A friend is going to go on a PAC hippo hunt. I have never shot a hippo but he asked my advice anyway. What does our learned group think is/are the preferred bullets in a .375 H&H?

PAC Hippo sounds interesting which country??

Solids

quote:

Originally posted by TOP_PREDATOR:
PAC Hippo sounds interesting which country??

Solids

My friend didn't say which country. In fact, he said it was a "no animal tax" hunt and I infered PAC. Maybe it's a cull, I don't know.

I would recommend you use any of the premium bullets that shoots well in your rifle.

My buddy has 300 Barnes TSX, 380 grain Rhinos and 300 grain Speer tungsten solids. I told him to load a few of each let his PH make the decision on the spot. He can shoot them all at the range at 50 yards and see if there are any significant POI differences. Since he will probably shoot the critter under 30 yards, point of impact differences at longer ranges is probably unimportant.

With hippo it will be a brain shot in the water,or a solid on land. I would try the barnes tsx flat nose solids, or norfork FN.

I used a 300 grain Woodleigh solid on this one.

Ann, that's a monster. where did you get him?

300 grain SOLIDS
Believe me!
Rich Elliott

For brain shots in the water I chose 300 grain Swift A-Frames with solids in the magazine to follow up. If I were shooting them on land, solids definitely... my choice has been Woodleigh's because they shoot so well in my rifles but any of the premium solids like Northfork or the new Barnes would be a good choice.

Premium bullets for brain shots and solid for any body shots. Remember the brain is very small like a large man's fist. Make sure of the shot placement.

Steve,

That one was from Chewore North, Zambezi River in 2005. It's actually a cow, it was with a group beached and sunning. Buzz had said it may well be a cow but due to its size I decided to shoot it. No ground shrinkage for sure! I made a single side brain shot on it.

Hippos were especially hard to hunt, they were VERY spooky and difficult to get close too. We snuck in on these from a high bank so I was positioned steeply shooting downwards.

I am waiting for the skull to arrive to display the tusks. I forgot to include I was shooting a .375H&H.

Nice photo!

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Close, or far, brain, or body, use a good accurate solid, like the North Fork slfp1

My largest hippo was shot through the brain with a 375H&H bolt rifle,at a distance of 70 yds,standing on a sand bar in the middle of the Luangwa river. I was useing a 300 gr Barnes super solid, a bronze monolithic. All the rest were shot with verious double rifles, useing Woodliegh solids. The distances can be form 30 yds, to 100 yds, with the average distance, in water, at around 60 yds,requireing very accurate shooting, for brain shots, and on land much closer, at between 20 yds, and 40 yds max! Many of the "ON LAND" hippo will be body shots, and they have a lot of hide, fat, and meat to get through to get to anything vital.

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The only hippo cull I have knowledge of is conducted in the Luangwa in Zambia. The shots are brain shots in the water so about anything will work. If the cull is on land which somehow doesn't make sence to me it has to be solids the whole way. The hippo's skin is over 1" thick and severly retards the penetration of any soft point on body shots.

Mark

That's a great photo Ann. No doubt who the beauty and the beast is there...Buzz rates last!

This one was frontal brain shot in the water at about 80 yards with a .300 grain trophy bonded sledgehammer solid in 2006. My PH recommended solids all the way.

For head shots in the water I would use the most accurate 270-300 grain soft point. On land solids all the way.

465H&H

I used a 286grn Woodleigh solid for my Lion bait Hippo.
No problem.

300 grain swift A frame, 375H&H, Brain shot.



If you are shooting in the water you will be aiming at the brain. And a Hippo's brain is very shallow just under the skull so any good softnose will do the trick. I was all ready to use a solid and Ian Gibson said not too bother a soft is better! I guess on land you would want a good solid.

Use the most accurate bullet for your rifle.I killed my bull with a 300 gr .375 H&H GS Custom solid at 120 yards out in the Zambezi River.Accuracy is everything.Bwana dogo

Amen on the accuracy comment.