Garandimal,
Also the jacket of the A-Frame is copper, with is softer than the gilding metal of the Partition jacket, and the Partition's jacket it also thicker over the rear core. Plus, as you are apparently aware of (some people aren't) the rear core of A-Frames isn't bonded. As a result, when A-Frames expand they often do so both in front AND the rear. This makes a bigger hole, but doesn't typically penetrate as deeply as the Partition. It's unusual for a Partition's rear core to expand even a little, due to the thick gilding metal jacket--and the unbonded front end doesn't open as widely as the bonded front end of the A-Frame.
Both usually work very well, but in somewhat different ways, despite the similar percentage of retained weight. The A-Frame doesn't exit as often as the heavy-duty Partitions, even on broadside shots, due to the wide mushroom--which a lot of PHs like when hunting buffalo in herds--though Partitions won't exit as often as other brands of bullets, especially monolithics.
Good information, JB, and thanks for that. The A-Frame's propensity for staying inside a buff was my PH's primary reason for recommending them over the NP when I went in 2015. I used A-Frames again in 2019 just because they worked so well for me the first time. But I've been looking at bullets for a 9.3x74R Ruger No. 1 I'm considering.
Whether any bullet exits buffalo also depends a lot on the cartridge, velocity and size of the buffalo. Cape buffalo also have far bigger and tougher ribs than most other big game, which can affect how how much bullets expand--and how often they exit.
Spot on regarding the buff's ribs. They put brontosaurus ribs to shame!
