North Fork - a good Bullet choice for Africa
By Kevin Thomas

During 2012 I was doing a buffalo, giraffe, and general plains game hunt in Zimbabwe on the BVC (Bubye Valley Conservancy) with Glenn Baker, it was my first exposure to North Fork bullets and Glenn was carrying a .416 Ruger with an Interarms Mauser action and a 26” barrel made by Lilja Precision Barrel makers in the US. His bullets were North Fork 400gr cup point monolithics, with .416 Ruger Hornady cases, lightly crimped. He’d loaded them with 73gr of Lapua Vihtavuori N150 powder and used Federal 215 Gold Medal magnum primers. The rifle was wearing a Leupold VX6 2x12 illuminated dot reticule, with custom adjustments for his .416 Ruger using the North Fork bullets at 1400ft above sea level. Early in the safari we’d collected an old giraffe bull and the scope/bullet/ calibre combination for heavy boned game, had proven deadly.

We then went on to kill a buffalo, with the bullet having driven virtually the length of the body, through the chest, the extreme lower edge of the lungs, and on through the paunch. Granted, the bullet went a mite low due to brush deflection and the buffalo was finally killed after a 3-day tracking exercise.

However, after having killed the buffalo and while we were halving it for ease of loading, we were able to trace much of the permanent wound track, and the bullet cavitation too, whereby a bullet piles up tissue in front of it enlarging the hole was also impressive. I doubt the buffalo would have lasted another 24 hours because he’d stopped eating and drinking early in the morning of the previous day, and he’d slowed right down, although he still had plenty of fight in him. After departing the BVC we moved on to the Chirisa for a tuskless cow elephant and Glenn again used his .416 Ruger to good effect with the North Fork bullet.

North Fork in the United States manufactures a line comprising four premium hunting bullet designs, and these include:
• SS (Semi-Spitzer), a bonded core solid shank soft point design, developed for all hunting, including dangerous game, where a solid is not required.
• PP (Percussion Point), a faster expanding bonded core solid shank soft, designed specifically for the large felines, but for use on all thin skinned game and recommended where quicker expansion is desired.
• FPS (Flat Point Solid), a monometal truncated cone solid, designed for deep straight-line penetration; the wide meplat ensuring a wide wound channel.
• CPS (Cup Point Solid) a revolutionary monometal expanding solid design, intended for close work on tough game where penetration is required, but some expansion is preferred, for a larger permanent wound channel than a solid, whilst out penetrating a soft.

In December 2012, Wim Lambrechts of African Leadwood phoned me and introduced himself – he has the dealership for North Fork bullets in South Africa. Wim asked if I’d be interested in doing a field review of some of the North Fork bullet types, and I immediately expressed interest. After linking up at the Midrand March 2013 Huntex Show, Wim passed on a selection of North Fork 500gr bullets for me to test in my .458 Lott, and some 160gr SS for me to try out in my 7x57mm Mauser.

We also had an interesting chat, with Wim explaining the different bullet designs, starting off with how the SS design consists of a bonded soft-point, with a solid shank, and that the soft points are specifically designed to form a huge mushroom, whilst remaining weight forward. At the same time, the solid shank design prevents over expansion whilst ensuring deep penetration, with a broad wound channel. The CPS and the FPS on the other hand, are monometal designs consisting of pure copper only.

The bullet shanks feature what North Fork call ‘Smart Bands’, which reduce both fouling and pressure, because the rifling never needs to engrave the entire shank of the bullet. The FPS and the CPS are both bore riding designs and North Fork has assured Wim that they are safe for use in modern double rifles. Important too, for the sport hunter who may need to use two or more bullet designs, is that they are all manufactured to shoot to the same point of aim at normal hunting ranges.

Within a few days of the Huntex Show ending, I was once more on my way to Zimbabwe to guide hunting safaris, and one client and friend, Jerry Poole, who was being guided by PH Lance Nesbitt, was using North Fork’s 500gr CPS bullets, and their 500gr FPS in his double .470 Nitro. Jerry had used Hornady brass, Federal Match Magnum Rifle Primers, and with both bullet types, he’d used 102.5grains of Lapua’s Vihtavuori N160 powder.

Early in the safari he and Lance had a bit of a running contact with a dagha bull, and Jerry’s eventual .470 Nitro anchor shot with a 500gr FPS from about 30m entered the buffalo’s rear end, and exited the chest! For obvious reasons the bullet was not recovered. A number of other 500gr FPS bullets used during this encounter were also not recovered; they’d passed clean through, although causing immense internal damage en-route. Jerry later shot a big giraffe bull, and only one of the 500gr CPS bullets used was recovered from in the skull – it had been used as a coup de grace.

On the same safari, my client Peter Tague was using his .375 H&H with 300grain branded factory loads, and I was carrying my .458 Lott with a mix of the North Fork bullets Wim had given me. I’d loaded a batch of 500gr FPS, 500gr CPS and 500gr SS with 75grs of South African S335 powder. Through the chronograph the various bullet designs were giving me between 2137 and 2150fps which I was happy with.

As things turned out, Pete and I did have a close quarter joust with his buffalo which after receiving a bullet from Pete had displayed a marked reluctance to end up on a trophy den wall in New York, and although I never recovered the few 500gr FPS I’d used in my .458 Lott during the encounter, I was more than satisfied with their performance. The wide meplat, and as is intended in the bullet design, certainly ensures an enlarged wound channel.

The second group of clients to arrive in camp also had a mix of calibres, although a number of them were using North Fork bullets. Paul Carter, who was hunting with PH Dean Kendall, had a one shot side/heart kill on a buffalo, and a one shot kill on his giraffe. With both species he was using his .416 Rigby with handloaded North Fork 400gr PP bullets.

To quote Paul, “The buffalo bullet was not recovered, apparently lost in the internal mess somewhere. We did not find an exit wound. It was a broadside shot behind the leg, and through the heart. In almost every other case (2012 & 2013), the North Fork SP bullets I’ve used have exited and not been recovered.” With reference his giraffe, Paul goes on to explain, “The bullet entered the lungs to right rear, passed through to left front, exited the chest, and lodged in the offside leg”. This bullet was one of the only ones recovered.

On the same safari, Tom McDonald, also using a .416 Rigby with North Fork 450gr PP bullets, and guided by PH Greg Mitchelson, shot a buffalo that hardly took 6 steps from time of first shot, to going down. Tom later remarked, “The North Fork bullets are a quality product, and I will use them without hesitation on future dangerous game safaris”. Tom went on to use a single 400gr PP on his Zebra.

Glenn Baker, using 450gr CPS in his .460 Weatherby shot a buffalo, a giraffe, kudu and a waterbuck. The giraffe was an instant kill, as was the buffalo, waterbuck and kudu; however no bullets were recovered, with all having exited. His waterbuck received a perfect heart/lung shot at well over a 100m and the bullet caused a huge wound channel through the heart/lungs of the animal before exiting on the far side.

When an animal is hit by a bullet, the knock-down power delivered is correctly termed hydrostatic shock and is all about the transfer of power through liquid – for example, the physical damage caused by a bullet expanding and becoming bigger as it travels through the animal, until it eventually passes through, or comes to a stop.

As a 10-day field trial, in the main on buffalo and giraffe, North Fork bullets in all their categories certainly stepped up to the plate admirably by way of meeting the aforementioned criteria. Kills were invariably one-shot, and bullet penetration and wound channel impressive. As a bullet for species like buffalo and giraffe, as a PH I have absolutely no hesitation in endorsing North Fork’s revolutionary CPS as an alternate to the conventional solid, or their PP and SS in favour of using a solid on buffalo and giraffe.

This was adequately proven by Tom McDonald and Paul Carter, both of whom had one-shot kills on their buffalo using 400gr PP soft-points in their .416 Rigby’s. Paul Carter also went on to get his one-shot kill on a huge giraffe bull with his .416 Rigby, using a 400gr PP soft-point. So although the PP was designed specifically for large felines, it has certainly proven more than adequate on buffalo and giraffe.

Granted, there are some here in South Africa who might feel the imported bullets are cost prohibitive, however, hunting in any form is no longer a cheap pastime and bullet performance, probably more than anything else can mean the difference between success or costly failure.

The proprietors of North Fork Bullets in the USA, Franz Jurva and John Koegler are both keen shooters and hunters and have hunted African dangerous game on several trips. Franz’s desire to use the best bullets available to him for a dangerous game hunt in Africa led him to Mike Brady, the original designer and owner of North Fork Bullets. Although Mike has sold the business and is retired, he still consults to North Fork Technologies. North Fork works tirelessly designing, confirming, debunking theories and testing their designs, thus ensuring a great product that is thoroughly tested and that meets the stringent performance requirements prior to its release to hunters.

African Leadwood here in South Africa carries a full range of North Fork bullets in all their designs, from 6.5mm for plains game, up to 0.510” for dangerous game, and the proprietor Wim Lambrechts is readily available to provide information, recommendations, and advice on any reloading questions specific to North Fork.

Kevin, I had an e-mail exchange with the folks at North Fork recently, and they are planning to add .25 caliber bullets to their lineup.

Every Northfork I have shot/recovered has been basically perfect performance. I think they are one of the best projectiles available.

A few years ago I shot a Buffalo in Zim with a 300 Gr. Northfork soft from my .375. Prior to shooting the bull my PH asked what bullets I was shooting and when I told him Northforks he was somewhat skeptical simply because he had not heard of them. He even asked me to back up the first shot with solids in case the bullet failed.

I shot the bull right at dark through the heart and he only went about 50-75 yds. before dropping. We found the bullet perfectly expanded just under the hide on the opposite side. After seeing this the PH became an instant believer and said "tell the guy who makes these bullets not to change a thing because he's got it perfect."

I am so sick of hearing of the amazing Northfork bullets, I'll probably never use them.

You will probably get the same results from any of the copper bullets you can buy today.

I have had Barnes X penetrate the same distance in a zebra as their brass solids.

Both went the whole length of the zebra from the rear to the neck.

I have had our own Walterhog bullets penetrate a buffalo bull from the left rear leg, and was lodged under the skin on the right side of his neck.

Hunters today are spoiled for choice. We have so many good bullets to pick from.

Great bullets i have use some on water buffalo in my cz375hyh ,good article Kevin .

Grumulkin - I am sorry that it seems you have a distaste for our product just because of word of mouth. All I can say, is just try and see for yourself. We sponsor many PH's who trust their lives with our products and we try to make the best bullet we know how to. A bullet is only amazing when first the hunter places it where it needs to go. Our bullets just give the confidence to take a difficult shot know it will drive straight, true, and will perform the way we have designed it.

Saeed - While I do agree that many of the copper hollow points now available on the market today are very good especially if compared to just 10 years ago, they still do have a higher propensity to "fail". Here are the two biggest causes for failure:

1. Hollow point - due to their very small size per caliber diameter (offers higher BC), they can plug with hair, skin, fat, and muscle. Also, if they do not open and hit something hard, it will close off the hollow point. In both cases, the bullet then become a full metal jacket that is not even as effective as a well designed solid.

2. The center of mass is behind the centerline of the bullet. During rapid deceleration, especially when hitting something hard, i.e. bone and especially at an oblique angle, the bullet can go unstable due to the mass behind the centerline wanting to move forward. This is why arrows, spears, javalins, etc. all have the weight forward of the centerline.

I know either of these don't always happen, but it can happen. Most of our competitors have come a long way especially with the materials and heat treating process, but it took them many revisions that customers paid for.

The only questions I ask are if your hunt/life is worth not knowing where they are in design and do they have the mentality to build the best they can without cutting corners?

Price is always a consideration but what is the value of your life and hunt.

Regards,
John

John,

I agree with you that some bullets do fail to meet their original design requirement.

Here are some photos that will demonstrate this.

























Another problem we have found is that some of the copper rods we get have some impurities in them, as you can see above.

We weigh all our bullets, and we can see those that have this fault by having slightly less weight.

Sometimes, though, we cannot detect any weight difference, nor can we see any sign on the outside of the bullet.

The buffalo you see above was shot by me with one of these bullets, which disintegrated the first half of itself into pieces.

The heart of that buffalo is also shown above.

We have had another instance where a bull was hit on the shoulder. We found that the bullet mushed his whole shoulder joint into an absolute mess, but the bullet never penetrated into the chest cavity at all.

No pieces of the bullet were found at all.

In our case, we do not sell any bullets at all.

We only make them for our own use, and price is never a taken as a consideration.

The bullet that is shown half broken is the one that caused the damage to the heart shown above.

I used North Fork 300gr PP bullets in my 375 H&H for leopard and bait animals this past April. Everything but one impala dropped to the shot. Amazingly, The only recovered bullet was from the cat. It had gone diagonally, from inside the left shoulder and came to rest in the opposite hip. It had expanded to 70 caliber, and weighed 284gr when I got it home. Admittedly just anecdotal, but I was impressed.
I just finished loading test rounds for my 7mm-08 for this fall, and bought some FPS and CPS for my 470.
they are at least a good alternative to the Woodleighs and TSX bullets I've been shooting in most of my rifles, just one more thing that might nudge the odds a bit more in my favor.

As Saeed said earlier, hunters today are spoiled with a large selection of good bullets to choose from.

I can say that I have used North Fork bullets in .30, .338 and .375 caliber cartridges and they have performed with flawless predictability.

This is an example of the penetration we were getting from our Walterhog bullets.

I have modified the design by making the HP larger in diameter, and making it deeper.

This was done to lessen the penetration, as our hunting currently in Tanzania, we sometimes have to shoot in herds.

This has worked very well.

Hi Saeed,

Thanks for the pictures. From them, the ones with the "split" is definitely a materials issue. The copper with the "Blown" off front petal are both a design and material/process consideration. It seems as if you are using full hard copper or a copper alloy that is not heat treated, thus, the copper does not "fold" back and tears off. With Walter's bullet, it is much like the CEB were the front petals are lost and the remaining shank performs like a solid. As you have noted, by increasing the diameter and depth, it reduces the overall penetration due to the force that it takes to have the petals come off plus it acts like a larger parachute when the petals due open due to the increased length of each petal. Like all things, it is an engineering trade-off.

Our philosophy, it create a bullet that will not fail to our best ability. Failure can be defined as many things, and I don't want us to get into that argument or arguing what is truly dead. But as an engineering (mechanical with fluid dynamics background), it is always easier to design and verify a product when it is meant not to fail. Having the front "blow-off" is a good concept but it is hard to be assured it will come apart exact the same every single time; we at NF consider this a failure (this again is how we look at bullet design, not necessarily others). This is just our engineering mantra. A real life example of this is unfortunately plane crashed. Back in the late 70's a Boeing 757 crashed in San Diego due to an engine failing off the main spar. The engine was designed to "fail" in a manor where the entire engine would flip up and over the wing. It did exactly as it was design. The unfortunate result of the designed in failure was it also took out the leading edge of the wind causing it to loose all lift and it flipped the plane over, pancaking it into the ground. Due to my background, this is what I got to study, and thus why flying is not a great experience with me. But it does point to the fact that designing failures due and likely lead to unknown consequences and other causal failures.

I am glad you make your own bullets as you will have greater insight on just how difficult it can be to make something better or perform how you expect it to. Now the harder part, trying to make it a business to feed the family on.

Good discussion.

Regards,
John

I have shot a lot of good quality bullets on big game and IMO it is hard to beat a Cup Point North Fork on penetration and bullet performance.

I have some experience with the North Fork .423/380-grain SS/Soft Point.
It worked as claimed:

http://www.northforkbullets.co...ets/423-380-ss.html/
(Typo in labeling of first bullet on left below, supposed to be "380" not "280".)


Quick Overview
This bullet was designed for the 404 Jeffery and the 404 Dakota. The rifle it was tested in was a Jeffery with a 26” barrel and there was no problem in reaching 2500fps at very reasonable pressures. Even 2600fps would be possible but you would be loading to modern, high intensity, pressures (60,000psi+). That sort of defeats the purpose of the stately old 404. Muzzle velocities in the 2300 to 2400 range are far more comfortable and controllable. Because there are no upper end, super magnums in this caliber, this bullet is constructed for more sedate velocities than the 416-370 bullet. It is suitable for big bear, moose, and any African plains game, including Cape buffalo.

CAUTION. SLUG YOUR BARREL! This bullet has a diameter of .4230. DO NOT FIRE THIS BULLET IN ANY BORE THAT SLUGS LESS THAN .4220. European bores can run from .419 to .421. For Euro bores, you would be better off with a bullet that has a full lead core that will swage down to .419 without excessive pressures IF the cartridge is loaded to original factory ballistics of 2100 to 2200fps.



My 404 Jeffery has a "loose-bored, tight-twisted, Irish" McGowen barrel of .4245"-groove (slugged) and 1:10" twist.
The 380-grain North Fork SS left the muzzle at about 2530 fps (Reloder 15).
Like a .375 H&H on performance-enhancing drugs.
The North Fork "soft" impacted a 1300-pound bison broadside and trotting by at 80 yards away. The 3.5 year-old meat bull took about 8 steps, spraying lung blood, and fell over stone dead.
No insurance shot is required on the docile and tasty Bison bison. One bullet, one bull.









Estimating by the appearance of my bullet and the fact that it retained about 95% weight,
I guess it was close to 2400 fps at impact.
Truth in advertizing!

Quality bullets will always work. I do miss speaking to Mike Brady at DSC.

Mike

The above North Fork illustration of expansion versus velocity shows how the expanding bullet grows bigger in diameter to a certain point of impact velocity,
then even higher impact velocity reduces the diameter as the bonded lead "nose petals" fold back flatter against the solid copper base shank.
Penetration might increase with higher velocity despite the more devastating initial permanent wound channel.

Of course a hollowpoint, monometal copper Walterhog or GSC HV, can do similar good work by designed-in failure, as John said.
Brass CEB NonCons can also work spectacularly well by controlled failure: Starburst of copper or brass shrapnel soon after entry, then deep penetration by the remaining cylinder.

Sometimes pinching the hollowpoint closed and turning the monometal copper bullet into a tumbling solid after it has passed through the humerus of a cape buffalo:
That works wonders too, when the bullet tumbles on through the heart. One shot killer by another kind of spectacular failure:

Before impact:



Impact:







500 Mbogo with reduced load of .510/450-grain "old-style" GSC HV (since redesigned), MV 2654 fps
The pence nez bullet was the killer, impacting at about 80 yards.
The perfectly expanded one was shot into dorsal base of neck at close range, as the obligatory insurance.

Great discussion, folks. I'm going to have to get some of these and try them.

Hi Norm,

Let us know what you need. We will have to ship them somewhere in the US though as the export license will cost way too much for a box.

Regards,
John
www.northforkbullets.com

John,

Where can I get ammunition loaded with North Folk bullets - I do not reload.

Good meeting you guys in Dallas. I was wrong about copper prices spiking. But at least they did not collapse like most other metals.

Thanks,

Mike

Needless to say, this guy's heart was no longer functional. The next photo shows why.



The heart penetrated by a 400 gr Northfork SS with impact velocity ~2500 fps.



From left to right: Bullet #1. 99.5% weight retention on Northfork 400 gr. SS, which entered 2nd buffalo at ~200 yds while I was attempting a Texas heart shot as the 2nd buffalo was running away wounded from 1st NF. Impact velocity ~2150 fps. The first NF was off center frontal and was not a clean kill shot - this was my fault and not the gun's or the bullet's fault. But, I collected myself for the third shot (center frontal) thru the heart that put the second buffalo in the dirt for good. Before the third shot, IMO the bull was squaring-up for a charge. Bullet #2. 88% weight retention on Northfork 400 gr. SS, which entered 1st buffalow at ~75 yds and did the heart damage as shown. Extimated impact velocity ~2500 fps. This was essentially a one-shot kill, but I put a second thru his spine as an insurance shot. Bullet #3. ~100% weight retention on Barnes 400 gr. TSX taken from wildebeest killed with Texas heart shot at ~300 yrds. Estimated impact velocity 2000 fps. Bullet #4. 92.5% weight retention on Barnes 400 gr. TSX taken from a zebra killed at ~100 yds. Estimated impact velocity ~2450 fps. This TSX lost some petals.



Mine are the two in front, the prior client did just as well.

Hi Mike,

You can get loaded ammunition from:

McMillan - -http://www.mcmfamily.com/ammo-adg.php

Superior Ammunition -http://www.superiorammo.com/

Ultimate Ammunition

Regards,
John

I have killed large dangerous game with both .458 and .375 North Forks, solids and softs. They work very well.

What most impressed me was comparing a 300 grain soft point bullet fired into an Impala's hip, penetrating a front shoulder, with another identical bullet that hit a bull buffalo at the shoulder spinal junction, creating a bang-flop. We could not tell the two bullets apart and both weighed more than 290 grains.