What is your favorite.416 bullet?

[postoak]

For buffalo?

For body shots on elephant?

For brain shots on elephant?


Any to avoid?

 

[meigsbucks]

I can only speak to buffalo, but I had excellent performance from the 400gr Barnes TSX out of a .416 Ruger. Additionally, I used Barnes Banded Solids for the insurance shots. One of these, with the buff laying on it’s side, went thru the spine, thru the chest, exited the brisket and lodged in the leg.
The TSX was a frontal shot. Thru the heart, blowing a big hole in the backside of it. The bullet was found well back in the guts.

 

[Luvthunt]

Swift AFrame —soft
Sledgehammers-solid

 

[matt85]

for buffalo id use the 300gr Barnes TSX.

for the elephant id use 400gr Woodleigh hydro's, Swift solids, or North Fork's CPS.

if your going on a buffalo/elephant hunt id just use the above mentioned solids on both animals. no point in messing around with two different loads.

-matt

 

[mdwest]

I have yet to shoot DG with my 416... but from an accuracy perspective, my 416 loves Barnes 350 and 400 gr TSX and banded solids..

Performance wise, I trust the many many reviews I have seen here on TSX and A-Frame performance.. and wouldnt hesitate to use either of them on Buff or Ele

 

[postoak]

Who makes the sledgehammers?

Can the Woodleigh Hydros be used as a do-all bullet? How well do they feed?

What's the opinion on the .400 grain Hornady DGX?

 

[TOBY458]

My singular experience with Cape Buffalo and 416 Caliber bullets was with 400 gr Swift A Frame. Full Frontal chest shot ended with perfect mushroom and penetrated to the guts. Couldn't ask for better. Velocity was 2325 FPS.

400 grain 416 Swift A Frame Bullet Performance

• TOBY458
• Jul 30, 2018
• 1

Here is the 400 grain 416 Bullet taken from the buffalo. It penetrated the chest, destroyed the...

 

[Bullthrower338]

Can’t go wrong with an a-frame!

 

[PeteG]

Peregrine expanding copper and Peregrine solid brass. both 400gr, both shoot to within 1" of each other, both around the 2,400fps mark.
next best choice would be the 400gr swift a frame. always a good option.
then next would be the 450gr woodleigh softs and solids.
i would choose wads of chewing gum mixed with sand before the DGX however

 

[Desperatezulu]

+1 on the A-Frames

i would choose wads of chewing gum mixed with sand before the DGX however

Fully agree with this too. Fortunately I learned this on non-DG!

 

[Paul Edwards]

Who makes the sledgehammers?

Can the Woodleigh Hydros be used as a do-all bullet? How well do they feed?

What's the opinion on the .400 grain Hornady DGX?

It's deja Vu all over again, lol.

 

[Nhoro]

My brother uses Hornady DGS (solids). The newer bonded solid. 7 elephants with frontal brain shots all from 416 rigby and factory ammo. He is happy with those although I expect that this post will soon be rubbished..... get your popcorn ! I have a bunch of peregrine solids for my 458, no animals taken but they are great when fired into hard gravel/rock bank

 

[PaulT]

i would choose wads of chewing gum mixed with sand before the DGX however

Haaa. funny but true.

 

[Shootist43]

This subject has often been considered in the past. I seems to come down to what country you are from and the cost and availability of the projectile. Projectile cost is probable the least costly part of an African hunt. For a fact GOOD / PREMIUM bullets are required. The debate over mixed loadings of Bonded Expanding bullets vs Solid Bullet follow ups should be left to your PH. There seems to be differences there as well.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

My vote would be the Swift A Frame or Woodleigh for a soft to be used on Cape Buffalo. I currently shoot Woodleighs for softs in my 500NE. A solid on a Buffalo is for one place only, and that is if you need the penetration from tail to chest. If you are facing a wounded Buff, softs all the way, even for a charge. Do not go into a situation, if you are expecting a charge, with a solid.
For the Elephant, solids only. Woodleigh Hydro will do, the old Barnes Banded Solid were good, when they used to have the Meplat. Barnes has since turned to the round nose profile, which is a real shame.

 

[postoak]

I read some accounts of the Woodleighs failing to penetrate? Does the .416 Remington have enough case capacity for the solid copper bullets like the TTSX?

 

[fourfive8]

I read some accounts of the Woodleighs failing to penetrate? Does the .416 Remington have enough case capacity for the solid copper bullets like the TTSX?

Plenty! I can safely and easily get over 2400 fps out of my 416 Rem Mag shooting 400 gr TSXs. However, not needed and not chosen on purpose to provide failsafe reliability. 2350 muzzle FPS is plenty!

Here is a recovered 400 gr TSX from a Cape buffalo @ 40 yds (angling toward)-- entered front center of right shoulder, broke shoulder, penetrated diagonally through thoracic and recovered under hide in left flank. Nearly 100% weight retention as is normal for this type monolithic design. Similar results on other buffalo and eland. Many bullets not recovered because of pass through. I get similar results with monolithic copper North Fork Flat Point Solids and Cup Point Solids.

 

[TOBY458]

I read some accounts of the Woodleighs failing to penetrate? Does the .416 Remington have enough case capacity for the solid copper bullets like the TTSX?

Mine maxed out at around 2350 fps with Barnes TSX 400gr and the Varget powder I had on hand. Very compressed load. Plenty of power, but I chose the Swift instead. To me, the Barnes TSX in 416 Rem mag are a little too long, and take up too much space in the case. The Swift in the same weight is a much better fit for the 416 Rem Mag or Ruger. That said, I have had great success with Barnes bullets overall. Just need the right case and powder to push them with. The Rigby would be a different story though.

 

[fourfive8]

73.5 gr Varget does 2347 in my rifle (standard Win Model 70) with the TSX (not the TTSX which is longer than the TSX). I understand what you are saying about different rifles yielding different results given the variations in rifle chambers and barrels. Years ago my first Cape buffalo was with the same rifle but using 400 gr Swift A Frame and 73 gr Varget producing 2330 fps. Complete pass through at 90 degree angle 60 yds just behind both shoulders. After that I did more load work with various bullets and settled on the TSXs and the North Fork Cup Point Solids as best bullets for my 416. Varget has remained the best powder for my loads and rifle.

Might also try other powders slightly more dense or slightly faster burning- possibilities that come to mind include Benchmark, 3031 and 4198 if you can find any published load data for them?

 

[IvW]

For buffalo?

For body shots on elephant?

For brain shots on elephant?


Any to avoid?

I am presuming initial shots by clients here...

1. The one that ends up under the skin on the opposite side of the aiming point. Premium expander...
2. Meplat solid brass bullet that ends up under the skin on the opposite side of aiming point or exits..
3. Meplat solid brass bullet that exits on side brain shots or ends up behind the brain or in the neck vertebrae depending on entry angle and in some case even exits on frontal brain shot..
Should also be able to penetrate through hard tusk socket bone and top part of tusk when shot is taken on frontal but from off the side and not full frontal(from a backup point off view).

Straight line penetration and shot placement, is the name of the game when hunting elephant...