It's still a couple of weeks till deer season, and the safari is months off. After reading the reviews of Woodleigh bullets I decided to get some 400gr SP's for the .405 Win and see how they did.

Accuracy is as good as any of the other 400gr at just over an inch at 100yds and my target velocity of 2,000 fps was reached with no pressure signs from the #1. Now what to do?

Kill milkjugs!
I set rows of six milk jugs on a wall at 40yds from the firing point and fired one each 400gr Woodleigh sp and one Hawk 400gr 0.025" jacketed bullet. The Hawk bullet and jacket made it into the fourth jug. The Woodleigh bullet made it thru the sixth and dented the stack of phonebooks I'd put as a last ditch bullet stopper. The recovered Woodleigh weighs @395gr.

Then I played with the digital camera:





Guess I'm ready for milk jug season and maybe plains game next year.

Rick

gotta love those woodlieghs! I use them in my 375 and 450 quite a bit.

Being an Aussie I use the Woodleighs as they are nearly half the price of Noslers here

Also use Taipans also an Aussie bullet but not as good as a Woodleigh.

Woodleigh 416 410grn $55AUD for 50
Taipan 416 400grn $16AUD for 25
Nosler 416 400grn $110AUD for 50

Used the Woodleigh to shoot my hog deer this year, it went through the head, top of both shoulders the spine and exited the animal.
weighed 37kg(81lbs) gutted, this is about average for a stag(buck).

[ 11-17-2003, 04:46: Message edited by: 416SW ]

Hawk bullets suck ass

Nice pics btw

Never a better bullet than a Woodleigh, never a worse bullet than a Hawk IMO...I have seen the Hawks come apart many times and with the thicker jackets..they are nothing more than old time conventional bullets..They probably work in the older slower lever guns...

Rick: Sounds like a very sweet load. It isn't quite the 2150 fps of the classic .450/400, but it sure is crowding its shadow. Wonder if a big critter could tell the difference.

Tod,
Thanks, still learning the fine art of digital

Ray,
Gonna have to disagree, the Hawks are worse than old fashioned bullets, the jacket is almost a sabot for the core.

Bill,
I'm going to use this rifle this year on deer and next on plains game. Don't know if I'm brave enough to poke holes in really big stuff with a single shot .411.

Now before ya'll all have a walleyed fit let me say this.
I use the Hawk 300gr..025jkt bullet in my 450/400 3 1/4" double rifle at 2330fps. and the 9,3 285gr..035jkt Hawks at about 2350fps. in my Chapuis double on deer and wild pigs with EXCELLENT results. My recovered bullets look exactly like the ones in you photo. Most of the pigs, including some 275 and 285 lb boars, never take a step with behind the shoulder shots. [I just can't bear to shoot the shoulder and ruin all that good meat. ]
I am not saying the Hawks are good for tanks or battleships, but for elephant gun use on deer and pigs they have been perfect.
If you look closely at the picture the Hawk bullet has expanded to one inch, just perfect for deer and pigs.
You hear three sounds when you use them.
BOOM WHOP THUMP
Boom when the rifle goes off.
Whop when the bullet hits the pig.
And Thump when the pig hits the ground.

[ 11-18-2003, 05:13: Message edited by: N E 450 No2 ]

I have to agree with NE 450 No 2, I use the thin jacket Hawk .411" bullet in my original Marlin 1895 in .40-82WCF. The velocity is around 1,650 fps and the accuracy is really great. Now, if I can just get a Deer to cooperate.......

These two 400gr Woodleigh Weldcores were recovered from under the hide on the off-shoulder of a buffalo last Sunday. They were fired from my .416 Taylor, by a mate in the act of taking his first ever buff. The second shot was entirely unnecessary, but he wasn't taking any chances!



There is no better bullet for truly big game!