Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Help me decide upon a plainsgame plus leopard bullet for my 338.................

I'm trying to decide upon a final bullet choice for my upcoming Zambia safari. I currently have my rifle zeroed with 250 gr. Nosler Partitions, but my rifle shoots 210 Noslers and 225 gr. Barnes TSXs at least as well (the TSX is the most accurate), and it shoots Swift 225 gr. A-Frames acceptably, but the 250 A-Frames not quite so well as the others. I used borrowed 225 Swift A-Frame Remington factory loads (same rifle) extensively on my last safari, and they were wonderfully effective on everything.

Game to be hunted is plainsgame ranging is size from grey duiker, steenbok, and klipspringer to greater kudu, zebra, and Cookeson's wildebeest, plus if I can secure a permit - eland. Also on the menu is crocodile and leopard, plus possibly a brain shot on hippo, although I hope to hunt the hippo on dry ground and use my 416 Rem. Mag. with North Fork solids.

I plan to use the 338 for the bulk of my hunting, and the 416 for buffalo and hippo. My main concern is that leopard. I've used the 180 gr. Winchester Fail-Safe out of a 300 Win. Mag. to kill my one and only leopard to date, and it did OK. I'm concerned that if I go with the TSX it might be just a mite too tough to kill as instantaneously as I'd like.

Of course, I could always shoot him with a 370 gr. North Fork soft out of the 416, but I'd rather shoot him with the 338.

Your thoughts?

AD

Allen,

I'd quite like it if you used the 225TSX. I've developed a load with that bullet weight in my Norma, and have a hard time thinking of a good reason when or why I'd ever use anything else in that rifle!

It's not the same thing, but I've used the 7mm 150 TSX at 3050 fps a bit now, and have been very impressed with just how fast it opens on small game like coyotes, yet how well it penetrates.

I'd like to hear more first hand experience from you re how it works on that spectrum of game animals. Thanks.

I would use 210 Noslers,you can push them fast enough to get massive expansion and shock on the leopard,but they are tough enough to give you good penetration on everything heavier.

Britt

Rick, it may turn out that I do go with the 225 TSX, but above all else, I'm putting my investment in the safari, plus the health & safety of everyone involved, first. I'm not treating this as an experiment or as a pulp-magazine "field test", but rather, this is an exercise in favorably stacking the odds.

I've used the 225 TSX (in the same rifle) for some elk hunting over the last couple of years, but I haven't exactly been sold on the results 100%. As far as paper accuracy is concerned, there's no issue with the TSX, but it's my distinct impression (based, admittedly, on very limited experience) that they don't kill as decisively or as quickly as Partitions or A-Frames do, plus I've had issues with tumbling - something I've never seen with the other bullets, and I don't believe in coincidences or happenstance.

AD

allen, even a solid 9,3 kills a leopard quickly if shot in the right spot. Have done it, will do it again. (Though not my first choice, but it was the end of the season and I only had solids left.)

210gr. TSX would be the first choice by a wide margin. Second would be 225gr. Partition.
RS

AD,

All those you list will serve you well. The 250 are a little on the heavy side if you need to reach out across a wide dambo for zebra, hartebeest, etc.

The Nosler is never a wrong choice. If your rifle likes the TSX, use them! I'm a true believer.

I only have one instance to relate. My hunting partner shot a nice large tom on a low bait with the 338 TBBC and I was surprised at how tough the the muscleing is on these cats. I did not see the exit hole I thought I would have seen. The hole closes up nicely. The cat did run off a bit but was quiet dead when found. The shot angle was behind the on shoulder and exited on the front edge of the offside shoulder. If the 210 grain partition shoot to same POI as the TSX then I would take a handful of them for leopard. If the TSX is what you take see if you can hit the onside shoulder going in, exiting out to angle back behind the shoulder on offside. I know the problem is you do not know what angle you will get. it seemed to me that if you could hit something going in more shock may be transmited.

I have shot many whitetail deer(35+) with 210 gr. NP and 15 plus with 225 gr. TSX. I really can not tell any difference. Some deer ran and some were DRT. It is 95% where you hit them and 5% bullet type. I used the 225 grain TSX on my first and only safari and I never had a problem/ eland and zebra to inpala and warthog.
What type of issues are you having with the bullet on elk??

Blaser guy beat me to the punch on a great idea. On my last Leopard hunt I took 180TSX's for most game in my 300RUM, but 150gr scirrocco's at 3600fps hit to the same point of aim at 25 and 50 yards so I took them for Leopard only. Did not get to use one on 'ol spots, but I am sure we would have had a very dead kitty very quickly should the opportunity have come up. Slam bang Impala for bait load as well. Hate having to spend time tracking bait animals when there is lots of bait to put up for multiple hunters. In a .338 I would be tempted to find a light quick expanding bullet that I could push real fast that would hit within an inch at Leopard shooting range and take them along with the 225 TSX load. Maybe a 200gr Sierra. I HATE Sierra's for most game but for Leopard from a 338 they would be a real time bomb. 200gr A-Frame, Scirrocco, Accubond, Interbond etc. might be a good compromise and give a good splat without making lots of big holes in a trophy Leopard.

I'll echo Hatari's recommendations, but I have to add, the 210TSX is one devastating bullet and at 2900 plus, it will surely open up on leopard, yet penetrate through on eland. There is a very good & telling post on that bullet on elk out to 400 plus yards. jorge

I'd be using the new version of the TSX, the one with that dreaded plastic tip! Bigger cavity under it to insure proper expansion and every bit as accurate in the three rifles we shot them through. They certainly expanded well at long range on the mule deer we shot last fall, so expansion up close on a leopard won't be a problem.

I wouldn't hesitate to use a a 210, 225 or 250 NP for leopard in a .338. Everything else being equal, the 210 would be my first choice.

Haven't gotten around to TSX in a .338 yet. Yes, I know it verges on heresy, or at least getting kicked out the club, but I can live with it.

view the latest DVD from Barnes regarding the expansion of TSX bullets. If the results as shown are true the bullet expands almost instantaneously. Go with the 225 TSX...according to an earlier post you are getting 2850 fps out of your rifle and at Leopard distances that out to smack the snot out of a cat.

John, the tipped TSX idea is interesting, and I think I'll order a couple of boxes of them to try.

I've got a lot of ideas going through my head on this bullet question, and I simply can't wait for the weather to break so I can start shooting again in a serious way.

AD

i will be the odd ball. stay with the 250 np. it is working and you don't need to worry about any animal you listed. as far as trajectory, people need to learn to shoot. the 250 hands down is a great bullet that has few rivals.

in my .338 it digest 250s wonderfully. since all i have around me at the moment are little whitetials then i use a inexpensive bullet such as the speer 200. why waste money on thin skinned game. i have never lost a deer to it. now when i get to go elk hunting then it will be the .250s that i love.

Allen - while I certainly don't have your experience and haven't used it on African game, I have experience with three elk that fell to the 210 Nosler Partition (all single shots) with complete penetration and excellent expansion. I would imagine that it would have the same effect on a Leopard if placed in the "engine room".

Dave, there's no question in my mind that the 210 Nosler Partition would blow the lights out on any leopard very quickly, and would be plenty good enough for any and all plainsgame as well. I haven't seen failures out of the Partition on anything, and out of the dozen or so animals (including several elk) that I've shot with 210 Noslers, going back to 1988, I've not recovered a single one them.

The main reason I've considered the 250 Partition very strongly is that if we're out hunting something else and get into some hassle with a lion, I want to hit him with plenty of bullet, and a bullet that'll open well, plus penetrate deeply and keep on going.

I've had one 225 gr. TSX tumble on an elk (found base-first under the hide on the off-side) and that bothers me. I've never had that happen with a Swift or a Nosler or a Trophy-Bonded or a North Fork, and I don't believe in coinsidences.

AD

AD,

I'd go with the TSX and not worry; your shot at a leopard is going to be fairly close in and the TSX should open adequately. I had them open very well (and a big mare zebra stopped a picture-perfect one with no bones hit at 90 yds.) out of my 375 at a very moderate 2650 fps mv.

My other experiences with different weights in other calibers have also shown good performance and no "penciling" through even at long range and lower velocities.

Gdv

Allan,

Are you sure the TSX didn't hit a twig or something in front of the animal?

The two times that's happened to me - on a bull elk and on my one waterbuck - the retrieved bullet led me to an oblong entrance wound and then back down the trail to a freshly mowed twig.

I believe the 225-gr TSX will either outpenetrate the 250-gr Nos Part or be very close to it.

You probably don't want to throw another factor in your planning but have you considered the 210-gr TSX. You can boot it out a little faster and if the 210-gr Nos Part's penetration is satisfactory to you, I can tell you the TSX will outdistance it.

Gdv