Buffalo with rgw 375 H&H using the Barnes 300 Grain STX

Schuetze

Schuetze

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Cape Buffalo and plains game
Before leaving for Africa last month, I posted a thread on working up a load for this year's buffalo hunt. It was a grain less of Varget powder than last year's load. Thread: https://www.africahunting.com/threads/barnes-375-grain-stx.106051/

The result in Africa was very positive. This was the second buff that I've taken using the Barnes 300 grain STX bullet at 2,460 fps out of a Mauser actioned Remington 798 rifle. Both have been one shot kills.

This year, the bull was looking at me at about 40 yards with his body quartering slightly to his left. The gave a perfect angle to hit both his lungs and heart. When hit, he made a confused circle and then collapsed facing me. His death bellow came almost immediately.

I also used the load for a very good zebra and wildebeest. The bullet went through and through both of those animals and death was almost instantaneous.

The recovered bullet (on the far side against the hide of the bull) was well expanded and believe it or not, didn't appear to shed any weight from its original mass.

375 Barnes 300 gr STX from Buff No 2.JPEG
 
I have loaded some 350 gr Woodleigh foe my hunt next April , I have been told the 350s hit the Buff like a 400 grain out of a 416 --- we will see.
 
I have one of those 300 gr. "Flowers" upstairs. I'll share a pic soon!
 
Started out as a 500 grain .474. It’s the only bullet I’ll use on big tough game if given a choice.
 

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I used the 400 gr TSX on my buff -- never found the bullet, but it took the top of the heart off and he was done in less than 50 yds.
 
I shot two buffalo with 250 gr Barnes TSX 375 H&H. The second buffalo was shot twice but not really necessary as he was almost dead. The fatal bullet retrieved from opposite shoulder weighed 248 gr. Third buffalo was shot with 400 gr Barnes TSX 404J and it ran about thirty yards before tipping over, identical behavior as first buffalo shot with a 375 Barnes bullet at same distance that had 37% less mass before impact. The difference (big difference) was velocity of 250 gr vs 400 gr. The second buffalo shot with 375 was hit running at ~65 meters and third buffalo was shot laying down at 110 meters. Both bullets looked like a peeled banana. Just now weighed the 404 bullet. It lost 0.4 gr after impact. That's 99.9% retention of mass after impact and almost immediate death. The second buffalo did run maybe 100 yards before stoping for second shot. But he was clearly about to fall over. That 250 gr bullet retained 98.4% of its mass after impact. Bullet was not recovered from the first buffalo as the herd continued to harass us and we had no time to do an autopsy. It was shot in the chest with no exit. Both second and third buffalo were quartering away slightly and shot behind the right shoulder.
 
Interesting. I had considered using the 250-grain polymer tipped Hornady CX bullet this last trip. I spent a few weeks off and on between other trips working up a good load for it, but in the end, I didn't get to where I wanted to be accuracy wise with the bullet.

My rifle seems to prefer the heavier bullets, so I stuck with the 300 grain STX bullet again this year, as reported in the first post, with perfect results. I think that I'll just continue on with the Barnes bullet. It is actually quite flat shooting for an occasional long shot if needed.

The zebra, at 120 yards, and wildebeest, at about 80 yards, taken with the load this year were no stretch range wise for the 375 H&H using the load.
 
Last edited:
Ontario Hunter said:
I shot two buffalo with 250 gr Barnes TSX 375 H&H. The second buffalo was shot twice but not really necessary as he was almost dead. The fatal bullet retrieved from opposite shoulder weighed 248 gr. Third buffalo was shot with 400 gr Barnes TSX 404J and it ran about thirty yards before tipping over, identical behavior as first buffalo shot with a 375 Barnes bullet at same distance that had 37% less mass before impact. The difference (big difference) was velocity of 250 gr vs 400 gr. The second buffalo shot with 375 was hit running at ~65 meters and third buffalo was shot laying down at 110 meters. Both bullets looked like a peeled banana. Just now weighed the 404 bullet. It lost 0.4 gr after impact. That's 99.9% retention of mass after impact and almost immediate death. The second buffalo did run maybe 100 yards before stoping for second shot. But he was clearly about to fall over. That 250 gr bullet retained 98.4% of its mass after impact. Bullet was not recovered from the first buffalo as the herd continued to harass us and we had no time to do an autopsy. It was shot in the chest with no exit. Both second and third buffalo were quartering away slightly and shot behind the right shoulder.
Click to expand...
Apologies if I am being pedantic but did you use the 250 grain TTSX with the polymer tip on the buffalo? How did it perform? Presumably the bullet was retained within the animal? I don’t recall the TSX without the tip being produced in that bullet weight. I definitely don’t recall there being an STX!!
 
SRvet said:
Apologies if I am being pedantic but did you use the 250 grain TTSX with the polymer tip on the buffalo? How did it perform? Presumably the bullet was retained within the animal? I don’t recall the TSX without the tip being produced in that bullet weight. I definitely don’t recall there being an STX!!
Click to expand...
Interesting. The two 375 bullets retrieved from second buffalo showed almost no loss of mass. One found in opposite shoulder only lost two grains (99.2% mass retention). I would think the polymer tip on a bullet that size should weigh more than two grains. And I don't recall blue polymer tips on the bullets when I loaded them in the rifle. I'm now wondering if my PH was using custom copper bullets made in South Africa. I know he is using them now in his 458 stopping rifle and he looked into pricing some for my 404J. I just presumed the bullets we used then were Barnes. I'll ask him. Thanks.
 
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