Best Solid for Elephant

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Which is better for elephant; CEB solids or Barnes Solids both in 470 NE please?
 
I’m curious to hear if any of the solids are bad choices! Following.
I used a nosler solid in a .375 in ele and hippos.
 
CEB for sure. Just make sure your double patterns well. It could take some load tweaking to match your double regulation load.

HH
 
Well that's like asking what's the "best" caliber... :eek:
My own experience has been the Barnes has worked flawlessly. Doesn't mean the others wouldn't..
 
Honestly I haven’t really heard of many modern solids failing. I have no experience with either of those two. I would shoot whatever shoots best in your rifle.
 
Flat tip in general performs better than round tip.

I can personally attest to the 400g 423 Barnes flat tip solid giving full penetration head shot on elephant from the side. Of note, their present solids are usually round tip but I was told by a Barnes representative (a decade ago) that they keep the CNC information and can make the flat tip if you ask. That may have changed.

Also of note, they went back to round tip for more reliable feeding, so (as always) ensure your rifle feeds whatever you ultimately choose.
 
I'll throw a third one in there, the Woodleigh Hydro. I do not think any decent metplate solid will fail. I only mention the hydros in case none of the other two will easily regulate in your double.
 
I will add another option...North Fork cup point solid. The nose rivets and expands slightly. There is an audible slap on game and quite a bit of shock and hydraulic displacement from the nose cavitation. On my .416 Rigby, the shoulder shot on the bull ele physically buckled him and he only went 40 yards on a heart shot. On the big eland, penetration from tail to skin of off shoulder...full length through rumen. On the zebra stallion, both shoulders smashed and a literal blanket of dust came off the back of the zebra. All with the CPS from NF. Both PHs made numerous comments on how much they liked that solid. It also shoots little groups in my 416.
 
Green Chile said:
I will add another option...North Fork cup point solid. The nose rivets and expands slightly. There is an audible slap on game and quite a bit of shock and hydraulic displacement from the nose cavitation. On my .416 Rigby, the shoulder shot on the bull ele physically buckled him and he only went 40 yards on a heart shot. On the big eland, penetration from tail to skin of off shoulder...full length through rumen. On the zebra stallion, both shoulders smashed and a literal blanket of dust came off the back of the zebra. All with the CPS from NF. Both PHs made numerous comments on how much they liked that solid. It also shoots little groups in my 416.
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Kevin Robertson is a big fan of the North Fork cup point solid. He speaks very highly of it.
 
never really heard of a bad solid
 
sureshot375 said:
Honestly I haven’t really heard of many modern solids failing. I have no experience with either of those two. I would shoot whatever shoots best in your rifle.
Click to expand...
If you listen to Kevin Robertson’s podcast on bullets he talks about deformation in federal’s sledgehammer solids. There was an elephant report posted here where they recovered the sledgehammer solid and it was deformed. It would have a bad effect on straight line penetration. It was interesting to see after listening to that podcast. I’ve heard nothing but positive things from PHs about both solids listed though.
 
CEB, Nosler or Woodleigh Hydro. Shoot what your rifle likes best. I don’t have a double but my rifle likes the Hydros.

Not sure if they still do it, but Hendershots was offering ladder loads for regulating double rifles. It’s not exactly cheap for a 470NE but certainly less expensive than missing the shot of a lifetime on an elephant.
 
During the 1970s, I was partial to RWS round nosed steel jacketed FMJ solids (.375 Holland & Holland Magnum)
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In the 1980s, I was partial to Hornady round nosed steel jacketed FMJ solids (Remington factory loads for the .375 Holland & Holland Magnum)
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For many years, my favorite used to be the Federal Premium Cape Shok loaded with the older pattern flat nosed Barnes Banded Solids (until Federal stopped loading them and Barnes started manufacturing their Banded solids exclusively with round noses).
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Currently, my favorite is the Cutting Edge Bullets Safari Solids.
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In my opinion, the Cutting Edge Bullets Safari Solids and the flat nosed Barnes Banded Solids (which are still being manufactured in .474 & .510 caliber) are pretty evenly matched.
 
Last edited:
BeeMaa said:
CEB, Nosler or Woodleigh Hydro. Shoot what your rifle likes best. I don’t have a double but my rifle likes the Hydros.

Not sure if they still do it, but Hendershots was offering ladder loads for regulating double rifles. It’s not exactly cheap for a 470NE but certainly less expensive than missing the shot of a lifetime on an elephant.
Click to expand...
i shot Barnes solids yesterday and get good regulation 1.5 inches at 50 yards but i also have 100 bullets of CEB and was going to try them if the opinion is they are better
 
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