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HS,

Started at 2650 fps, the 270 TSX will still be going 1829 fps at 325 yards...Ty at Barnes told me that the bullet was designed to expand in soft tissue at 1800 fps and above.

Manny

From what I've read the AB is designed to retain about as much weight as a NP but set up much faster. From a short barreled gun with the projectile at lower speed they might be fine. I'm just not a fan of tipped bullets for African game....with one exception; the Swift Scirocco......I've heard good things about them, but have NOT used them myself, but they DO have a much thicker pure copper jacket, unlike the AB which is gilding metal.

I have used the Swift Scirocco. Given the wound channels I've seen, it would be hard to believe that they don't set up very quickly. I've never recovered one of these either, though.

Speaking of pure copper: I've also used the Barnes Original in my .348. These bullets penetrate like the dickens and they expand to about half their size.

HS,

RE Barnes original in 348..... That is great to hear. I have a bunch of 348AI ammo loaded up with 250gr Barnes originals at 2550 and have not had opportunity to give them a try out yet. Looking forward to plastering something with one ASAP.

RE Barnes TSX expansion at lower velocities. I would not expect you to have any issued with yours from your 20 inch bbl'ed 375. they are actually quite reliable expanders at distance and slower speeds, especially in the larger bores. That big hole in the nose of the large bore TSX's catches a LOT of tissue and fluid.

Huntaria,which Scirocco? The original or the II?

Huntaria,

AccuBonds are indeed designed to act much like Partitions, in fact they were partly designed to satisfy the constant whining for a "tipped Partition." Under normal circumstances they retain about as much weight as a Partition of the same size and diameter, but open up a little wider so tend to penetrate a little less. For instance, when I tested .30 caliber 200-grain AB's and 200 Partitions side by side in the same stack of dry newspaper (a very tough test) the Partition retained a little less weight (about 70% to 74% in the AB, as I recall) but penetrated a little more, about 15" versus 14", due to the AB opening up a little wider.

I have seen a 180-grain AccuBond from a .300 Winchester Magnum shot into the shoulder of a big bull eland. The bullet broke the shoulder just above the big joint, but broke up and didn't penetrate into the chest. Another quick shot behind the shoulder put the bull down.

As I noted, I have either used or seen used both the 250-grain 9.3 and 260-grain .375 AccuBond, both at about 2600-2700 fps at the muzzle, on quite a bit of game both in North America and Africa. They are very good bullets, and will penetrate prtetty much the length of a big bull elk or kudu even on a shot into a hip. But an elk or a kudu is not an eland. A really big eland can weigh an honest ton; a friend once killed one that weighed something around 2200 pounds on cattle scales. Most are not that big but 1500 pounds is common.

Please note that I suggested the 300-grain .375 Partition for eland, not the 260-grain. The 270 TSX will do as well. I wouldn't worry at all about expansion from a slightly shorter barrel with either bullet.

Luckily, my own .375 H&H puts all loads from 250 to 300 grains into the same group. Generally I use 300 Partitions as the deep-penetrating bullet, though have used others, including the Fail Safe and X, and just load those when there is the possibility of really big game, whether eland or buffalo. They will work fine on smaller stuff too. Only if the big animal on the list is taken early in the hunt so I switch to a lighter bullet, whether in contruction or weight.

I'll just stick with the 300 gr. 375 bullets..they have served me to perfection for many years..I never liked the lighter bullets and am not a Barnes fan..I really like the 350 gr. Woodleighs, 300 gr. Northforks, 300 gr. Nosler partitions, and in a monolithic I will always pice the 270 gr. GS Customs bullets. If I want to shoot a lighter bullet such as a 250 gr. then I'll go to my .338 and so fourth..

Just my personal choice for the big stuff.

One really never knows as I witnessed Phillip Price with Swartkei Safaris, RSA stick a 100 gr. Corelokt Rem factory bullet in an Elands anus and it penetrated to the off side skin of the front right shoulder perfectly expanded...I credit that to the low velocity of the Remington round..It was perfect performance and a real eye opener "I think" ....Maybe sometimes we push those bullets too fast.

What caliber for the 100 Grain?

The original. In my .300 Wby, it tore a massive hole completely though a quartering away pronghorn and made a mess of 3 different deer, the largest of which pushed an honest 200 lbs.

Well, y'all given me something to chew on. I'm nearly tempted to go shoot a really mean gelding I own just to see how the AB works on something on the order of 1500 lbs. (I keed, I keed, but, well, he really is an ass and not the donkey kind, but I digress).

Since my dad and I are going, we're carrying 2 guns apiece. We'll share the .375. My thoughts were to use it on eland and zebra. I have quite a stash of the 260ABs, so maybe I should go over to the classifieds and see if anyone would like to swap a couple of boxes of AB's for TSX's, then I could carry both.

I'll also take a .348 using the 250 gr. Barnes original on gemsbok and hartebeest.

In all, between us, we'll kill 25 animals, so its quite a list.

One other thing for y'all. Would I have any issues if I took a box of 270 gr. TSX's and a box of 260 gr? From what I've read, it just needs to be of the same caliber, but reading the rules and real-life experiences are two different things.

You reallly should use your 348 on more than just two animals...

Well, here's the list

Kudu
2 Gemsbok
2 Spingbok
Warthog
Hartebeest
2 Zebra
Duiker
Eland
Blue Wildebeest
Springbuck
And, a couple of pick and choose small predators

Of this list, what do you think lends itself to the .348?

Warthog
Duiker
Blue Wildebeest..


Ingwe

Not one of the gemsbok?

It would be cool...


Ingwe

My double rifle friend (who's been to Africa twice) thinks I should just forgo the .375 and other than the kudu, kill everything else with the .348. I will tell you the most fun I've ever had with my clothes on was while hunting with the 71. I did a spot and stalk in a 40 mph wind on a group of antelope. I killed a big fat doe at 150 yds. with the .348.

HS...wait till you get there, check out the terrain and game, tell your PH your honest limitations with each rifle, and go with his advice and your own experience..you'll do fine...Half the fun is trying your own stuff, instead of what everyone else, including the gun rags say...
( apologies to JB... ...)

Ingwe

Now that's fine advice. The 71 wears a peep. If the light is good, I'm good to 150 from sticks and dead steady, 200. Other than that, I can ring a 8" gong at 300 yards from sticks with both the .300 and .375. Working on getting my dad to the same shape at 300. He's fine to 200 now.

Went ahead and ordered the extra box of 270 gr TSX's. A little extra insurance on a $2500 critter don't hurt, I suppose. I don't know whether to be pissed off at myself for being influenced by strangers, or to congratulate myself for being open minded in the face of zero data. I need beef, so I may pay my neighbor for a cow for test practice!

well don't shoot the beef in the "mignon"!!!

Ingwe