Any experience on African game using this bullet? Curious as to how well the bullet holds up. I know there are lots of other choices out there, but I was curious about these for animals other than elephant, buffalo, giraffe, more as a general purpose plainsgame bullet to carry for targets of opportunity.

Mike,

I've seen that bullet come unglued on a caribou's head. The 350 X worked very well for me and now I think I'd try the 350 TSX. The POI will vary greatly from the heavier weights though.

Mark

Mark,

Thanks for the input.

..........I have had that bullet break up on a Sitka Blacktails ribs ................I have never heard of anyone recovering a 350 gr .450 X bullet on moose or bear .........Have had good success with them [ the X bullets that is .......]X bullets penetrate very deep and retain almost all their original weight ......They don,t blood shock meat as much as the 350 Horady or 400 gr speer at 458 velocities ......The 350 gr Speer HotCor is a pretty good bullet tho .....Not as good as the Barnes but still a good bullet that will loose half it,s weight @ 2400 fps impact velocity when hitting a bears shoulder joint ........It is easy on deer meat tho ...... ... Those Hornady bullets work ok @ 1800 fps or slower .......Even tho Fedral loads them in their 458 factory ammo .........The 400 gr Trophy Bonded factory Fedral ammo is some of the best 458 ammo there is ...........

Hornady's heavier offerings are mainly target fodder. There's nothing they offer over 180 grains in .30 caliber that I would shoot at an animal. Work great for punching paper, though.

I have used them in a Ruger No1 45/70 at 1890fps on deer, and in my 450 No2 double on deer wild pigs and a couple of coyotes.

Velocity in the double is @2330fps. I have only recovered one that I shot a pig facing me at @40 yards, with the double.

They would be fine for deer sized game at under 2400fps.

I would probably use a tougher bullet in Africa.

I used them in a 45/70 @ 2150 FPS.
They would go through broadside lung shots on kudu and gemsbok, warthogs it sailed right through from shoulder shots, and even eland bit the dust with a broken shoulder and lodged under the off side skin. Not sure what more I could ask for?

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
Any experience on African game using this bullet? Curious as to how well the bullet holds up. I know there are lots of other choices out there, but I was curious about these for animals other than elephant, buffalo, giraffe, more as a general purpose plainsgame bullet to carry for targets of opportunity.

458WM , Hornady 350 RN, 2100-2200 fps MV on a 200 lb boar @ 50 yards:
Bullet damage: I could put my fist through the exit hole. The bullet stopped just under the cape, but completely through the rib cage. Contents of the chest cavity were liquified, meat damage extensive.


I actually fired two shots into this animal, but 1 bullet completely lost its core and petals after hitting the thick jawbone. This bullet was the one that went through the ribs.




I'll let you draw your own conclusions. Would I use this bullet in Africa? Shooting bait, or non-trophy animals maybe; anything else, probably not.

This pic has an odd but true story behind it ....There were 2 deer down the beach about 160 yards .....The guy I was hunting with in the shot this deer in the shoulder with an 06 , which made a mess like the 06 usually does ...I shot at the other deer but unfortunatly my scope was broke and my shot was 3 feet low and 2 feet to the right..............The bullet went thru the spine ,, thru the backstrap and out thru the stomach .........No part of the bullet was recovered .....350 gr Speer Hot Cor .458 dia ... muzzel velocity was 2500 fps from 458 win mag . .............Meat loss from 458 approx 2 lbs meat loss from deer caliber 30/06 close to 10 lbs ....And stupid idiots ask me if I use too big a rifle for deer .... .The out side