just guided a Big ol Buff with a good friend. He used the 380gr Rhino on a 40yd frontal shot.We had full penetration with a high heart shot. Held together beautifully with +- 98-100% retention. Truly a beast of a bullet for the 375.

has anyone else used these on Buff ? with what results.

Interestingly I shot my 375 270gr at 100m and these 380gr beasts are only an Inch lower than the conventional 270gr Hornadys at that distance.

Here are some pics of the old Dagga boy



here is the recovered bullet from the chest cavity.



Top bullet is from a point blank "coup de grace" recoverd from the bottom shoulder



the beast is on the right

Dave,
I haven't used the Rhino bullets but I sure like that "blood in his eye" picture.

From what you have posted, they seem to be a good quality bullet, I just haven't heard much about them. Do you how many fps or the load that's being used?

Kevin Robertson recommended them to me for use in my 375, but I don't reload.
I do like the heavy for caliber on DG idea.

The small amount of difference in bullet drop by heavier bullets at ranges of 100-150meters/yards, is not unusual. Greater bullet mass equals greater resistance to forward movement, allowing upward barrel recoil to affect the bullet while still in the barrel, with a higher exit point.
Cheers,
Tim

what made the buff's eyes pop out?

quote:

Originally posted by bwana cecil:
Kevin Robertson recommended them to me for use in my 375, but I don't reload.
I do like the heavy for caliber on DG idea.

Thats why we used them, I sat with Kevin one night an we chatted about it, always wanted to try it. Works like a bomb.
I think we crono`d it at 2200fts. This was a duplex load 31.5gr S335 and 31.5gr S365 ( SA somchem powder)

quote:

Originally posted by bluefish:
what made the buff's eyes pop out?

That happens sometimes with a head shot

It has been three or so years since I last checked but at that time, Rhino was not exporting bullets to the USA and I never got a chance to test any of them.

quote:

Originally posted by samir:

quote:

Originally posted by bluefish:
what made the buff's eyes pop out?

That happens sometimes with a head shot

This buff took 3 shots. 1 to the front of the chest and as he swung around an took off got one to the spine that dropped him. I walked up an put one in behind the shoulder ~ through the heart.
Doctori has mentioned that if you hit the heart of a buff when its full it can explode This one did not, had a neat entry and exit.( I have personally never experienced this with all the buff Ive guided) We thought maybe that the sudden blood pressure spike of the heart shot could have done it.

Or hes just pissed at being shot and giving me the "Evil eye"

Well done Dave - nice buff.
It looks like the 380's performed perfectly.
I'm still convinced theses are one of the best 'first shot' buffalo bullets.
I tested some of the first generation 380's in the Zambezi valley. This was in 2002. My clients shot 6 buff with them that year and 5 were one shot kills. Wound channels were big enough for me to simply insert my arm into them to recover the bullets. This really impressed me and i have remained impressed with these bullets ever since.
The first generations I tested seemed to expand a bit too quickly. This was subsequently change and the second generations like the ones you used are now much better.
I still recommend solids for buffalo backing shots because it is my experience that the large frontal diameter of expanded 380's usually battles to get through a full buffalo rumen. There are unfortunately no complementary solids for the 380's. 350 grn North Fork Flat Nosed Solids are the best option. They are just about the same length.
More recently however I'm sold on the concept of the 350 grain North Fork Cup Nosed Solid for buffalo back-up shots. They penetrate deeply enough from the going away angles to easily get through the rumen and they create bigger wound channels than flat nosed solids. I do not think in would be too hard to get them to shoot to pretty much the same point of aim as the 380's.
Another good option for first shots at buffalo, especially for those in the USA that can't get or find Rhino's is the 350 grain North Fork Soft Point. At 2300 they work as well as the Rhino 380 with similar-sized wound channels.
Dave, Wim Lamprecht of African Leadwood in Jo'burg is now importing North Forks.

Thanx Kevin
This round hits very hard, but didn't penetrate past the Diaphram. The 350 solid would make a nice addition for the follow up.
We need to get together again for a bevy or 3

How was accuracy with the standard rifling?

Very accurate !! I was zeroed with a 270gr Hornady and these 380gr bullets where grouping with the other rounds about an inch ,inch an a half lower at 100 than the Hornadys

My experience is that the 380's are well-stabalized by the 1:12 twist standard on most .375's. In fact accuracy is amazing - like one inch groups at 50 m with a low power scope, and off shooting sticks.
After seeing a fair number of buffalo shot with these bullets I have never suspected bullet instability. The only one that hit a buff while going sideways went through a three inch mopane branch first! It tumbled as a result of this but still dropped the bull. Very few other bullets would have done that.
The Greenhill formula indicates that the 380's will be stabilized by a 1:13 twist so a 1:12 is fine and this is borne out by the excellent terminal performance I have witnessed.

Dave, when you take into consideration how thick and supple the frontal chest skin is on a big bull buff, (the trampoline effect) getting through it and all the way to the diaphragm is still good terminal performance in my opinion. Especially when the wound channel is as thick as your forearm which I suspect it was. In the past I have recovered 380's in the rumen from full frontal chest shots.
Agree about a few cold ones sometime soon.

quote:

Dave, when you take into consideration how thick and supple the frontal chest skin is on a big bull buff, (the trampoline effect) getting through it and all the way to the diaphragm is still good terminal performance in my opinion.

I have no doubt that what you say is true about the rhino bullet, but I got between 3 & 4 ft of penetration on a frontal chest shot with a 300gr TSX from 100yds. No his eyes were not bulged out, but the tracking job was very short, maybe 50yrds.
I think we are blessed that there are many very good quality bullets on the market today.

Nice work Dave. What Load are you using with those 380gr Rhino's and what Velocity are you getting?

Cheers

quote:

Originally posted by leopards valley safaris:

quote:

Originally posted by bwana cecil:
Kevin Robertson recommended them to me for use in my 375, but I don't reload.
I do like the heavy for caliber on DG idea.

Thats why we used them, I sat with Kevin one night an we chatted about it, always wanted to try it. Works like a bomb.
I think we crono`d it at 2200fts. This was a duplex load 31.5gr S335 and 31.5gr S365 ( SA somchem powder)

Hello Dave,

Wasn't S355 supposed to get rid of the need for duplex loads of S335 / S365? Just asking.

quote:

Originally posted by leopards valley safaris:

quote:

Originally posted by bwana cecil:
Kevin Robertson recommended them to me for use in my 375, but I don't reload.
I do like the heavy for caliber on DG idea.

Thats why we used them, I sat with Kevin one night an we chatted about it, always wanted to try it. Works like a bomb.
I think we crono`d it at 2200fts. This was a duplex load 31.5gr S335 and 31.5gr S365 ( SA somchem powder)

This is what was recommended, by the rhino guys , so we went for it.