OK, last year at Saltlake I reported on how I had nailed a kudu from the front seat of the bakkie, without any concious thought. I took my licks for it and this year I decided I was going to get a Blue Wildebeest (my first). So we stop the bakkie under a marula and we (that's me, an appy PH called Danie, and Jimmy my mate who was looking for a Livingston eland) set off down the road.

After 20 minutes we hear a distinct grunt off to the left and we just KNOW there are BWB's in there. There's no wind to worry about, I'm set up with the latest camo gear and the 375 has got the LAST 300gr Barnes X up the spout (The rest in the mag were 300gr A-Frames (Thanks JJ!!!))

After 500m of sneaking around Danie finally spots them grazing away peacefully in the thick. I signal I'll take it from here, and I get down and I'm off like a bride's nightie up the track leopard crawling and keeping my eyes glued on the one bull I can see only half of.

I stop and watch the bull. He crosses over a small window in the bush and now I can't see his head or his butt but I do know I am looking at him about 3/4 on facing my right. I check the little white patch on his side where the hair is rubbed bare so yes I mentally check off I've got the right orientation. All the time there's a background noise of twigs snapping and Blues grazing.

I settle the crosshairs about a foot right of the patch about where the leg would be, following the 1/3 rule. The safety comes off and I pray "please G*d don't let me mess up" and then I let rip.

There's a godalmighty cloud of dust as the entire herd erupts, and in my outer field of vision I see Danie hurdling over me in the dirt and he is off after the Blue. I get up and reload and I am off after him like greased weasel snot. I can see a cloud of dust and dimly make out a Blue's head bob about and crash over. He has run 30m and caved in. He still has his last mouthful of grass in his mouth. The bullet has entered his chest, smashed the shoulder and taken out the heart and lungs.

Later we recover the Barnes under the skin on the offside in front of the rear leg, it is textbook expansion.

A great hunt and a great animal, he measured 26". And can you believe in all the excitement I didn't get a photo?

Good Show, Pete ... well told! Have you used the A-Frames on BWB's too? It would be interesting to compare the two bullets.

Nick

I have a 275 grn Swift A-frame cal .338 from my .338 lapua mag. from a Blue WB. Interested ?

Cheers,

Andr�

Nickudu,

No, I've not shot an A-Frame in anger - yet. But I will. This was my big animal for the year, next year I will do an eland. Next month I am going to nab a couple of impala, but I don't expect to recover the bullets.

Barnes bullets are now almost completely unobtainable in South Africa right now, a real pity for they are a great bullet, especially the 300gr 375.

Surely. If not a photo, I'd like to know things like estimated impact velocity, retained weight, shot location, depth of penetration, expansion diameter, etc., etc. I believe the Barnes X to be the top choice in a DG softpoint but less so, for small to medium plainsgame. I aim to try NorthForks, A-Frames and perhaps, after reading Andy's report, some of those Kodiaks.

Pete .. you have a "PM".

Nick



The BWB was shot at a unsporting 330 meters(360yds) with my Green monster Sako TRG 42 In cal. .338 Lapua mag. 275 grn at 850 m/s

It was the only bullet I recovered from that hunt.

The bullet was found in the right back leg after penetrating the left front shoulder.

Bullet diameter front 16,9mm

Length 22,26mm

Weight ? I do not have a scale at the moment



The bullet to the left is a 9mm FMJ that I shot into a IIIa Body Armer. Penetration 30% at 1 meter









Cheers,



Andr�

Thank you, Jeffery. I had hoped for insights to a high velocity hit at a more routine distance but still, there is something to learn here, in that your bullet expanded very well indeed considering the range. Nice shooting!

I once took a bull gemsbok at 350 meters, using the Barnes 270 X bullet in .375. His group had been running back and forth along a bowl for 15 minutes, seemingly trying to decide how best to avoid us. At long last, he slowed to a walk, just as I found a final but quite ideal rest and he took a shot through the heart. Even at that distance, we could clearly see the hillside above and behind him, sprayed red for yards around.