.416 for plains game?

[Rosch]

Big bore for all african and plains hunting?
I tried this with my .425 Magnum Express with 350 Grain bullets for some time. The result was quiet sobering! Those big bore bullets are too stout, that they don't open enough because of missing tough skin and tissue, so they work actually like solids. Zoooom and through!
Once I was walking behind a perfectly shot Oryx for about 500 meters, sort of dead man walking.
The chest was filled up with blood, but went still 500 meters. Another experience I had was with a Hartebeest, a good buck with a hell of live in his chest. It took me 5 well placed shots with my then 375 H&H 300 grainers to get him down. Also those 300 grainers were too hard and went just through without much effect.
Not trying to be smart-ass, I like to show my way to overgo this mess by simply shooting straight on the line of the frontleg (foto from #longwalker, hope this is ok):

Here You can force the bullet to work proper because those hard bones will open up expansion !
By slaughtering those antelopes, You will find the heart allways real deep in the chest, but
most hunters aim for the middle of the chest.
I would much more suggest the upper third of the chest for lungshot (no far walking anymore) and spine (boom and down), which is in my opinion really effective, or in the lower third for heart shot and bones of the frontleg, which create bullet reaction and splinters, resulting in secundary wounds in this sensitive part of the body.

Nevertheless, one has to realise pretty quick that there is nothing harder out there than african game.

 

[Daisy]

Big bore for all african and plains hunting?
I tried this with my .425 Magnum Express with 350 Grain bullets for some time. The result was quiet sobering! Those big bore bullets are too stout, that they don't open enough because of missing tough skin and tissue, so they work actually like solids. Zoooom and through!
Once I was walking behind a perfectly shot Oryx for about 500 meters, sort of dead man walking.
The chest was filled up with blood, but went still 500 meters. Another experience I had was with a Hartebeest, a good buck with a hell of live in his chest. It took me 5 well placed shots with my then 375 H&H 300 grainers to get him down. Also those 300 grainers were too hard and went just through without much effect.
Not trying to be smart-ass, I like to show my way to overgo this mess by simply shoting straight on the line of the frontleg (foto from #longwalker):
View attachment 582802
Here You can force the bullet to work proper because those hard bones will open up expansion of those hard bullets!
By slaughtering those antelopes You will find the heart allways real deep in the chest, but
most hunters aim for the middle of the chest. I would much more suggest for good results the upper third of the chest for lungshot (no far walking anymore) and spine (boom and down), which is in my opinion really effective, or in the lower third for heart shot and bones of the frontleg, which create bullet reaction and splinters, resulting in secundary wounds in this sensitive part of the body.

Nevertheless, one has to realise pretty quick that there is nothing harder out there than african game.

I think modern bullet design (raptor and hammer) would alleviate that problem.

 

[TOBY458]

For once I did not see where anyone said If you put the bullet in the right spot.

Lon

It is a bit light on Impala, unless you make a perfect heart shot. LOL!

 

[uplander01]

There is really nothing you can’t do with a 416 and a 350 grain bulllet. Used that combo extensively in africa, Alaska, and even on large coastal Canadian black bears.