THE KING

[Hoss Delgado]

Why was it taking 6 to 8 shots? Was it poor shot placement, poor bullet construction or something else? I find it hard to believe any living creature can make it very long with 7 375 solids in its brain. I will finish by adding I’ve never seen an elephant outside a zoo, I just find it hard to believe they required 6-8 well placed shot with quality solids.

Now , to specifically answer your question . Wally Johnson was using Kynoch 300 grain full metal jacket round nose solids According to Jack Lott , after Kynoch discontinued their centre fire Cartridges , Wally used anything he could get his hands on : From old stocks of Kynoch to Western Cartridge Co . Ammunition brought and left over by clients. Handloading was illegal in Mozambique during that time .
I would like to add that Wally used body shots ( heart / lung shots ) on Elephants and Buffaloes as he found the brain shot unreliable if the angling was off.
Having killed 3 Australian Water Buffalo myself with my .375 HH Magnum Winchester Model 70, l am inclined to agree with him . I personally find the double lung shot on Australian Water Buffalo , the most reliable killer with my .375 HH Magnum . Sure , it's not as ambitious as a heart shot or the fabled brain shot . But it works . Widest target from a broadside position .
Also , an Australian Water Buffalo ( maybe Cape Buffalo too , but l can't speak from personal experience on that one ) shot through the heart with a .375 HH Magnum Kynamco Round nosed 300 gr full metal jacket solid can still be alive and dangerous for up to 20 minutes .
When l used Kynoch Round nosed full metal jacket 300 gr solids on Australian Water Buffalo , my first shot was an ambitious heart shot . The bullet broke it's fore leg , but distorted before it reached the heart. I immediately decided l had had enough of trying to act like the legends l read about so often , and then went for the basic Double lung shot . The animal went 80 ( ish ) yards blowing blood through its nose and mouth and dropped . It got up again and dropped immediately . This time , dead.
When modern hunters tell you that they prefer expanding bullets on Buffalo or Monolithic meplat brass Solids , their advice is sound ! Next time l hunt Water Buffalo , or for my Cape Buffalo in Botswana in 2020 , l will use Swift A frames expanding bullets
Hope this helps
Hoss

 

[Fastrig]

This French gentleman who culls crop damaging Nilgai every year with me in Kuch Bihar uses a Beautiful Steyr 9.3 × 62 Mauser with a DETACHABLE MAGAZINE . Very accurate , beautiful gun . Have shot it many times. But in my opinion , you can tell that the 286 grain bullet of the 9.3 × 62 doesn't pack the wallop on Nilgai that the 300 grain bullet of my .375 HH Magnum does

Well a magnum is going to pack a bigger punch, but the difference between the two within the normal 300 yard hunting ranges is pretty close...both excellent calibers and my next rifle is going to be a 375 Blaser R8

 

[Newboomer]

WAB-What loads are those? I just bought dies to start loading for my Win 70 - .375 H&H. I read a thread awhile back that recommended Barnes 235 TSX with 63 gr of 4064.

ArmyAV8tor. That's my pet load for pg.Works great for everything from springbok to zebra and wildebeest out to 300 yards.

 

[Red Leg]

Now , to specifically answer your question . Wally Johnson was using Kynoch 300 grain full metal jacket round nose solids According to Jack Lott , after Kynoch discontinued their centre fire Cartridges , Wally used anything he could get his hands on : From old stocks of Kynoch to Western Cartridge Co . Ammunition brought and left over by clients. Handloading was illegal in Mozambique during that time .
I would like to add that Wally used body shots ( heart / lung shots ) on Elephants and Buffaloes as he found the brain shot unreliable if the angling was off.
Having killed 3 Australian Water Buffalo myself with my .375 HH Magnum Winchester Model 70, l am inclined to agree with him . I personally find the double lung shot on Australian Water Buffalo , the most reliable killer with my .375 HH Magnum . Sure , it's not as ambitious as a heart shot or the fabled brain shot . But it works . Widest target from a broadside position .
Also , an Australian Water Buffalo ( maybe Cape Buffalo too , but l can't speak from personal experience on that one ) shot through the heart with a .375 HH Magnum Kynamco Round nosed 300 gr full metal jacket solid can still be alive and dangerous for up to 20 minutes .
When l used Kynoch Round nosed full metal jacket 300 gr solids on Australian Water Buffalo , my first shot was an ambitious heart shot . The bullet broke it's fore leg , but distorted before it reached the heart. I immediately decided l had had enough of trying to act like the legends l read about so often , and then went for the basic Double lung shot . The animal went 80 ( ish ) yards blowing blood through its nose and mouth and dropped . It got up again and dropped immediately . This time , dead.
When modern hunters tell you that they prefer expanding bullets on Buffalo or Monolithic meplat brass Solids , their advice is sound ! Next time l hunt Water Buffalo , or for my Cape Buffalo in Botswana in 2020 , l will use Swift A frames expanding bullets
Hope this helps
Hoss

On Cape buffalo, just shoot the thing one third up from the brisket with a quality SP. You will hit heart, piping just above it, lungs, or a bit of all three. It is very quickly fatal.

 

[Hoss Delgado]

On Cape buffalo, just shoot the thing one third up from the brisket with a quality SP. You will hit heart, piping just above it, lungs, or a bit of all three. It is very quickly fatal.

Broadside or frontal ?
I have shot all my Australian Water Buffalo broad side

 

[WAB]

ArmyAV8tor. That's my pet load for pg.Works great for everything from springbok to zebra and wildebeest out to 300 yards.

ArmyAV8tor, My rifle likes 270 gr A-Frames, 300 gr A-Frames and 350 gr Woodleigh Weldcore bullets over H-414. All shoot well under an inch. Interestingly the Woodleighs will consistently group 3 shots in one hole. I typically stick to the A-Frames. I did have one bad experience with the Woodleighs but it was likely my fault. However, Tarbe's recent experience has me wondering...

I have to add that I have never seen any rifle penetrate like a .375 H&H loaded with 350 gr Woodleigh solids. I brained an elephant and I don't think that transiting that beast's head even slowed the bullet down. We later shot a blaze on a 20" acacia tree and it shot right through. I left the extras with my friend who ranches in Botswana. He had shots from the rear fully transit the body of elephant, exiting through the chest. Definitely a load to be careful with as and exit is pretty much guaranteed!

 

[Fastrig]

I have to add that I have never seen any rifle penetrate like a .375 H&H loaded with 350 gr Woodleigh solids. I brained an elephant and I don't think that transiting that beast's head even slowed the bullet down. We later shot a blaze on a 20" acacia tree and it shot right through. I left the extras with my friend who ranches in Botswana. He had shots from the rear fully transit the body of elephant, exiting through the chest. Definitely a load to be careful with as and exit is pretty much guaranteed!

So guessing this wouldn't be the best choice when taking a shot at a buff within a herd

 

[WAB]

So guessing this wouldn't be the best choice when taking a shot at a buff within a herd

Well I guess it depends how many buffalo you want to shoot

 

[Wyatt Smith]

My rifle likes H414 also

 

[WAB]

It's always intrigued me how some rifles will shoot anything accurately and then there are others that perform much better with one powder or certain bullet weights/designs. I've been messing around with these things for 40+ years and still have only scratched the surface.

One trend that I have seen, if your rifle likes A-Frames (most do), it will likely shoot Speer soft points of the same bullet weight just as well and to the same point of impact. Interesting anomaly and makes for inexpensive practice loads.

 

[Hoss Delgado]

It's always intrigued me how some rifles will shoot anything accurately and then there are others that perform much better with one powder or certain bullet weights/designs. I've been messing around with these things for 40+ years and still have only scratched the surface.

One trend that I have seen, if your rifle likes A-Frames (most do), it will likely shoot Speer soft points of the same bullet weight just as well and to the same point of impact. Interesting anomaly and makes for inexpensive practice loads.

I hear you !
My BRNO ZKK - 602 in .375 HH Magnum will shoot the following loads accurately :
Nosler Safari Solid ( 300 grain Monolithic meplat brass Solid )
Swift A frames ( expanding )
Cutting Edge Monolithic meplat brass Solids
Kynoch 300 grain round nosed full patch solids ( though l don't use this kind for hunting anymore. I just had a box lying around ).
My Winchester Model 70 shoots all the above loads with 3 inch groups at 100 yards. It shoots less than 1 inch groups with Winchester Silver tips

 

[Milan]

I'm curious. Of ALL the things in the world worth lying about , you think a 40 year old guy would lie about his gun holding ONE extra round ?

This video shows that clearly I'm not the only one who's BRNO ZKK - 602 holds 7 rounds .
Occasionally 7 Shot Brno's do appear for sale online . It has something to do with the Magazine floor plate being inletted into the stock.

Don't worry Hoss. I too had a ZKK 602 in .375 H&H that reliably fed 7 rounds. It had the classic straight stock. My buddy's hog-back (like yours), also took 6 in the mag, but then he could not depress it enough to feed the 7th in the chamber and also his first round would bind sometimes. It is strictly based on how deep the mag well was cut on the stock/inletting. Enjoy yours.

 

[Hoss Delgado]

Don't worry Hoss. I too had a ZKK 602 in .375 H&H that reliably fed 7 rounds. It had the classic straight stock. My buddy's hog-back (like yours), also took 6 in the mag, but then he could not depress it enough to feed the 7th in the chamber and also his first round would bind sometimes. It is strictly based on how deep the mag well was cut on the stock/inletting. Enjoy yours.

Ha ! A fellow 7 shooter owner

 

[HWL]

My buddy's hog-back (like yours), also took 6 in the mag, but then he could not depress it enough to feed the 7th in the chamber and also his first round would bind sometimes. It is strictly based on how deep the mag well was cut on the stock/inletting. Enjoy yours.

Easy job....

You first have to load a round into the chamber, close the bolt and than have the safety in SAFE condition.

Than you open the magazin box and load six cartidges from underneath.

Because it is a zig-zag magazine, you have to figure out, on what side the first cartridge has to be positioned.

Lock the magazine door thorougly.


HWL

 

[Hoss Delgado]

Easy job....

You first have to load a round into the chamber, close the bolt and than have the safety in SAFE condition.

Than you open the magazin box and load six cartidges from underneath.

Because it is a zig-zag magazine, you have to figure out, on what side the first cartridge has to be positioned.

Lock the magazine door thorougly.


HWL

Thanks , HWL

 

[Milan]

Easy job....

You first have to load a round into the chamber, close the bolt and than have the safety in SAFE condition.

Than you open the magazin box and load six cartidges from underneath.

Because it is a zig-zag magazine, you have to figure out, on what side the first cartridge has to be positioned.

Lock the magazine door thorougly.


HWL

Not necessarily true. On mine I could chamber one with 6 in the mag or the way you describe. Made no difference. My buddy's tighter mag well would bind the first of the 6 in the mag regardless of the way the one in chamber was put in. There just was not enough free movement for the top loaded cartridge to slide up the ramp smoothly.

 

[Milan]

Ha ! A fellow 7 shooter owner

Not anymore. I sold it in the 90's. It is one of few rifles I still miss.

 

[HWL]

Not necessarily true. On mine I could chamber one with 6 in the mag or the way you describe. Made no difference. My buddy's tighter mag well would bind the first of the 6 in the mag regardless of the way the one in chamber was put in. There just was not enough free movement for the top loaded cartridge to slide up the ramp smoothly.

My advice was for those guns that can not feed the seventh cartridge from the magazine.

If there is a problem to load even the sixth from the magazine, you have to rework the follower, magazine spring and magazine door carefully.

But six should work definitely.....


HWL

 

[TOBY458]

Thanks for all the traffic on this thread! Some very good info here!

 

[BeeMaa]

Long live the KING.