Barnes X vs Solids

[Yaryan]

I'm new to the magnum gun club, but I've recently acquired a .416 Rigby that I'll be using for cape buffalo this year. I've been a huge Barnes X fan since forever and will be loading them up for the .416 as well. From what I've read X bullets tend to exit in large animals and in my own experience I have found very few bullets in animals. Knowing they tend to exit, do I need to use solids too? I'm sure this is a silly question, just figured there are a lot of PH's and experienced dangerous game hunters in here. Thanks in advance!

 

[NIGHTHAWK]

I've recovered them (.375H&H - 300 & 350 Grain) from Giraffe, Hippo, Buff, Croc, and Sable... If that helps?

 

[One Day...]

The modern conventional wisdom on Buffalo, Yaryan, is that modern solids will almost certainly pass through and you run the risk of wounding/killing a second animal standing behind your intended target. Most PH prohibit solids for Buffalo these days.

As to the TSX, I personally consider it as an "expanding solid", which is supported by its construction and behavior: it is a monolithic solid piece of metal that penetrates endlessly, and its front expands in 4 petals to almost double caliber, combining the best of both worlds. Even with the TSX, one needs to be careful of pass-though in Buffalo when a broadside double lung / heart shot is taken.

I do not use solids anymore on Buffalo, and I am actually also quite confident that the TSX is a better option than the solid for elephant or hippo broadside double lung / heart shot. In addition, and this does create controversy but it is what it is, there is reliable feedback from professional culling of elephant using frontal brain shots done entirely satisfactorily with TSX. This does not surprise me, although - again - some see it as a heresy...

 

[Flipper Dude]

I load TSX only when hunting buffalo.

 

[375Fox]

It’s really a question for the specific PH you’ll be hunting with, but most say premium softs (Barnes, TBBC, swift) are all you need. Some still prefer solids in magazine though based on their experience.

 

[Firebird]

Are you referring to the original Barnes X bullet or the modern/updated version, the TSX?
Either way the above comments seem spot on and I agree that you should have this conversation with your specific ph. Good luck, hope to see pictures sometime soon

 

[roklok]

Agree, talk to your specific PH. Mine still prefers a magazine full of solids with a soft in the pipe for buffalo, even with a TSX. However, he does not mandate it, and agrees that modern expanding bullets such as the A Frame and TSX make solids less crucial. In my buffalo hunt last month I put an A Frame right where it needed to go with first shot, but then couldn't deliver any more hits because the CEB Safari Solids I had in magazine would have definitely passed through and there were a lot of buffalo behind the bull. So it is a trade off. Had I made a marginal or bad shot I could have more safely delivered follow-up shots with more A Frames. Thankfully follow up shots were not needed.

 

[revturbo9967]

It’s really a question for the specific PH you’ll be hunting with, but most say premium softs (Barnes, TBBC, swift) are all you need. Some still prefer solids in magazine though based on their experience.

I honestly think the premium expanding bullets can do enough damage on follow up shots on buff. I’m no expert but I think the penetration on these bullets are pretty good .

 

[Riflecrank]

A TSX that breaks a heavy shoulder bone (humerus) and then plows through the heart will not likely exit a cape buffalo,
even if it is a .510-caliber/570-gr TSX at 2400-2500 fps MV impacting at 25 to 50 yards, hopefully no closer.
The closer you are, the greater the impact speed and the wider the expanded TSX will be and the greater will be the resistance of the impact medium (cape buffalo) and the lesser the penetration.
The brass FN solid of same weight and MV will pass through from tail to nose on a fleeing cape buffalo and exit.
I like the idea of two TSX bullets followed by two FN solids at the bottom of the magazine,
and make sure they all feed well in any order of arrangement in your rifle chamber and magazine.
One shot, meat!
Two shot, maybe!
Three shot, heap big dung !
Need solids for dung cleanup in the shooting lane,
and hopefully garments of you and PH will stay unsoiled.

 

[Rare Breed]

I'm new to the magnum gun club, but I've recently acquired a .416 Rigby that I'll be using for cape buffalo this year. I've been a huge Barnes X fan since forever and will be loading them up for the .416 as well. From what I've read X bullets tend to exit in large animals and in my own experience I have found very few bullets in animals. Knowing they tend to exit, do I need to use solids too? I'm sure this is a silly question, just figured there are a lot of PH's and experienced dangerous game hunters in here. Thanks in advance!

Solids for elephants and rhino period in my opinion.

 

[375Fox]

Solids for elephants and rhino period in my opinion.

Very good point. I automatically assumed Buffalo when I read the question. I assumed use of solids was universal on elephant.