It's always interesting to hear about PH's recommending the TBBC and A-Frame, because they're the only two bullets I've actually seen "fail" to penetrate properly on buffalo. This does NOT mean they're not great bullets, but that any bullet can fail occasionally.
The first was a 300-grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claw from a .375 H&H Federal factory load. I was sitting with my hunting partner and two PH's near a herd of 30-some buffalo, including a mature herd bull that eventually stood broadside in the open, about 100 yards away. At the shot we all saw a dust cloud on the shoulder, perfect shot placement, and the bull bucked into the nearby thornbush. We waited an hour but didn't hear a death bellow, so started to follow-up, spread out about 50 feet from each other. Pretty soon I jumped a bull that ran away, but couldn't see any blood so didn't shoot. Upon investigating the tracks, however, we found a little blood, and since the brush was getting considerably thicker, the two PH's told us to stay behind while they and a tracker went after the bull. An hour later, the buffalo finally died from 10 solids, all from the rear, shot by a .416 Rigby and .458 Lott. Back at the skinning shed the original Bear Claw was recovered, perfectly expanded--but from the ribs on the SAME SIDE as the shoulder it entered. Our best guess was the shoulder bone caused to bullet to spin somehow, the reason it only entered one lung--and the reason the buffalo remained quite lively.
The A-Frames were also 300-grainers, started at about 2650 fps from a 9.3mm wildcat carried by my hunting partner, that apparently hadn't bonded. The first one hit a water buffalo's shoulder joint as the bull stood quartering toward us at 50 yards. After several more shots, including a couple solids from the .458 Lott the guide carried, the buffalo finally died. The first A-Frame had broken the shoulder, but was recovered against the ribcage, the rear core having broken through the partition. It retained just about exactly half its weight, and was about as flat as a bottle cap. Only one of the 300's made it through the ribs, the last one, fired between the shots from the .458 Lott.
Luckily neither buffalo charged. The Cape buffalo had plenty of opportunity to, but every time he was jumped went the other way.
Have seen nothing but great results from both bullets on other animals over the decades. But can also say the same about Partitions.
