Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa 458 WM Bullet Selection for Cape Buffalo

I'd like to see some actual data to back up that nonsense those guys are putting out. Whereas there's pretty good data out there on the Hornady DGX failing, I don't ever remember seeing anything bad about Nosler. The only reason I didn't use them is because they just didn't group with my 375 and in general Partitions-for me-have been the hardest of all to shoot accurately.

Same here on the proof, a 300 gr 375, 400 gr 416 or 500 gr 458 HAS to be a good killer, they have no choice by their very design, I've always had great luck getting the NPT's to shoot good, your old 300 H&H will routinely print less than 2" groups at 100 yards with 220 gr Partitions and H-4831, and that's with my naked eye through a receiver peep.

The Partitions always shot extremely well in both my 300 H&Hs. But my 338 WM, 257Weatherby (I would have loved the 100 Partition to shoot in that one) and my 300 Weatherby, flat don't like them. I did pick up a German 257 Wetherby (with the old twist so it will not shoot 100gr TTSXs) but now I'm going to give the Partitions a try with that rifle.

Good deal, and good luck with the old German 257 Jorge.

I’ve used the 400 grain Partition out of a 416 Rigby Federal factory load on Bison and a rib cage shot didn’t exit, heel of the bullet was pinched together and the bullet was bulged behind the Partition like an A-Frame. I will not use them again, because of the lack of penetration. I’ve had good luck with the 250 Partition in 338 Win mag. The 180 TSX out of a 300 RUM exIted every time even on hard angled shots.

While I have no doubt that this is good advice, be sure to ask your PH. I talked with one in Zambia a month ago and he insisted on a hunter having some solids along for following up buffalo.

TSX penetrate deep enough to negate the need for solids.

That's what I thought too. I specifically asked if I could just bring TSX's and his answer was, "Bring some solids too, in case we have to follow up a wounded buffalo".

PH's, like most hunting guides, have varying opinions on such things. I once had an elk guide in Wyoming tell me that a 300 Weatherby was marginal for elk. He recommended a 300 Ultra Mag..........

The North fork 450gr flat point solid is an excellent bullet, as well as the CEB 450gr Safari solid. Take a look at the North fork 450gr SS, this is another very excellent bullet
for buffalo. No need to hot rod the 458 WM, 2150 fps or there about will work just fine. AA2230 is an excellent powder for the 458 WM. The CEB 450gr Safari solid in my Lott at 2150fps easily gives pass thru performance on ele brain shots, I have yet to retrieve one. Good luck on your hunt.

Love the "Dipidi Doo" horns!

Jorge,
My Ruger .338 WM shoots 210 Noslers and 225 and 230 well. Not bad with Federal 250s either. It has been Magna ported, had a trigger job, and the action glass bedded.
I took this departing bull elk with 210 Nosler "Texas heart shot" .


The left ham suffered some meat damage, but an elk is a large critter and very good eating.

Head Trauma,
I like your post as it reassures me that the 450 grain solids from my 1886 will still be up to the job on ele or anything else.
We too found that the .458 NF 450 and Punch 430 solids at 2150 fps penetrated fully on frontal brain shots and the bullets were recovered in the ele body. Both could have been loaded and shot again.

Sorry sir, but not true. This is something I use to believe in, but over time and many Buffalo hunted over the years, I came to realise that a TSX will never replace a solid. If you have a situation on a wounded Buff, standing with his head in the thickets, and you only have a rear end shot, a TSX just won't have the penetration to bust through all that rumen to reach the vitals. That is where you need an out and out solid.

Neither do I prefer to use the TSX as a primary bullet on Buff either. We have seen and heard of a few TSX that fail to open, and then act like a solid. On Buff, we often shoot into the herd. We have never had a pass through from a 375 to 505 Gibbs with conventional softs such as Nosler Accubonds, Swift A Frames etc.
You don't want to be in the situation with your dream bull standing in the herd, and wonder if your bullet will fail to open, causing a pass through and hitting another animal in the herd. Will hunting with a TSX be responsible for you going home without a Buff, I certainly don't think so, but it could cost you a chance at a buff that you could confidently take with a conventional soft.

The twist is the biggest culprit in causeing any mono metal to not open, that’s why dropping to a 450 grain copper bullet in 458 is a good idea because of the length. 359 grain in 416, extensive testing has shown that as faster twist with 500 grain 458 bullets increase their penetration and aid in expansion. Even solids penetrate deeper by dropping down a weight or with a faster twist.

All good and well sir, but this is still no excuse to replace your solids with a TSX. We are not talking about adequate penetration of a brain shot on a Buff here, but penetrating the length of the body from tail to chest when a situation like this arises. When this happens, I want my hunter to be equipped with tools that will get the job done.

KMG, not to butt in here, but, do you experienced PH's think the 450 gr Cutting Edge BBW #13 solid at 2275 fps from my 458 Win Mag will be fine for a fleeing Cape Buffalo, I'll be using it in the Mozambique long grass?

The only solid experience I have is the 570 and 750 gr Barnes banded flat nosed solids from my doubles shooting armadillo off sticks walking around the farm, and one friend that shot a hog with one, obviously not a test.

Interesting take on Barnes. With TTSX I hear of no failures to open. I"ve personally never seen a TSX not open either but others have.

My friends on the big bears on the coast in AK are about the opposite and prefer by far to see barnes over other cup and core options out there, due to the barnes always working and some of the cup and core, even bonded, just not proving satisfactory.

I could easily see that a more fragile bullet would lead to a quicker death by a few seconds or so generally. Makes sense. Personally I'd be scared as hell to be shooting a big animal with a bullet that didn't always make it out the other side. But with backup I suppose its sort of moot.

Sure is nice to read comments from the folks that have been there and done that on the real question at hand, as its often different than what one would believe.

Me, I'd be bringing Barnes though regardless. I have nothing but faith in them and them alone. Obviously mono solids after the first round will never be a bad idea. OTOH I'd think too, I could mag up with Barnes and let the pro carry the solids if need be.

Sure wish Barnes would tuck a tip in that 458/450 bullet....

(Neophyte opinion here): The solid is in my view a specialized tool for the PH for the valid reasons Marius stated. That said, I really don't see a need for a solid on anything but elephant, rhino or hippo on dry land. The owner of the AR site, with over 200 buffalo under his belt, uses his version of a TSX out of a 375/404 and he gets complete penetration, even on "Texas Hear Shots" on buffalo. There have been instances of TSXs not opening up, but it's very rare with the larger calibers as they have a pretty big nose cavity. The PH i hunt with, John Sharp loads solids exclusively on his stopping rifles but for clients, he does not allow it (except for the animals cited above).

Gunner, the CEB BBW#13 will work great. The meoplat bullets have shown to offer better penetration than the round nose solids, so at the respectable speed of 2275 fps, they will certainly get the job done. I shoot both my softs and solids from my 500NE at 2080, and it has done the job, so think your velocity is spot on.
I speak under correction, but dont think that you can get the meoplat solids in the Barnes Banded Solids. They changed them to round nose. I bought some for my 416 Rigby and still have a few, but once they are gone, I will need to start over with finding a new combination.

Jorge, I can fully appreciate why John would not want his clients to use solids. He is a legend of the game.

To get back to the TSX issues, a PH friend of mine had them failing to open out of his 470NE. Subsequently, he moved to Shift A-Frames for softs and the local Dzombo solids.