Bullet Performance Database

[458 Exp]

SBC? I know I'll feel dumb when you tell me what it stands for, but for the life of me I can't figure out what SBC is short for.

Safari Bullet Company

 

[StevenQ718]

View attachment 636716View attachment 636717View attachment 636718View attachment 636719
Rogue Gaur shot with my (technically my son-in-law's) .375 Holland & Holland Magnum Remington Model 700 and 300Gr Barnes TSX factory load. The bullet did exactly as expected on a lung shot. Tried for a double lung shot but penetration was wanting.

The brute made it some nine kilometers after getting shot at late noon, but luckily the forest guards found him tonight after six hours. Judging from the freshness of the blood, he succumbed not too long ago.

This reinforces my two philosophies for Gaur hunting:

1) Use solids only
2) Use a caliber of at least .500 bore (.577 or .600 Nitro Express is even better !)

They are much tougher framed than an African Cape buffalo. On a Cape buffalo, this 300Gr Barnes TSX would have made it through both lungs easily. He would have folded after going less than 100 yards.

I feel like a complete imbecile for not using a solid bullet on him. I had eight rounds of Hendersots Custom Loaders cartridges with me, loaded with the excellent Cutting Edge Bullets 300Gr monolithic brass Safari Solids.

Maybe 350gr tsx is a viable option?

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Maybe 350gr tsx is a viable option?

Solids only for Gaur !

 

[Kevin375]

.458 Lott and Degol Starkmantel 500 gr at ~ 2265 f/s.

Buffalo shot at more or less 60 meters.

The bullet under the skin.

Weight retention 479.8 gr : 96 %

 

[Hunter-Habib]

.458 Lott and Degol Starkmantel 500 gr at ~ 2265 f/s.

Buffalo shot at more or less 60 meters.
View attachment 643509
View attachment 643510
The bullet under the skin.
View attachment 643511
View attachment 643512
Weight retention 479.8 gr : 96 %

I absolutely love Wim Degol bullets. Good old Belgian craftsmanship.

I did this with his 900Gr Vor Mantel tombac jacketed FMJ solids (Labor Fur Ballistik factory loads for the .600 Nitro Express).

 

[Kevin375]

I absolutely love Wim Degol bullets. Good old Belgian craftsmanship.

I did this with his 900Gr Vor Mantel tombac jacketed FMJ solids (Labor Fur Ballistik factory loads for the .600 Nitro Express).
View attachment 643515

I also love them. They are premium bullets and not really expensive as reloading conponents.
I can even say they are pretty cheap when you buy them directly to mister Degol.
I have used them in .308", .338", .375" and .458" with a full satisfaction.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

PHOTOGRAPH PROVIDED BY A FRIEND IN TANZANIA

300Gr Hornady DGS (Dangerous Game Solid) recovered from Cape buffalo shoulder bone/scapula. Ammunition was .375 Holland & Holland Magnum Hornady Dangerous Game Series factory load.

Based upon the degree of bullet distortion, I would hesitate to use these on elephant. Especially frontal brain shots or shoulder shots.

I know that conventional wisdom dictates that flat nosed solids outpenetrate round nosed solids. But this only applies IF ALL OTHER FACTORS ARE EQUAL.

The round nosed steel jacketed FMJ solids that were manufactured by Hornady from 1982-1992 (which were used in Remington & Winchester factory loads of that era) were far more strongly constructed. I recovered several from Cape buffaloes, hippopotamuses & one elephant bull which (barring the rifling grooves) looked as if they could be fired again.

 

[JG26Irish_2]

Nice thread

Type of bullet Barnes TSX FB factory ammo
Bullet speed 2575 fps MV
Distance of shot 160y
Original weight 300g
Recovered weight 300g (100%)
Calibre 375HH
Species Blue Wildebeest
Shot placement e.g. Frontal, headshot. etc.

The shot was a frontal quartering slightly to my right. Bullet entered right inside shoulder of the bull, wrecked the right lung, damaged some of the arteries above the heart and just clipped the left lung before lodging in the paunch. Total penetration was estimated at 3.5ft. 1st shot expanded to 0.75" (2.0x).

Bull turned bucked, stumbled and then wheeled round and ran about 60y and dropped. A 2nd shot was place in the neck at 60y off hand to dispatch the beast although the first shot was mortal. 2nd shot was not recovered and was a pass thru. A third shot at 10y was fired into the chest as a mercy shot to finish and was recovered under the opposite skin. This one expanded to 0.82" (2.2x).



The bull was an exceptionally large alpha male that weighed a bit over 600lb with a spread over 28". Missed being a Rowland Ward record bull by about 1/8".

On same trip took five other animals with 308 using 180g bonded Fed Fusion ammo. All were one shot kills ranging from 20y on Nyala which took two steps and died to Gemsbok at 202y which ran 60y. All were total pass thru broadside shots and most were well placed. No bullets recovered from those.

Took a WV Whitetail 8pr buck with same 375HH prior to the Safari in 2023. Used 250g Trophy Bonded Bear Claw bullet. Deer dropped in tracks and died. Total pass thru but the wound really appeared such that I do not think that controlled expansion bullet expanded much at all. Looked like I had shot it with a FMJ but it still wrecked the heart and both lungs along the way. I would not use this combo on deer again.