Hydros In Smaller Caliber Rifles

[TOBY458]

After seeing a picture showing an OZ Water Buffalo cleanly taken with a 7x57 using 140gr Hydros, I was wondering have any others here used these bullets in smaller caliber rifles on large game such as Buffalo or Eland? I was thinking it might be good to carry a few along if you were hunting PG in an area that held Buffalo or Hippo, for emergency use. Or for shooting game the size of Eland with smaller calibers.
Any ideas?

 

[edward]

dont know if a 286 gr hydro is considered small.guess it is if your comparing it to a 400 gr or bigger,but i took a cape buff bull with my 9.3x74r at 63 yards with one shot.bull went about 40 yards and gave out two death bellows,ph wanted a 2nd shot to be safe so obliged.

 

[TOBY458]

@264 , can you give us a rundown of how the 7x57 did on your Buffalo bull?

 

[Timbo]

After seeing a picture showing an OZ Water Buffalo cleanly taken with a 7x57 using 140gr Hydros, I was wondering have any others here used these bullets in smaller caliber rifles on large game such as Buffalo or Eland? I was thinking it might be good to carry a few along if you were hunting PG in an area that held Buffalo or Hippo, for emergency use. Or for shooting game the size of Eland with smaller calibers.
Any ideas?

I read an online scientific veterinarian report that published the results of hydros tested in the euthanasia of beached whales in New Zealand and Australia. They used .30cal hydros in a .308 Win, .30/06 Spr and a .300 Win to head shoot beached whales. The hydros proved they all had exceptional straight line penetrative power.

If interested, use the search engine - cetaceans euthanasia - to find it.

 

[TOBY458]

I read an online scientific veterinarian report that published the results of hydros tested in the euthanasia of beached whales in New Zealand and Australia. They used .30cal hydros in a .308 Win, .30/06 Spr and a .300 Win to head shoot beached whales. The hydros proved they all had exceptional straight line penetrative power.

If interested, use the search engine - cetaceans euthanasia - to find it.

I took a look at this. Very interesting. I just wonder how much tissue damage would take place on heart/lung shots with animals like Buffalo and Hippo, or even Elephant.

 

[264]

I carry hydros when using light calibre for game. If the oportunity for a bull comes up I load the hydros, and proceed.
The bull on the weekend, I only had hydros left. Had used up all my 140 PPSN's on pigs.
Walking out I spotted the bull crossing to a floodplain. Cut up high hoping to cut him off. Got lucky as he had pulled up on a small clearing and was feeding.
Got into 60m waited for a angle to the offside shoulder and put a hydro thru him. At the shot he ran about 40m so another hydro thru his chest, a bit higher than the first. Short run, and he was struggling, started to do circles. As I got closer 30m he walked towards me so shot down into his body thru his neck for drop on the spot.

I carry hydros in most cals for opportunities like the above bull.
Recovered a few hydros from 9.3x74 and bull buff.
Have seen good performance on bulls with the 180 hydro and chest shots from a 300wm . Also the 150's out of my 308.

 

[TOBY458]

I carry hydros when using light calibre for game. If the oportunity for a bull comes up I load the hydros, and proceed.
The bull on the weekend, I only had hydros left. Had used up all my 140 PPSN's on pigs.
Walking out I spotted the bull crossing to a floodplain. Cut up high hoping to cut him off. Got lucky as he had pulled up on a small clearing and was feeding.
Got into 60m waited for a angle to the offside shoulder and put a hydro thru him. At the shot he ran about 40m so another hydro thru his chest, a bit higher than the first. Short run, and he was struggling, started to do circles. As I got closer 30m he walked towards me so shot down into his body thru his neck for drop on the spot.

I carry hydros in most cals for opportunities like the above bull.
Recovered a few hydros from 9.3x74 and bull buff.
Have seen good performance on bulls with the 180 hydro and chest shots from a 300wm . Also the 150's out of my 308.

Thanks for the reply! Great info!

 

[CoElkHunter]

120gr. Hydros in a Savage .250-3000 for hunting everything?

 

[264]

They only make them down to 7mm/.284 in a 140gr .Cheers Mick

 

[264]

heres some pics and descriptions of hydro kills.
9.3x74 Chapius UGEX . My turn for a shot and bull coming into a wallow quickly. Set up on a path and took the shot on the trot as he came by. Nearly onto my mates who were infront of him.
recovered 286 gr hydro from bull both shots thru the shoulders at 40m.Second lower and recovered the projectile after breaking a lot of bone. Bull down very quickly. Second probably not required.
First hydro I recovered.

 

[264]

9.3x74 UGEX 2x hydros first at 40m front on entered mid neck exited opposite side rear leg.At the shot bull ran straight towards me and stopped at 15m. Second similar to first but opposite side drop at the shot. Projectile recovered rear leg. Nice bull. lump just visible.

recovered projectile

 

[Rule404]

Took a 900kg Eland at 80m, 180 Hydro 300wm. point of shoulder impact. Smashed near shoulder and weakened the off shoulder enough to cause breakage and collapse within 40m. Despatched with 180 ppsn to chest with projectile lodging in heart. The hydro had caused massive trauma to lung and surround. Proji not recovered, although no exit found. Jeff McDonald assures me that at that range exit was certain. Delayed shot for some time to exclude hitting cows milling around. All other pg taken with mix of 180 ppsn. the higher BC version and the slightly less streamlined 30-06 version, in the 300wm.
A gut feeling was that the 30-06 version did a better job, but not totally convinced. 10 one shot kills against a hand full of follow ups, over two Namib trips. Other hunters had to borrow my gear, so unsure of shot placement on a couple of theirs and a couple of less well placed ones on my behalf..
will be trying the hydros on water buff at some stage.

 

[edward]

@264 , can you give us a rundown of how the 7x57 did on your Buffalo bull?

you need to read my answer above.

dont know if a 286 gr hydro is considered small.guess it is if your comparing it to a 400 gr or bigger,but i took a cape buff bull with my 9.3x74r at 63 yards with one shot.bull went about 40 yards and gave out two death bellows,ph wanted a 2nd shot to be safe so obliged.

forgot to add,complete pass through on both shots.

 

[Timbo]

I took a look at this. Very interesting. I just wonder how much tissue damage would take place on heart/lung shots with animals like Buffalo and Hippo, or even Elephant.

I can't say as I've got no first hand experience in using them. But I can only suggest you talk to Geoff at Woodleighs as they're his company's projectiles and he'd have all the gen.

 

[264]

Young bull 308 fieldcraft 45m angling into chest exit front of neck down in 20m, 150 hydro.

308 150 hydro 40m drop on spot thru the neck exited

Young bull 308 150 hydro 20m both shoulders exited, second shot at 6m.Drop on second shot bit close!

fieldcraft and first run with hydros 150 with the new protective tip young bull 60m , ran 70 second whilst he was about to fall over. 2x young bulls, other 2x 250gr 338WM took longer to drop with similar shot placement.

entry hole visible exit opposite side.

 

[BeeMaa]

@264
It's clear you have experience with Buff of all size.
If given the choice of a Hydro or a PPSN...what would it be?

 

[264]

Beemaa, I run woodleighs in larger cals, 450-400 400's RNSP and 404 400's RNSP. 577 2 3/4 650 RNSP. For 90% of my buff hunting woodleighs RNSP does the job just fine
Also carry hydros for bad angle shots, in the 40 cals.
Cost and over penetration are the only considerations I have with the hydro's.
I carry the hydros in smaller calibre, just for the occasional opportune buff. Guaranteed deep penetration and decent wound channel with quick kills. Also exercise a lot more caution with smaller calibre.

 

[Timbo]

Beemaa, I run woodleighs in larger cals, 450-400 400's RNSP and 404 400's RNSP. 577 2 3/4 650 RNSP. For 90% of my buff hunting woodleighs RNSP does the job just fine
Also carry hydros for bad angle shots, in the 40 cals.
Cost and over penetration are the only considerations I have with the hydro's.
I carry the hydros in smaller calibre, just for the occasional opportune buff. Guaranteed deep penetration and decent wound channel with quick kills. Also exercise a lot more caution with smaller calibre.

I totally agree!! Woodleighs are a great game projectile. I've taken over half a dozen African DG (so far), from a hippo on the run at 120yds down to a quatering on cape buff at 35. Their 500gr RNSN, atop 72gr of AR2206H, just flattens game!! I run Woodies out of my 9.3x62 (286gr RNSN) and my .30/06 (180gr PSPs): my daughter taking her NT water buff with my .30/06.

 

[Timbo]

Some of those recovered hydros look as if they could be reloaded.

 

[GeoffB]

A little bit off topic as I have not used the smaller caliber hydro's. But what I do know is that if you push the big Woodleigh Hydro's hard they can travel a long way through an animal.
Below is a young Buff I shot for meat with a 400gr Hydo bullet from a .416 Weatherby mag at 2730fps.
This was the second shot as the bull turned to run after my first soft point bullet hit him on the opposite shoulder. I had some Hydo's in the magazine ready for the second and third shot if needed.
He dropped on the spot as the second shot, a 400gr Hydro raced through his body.
It completely penetrated the entire length of the buff's body, exited through his neck and then ironically went through his ear and kept going off into the scrub.
I would not have believed it if I had not seen it for myself. This is the only one I ever shot from the south end of a north bound buffalo with a Hydro. I never recoverd any other Hydro's as they all passed through on side on and angling shots as well.