Hornady just announced bonded DGX

[One Day...]

Since this is an always relevant and timely thread, I am happy today to contribute one data point, straight from the hunting fields:

A perfect performance from the new Hornady 500 gr DGX Bonded .470 NE bullet. We recovered it under the skin on the opposite side.

A feisty old boy, with the numerous scars to prove it, falling to a single .470 NE double-lung shot at ~30 yd. He was so obviously stone-dead when we approached him that Dawie Kemp, the owner of Kemp African Safaris, who guided me, did not ask me to fire the proverbial 'insurance shot.'
See a short video of the hunt & shot at https://www.africahunting.com/media...frican-safaris-in-limpopo-south-africa.69034/

Not an exceptionally wide bull, but an old fully mature bull, with a hard boss full of character, nice curves, and well worn tips.
Dawie wanted this very specific bull taken off the concession. It was apparently aggressive and probably performed a fair share of the breeding. Dawie wanted him out to allow wider bulls to breed. It would be both an exciting hunt, and a management hunt, so Dawie made me an offer I could not refuse

Flawless performance from the Kreighoff Classic Big Five, as you would expect.

I fully realize that "one swallow does not a summer make" and I do not own stock in Hornady nor do I argue for or against the DGX Bonded, but if the intent is to collect actual field performance feedback, this is mine...

I may add that the Hornady factory loads (either DGS or DGX B) shoot consistently an honest 1.5" group at 50 yd in my rifle.

Cape Buffalo hunt with Kemp African Safaris, at the Afrika Barrel and Bow concession, Limpopo, South Africa, August 2018. See a hunt report at https://www.africahunting.com/threa...proper-way-to-hunt-buffalo.45092/#post-475711

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Since this is an always relevant and timely thread, I am happy today to contribute one data point, straight from the hunting fields:

View attachment 247087
A perfect performance from the new Hornady 500 gr DGX Bonded .470 NE bullet. We recovered it under the skin on the opposite side.

View attachment 247088
A feisty old boy, with the numerous scars to prove it, falling to a single .470 NE double-lung shot at ~30 yd. He was so obviously stone-dead when we approached him that Dawie Kemp, the owner of Kemp African Safaris, who guided me, did not ask me to fire the proverbial 'insurance shot.'
See a short video of the hunt & shot at https://www.africahunting.com/media...frican-safaris-in-limpopo-south-africa.69034/

View attachment 247089
Not an exceptionally wide bull, but an old fully mature bull, with a hard boss full of character, nice curves, and well worn tips.
Dawie wanted this very specific bull taken off the concession. It was apparently aggressive and probably performed a fair share of the breeding. Dawie wanted him out to allow wider bulls to breed. It would be both an exciting hunt, and a management hunt, so Dawie made me an offer I could not refuse

View attachment 247090
Flawless performance from the Kreighoff Classic Big Five, as you would expect.

I fully realize that "one swallow does not a summer make" and I do not own stock in Hornady nor do I argue for or against the DGX Bonded, but if the intent is to collect actual field performance feedback, this is mine...

I may add that the Hornady factory loads (either DGS or DGX B) shoot consistently an honest 1.5" group at 50 yd in my rifle.

Cape Buffalo hunt with Kemp African Safaris, at the Afrika Barrel and Bow concession, Limpopo, South Africa, August 2018. See a hunt report at https://www.africahunting.com/threa...proper-way-to-hunt-buffalo.45092/#post-475711

Looks like solid performance. If you have a chance to weigh that bullet after it's been cleaned, that would be a nice add to the data point.

 

[Foxi]

RN Softs do look good but unfortunately, old school.

My wife is SEXY! As for the Swift A-frames: premium grade bullets!

Personally I use Rhino bullets. They are locally available, affordable and the best bullet I have used in calibers 375 H&H and up.

The 350 grn in 375 H&H is a superb Lion bullet and excellent on Cape Buffalo.

The 380 grn in 375 H&H(if you can get it to 2200 fps in your rifle without any pressure issues), is exceptional on Cape Buffalo, almost turning the 375 H&H into a 400! My one 375 H&H in ZKK 602, is dedicated to this bullet.

As for the big 570 grn in 500 Jeff, well this is the hammer of Thor! Absolutely the most devastating bullet I have ever used on Cape Buffalo. This bullet does not kill buffalo it flattens them. Once hit it switches everything off that a buff thought he had! I have built up so much confidence in this bullet as a stopping bullet that it is all I use when hunting and backing up on Cape buffalo. I have stopped numerous buffalo with this combination with the same one shot result every time!

Some may be more SEXY than others but the proof is in the pudding! Much like finding the right wife!

a shot in the brain and he goes down.Ready.This makes every legal bullet.
Look at the slaughterhouses ,how less power they are taking there ? Bulls and oxes 300-400 kg heavier than the Cape buffs.

Look at Mark Sullivans DVDs he is shooting countless buffs with .500,577 and .600 and they are running and running with shouldershots.You can say about him what you may-he can shoot and he has not the badest equipment.
Its seldom that a buff is attacking a human.Wounded or not.Thank God,most of them are cowards.

Ive seen thousands of buffalos ,not from the car,by my feet in the bush.
When a buffalo would be half so aggressive like a elephant or lion I'd be dead by now
I wonder that you have so much of them,peculiar.
Foxi

 

[One Day...]

Looks like solid performance. If you have a chance to weigh that bullet after it's been cleaned, that would be a nice add to the data point.

Oh so right! I do not have a postal scale, which is why I did not already provide this piece of data, but I have plans to weigh that bullet indeed. I will let you know the minute I know ;-)

I will not speculate on sexiness or slaughterhouse considerations, or wax eloquent about this or that theoretical bullet performance. I am just satisfied to report the facts about a bullet that was actually used (and documented) to kill a buffalo ;-)

As to buffs running away with shoulder shots, this is a very interesting topic in its own right. I deliberately chose to NOT aim at the shoulder, with breaking the shoulder as a goal, because a shoulder is an important mechanical part of propelling a buffalo, but it is not a vital part of it. I consciously aimed for a behind the shoulder double-lung shot, with the intent of destroying both lungs, which are vital parts of a buffalo. This specific buffalo did not go more than 30 yd with both lungs obliterated, and was so obviously stone dead when we approached it after the usual 15 'stiffening' minutes, that it did not require the proverbial 'insurance shot.' I will add that this is a tip that I got from Craig Boddington's book Buffalo in which he relates pretty much the same experience I had with the double-lung shot on buff.

Yeah, I know, there are much better bullets that break both shoulders, vaporize both lungs, spine, gut and skin the buff at the same time, and in a pinch would mount it on a plaque all in one smooth motion. Perfect, have at it! I do not discount those, I just like the convenience of shooting universally available - and well proven notwithstanding what haters love to blog - Hornady ammo that groups 1.5" inch in my double.

OK, in a less kidding/provocative way I would add that my experience is that the DGS / DGX produce text book results at Nitro Express velocities, and no so consistent results at higher velocity. I personally use A Frames in my .416 Rigby, and, truth be told, I was so impressed looking at Barnes X bullets recovered from buff that Dawie Kemp has to back clients on from his .416 Rem, that I am seriously considering shifting to them, as I am doing now that I finished my stockpile of 250 gr Partition for my .340 Wby. Enough said?

 

[One Day...]

And the recovered bullet weight is...

So, we have a weight retention of 440.4 / 500 = 88.08%

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Not bad at all.

 

[BeeMaa]

Time for a name change to "Seize the Day".
Well done sir.