer and have no complaints.

Post Driver, I have only hunted buff on four safaris but on the last two I decided to use the Barnes Triple Shok for the initial shots and any possible followups. The results have been all one could ask for. Also my PHs have been supportive of this decision. This is not to say it would have been their choice however.

The North Fork Cup Nose Solid was developed to be the "one does all buff bullet."

Mike Brady @ North Fork has told me that pass throughs from broad side chest shots are going to be greater with this bullet than a soft. So you need a good quality soft if you are going to shoot out of a herd to minimize a pass through wounding of another buff. North Fork softs would be a great choice as well as Barnes X TSX.

I also agree that one should have on hand some solids for follow-up shots or sometimes for initial shots on lone buff in thick brush. So some North Fork regular solids would be great to have. The cup nose might also be good here but is not the tried and true for this application yet.

It might be easier to get both bullets (solid & soft) to shoot to the same point if they were similar in nature. Hence either North Fork solids and softs or Barnes TSX and Barnes Banded Solids. If you are going to shoot the North Fork flat point solids, you need to be sure your rifle will feed them OK. Some won't. Mike will send you a sample pack of 5 to try to make sure they will feed before buying a whole box.

The North Forks shoot exquisitivly well in my .458 WM. I have heard GREAT things about them although I have not killed anything with them yet. I have shot my buff with Barnes X's & Barnes Solids in the past.

I only use cup points for buffalo anymore..I see many folks suggesting other bullets, but I also suggest they have never used a cup point. it expands a bit but it will give you more penetration than you will ever need...

I personally think it would penetrate enough for elephant as it penetrates as far lengthwise in a buffalo as any solid it seems, but I will let some other hardy soul prove that therory for me.

One bullet that does it all, plainsgame to buffalo, no switching around, good in doubles, the more I use them the less I use any other bullet. An expanding solid, can't get any better than that...but hey I am still an experminter and bullet digger and cup points can be totally boring, as they all look alike when you ocassionally get one back. I have recovered quit a few by shooting buff up the kazoo as they take off after a shoulder hit. then a couple in them from behind after they are on the dirt. the drive straight as an arrow btw.

I have stopped using solids for anything but elephants.

With the new mono metal bullets, there really is no reason for solids on buffalo.

My own experince has been with only the Barnes X and our own Walterhogs. Both would penetrate almost the whole length of the buffalo.