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Shikari: That doesn't look very good!

No wonder people worry about bullets......that could get a guy in trouble.

Shikari/Ray:So,what is the most reliable 375 solid?

The best one I've encountered by a mile and the one I use is the GS Custom flat nosed monolithic solid.
( http://gscustom.co.za/ )

Northfork also make a similar bullet.

Shikari: Thank you.

Always a pleasure.

I've never had the pleasure.........or displeasure to see a TBBC solid. Everyone I've ever had in camp was a bonded soft point design. The bonded lead front half and the solid copper back half.

What is/was inside that TBBC "solid" that looks like jacket material. How solid can it be if it's not one piece? Speaking just for myself, If I'm gonna use a solid I don't want it to have a jacket and a core. I think those are called FMJ's not solids?

I guess the standard of PH school ain't what it was mate!

There are two types of solids. Jacketed and mono metal. A jacketed solid like the TBBC is a hard jacket over a softer core. In the case of the TBBC the two metals are supposed to be bonded together, hence the word bonded in the title. It's not uncommon for jacketed bullets to fishtail whereas fishtailing is highly unlikely in a mono metal bullet

Mono metal bullets are made of one solid piece of metal, hence the name mono metal as in the name GS Custom flat nosed mono metal. These bullets are sometimes called monolithic solids which means solid or of one piece.

The GS Custom flat nosed solid is especially good not only because of it's construction but also because the bands make for less barrel wear.

Shikari: Those GS Custom 270 gr flatnose bullets (solids I assume)can be started at 2800+ fps from the Holland round.Any impressions on how they seem to work on the larger stuff,ie Cape buffalo?

These bullets seem to follow the NF formula that the faster they go, the better they work...wonder if that has squared with your experience?

The 200 and 260 gr HV bullet in the 375 also seems to have distinct possibilities for plains game and soft-skinned stuff.Impressions?
Thanks much;this is an interesting line up of bullets.

Bob,

You really need to talk to Gerard at GSC to get advice on loads but I know he'll be happy to give you any info you need. They'll work brilliantly on everything and anything that walks the earth if you put it in the right place.

I've been using their FNMS (flat nosed monolithic solid) for some years in my 500 & now also in my 404 and love 'em to bits.... I reckon they give at least 20% more (straight line) penetration than any other mono solid I've ever used..... and FWIW, I'd never use any FMJ solid as I've seen most of 'em fail from time to time.

Hope that helps.

Shikari: It certainly does,and thanks once again.

Bob,
I have shot around maybe 20 to 30 buffalo with the GS customs flat nose solid. I have shot a lot of dead buffalo with the GS Customs bullets for recovery purposes also. I have used that bullet in the .375,458 Lott, 404 and 416 Rem. for many years now. Pass throughs are the rule and full lenthwise penetration can be expected..

I also have used the GS Customs high vel hollow points, and they have always performed to perfection for me..Gerard is a good friend and the best news is his daughter who is actually now the president of the company so to speak is getting married and will be moving to the US and the bullets will be distributed here by her and her new husband. Gerared will be making the bullets in RSA as usual..

I have used the flat nose solid on Zebra, Impala, and whatnot and had excellent results on such game with a minamum of meat loss. The flat nose adds another deminsion of killing effect over the old round nose solid..The smaller animal kills are not spectacular with a flat nose solid as one would expect, but they are very effective, leave a blood trail and the animal don't make many tracks..The flat nose leaves a hole that does not close up like a RN solid dose. I have also observed that the hair for about an inch round the entrance hole is shaved by the cutting shoulder on the flat nose solid bullet, this seems to have some effect on the amount of blood that hits the ground as opposed to being mopped up by thick haired animals..At least that is my therory.

For several years I pushed for Barnes, ITTD, and several others to produce a flat nose solid, but to no avail..the said no need for such and that it wouldn't sell..I felt it would have the same effect as the Keith simi wadcutter had on the killing power of a pistol..Nobody would even give it a thought..then GS Customs came on the scene and they worked. I had some long conversations with Northfork and he began doing his thing and he came out with a simular bullet and it worked well indeed..Barnes recently sliced a bit of the tip off his monolithic solid and called it a flatnose, but it is a bastard child, better but no cigar IMO..

I have come to the conclusion that the best solids for Buffalo, or hippo are the flat nose solids from GS Customs and Northfork.

For elephant the GS customs is a better bullet than the Northfork.

For buffalo my favorite bullet is a chamber and magazine full of the Northfork Cup Points or the GS Customs HPs, School is still out on that one, it's a tie.

I like other bullets, but these are my favorite.

Ray, thanks for the info and your experiences with these GS bullets;seems they get great endorsement from experienced folks on here.I am going to get some in 375 and 270,and have a run with them.Have not been to Africa yet,but plan to go and want to be sure I am using the right gear.

Thanks once again!

"I have come to the conclusion that the best solids for Buffalo, or hippo are the flat nose solids from GS Customs and Northfork.

For elephant the GS customs is a better bullet than the Northfork."

Ray,

What causes you to think that the GS bullets are better on elephant? I have never used GS but they look just like North forks. I think I would prefer North Forks, if GS were available here, because North Fork doesn't put moly goup on their bullets.

Some thoughts on bullet coating.

Please do not make the mistake of comparing the GSC coating to that of moly (moly goup, as you call it) that is done with home moly kits. The GSC coating is part moly and part something else. It is undeniably superior to straight moly coating. It has these advantages:

1. GSC coated bullets require no change from your normal cleaning system. Just clean as you have always cleaned the rifle.
2. GSC coated bullets can be used interchangably with uncoated bullets and one will not affect how the other works or shoots.
3. The rifle barrel is afforded better protection in the throat area compared to uncoated bullets.
4. The barrel runs cooler than with uncoated bullets.
5. Copper oxide cannot form on bullets that have been stored for extended periods. More or less oxide will change the coefficient of friction and increase group dispersion.

We have been supplying GSC coated bullets since 1997 and there has not been a single instance where a customer has used GSC coated bullets and asked for uncoated after that.

As an aside, consider that GSC FN bullets preceded NF FP bullets (in the current design configuration) into the market by several years. It would then be correct to say that NF FP bullets look like GSC FN bullets because GSC are the originals.

Gerard,

Thanks for clearing that up. I assume also that the coating does not come off on one's fingers, as happens with home moly kits that some of us target shooters have used with match bullets, or that it does not rub off on the case neck when handloading the bullets.

To all of you that have BTDT I see you all talking about the 270 gr TSX a lot , which is good because that is what I shoot at the moment out of my 375 H&H . However I notice some talk on solids , does anyone have experience with Barnes Banded Solids . They are NOT the same as the TSX they are flat nose and flat based design. Just asking here I have no experience with the Barnes banded solids and am asking ? I shoot regular TSX's in everything I own.

Barnes Banded Solids are a helluva good design IMO, and really easy to get to shoot..

That being said...Ive never sunk one in a critter, so we gotta wait for guys who ghave BTDT since they came out....

Ingwe

IndyCA35,
If you try hard, you can rub off some of the coating. By way of example, I was dealing with another subject and seated a 450gr FN in a 458WM case and then pulled it with a kinetic puller. The pulled bullet is on the right and a new one on the left.

FWIW - Not in .375", but I developed a load earlier this year with the.423" Barnes Banded Solid intended for elephant - 400 grain bullet at a bit over 2300 fps in a 404 Ruger. It's as accurate as the comparable TSX in my rifle and didn't require fancy load development. It does shoot about 4 MOA away from the TSX in my rifle with comparable loads, so it required a minor scope adjustment when I switched loads.

Didn't shoot an elephant with the Banded Solid, but did shoot a kudu at much longer range than I intended for these Solids - target of opportunity. It caused lethal damage. I suspect if the shot had been closer and I'd done a better job in placing the bullet the Banded Solid would have still worked very well.

I recently killed a tuskless with a 300 gr Banded Solid from a 375 H&H. Shot low on a frontal brain. The ele was knocked off her feet, but got up and moved off about 200 yards where I finished her off with a brain shot. The initial bullet penetrated to at least the heart/lung area. There was enough blood for me to track her and I can't follow railroad tracks! It was the last day of my hunt and do not know if or where the bullet was finally found.

Indy,
I prefer the GS Custom flat nose over the Northfork flat nose because the GS Customs maintains its shape better than the Northfork, it is a bit harder.

All in all there is not better expanding bullet than the GS Customs bullets IMO..A few as good, sure, but none any better...but GS absolutly owns the solid market IMO....