Premium bullets needed for PG?

[Joker12]

So far the Interlocks have dropped everything that I have taken in NA. I’m not debating whether the premium line of bullets are superior, but against PG are they absolutely needed like DG

They are some extra insurance but not absolutely needed. Several years ago a friend of mine called me one morning to ask for some help with ammo to take to SA. He was leaving the next day and the premium stuff that he had bought wouldn't group any better than 4" in the rifle he wanted to use. I called off of work for the day and due to the lack of time took some of what shot vert well in my rifle (an '06 ) to his place just to give it a try. It was a handloads using IMR4831 and Hornady 180gr interlocks. His 4" rifle immediately turned into a 3/4" rifle with that load so I put together 80 rounds which he took to Africa. With it he and his lady friend took 14 animals with no problems. They included zebra, gemsbok, kudu and many others of similar size. The "soft" bullets did their job and not one bounced off. I'm not knocking premium bullets but just saying they are not absolutely required.

 

[dogcat1]

In a word - no. Accuracy is far more important.
I use triple shocks on everything with no issues.

 

[375Ruger416]

Good to know. Thank you!

The RUM is coming out for a warm up prior to Sonora…

View attachment 641172

Very nice…

 

[StevenQ718]

Muzzle velocity at home was 2876 fps; likely slightly faster with the suppressor I use - maybe 20-30 fps. At 80-120 yds, penetration and expansion was excellent. In fact, they expanded and deformed, in some cases losing petals more than I expected.

I kept shooting as long as the animal was on its feet or until the PH told me to stop. Gemsbok - 1st shot through lungs, 2nd shot through L pelvis as he was running away. He was down in about 50 yds but needed a finishing shot. That is the severely deformed bullet on the L which passed through and struck the ground. I watched the skinning and the lungs were severely contused - they had been struck right through the middle of both.

The blue wildebeest took a single frontal chest shot at about 100 yds and did not go far/died quickly. The kudu took one broadside shot through the shoulder at 120 yd (broke the offside humerus) and died quickly. The eland reacted as though hit hard to the broadside shot at about 120 yds. However, I kept firing until he was down at the instructions of my PH which we had discussed prior to the shot. The first shot passed completely through the vitals and was tenting the skin on the offside. He was hit hard and I don’t think he would have gone far but I placed two steeply quartering away shots on his L side one penetrated into the vitals and the other into the rumen.

The blesbok died to a single shot through the vitals.

The expansion and exit wound on the baboon was impressive - taking him under the R nipple and exiting his back on the L.

My impression is that these LRX bullets do in fact expand more rapidly than the TSX; at least in my limited experience.

Thanks for the report! I plan to use it for an upcoming elk hunt.