The importance of SD in penetration - non expanding bullets.

[TStone]

So what be your reasoning?

The question is mostly theoretical, almost like the previous one in this section:)

However, the following made me think about this.

1) Read in an old Magnum. A Zambian hunter killed a buffalo bull with a frontal shot using a .375 H&H with a 286gr PMP solid. The bullet penetrated lengthwise through the bull and killed a cow behind it. This is a monolithic bullet with a tapered round nose and its SD is somewhat lower than the magical .3.
2) An experienced problem animal control officer, whom I know well and trust, told me how he killed two buffalo with one 286gr PMP, similar to above.
3) The late Dr. Don Heath, in an article about frontal shots on buffalo, wrote that a flat nosed 9.3mm bullet made a bigger permanent wound channel than a round nosed solid from a .500" caliber rifle.
4) I once killed a large, injured, eland bull with a .357 mag revolver shooting a 158gr cast rf bullet. Despite its ridiculously low SD (0.177), primitive construction and barely supersonic velocity, it penetrated both shoulders, stopping under the skin on the exit side of a very large antelope.
5) You do not need a particularly deep penetrating bullet to kill a buffalo with a frontal chest shot, I killed one with a 400gr Hornady Interlock and Don Heath (again on frontal shots on buffalo) stated that 2 or 3 quick shots from a 7.62x51 with military fmj bullets (tumbling after impact) put a charging buffalo down quicker than a single shot from a heavy caliber rifle, despite the mediocre penetration. Obviously this does not apply to pachyderms.
6) I am on leave and bored and it is too windy and hot today to go fishing or go on a recreational hunt.
7) I've read all the books I own and I'm really bored.

[Messor]

The question is mostly theoretical, almost like the previous one in this section:)

However, the following made me think about this.

1) Read in an old Magnum. A Zambian hunter killed a buffalo bull with a frontal shot using a .375 H&H with a 286gr PMP solid. The bullet penetrated lengthwise through the bull and killed a cow behind it. This is a monolithic bullet with a tapered round nose and its SD is somewhat lower than the magical .3.
2) An experienced problem animal control officer, whom I know well and trust, told me how he killed two buffalo with one 286gr PMP, similar to above.
3) The late Dr. Don Heath, in an article about frontal shots on buffalo, wrote that a flat nosed 9.3mm bullet made a bigger permanent wound channel than a round nosed solid from a .500" caliber rifle.
4) I once killed a large, injured, eland bull with a .357 mag revolver shooting a 158gr cast rf bullet. Despite its ridiculously low SD (0.177), primitive construction and barely supersonic velocity, it penetrated both shoulders, stopping under the skin on the exit side of a very large antelope.
5) You do not need a particularly deep penetrating bullet to kill a buffalo with a frontal chest shot, I killed one with a 400gr Hornady Interlock and Don Heath (again on frontal shots on buffalo) stated that 2 or 3 quick shots from a 7.62x51 with military fmj bullets (tumbling after impact) put a charging buffalo down quicker than a single shot from a heavy caliber rifle, despite the mediocre penetration. Obviously this does not apply to pachyderms.
6) I am on leave and bored and it is too windy and hot today to go fishing or go on a recreational hunt.
7) I've read all the books I own and I'm really bored.

As you are very well aware, out there things are unpredictable, hence stories such as those are not uncommon. But, the only thing we can actually go on is known good repeatable results, in most scenarios. Through the years you've build your own guidelines as to what works in your area.

We had this discussion some time ago, by a fire, myself and my brother, and he said times have changed. Not too long ago you would carry a solid to backup your softpoint, but nowadays with the phenomenal penetration of monolithics he could not see a reason not to just load expanding monolithics and be done with it. Face it, you have shot more things than most, what is the chance of a 250gr TSX or GMX not penetrating to the chest cavity of a buffalo, from either the side of from the front? Man I don't know but I just don't see a scenario where such a combo will fail.

So you tell me, pachyderms aside, if you want to hunt anything with a 9.3, normal antelope and perhaps stand up to a buff that wants to go kamikaze, do you yourself think you need more than a 250gr expanding monolithic?

[TStone]

So you tell me, pachyderms aside, if you want to hunt anything with a 9.3, normal antelope and perhaps stand up to a buff that wants to go kamikaze, do you yourself think you need more than a 250gr expanding monolithic?

No, I figure I can make that work. But sometimes it is interesting, from a theoretical perspective, to learn more about the performance of different tools.

One thing about FN bullets, some rifles don't feed them reliably. My Howa .300 win mag feeds them just fine, it even feeds empty cases, my k98 actioned 7x57 only feed bullets with a flat meplat if you slam the bolt forward hard and fast, working the bolt slowly gets the bullet stuck on the feedramp.

[BBT]

[QUOTE
6) I am on leave and bored and it is too windy and hot today to go fishing or go on a recreational hunt.
7) I've read all the books I own and I'm really bored.[/QUOTE]

Please write us some anecdotal hunting stories or just good hunting stories.
It's been a long while since I've been in the bush on a Hunt

[TStone]

[QUOTE
6) I am on leave and bored and it is too windy and hot today to go fishing or go on a recreational hunt.
7) I've read all the books I own and I'm really bored.

Please write us some anecdotal hunting stories or just good hunting stories.
It's been a long while since I've been in the bush on a Hunt[/QUOTE]

Have you read this?
http://www.gunsite.co.za/forums/show...ack+wildebeest

[BBT]

Please write us some anecdotal hunting stories or just good hunting stories.
It's been a long while since I've been in the bush on a Hunt

Have you read this?
http://www.gunsite.co.za/forums/show...ack+wildebeest[/QUOTE]


No I did not.
Many thanks.