After reading all of the loading information from our own Michael458, I worked up a load with the 420 gr Non Con for buffalo in Zimbabwe in about 3 weeks. I started off with 79.1 grains of IMR 8208 and worked up to 80.0 grains with it. Shooting today was different as I have never had a scope work loose. I was using the Blaser R8 with a Schmidt & Bender in 1 x 4, rail mount. I have used this scope several times on hard kicking calibers and never had it shoot loose, but today was an exception. All groups are 5 shot groups shot at 50 yards off the shoulder from a bench. Damn is my shoulder talking to me tonight!

Number 8 started off really nice with 2 shots almost in the same hole and then the group migrated North. Number 9 wasn't too spectacular but Number 10 looks good to me. What do you think?

I think the buff won't have a chance in hell if you can find one with that fancy target pinned on his side!

Good shooting.

Did you really move from 79.1gn to 80gn in 0.1 increments? Wow.

Was #8 the scope starting to come loose?

Good luck with the hunt.

Cheers, Chris

Rockdoc,
Yes, I did. That's how I work up my loads and I personally think it pays off.
And yes, the scope came loose at the 3rd shot of the #8 String. Working up loads like that allows me to find 2, 3 or even 4 loads that shoot better than the rest of them.
A7drvr,
I'll take a target if they don't have their own!

Did you chrony these loads ?

No Paul I didn't. I will try to next week but I am using Michael's data for the Lott. I'll bet they'll kill the crap out of a Cape Buffalo though.

quote:

420 gr Non Con for buffalo

Paul and Pagosa......

These 420s should be running 2400-2430, at a very low pressure of 52000 PSI. Its an excellent load, excellent bullet, I have used this on a few buffalo at much lower velocity 2250 fps and it hammers buff. Exits always broadside, I recovered one of these from a frontal shot on buffalo at 30 or so yards, found that bullet behind the stomach, we spent a couple of hours looking for that one, and scrapped through every single inch of stomach material and only found it later as it had passed through the stomach and found just on the other side.....



This shot was frontal heart shot and this is what that 420 at 2250 fps 30-35 yards did to the heart of that particular buffalo............




Pagosa.... Pack that bitch up, don't touch a thing, and go buffalo hunting, you are READY to say the least.......

Michael

Rick, great medicine...we're ready to roll.

quote:

Originally posted by Biebs:
Rick, great medicine...we're ready to roll.

Guns ordered.

Loads developed.

Has Nixon stocked the fanta?

I feel sad for all the buff in Malanpati - their going to get whacked.

Mike

quote:

I feel sad for all the buff in Malanpati - their going to get whacked.

You betcha! :-)

Now I just have to work up the corresponding load in the solids and then I'm gonna be ready.
And I'll still have time to pack and repack several times!

quote:

Originally posted by pagosawingnut:
Now I just have to work up the corresponding load in the solids and then I'm gonna be ready.
And I'll still have time to pack and repack several times!

Jon, Rick and Mike,

are you going to bring R8 in 458 Lott all of you ?

Morten

quote:

Originally posted by pagosawingnut:
Now I just have to work up the corresponding load in the solids and then I'm gonna be ready.
And I'll still have time to pack and repack several times!

If you aren't hunting elephants--why are you worried about solids??

The CEB Safari Raptor has more than enough penetration for buff.

Sean
Michael458 tells me that brush (and there is plenty of that there) just eats these bullets up if you have to make a follow up shot. Not taking many, probably 10 for just in case but I think the NonCons will work just fine as well. Besides, working up a load for the solids will give me more trigger time and I do like to shoot.

Pagosa-

True about the brush--i had an issue with a lion-----

are you hunting Malapati with Nixon?

I hunted
Sengwe 1 in 2012---thats a fun part of the world-I understand Nixon has Sengwe 1 now. If you get a chance please take a pic of the new camp there.

OK Sean, I will. Yes, I'm going with Biebs and hunting with Nixon, or whoever they put me with.
I'm looking forward to it.

quote:

Originally posted by pagosawingnut:
OK Sean, I will. Yes, I'm going with Biebs and hunting with Nixon, or whoever they put me with.
I'm looking forward to it.

I feel sorry for you Rick. This Biebs guy does not share his fanta and will shoot your buffalo if given half the chance. I am stuck with him in alaska in sept.

I am in africa in hopefully 3 weeks but its work stuff. No hunting - the buff are safe.

Mike

We'll probably do Sengwa 1 and 2, depending on how the herds are moving in and out of Gonarazhou. Gustav spend a few days there last year, but the camp is now all rebuilt.

Morten, I'm going to use my new 500 MDM. See the thread on it in this Big Bore forum....it's a hammer!

Mike,
Don't feel sorry for me, feel sorry for Jon!
And I know this will get me blackballed but I kinda like him. He's fun to jack with. And the only recourse he has is "turd"
Plus, if he shoots my buffalo first, it's HIS!
I can honestly say that I have not had a PH or other hunter have to back me up YET! I have always told them that I prefer to shoot my own buff but if anybody feels the need to back me up Please have at it. I wouldn't want anyone in danger. I probably shoot 25000 rounds per year, and most of it with big bores.
Although to be honest, I jerked 2 of the shots posted on target #2. One on the left on #4 and one on the left on #5. The Lott is just a beast. At least in the R8 it is manageable. In the Ruger I sold, I had the same 1 x 4 on it and out of 44 rounds off the bench, it cut me 7 (SEVEN) different times. This one is a pussycat.

pagosa and Biebs--

Just don't let Ishumael behind you in any kind of back up--make sure you can see him out of the corner of your eye.

What was the reason the scope came loose? Have a good safari!

jaegerfrank,
I am not quite sure why it came loose. I took it off, put some loctite on the rail screws and tightened them about as tight as I can get them to go. I have it marked as to where it is right now, on the rail and will have a spare scope with me.
I believe that much recoil, off the bench just worked something loose. I didn't find any particularly loose screws when I took it off but one never knows.

Sean, yes, Ishmael hasn't been having much luck with staying clear of angry Buff, has he?

Your'e ready to go! Rest your shoulder!


.

quote:

Originally posted by Biebs:
Morten, I'm going to use my new 500 MDM. See the thread on it in this Big Bore forum....it's a hammer!

I took a brief look Jon

Really nice rifle - handy With that weight and short barrel. Does'nt it kick a lot with that caliber ?

Morten

Thank you for the explanation with the scope. My gunsmith told me it is essential to put some glue on the screws and also to make sure the whole mount is oil free. While I am not a big Blaser fan I am happy with my R8 9,3x62 and think the mount is reliable- even if it looks a bit fragile to me.

Jaegerfrank
While, most of my life, I have shot and owned strictly Remingtons. I have ventured off the path with 2 different Winchesters. They didn't last long and then I tried the Blasers. While I don't believe that they are quite as accurate as the Rem's, I believe they can be made to shoot and more than accurately enough to get the job done. Everything I have shot with the R8 has been one shot and done, from 30 yards all the way to 430 yds on my elk last year. I like them.

Thank you. I used Rem 700 quite a lot but after two ejector breakages and the hazzles to get it repaired in Germany I am done with this action. Never again but the accuracy was always outstanding and I liked the trigger too.

In all the years I have been shooting Rem's, I have never had an extractor or ejector break, not to say it cannot happen. I have had, however, one of the bolt handles come off of an XP-100 and got a new in the box .458 that had the malfunctioning trigger. I just replaced with a Timney and that never happened again.

Rick, you don't have much luck with triggers, do you? :-)

There is no way that one five shot group yields anything like statistically significant data. If you shot this test again you would get different results. If you shot it again you would get yet different results.

Suwannee
I work up my test loads, shoot them, then load the best groups for re-test the same day. Scale set the same, the same batch of primers and powder. They either repeat or don't. Usually, they repeat. As thorough as I am with reloading, I am satisfied that they will do just the same thing. I use an RCBS Chargemaster to weigh the load, take that and put it on a balance beam scale, an RCBS 10-10 and add or take away powder until Each load weighs the same. Rather time consuming but worth it. I did go back and load 5 more shots with the same load, 80.0 grains of IMR8208 and shot them to satisfy myself with the group. Save one shot, the third, that I called when I "squeezed" the trigger a little fast that was pulled left, the group definitely repeated itself.
You could be right, atmospheric, barometric pressure, wind, temperature and such but this works for me.

quote:

Originally posted by Biebs:
Rick, you don't have much luck with triggers, do you? :-)

Triggers? I've only had one of the triggers on my Remingtons give me fits and it was the NIB .458 Win that was made during that time period when they had faulty triggers. Maybe I forgot one???

If you overlay all 10 groups you have statistical significance and the overlaid group is certainly adequate for your purpose especially considering the variation of powder charge.

I agree. And with the exception of the 3 shots on group #8 and #9 where the scope shifted, all of the groups are more than adequate at 50 yards, even 100 yards for a Cape Buffalo. You also have to consider that I adjusted the scope after several of the groups to adjust for vertical or horizontal discrepancies...