Getting gored to death by a maddened bovine is one of the most gruesome manners of getting killed .
In 1978 , we lost Forest Ranger Abu Sayeed ( a dear friend of mine ) to a huge Gaur , which wandered into Bangladesh from India . It was goring local villagers indiscriminately and was responsible for four deaths .
Abu used to own a Sako bolt action rifle in .375 Holland & Holland Magnum . He loaded the magazine with Winchester Western 300 grain full metal jacket solids and went off to respond to the emergency distress call . He shoot the animal four times . Two were broadside heart shots and two were frontal heart shots , when the Gaur charged him . The Gaur eviscerated Abu with it’s horns . Abu Sayeed was an extremely strong man . He managed to cling to life for two days .
Later , the other Forest Rangers were finally able to shoot the Gaur to death . An autopsy revealed that not even one of Abu’s bullets ( despite being perfectly placed ) had penetrated into the heart of the Gaur . The 300 grain “ solids “ had their jackets split open and had mushroomed like soft nosed bullets . They had tumbled and broken upon striking the chest muscles and shoulder bones of the 1360 kilogram Gaur .
Days later , I was actually able to examine the boxes of ammunition which Abu had been using . They were Winchester Western 300 grain flat top full metal jacket solid factory loads . The bullet looked exactly like a semi spitzer soft nosed bullet , but the top was flat nosed and closed in metal . Taking a magnet to the bullets , I realized that Winchester was not using steel in the jackets of their so called “ solids “ . It was really unfortunate that the poor man lost his life in the line of duty , simply because of a flaw in Winchester’s “ solid “ design .
For Gaur , that is why I have always personally favored the .458 Winchester Magnum and 500 grain steel jacketed Hornady solids .
