Big bore projectile choice

Thought i'd open this thread up with some discussion aimed at fellow reloaders - what projectile do you use in your big bore and why?

I had been using the 300gr Hornady Interlock in my 375H+H (and successfully took water Buffalo with one shot), however now use pretty much only woodleigh projectiles in my two big bores. In the 458 Lott I will be loading 500 Gr soft and solids exclusively and will be bringing these over to Africa when I eventually make it there.

I also have a 375 JDJ but use lighter soft projectiles in this as it is destined for use as a close quarter pig rifle.

I had considered the use of barnes tripleshocks, but will most likely keep using them in the rifle I take for plains game.

thoughts?

Cheers

I shoot Nozler partitions in my 375 H&H 300 gr bullets. They shoot very well and I plan on using them on my next safari for El;)and & Waterbuck. I shoot nozler because it's the bullets I've always used for hunting. I'm not knocking any other brand it's what I use!!

all purpose i trust my 308 SAKO, for bigger animals 416 rigby - smaller animals 223 :-)

I think Woodleighs are always a good choice for big bad animals that eat you or stomp you..

My favorite bullets vari according to caliber, but basically in 375 I like the 350 gr. Woodliehs...In the 416 and 404 I love the North fork cup points, 450 gr. Woodleighs and always the GS Customs flat nose solids..The .416, 400 gr. Nosler in the the .416 Rem. or Ruger is an outstanding killer...

It would be more appropreiate to name the caliber and the game being hunted to be more detailed and accurate in these posts, as some makes of bullets are better in some calibers and not in others and that creates a lot of confusion as to which is the best bullet to use..

In big bores, it sometimes is not easy to get bullets at all and so you might be happy with Woodleighs as you can get them. They offer different modells and cover all needs. They may change from brand to brand, so take enough from them if you intend not only using them for testing. But even so, they show good accuracy and reliabillity.
I hate, - shouldnd't say that. But, I was disapointed every time I tried using full metall bullets. You know, such as the old Barnes X-Bullets. There is a bunch of them available now and I don't care much for this.
A good construction and depending on the game a heavy jacket with bonded core is all what you shout be after.
Factory made very well working bullets are the Nosler AccuBonded. They shot actually nearly every time the best out of all my guns and they perform very well on game and they have good ballistic data. Good results showed Norma Oryx, where I could test it. The Hornady Interlock did not as good as the AccuBonded in my rifles, not accuracy and not performance wise. There are some from Speer, GrandSlam to name one and this is to expensiv for the kind of performance you get with it. I used it however in smaller arms successfully on different kind of game. I remember the 225 in .338 out of different rifles with different velocity and ever worked as expected, but I would tend towards the AccuBonded when available in the same caliber.
With bigger calibers, about nothing else is left, but Woodleighs. There are some rare handmade things available, I never tested them, but they follow the same basic construction: heavy jacket, bonded to the core and that should work ever!

IMO any of the premium bullets (A-Frame, TSX, Woodleighs, Norrthfork etc) that are heavy for caliber (400 grain plus in 416, 500 grain plus in 458) and driven in the correct velocity range will kill anything you hunt. Shot placement is more important.

I use Woodleighs in my double Krieghoff. They regulated well and probably have been used to kill more African dangerous game than all of the others.

The two buffalo I killed last year were both taken with one shot each from a 416 Rem with 400 grain TSX driven at slightly under 2400 FPS.

I will be testing GS Customs and Rhino Bullets later in the season with my 500 Jeff.

At this stage I cast my own bullets for practise.

They weigh 580gr.

Woodleigh's are good bullets............dependable. I have used them but also frequently use Nosler Partition, Swift A-frame, TBBC and TSX. GS custom look good but getting them here is difficult as is the case with Northfork.

I plan on giving the new Nosler solids a try and I will try the E-tips in the larger calibers when they are available.

In the following calibres (for my experience and rifles)
These group well, penetrate well

the 9.3 x 62--250 Nosler,
the 9.4x 74--320 Wooleigh
the .375 H&H--300 Hornady
the .378 WM-- 300 A Frame and a 350 custom turned brass solid
the .405Win--300 Hornady, 400 Swift
the .411 Hawk-- 400 Hawk
the .416 Rigby-- 400 Swift A Frame and 450 Woodleigh Solid
the .404-- 400 Woodleighs, Soft and Solid
the .45/70-- .440 HCGC
the .500NE -- Woodleighs ,Solid and Soft

And THE .50 BMG-- APIT,
(easy to see when you miss the feral donkeys) :)

For the lighter ones, as to group and effectiveness, if anyone cares :

:rolleyes:

the .220 Swift--52 Sierra
the .223--65 Sierra
the 6mm Rem-115 Berger
the .257 AI --120 Norma and 115 Berger
the .270-- 150 Berger
the 6.5x 54--Sierra 160's,Hornady 160's, Berger 140's
the 6.5x 284--Berger 140VLDs
the 7mmAI--175 Speer
the 7.35--150 Hornady,128 Graf (I know, why bother??)
the .308Win-- 168 Hornady
the .30-06--220 Nosler, 200 Barnes TSX
the .30-40AI-- 180 Barnes MRX
the .300 RUM 180 Siroccos
the .303-- 215 Hawk
the 8 x 57--201 RWS
the .338LM-- 300 Scenar
the .348Win- 250 Barnes
the .358Win--250 Speer

I have been using the Woodleighs for the 404 and 7x57 but would like to hear from those who have tried the GS Custom bullets. They seem from what I have read to be very efective especially the flat point solids but has anyone used the lighter HV offerings especially in the bigger bores.

Von Gruff.

Gentlemen, nobody asked but I think I should post some input on this thread! CAUTION:In regard to use of Mono-lithic solids in double rifles, especially older double rifles great care must be taken as to the type of mono-lithic solid is used in double rifles even new ones.

The North FORK, and GS CUSTOM are the only solid mono-lithic bullet that is safe in doubles. This is because these two bullets have driving bands that are slightly over groove dia, with the bottom of the cuts between the bands is slightly less diameter than the bore. This gives the metal displaced by the engraving by the rifleing in the barrel a place to go. These bullets are actually easier on barrels that the full patch lead cored solids.

Mono-lithic solids without the very narrow driving bands, are too hard to engrave because the core doesn't give like a lead core bullet does. This is especially bad on double rifles because the solder joint between the barrels, and the wedges, and ribs cannot react enough to return to it's original state after the bullet passes through the barrel sometimes separating the barrels from the ribs, and wedges. Woodliegh steel jacketed solids are fine in double rifles. as are all lead core jacketed solids that I'm aware of.

I don't use the mono-lithic solids other than the North Fork, and GS custom even in my single barrel rifles, but the single barrel on new rifles are less prone to damage than double rifles, or very old soft steel single barrel rifles.

I have shot a number of Cape Buffalo and lots of plainsgame including Eland with the GS Customs bullets, both the flat nose solid and the HV HP..they have always performed to perfection for me..

My favorite monolithic bullet however is the Northfork cup point..I use it on everything from Cape Buffalo to Impala and it just flat out works...You get enough expansion and more than need penetration in every case. It is the one bullet that does it all.