Rank the Solids

[Russ16]

I'm on the precipice of obtaining my first double rifle, and getting serious about booking an elephant hunt in 2027 or 2028. That means I'm also getting serious about picking a good solid. Some of them can be hard to come by so I plan to try to stock up as soon as I can. Below are the varieties I've most commonly seen, I'd like opinions on them and any others I may have left out.

1. Swift Break Away (see very few reviews)
2. Hornady DGS (one of the more readily available)
3. North Fork (both cup point and flat point)
4. Barnes
5. Woodleigh (scarce from my research)
6. Others?

 

[Flipper Dude]

CEB BBW #13.

Done. You are welcome

 

[Flipper Dude]

Seriously, look up the extensive data compiled by @michael458 on solid performance. Very well put together

 

[K-man]

My P H swears by trophy bonded sledgehammers. I don’t shoot enough solids to have any real opinions except I don’t care for hornady dgs. See attached picture

not what I call good performance from a solid.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

My personal favorites are the :

Monometal Construction
Northfork flat point solids
Cutting Edge Bullets Safari Solids
DZOMBO Mark 6
Flat nosed Barnes Banded Solid (available only in .410, 474, .510, .585 & .620 calibers)

Lead Cored Construction
Wim Degol Vor Mantel
Trophy Bonded Sledgehammer (available only in .375, .416, .458 & .474 calibers)

Hornady Dangerous Game Solids are my least favorite. The steel jackets are not sturdy enough to properly resist distortion when striking heavy bone. This has been proven time & again in the last few years.

Swift Break Away Solids are excellent but practically ALWAYS listed by Swift as “Unavailable”.

Woodleigh round nosed steel jacketed FMJ solids are also magnificent, but (as per Woodleigh’s website) haven’t been produced since the 2021 fire at the Woodleigh factory.

 

[eyedok]

Killed 2 bulls in last year w CEB solids, one from a .450-400 and the other .404 Jeffery, they worked perfectly and i have never had any issues getting more, have always been in stock, and i have ordered many times over the last few years

 

[coyote wacker]

You can waste your money take your chances or just shoot the best solids made Cutting Edge Bullets BBW #13 !

Cutting Edge Bullets

Solid copper, lathe turned projectiles for hunting, match shooting, and home defense. CNC Swiss style lathes make these bullets extremely accurate.

cuttingedgebullets.com

 

[Rare Breed]

I'm on the precipice of obtaining my first double rifle, and getting serious about booking an elephant hunt in 2027 or 2028. That means I'm also getting serious about picking a good solid. Some of them can be hard to come by so I plan to try to stock up as soon as I can. Below are the varieties I've most commonly seen, I'd like opinions on them and any others I may have left out.

1. Swift Break Away (see very few reviews)
2. Hornady DGS (one of the more readily available)
3. North Fork (both cup point and flat point)
4. Barnes
5. Woodleigh (scarce from my research)
6. Others?

I use CEBs (Cutting Edge Bullets). I have pretty much used them all and these are the ones that perform best for me

 

[steve white]

Cart before the horse....your new to you double may have limits concerning, A. what it was regulated with, B. whether or not it can stand mono metal solids. You may have to choose a modern weapon that will shoot monos, or get someone like JJ Perodeax to re-regulate it, or both. All part of the adventure! Good luck.

 

[264]

Woodleigh hydro's.....

 

[meigsbucks]

My only experience with solids was insurance shots on a buffalo from a .416 Ruger. It was the later RN design. The buff was laying on it’s side and it went thru the spine, out the chest and lodged in a leg. If I take the .416 back, I’d like to try the CEB solids.
I have a small stockpile of Barnes FN solids in .375 and .458 that I’d use if using those calibers.

 

[Russ16]

Cart before the horse....your new to you double may have limits concerning, A. what it was regulated with, B. whether or not it can stand mono metal solids. You may have to choose a modern weapon that will shoot monos, or get someone like JJ Perodeax to re-regulate it, or both. All part of the adventure! Good luck.

It’s a modern gun being bought from a member here.

Obviously I’ll test bullets to make sure they regulate and meet accuracy standards. But I’d like to start that process with the most well regarded bullets.

 

[Green Chile]

I use CEBs (Cutting Edge Bullets). I have pretty much used them all and these are the ones that perform best for me

I'm going to do more work with CEB as well. I'm working on a 180 or 200 gr load for 300 PRC in both solid and expanding. I also want to load some of my 370 gr .416 Raptors to use on some buff this season.

 

[Safari Dave]

Much could depend on what was used to regulate your DR.

If you are going to be loading your own, then choose a good bullet and work up a load that shoots well.






If the DR is regulated with Hornady Dangerous Game factory loads, then you might have to do a fair amounting of shooting to find something that shoots well other than DGS's.

(or not, you just really never know until you go to the range)

 

[deewayne2003]

Woodleigh hydro's.....

That’s my pick, this one(.470ne) went through a 3” tree limb, elephants front shoulder, ribs, heart, broke rib on the opposite side and lodged under the hide.

FYI the cut in the tip is from where an axe found it while butchering.

 

[375Fox]

I don’t think you are going to find anyone other than elephant PHs with enough experience to recommend one over the other. Lead core FMJ solids are easier on barrels than monolithic solids, but they also have a higher likelihood of bending. On the This is Africa podcast Buzz Charlton said all modern solids are good bullets. You can also listen to Kevin Robertson’s choices on The big game hunting podcast. He recommended some over others. I personally wouldn’t use a woodleigh hydro or a North Fork cup point solid on an elephant bull because it’s designed to deform. Not ideal for a brain shot. Here are the solids I’ve used. Two 550 gr woodleigh FMJ solids from elephant bull body shot. A 458 Nosler solid and 375 woodleigh hydro from a buffalo bull.

 

[375Fox]

My P H swears by trophy bonded sledgehammers. I don’t shoot enough solids to have any real opinions except I don’t care for hornady dgs. See attached pictureView attachment 733687View attachment 733688not what I call good performance from a solid.

What year were these from? I’m not a hornady fan, but I’ve heard nothing but good things about their DGS solid recently.

 

[BryceM]

I don’t have experience with too many, but I used a 400 gr Barnes Flat nose solid in .416 on a bull elephant with appropriate effect. Since Barnes went to the round nose profile, I’m planning on using CEB solids when I run out. For me, they’re just down the road and it looks like they make a nice product.

 

[Green Chile]

What year were these from? I’m not a hornady fan, but I’ve heard nothing but good things about their DGS solid recently.

Agreed. This is old news recycled too many times.

 

[SStomcat]

I’ve never personally hunted elephant, but I do know someone who has taken close to 100—possibly more—including cows. He’s a former attorney who now works at Gordy’s largely because he enjoys it, not because he has to, and his experience is very much the real-world kind.

His advice is refreshingly simple: with modern solids in an adequate dangerous-game caliber, a big bull will be flattened just the same. Put it where it belongs and the elephant certainly won’t know the difference.

So shoot the one you shoot best. If you handload, even better—choose from the many good options that are plentiful and readily available. Don’t overthink it. Spend the effort instead on the target, your load, reloading practice, long walks, and getting fit… assuming you aren’t already.