partitions for dangerous game

[Scott CWO]

'Like I said, people will post that they killed a buffalo and in this case, an elk, but there are better choices for tougher game with less risk of wounding."

Which choice is best is for MY situation is my business! I need not be told that 2200 fps is better!


See that .405 WCF leaning on that dead game? My hunt, my gun, my handloaded 400 grain ammo at 2100 fps and my kill from 20 yards.. Others may use a 500 NE and I do not care. None of my business.
It is all relative and I am happy with my decision and hunt. Next time I may do it with a 300 grain North Fork at 2250 fps. That works well on water buffalo too.
Or maybe I will do it with my .45-90 DR with my handloads for that. Or maybe a big bore revolver like Edward does.

I wasn’t referring to your caliber or velocity choices. Was only referring to your belief in NP for elk. I am not a fan of that choice but do what you want, despite the physics of the situation, bullet and metallurgy.

 

[sawbones74]

I used a 400 grain Nosler partition out of a 416 Remington magnum recently on a Cape Buffalo hunt in South Africa. Fantastic result and 84% weight retention of the bullet retrieved from the buffalo. I will use it again.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Oh Oh I have the best photos of why I would not use the .375 H&H with 300gr NP on Large DG Buffalo for one, I just need to find them .

Most of my hunters or a large number come armed for Buffalo & Banteng with the .375 H&H, I'm not a fan myself & think it should start at .40 but it is a powerful cartridge & can do great work in the right hands & with the right bullets .

I had a old chap, very sick & on his last legs who really wanted a Big Buffalo Bull, whole big story but I found him one, got him very close & told him where to shoot, then covered him with the .458Win !

Well he fired not much happened other than the bull ran like fuckery & I got a solid up his butt, then ran into the jungle to find him, gave one more on the run & a finisher, returned picked up the hunter & we went in for some pics, my Boss joined us there .

As it turned out he didn't shoot where I advised (as all old hunters know better) & he had made what he thought was the lethal neck shot, now these are Buffalo not some lesser animal & the .375 H&H doesn't have the margin unless you place the shot & use the correct bullets ( A frames TBBC TSX there are others) I didn't say any thing & we took pic's took the head & return him to camp to rest, I went back to move the carcass for bait & check on the shot .

The .375 300gr Nosler Partition projectile had only gone in about 8-9in hit no bone & didn't make it to any where vital, being caught/stopped by the thick skin & massive muscles of the bulls neck !

I have seen this sort of things countless times over the years & the .458Win has saved not only the clients health & trophy fee but his enjoyment of the whole hunt, I have found 10's of bullets in Buffalo we have hunted from earlier encounters right up to .375 caliber .

One funny incident, we were stalking a good bull in think jungle along a swamp & all of a sudden his head popped up right next to us on a pressure ridge, I said can you shoot him in the brain, my hunter says easy & slams a 416Rem into the Bulls head it drops to the shot, later back at camp I'm skinning out the head & my knife hits a bullet at the back of the skull, I think nice hunters bullet, dig it out, emm I think looks like a .375 to me, strange I wonder if he loaded one of his Dads 375 H&H into his 416Rem, keep going on my job & inch later hit another bullet, this being the .416 !!

So this Bull was shot in the head by a .375H&H to no effect (obviously missing the brain) but a inch lower shot with the 416Rem took him out !

Ok found them , this Bull after we cleared around him.

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[Nevada Mike]

There is lots of praise for Swift A Frames here, nd I do use them and like them. But they are not so hard that they do not deform. Here is a 400 grain Swift A Frame that shattered both shoulders of an old Bull buffalo...

With the same bullet and load, these two bullets came from a big eland bull - shoulder shot followed by a high lung shot...

I seriously doubt that a 300 grain NP traveling even faster than these form my 404J would have done as well.

 

[tygersman1]

I recommend not using a partition out of a 300 magnum (or other high velocity caliber) at around 50 yards on any game, specifically including thin skinned cats. I’m only speaking to use of the partition at high velocity at relatively close range. Just don’t do it.