Has anybody used the DGS and DGX on big game? How do these bullets perform and how do they look upon recovery? What were the impact velocities? The DGX is an interesting concept - that is, a steel jacketed soft nose. Regards, AIU

Out of 450\400 - standard velocity of 2050 fps.
DGS performed well on tuskless @ 13 yards. Bullet entered at base of trunk and was found just under hide at base of neck - maybe 40" penetration up through brain. Bullet was slightly warped though - not true straight.
DGX was not impressed at all. Recovered from eland after 10 yard finishing shot. IMO, it expanded too rapidly, did not penetrate worth a darn, and was too soft. Application differences MAY make it suitable. A baboon in the shoulder at just over 100 yards in the same gun resulted in a dead baboon. An impala in the top of the shoulder at just over 120 yards resulted in a dead impala. Same with a Texas heart shot on an impala from 35 yards. The DGX works but I would prefer a thicker jacket and more weight retention.

I read just a few too many horror stories about the DGX to trust them. The DGS seem to work just fine though. Put 4 of them in a buffalo for insurance, didn't recover any of them.

I have used the DGX (450 Nitro factory ammo) on 1/2 a dozen buffalo and 1 bison. All passed through, never recovered a bullet

Do a search on the entire forum for the DGX use on DG. You'll find a large sampling of much less than satisfied users with that bullet. A non-bonded, cup and core bullet fired at something that can bite or stomp you to death doesn't sound like something I want to participate in. There are much better options out there.

Most of the reports of the DGX involve complete separation of the core from the jacket.

quote:

I have used the DGX (450 Nitro factory ammo) on 1/2 a dozen buffalo and 1 bison. All passed through, never recovered a bullet

DGXs - pass throughs on buffs??????

I was in Russia hunting brown bears with one. A 300 grain DGX killed 2 brown bears cleanly with complete penetration. No complaints.

I filed a DGX in half to get a look at the insides, and it is as advertized with a very stout copper-covered steel jacket. But, the DGX design makes them vulnerable to jacket-core separations, which has been well documented. The DGS appears to be a good FMJ bullet, which is relatively short and, thus, not taking up too much powder space. The DGX is also relatively short, allowing for more powder space.

I use a bunch of 410 cal 400DGX. They have killed everything I've pointed them at. That said biggest thing has been 2 200# hogs side by side. They take out Milk jugs as well. If I was going to shoot something that could hurt me or cost big $$ if it got way I think I would look to another bullet. I've just read too many negatives.

I used them in a couple rifles in Zim's Zambezi Valley a couple years ago.

Tuskless elephant with 416 Ruger and DGS - Dead
Cape buffalo with 416 Ruger and DGX - Dead
Impala and Chibe bushbuck with 450/400 and DGX - very dead

All bullets performed well and did their job. The DGX from the buff went thru both shoulders and stopped under the off side skin.

Stay away from them for Dangerous Game. There are far better alternatives out there. I bought a box for practice with my 458 wm and during load development work on my bullet catcher box (magazines and old Cabelas catalogs) they penetrate less than half as far as CEBs and will not provide straight penetration. Most of them deflect and go off at some crazy angle. Maybe if they were flat nose you might get decent penetration. In addition the couple of solids I did recover were bent and trying to shed the core.

Like all bullets it depends on what they strike.There are bullets recovered from game that are stressed much more than others even if there were the same weight and recovered from the same game and shot from the same rifle.It would be smart to have a bullet that could withstand the hardest hit bone etc.. and still not deform its rear half.A bullet should never deform in its rear half.For this reason I think I will be going with a North Fork CPS.Also I believe a bullet should not open up too soon as this works against penetration.I believe a bullet should also not break into pieces too.

Also,a bullet needs to expand,stay expanded and have plenty of the rear to push through.

Not falling apart in buffalo is good too.

What about impact velocity? How does that affect the Hornady DGS?
Because the norm these days is to load to XS velocity, I'm wondering how this has affected results.

The other norm is denial; ...that blame bullet failed! I know cuz I pulled it outta a dead animal and wasn't happy with it...

I have just got 4 packets of the Hornady Interloked RN SN 400 gr bullets. These are primarily for practice.

Does anyone have experience hunting with them? I vaguely remember reading that they actually performed better than the DGX. Is this true?

Hit this bull moose with 2 shots; first shot was center of the lungs, broadside and was a complete pass-through. Second hit the bull in the spine, which deformed the bullet as you see in the pics.





.416RM 400gr Hornady RN-IL, ~225 yd shot on bull moose (Oct 2009).

The bullet on the left is a 250 Nosler Part, from a .338WM, that my buddy fired into the bulls paunch...

quote:

Originally posted by Demonical:
What about impact velocity? How does that affect the Hornady DGS?
Because the norm these days is to load to XS velocity, I'm wondering how this has affected results.

The other norm is denial; ...that blame bullet failed! I know cuz I pulled it outta a dead animal and wasn't happy with it...

I wasn't happy because the bullet I showed was 1 of 6 fired at powderburn range with factory loaded .450 NE. Close range buffalo hunting with a double rifle and factory loads is a best case scenario, not a misapplication.

oddlly, the dgx gives more vel than the dgS ..yes, X faster..

same BC, same bearing surface, HEAVY cup,and tend to fly to the same POI if you cut 1/4 a grain from the DGX ...

polar opposite of the NBT, which shouldn't be shot at edible game...

i am kinda chuckling here, at claims of too soft ... from some of the same people that want to fight about the definition of bullet failure.. is the X expands and retains 70+% weight... what failed? if a solid doesn't X ...

if nothing else, an excellent practice and normal hunting bullets..

I never considered them to be too soft, I think it is just the opposite. I think the jacket material is just hard enough to be more brittle. Using them out of a .458 Lott, the DGX did not hold any kind of a mushroom at all on a 20 yard shot on a cape Buffalo. Wherever the bullet started to mushroom, the jacket gave way and the expansion part was sheared off. No experience with the DGS

I have shot two buffalo with the DGX's in factory loaded Hornady ammunition in .404 Jeffrey. Both resulted in dead buffalo. Nothing theatrical, no hype, bought my own so not shilling for ammo makers, it worked and did what it was supposed to do. I have also taken one bull elephant with the same ammo loaded with the DGS solid and it performed as expected as well. I would have used the DGX in my .375 Ruger last year in Moz but I could not get them to group like I wanted so I had Larry at Superior ammo load the 300 grain TSXs. I have no problem with Hornady ammo in the field.