I tested the Hornady DGS solid out of a Browning Safari Grade 458 Win and North Fork FN solids out of my 465 double on elephants during the past two weeks. I thought you might be interested in the results.

458 Win., handloads consisting of new Winchester cases loaded with 500 grain DGS bullets in front of 72 grains of AA2230 for 2,145 fps over the chronograph.

465 Nitro using North Fork .468 diameter FN solids over 99 grains of IMR-4831 and a cork over powder wad for 2,150 fps.



The far left 458 DGS bullet was fired in to a large tuskless cow at approximately 25 yards range. It hit on the top of the line behind the shoulder and exited at the same location on the opposite side. It then struck an unseen young bull behind the cow and entered it just in front of the left hip angling somewhat fore ward. The bullet penetrated the spleen and destroyed the rear upper portion of the right lung. It was found under the skin on the off side. It came with in a couple of inches of completely penetrating two elephants on broad side shots. Total penetration was over six feet. No bones larger than the ribs were encountered. The middle bullet was a frontal head shot on a very tall and lanky tuskless cow. The bullet entered the head about 12 inches below the eye line and was found on the left scapula. The bullet penetrated just to the right of the enter line of the skull and penetrated the left temporal and occipital lobes of the brain. It missed the rear portion of the brain. That equated to approximately 54 inches of penetration. The cow was knocked down and out cold for about 30 seconds and then tried to get up but couldn't. The third bullet on the far left was placed into the head from the front as a finisher and it penetrated the rear portion of the brain (death kick evident)and was found in the right humerus. Again over 50 inches of penetration. The cow only went approximately 60 yards before going down and the young bull another 50 yards further on. Neither could get back on it's feet. To say that I was impressed with the performance of this bullet is an understatement. The three recovered DGS bullets showed not the slightest mark or deformation. Hornady has a big winner here in my estimation.



The first bullet I fired was placed on the top of the shoulder line from broadside on a young tuskless bull at about 30 yards. The bullet exited about three inches behind the top of the off side shoulder line. It was not recovered. The first pictured bullet was a finisher frontal head shot. The bullet penetrated the brain centrally and again the death kick confirmed the brain hit. The bullet was found in the neck shoulder junction lying against the spine. Over 4 feet of penetration. After the broadside shot the young tuskless bull only moved twenty feet before it went down and although it tried to rise it could only get it's head off the ground.

The second NFFN solid pictured penetrated a large tuskless from a frontal brain shot that entered the trunk around 14 inches below the eye line. It penetrated exactly centered through the brain, exited the back of the skull , traveled trough the neck and shoulder joint and was found in the loin meat on top of the spine and ribs approximately 12 inches behind the scapula. This was the most dramatic reaction that I have experienced from an elephant after a frontal brain shot. When she was hit her reaction was in very slow motion. Her head went up high, the trunk raised straight up and her head went up so high that her front feet came up off the ground. When her head and trunk were at the highest , her back end collapsed then the front end came crashing down, I could hear the trackers verbally wowing at the show. Again excellent bullet penetration and the recovered bullets only showed some minor deformation on the nose. Another winner for North Fork in my opinion. I would use either of these bullets with complete confidence and hope to again next year.

I neglected to coment on tissue destruction observed from these bullets. The DGS bullets from the head shots that ended up in the front leg and shoulder showed very large amounts of hemoraging along the bullets path as they passed through the neck. Large globs of coagulated blood were observed from these shots. The side body shot from the .468 dismater NFFN passed through the aorta above the heart and left a 4 inch exit hole in that aorta.

The heart has been seperated from the aorta and the large exit hole in the aorta is visable in this pic.

The DGS that passed through the cow and then the young bull also left a square foot of hemoraged lung tissue in the rear part of the right lung. Both of these bullets caused severe soft tissue damage. I saw no indication of bullets tumbling or giving anything but straight line penetration.

465H&H

quote:

Originally posted by 465H&H:
After the broadside shot the young tuskless bull only moved twenty feet before it went down and although it tried to rise it could only get it's head off the ground.
465H&H

Thanks - sounds neat. - were those FN's 450 or 500 grainers?

quote:

Originally posted by mouse93:

quote:

Originally posted by 465H&H:
After the broadside shot the young tuskless bull only moved twenty feet before it went down and although it tried to rise it could only get it's head off the ground.
465H&H

Thanks - sounds neat. - were those FN's 450 or 500 grainers?

Sorry I should have added that the NF FN .468 solids weigh 480 grains.

465H&H

Hello 465H&H,

Great report, very detailed! Congrats on a great hunt and looking forward to some of your pictures of the hunt.

Appreicate your insight and assistance.

Best,

jjs

I agree with you on your assessment of the Hornady
bullet. While filming all over Africa this season, on multiple BIG 5 species, we have been beyond pleased on the performance of both the DGS and DGX. Always good to get first hand updates with pic's though.

Excellent!

Thanks.

appreciate the report. Good work, thanks for sharing the results with us, especially the load. what was ths LOA of your 458 loads? I assume that you used magnum primers.

I had similar performance three weeks ago with my .458WM. I loaded 73 grains of H-4895 sparked by the Federal 215 primer, behind the Hornady 500 grain DGS for 2156 fps. Perfect performance and a brain shot elephant that went straight down. The bullet exited the far side of the elephant but I did recover one solid from a giraffe that I shot facing us. I hit him in the brisket and the skinner found the bullet way back in him.

quote:

Originally posted by TerryR:
appreciate the report. Good work, thanks for sharing the results with us, especially the load. what was ths LOA of your 458 loads? I assume that you used magnum primers.

Never measured them.t give them a light crimp in the DGS crimp grove. Yes, Fed 215 primers.

465H&H

Thanks, for the great report.

Keith

BTT
465H&H

Very interesting post Sir! I am one of the two dopes you had dinner with the night before your hunt. Very glad it turned out so well.

What happens with the bull that got hit by the pass through? Does he become an unplanned expense or just one of the pre-planned permits?

That was a very enjoyable dinner with good company. Thanks! It was considered an unavoidable and unintended kill by Parks and we just had to write a report on what happened and recover the meat and tusks for parks. It did lead to a sleeples night though until the next morning when the Senior Warden said "No problem!" He then thanked me for hunting in Charisa and said they appreciated my spending forex in Zim.

465H&H

I posted a report about an elephant and buffalo hunt during which I used Hornady DGS factory loads. I was just as pleased as 465 H&H.

I think Hornady got it right this time!

Convincing evidence to me.... Thanks for sharing this research... DAN

Thanks for the scoop!

Seems like the reports on the DGS are all excellent. Performance seems to be a cross between true truncated cone flat nose solids and round nose solids. Most (Almost all?) of the penetration advantaqage of the fn's, no tumbling, steel jacket integrity, ok feeding in (most?) bolt rifles.

Even though I have enough Woodleigh solids to last me a life time, I will have to try some of those 500 grainers.

JPK

I have been sold on the DGS since my son and I went to Zim in 08, my son used his Ruger 375 with the solids @ 2470fps (load was tuned down some) shot an ele (ele quartering to him) so not straight on side or front shot. Shot went through the Zygomatic arch shattered the first cervical vert and exited the shoulder blade, straight line penetration (as best as we could tell) he then shot a buff that evening shooting it first with a 300 grain Swift through the heart as the buff was going away he made two Texas heart shots they went all the way through the buff we never recovered the bullets. I believe the DGS is a top performer and a great compromise of a flat nose solid that will feed well in all bolt rifles. Personally I'm going to use these solids (570 grain) exclusively in my 500 Jeffery. The other plus about these bullets is that they are a little over a buck a piece so the price is right.