Saeeds post is truly his experience and I don't know anyone that has shot more buffalo than Saeed, its quite the count..

That said I know at least most of his experience is with very high velocity 375 and 40 calbers..those bullets take a real beating as one can see by the recovered bullets he has and they do get the job done.

Others of us shoot slower big bores and get by with bullets like the partitions and soldered core bullets, thus the somewhat different approach and probably the reason we don't shoot monolithic as much is because we have had good luck and maybb reluctant to change..In my case its a hard head and old age.

However, what we most all have in common is dead buffalo, and a mildly different opinion. If I use a monolithic these days and I do even in my 06, 7x57, 270 and 8x57 I drop down a weight such as from 200 grs to 160 grs. as example, and drive that bullet as fast as I can, and the results are indeed excellent, the monolithic has come a long way since Barnes first set up shop.

Perhaps the difference is most that of bullet placement, Ive shot enough buffalo with solids to believe bullet placement is first, bullet construction is second. I also believe the US bullet makers have done one hell of a job in the perfecting of bullets for big game.

Hey you guys left out the Woodleigh, I love that Woodleigh 350 gr. RN or PP in the 375 and the 450s in the 404 and 416..close or far they work for me everytime..I also like the GS Customs bullets in a Mono..North fork gave me the pleasure to test their bullet before it hit the market and every recovered bullet looke exactly the same as Im sure you both noticed. Swift was the same but I got the impression that as perfect as the swift performed, it was a tad smooth and because of that it didn't do the internal damage the bulletrs with ragged buzz saw wings did, and was a slower killer than some other bullets, but a sure killer..Just some observations, right or wrong on my part..I didn't see this problem with Swifts on the large game like Buffalo,it worked fine on them..I mentioned this to the swift boys at SCI, they listened and later told me the Sciracco was their answer to that problem. Apparantly it is..The one thing I dislike about the Scirraco is I can't remember how to spell it!

The NF Cup Point Solid is worth looking at. The one I used in 300 grain 375 HH opened a bit to .378 in a flat meplat and penetrated straight and deep.

Another one worth investigating is Peregrine Bushmaster. It is considered a very tough expanding bullet. I think it would be 'downtown' in a 416. It likes velocity.

Have you used that newer Woodleigh Hydro? It looks awesome.

Here is some background noise I wrote for the Peregrine Bushmaster for African publication.

In South Africa, a well known professional hunter and marksman, Adriaan Rall, drew from his experience and designed the first Peregrine Bushmaster bullet. In 2009 he took his creation to a defence industry manufacturer in Pretoria, Specialty Design Engineering (SME), for some short production runs. Rall’s patented bullet worked so well for professional hunters that Peregrine Bullets Inc. was formed and now produces over 400 different bullets.

Rall’s innovative design includes a machined brass tapered insert in the nose of the monolithic bullet that, upon impact, initiates controlled expansion proportionate to the velocity. The wide flat meplat of .350 inch on a .585 calibre bullet is considered ideal for dangerous game.

Alliwyn Oberholzer at Peregrine Bullets told me that at least 2,000 fps muzzle velocity was recommended for good expansion.

Alf,
That is real interesting. It looks like I may have the wrong info! I got it straight from Peregrine Bullets.
I knew that with the first series of Barns X the internal ballistics were problematic and that the GSC driving bands overcame that.
I also knew that GSC was ahead of Barns on the driving bands. ( Many in the USA feel it was the other way around.)
But, I never knew a thing about the Goodnel Bullet. I appreciate that you posted this info and the great Goodnel/Bushmaster liturature. "Blast from the past"

Also I know that GSC custom bullets are awesome in 338 and above.( Not so much in 30 cal and smaller.)

Thanks for the post, I learned something. Brian

Thanks Alf, Good explanation. I agree with you about GSC. Gerard did some real trail breaking in bullet design. He was miles ahead of the industry. And as usual, it goes unappreciated. (It took years for Barns to go from the Barns X to the TTSX. Their TSX still has some internal ballistic issues and is not completely double rifle friendly.)

Also, I have seen the excellent performance of the GSC .375 bullet on buffalo. Perfect performance.

It's very tough for the "little operator" to break into most industries, especially the gun/bullet industry. The old boys treat the newcomer like a Russian trespasser.
Anyway, thanks for connecting the dots on the Peregrine story.

It sounds like you are from South Africa. True? My family and I spend as much time hunting and exploring in South Africa as we can. Sandy and I have spent over a year there in all, over the last decade. My grandson hunted his first plains game in the Waterburg Mts. last August.

If you get really bored and don't mind some light reading, please check out my recent buffalo hunting story called "Did you hear the Oxpecker" by Brian Gallup, in the current issue of The African Hunting Gazette. It also features the 700 grain, .585 cal Peregrine Bushmaster. I am impressed with that bullet!

Cheers, Brian

PS. are you the dealer the also handles CEB bullets in JB? I have heard good things about your place. PM if you wish. I come and see in Aug 2020 and buy some Bushmaster bullets!

Brian if you step out of your front door, drive a little North and then a little west , some two days by Horse you will come to the end of the road.... Prince Rupert that's where you will find me, far far away from "My Africa "

Prince Rupert! Hell, we are practically neighbours.
Cheers, brian

A fellow hunter told me years ago about a process in his bullet mfg.(I would NEVER do this).Seems he would take a H.P. bullet,drill out the hole slightly larger,then install a bit of mercury (from old thermostats,etc.)then cap the tip w/ lead (enough to seal the mercury in the bullet).The results are enourmas,phenominal expansion + fragmentation.IMO for killing purposes that sounds just grand but I don't think I would want to eat any meat that was tainted by phulminate of mercury.

The day of the Jackal movie with Edward Fox as The Jackal 1973
Mercury in the HP bullets soldered shut Was a good movie!

Digging in the past . (for historical value only)

The later version: Bushmaster





The early edition what became known as a Plainsmaster ( Note the early packages with stick on printed labels )


This was at the time a short lived solution for those who shot 416 Rigby rifles and of course those so fortunate to get their hands on a 416 Remington.
There was at the time a huge debate in Man Magnum on the perceived pro's and cons of monometals on barrel wear. I have copies of all of those debates somewhere will try and dig them up.

What was more is that we at the time had no load data using these in combination with Somchem powders... You could not use conventional bullet data , these bullets in the "usual" weights say 410 gr for the Rigby were very long, way longer than a equivalent cup and core and they generated pressure blown primers , sticky bolt lifts and above all they fouled barrels badly !

Alf, Great photos.
I recommend that readers go to the Peregrine Bullets website and see how far the present Bushmaster bullet has come from the early round nose Goodnel version.