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Velocity for a 500 Gr Tugsten core speer bullet being fired from a 22" barrel Dakota Modle 76 chambered in 450 Dakota, for an elephant hunt, I will be shooting brain shots.Is 2300fps ok or should I try and push it to 2500? I have shot 12 elephants with my 375 using the same bullet and cant remember the velicity, I just wanted to use a different gus and open sights for a change. The reason I ask is I just got the call yestrday its A PAC hunt and I'm leaving asap, and my back is getting so bad right after i'm going to Germany for a disc replacement and dont have time to fiddle around with the load(s). If I miss this hunt I'm going to miss the season so I'm leaving in the next few days. a sorry about the spelling, I missed that class. | ||
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i don't think the ele is going to know whether he was hit by 23 or 2500 FPS. remember all those nitro express rounds at 21-2200?? | |||
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Eric, sorry to go OT as I don't know anyting about shooting eles, but please let me whish you a very good trip and a speedy recovery! Regards, Martin ----------------------- A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition. - R. Kipling | |||
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2300 is fine. 2500 fps loads in my Dakota are brutal on the shoulder. BTW Dakota Factory loads are 2300 fps. ****************************************************************** R. Lee Ermey: "The deadliest weapon in the world is a Marine and his rifle." ****************************************************************** We're going to be "gifted" with a health care plan we are forced to purchase and fined if we don't, Which purportedly covers at least ten million more people, without adding a single new doctor, but provides for 16,000 new IRS agents, written by a committee whose chairman says he doesn't understand it, passed by a Congress that didn't read it but exempted themselves from it, and signed by a President, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes, for which we'll be taxed for four years before any benefits take effect, by a government which has already bankrupted Social Security and Medicare, all to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that's broke!!!!! 'What the hell could possibly go wrong?' | |||
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That is a whopper of a round. I have shot 4 Buffalo with that Dakota round. I think 2200-2400 is plenty. Anything over that 2400 range has quite a stiff recoil. Even at 2200 you are going to knock the snot out of anything. | |||
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500 grains @ 2,300 fps = .458 Lott and there's no flies on that! RIch Elliott Rich Elliott Ethiopian Rift Valley Safaris | |||
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I think most people choose the .450 Dakota or Rigby because they can get 2,400 fps with a 500 grain bullet. The Lott can "only"  get you to 2,300 fps, but rifles chambered for the Lott will generally provide a couple more rounds mazazine capacity than those chambered for the Dakota or Rigby. So, to my mind, that's the trade-off.It's another question whether that extra 100 fps or so of velocity is useful or needed, but since you are sacrificing magazine capacity by going to a Dakota, as compared with a Lott, why else do it? For me, 2,300 fps plus five down in the magazine, as opposed to 2,400 with three down, is better, so I have a Lott. Now, having said that, is 2,300 fps enough? I think so. Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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thanks guy i hadnt really oaid attention th the numbers for my 450 since i never really used it, if i can get a chrno in the next couple days i'll let you know how hot the ammo I have is, it "felt' pretty hot. sorry about the spelling, I missed that class. | |||
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L V Eric, You have shot 12 elephants with a .375 H&H. Quite obviously you know exactly where to shoot them. Why worry about a few more f/s? If you can shoot the Dakota well - why worry? Right now I'm in a much more serious predicament about what caliber to use for a possible elephant hunt. I will not bore you with the details, but give my personal opinion, for what it is worth: If you can shoot it well and know where to shoot IMHO it counts much more than fps, muzzle energy, bullet weight, bullet diameter, momentum and a lot of other [important] factors. Best of luck with your health and enjoy your hunting. Just shoot it where it counts! Andrew McLaren | |||
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LV Eric, Good luck on your trip and I hope you have a great time... Bring back pics for us! PS: What bullet/load did you use in your .375 on your elephant? .22 LR Ruger M77/22 30-06 Ruger M77/MkII .375 H&H Ruger RSM | |||
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Eric, If you fire it at anywhere from 2200 to 2300 it will be a crusher... Have a great trip... Mike | |||
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i shot 12 elephants with a Dakota chambered in 375 H&H with 300 gr tspeer tugston bullets, i dont remember the velocity, I had Larry at Superior Ammo load them and I never asked the load, I cant remember how fast they were going. I shot 1 other elephant in my life with a 577t-rex it was useless 18" penetration at the best wioth both badly placed shots(my first elephant-a full charge as well) I'm more of a hunter than a reloader and couldnt remember what the numbers I needed for my new gun are, I got called the pther night to leave for Africa in a week and before wasnt sure if I was leaving so I didnt work up any loads. I cant seem to find my POS chronograph and cant seem to find one here in Vegas. so I told Larry to load up some hot ammo,3 different loads and I'll see which ones i like best and go shoot a few elephants. hope I can shoot 3-5 this year. sorry about the spelling, I missed that class. | |||
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thanks everybody!!!! sorry about the spelling, I missed that class. | |||
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Good luck and have a great trip! ------------------------------- Some Pictures from Namibia Some Pictures from Zimbabwe An Elephant Story | |||
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2412fps was the average of the ammo i'll be using with a 500gr Speer Tugsten Bullet, so i'm set. recoil wasnt an issue at all. sorry about the spelling, I missed that class. | |||
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Perfect!  Good luck. | |||
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hi there long lost brother Ron, yeah I think I'm all dialed in. Dont like the gun much the bolt is comming back and biteing my trigger finger, i filed the jeweling off it and sanded it smooth with 2500 paper but it still hurts when it hits it. why the hell they make the angle of the bolt that way is beyond me if it were straight like a mauser it would far foward enough not to hit the precious trigger finger. sorry about the spelling, I missed that class. | |||
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