Absolutely not .
@Red Leg Sir is 100 %
correct . Let me use my own personal experiences as a retired professional shikaree ... As a reference .
For the purposes of this discussion ... I shall be using the word " Solids " to refer to .375 Holland & Holland magnum calibre 300 grain Winchester brand solid metal covered bullets . I shall be using the word " Soft Points " to refer to .375 Holland & Holland magnum calibre 300 grain Winchester Silver Tip soft point bullets . We did not have any monolithic solid bullets , during our time .
You use solid non expanding bullets for shooting small game ( Such as mouse deer or 4 horned buck ) ... Without needing to worry about excessive meat damage ( As would typically be caused by bullet expansion in such petite animals ) . They are also vital for shooting elephants or rhinoceroses .
On everything else ... a premium quality soft point bullet with a controlled rate of expansion is best . Take our Indian gaur bison , or it's African cousin ... The cape buffalo for instance . A .375 Holland & Holland magnum calibre 300 grain solid metal covered bullet makes for too minute a hole ... In the heart or lungs of a gaur bison . A gaur bison shot through the heart with a 300 grain non expanding bullet ... Can still remain very much a threat , for up to 18 minutes . A double lung shot with such a bullet is even worse . My longest tracking job on a client's wounded gaur bison ( which had been shot through both the lungs , by a 300 grain .375 Holland & Holland magnum calibre Winchester solid metal covered bullet ) was 14 hours . Back in our time ... The ideal method to quickly dispatch a gaur bison with a .375 Holland & Holland magnum calibre rifle , was to take a double lung shot at it from a perfectly broad side position ... By using a 300 grain Winchester Silver Tip soft point cartridge . The soft point bullet would properly open up inside both of the brute's lungs and it would go no more than 75 yards .... Coughing blood from it's nose and mouth , before expiring . Today , a modern semi soft point bullet ( With a controlled rate of expansion ) would be ideal ... Because it would allow the operator to take shots at the animal from ANY angle . Such bullets include the Swift A Frame or the Trophy Bonded Bear Claw soft point bullets ( Among countless others ) .
Remember that if you intend to dispatch your game animal quickly via body shots... Then , your objective is to use projectiles which guarantee the largest possible would channels . When using non expanding bullets ... The only way to get a larger wound channel , is to step up in terms of calibre . So , a 500 grain Hornady solid metal covered bullet fired from a .458 Winchester magnum calibre rifle creates a far larger wound channel in a gaur bison's heart than a .375 Holland & Holland magnum calibre 300 grain solid metal covered bullet . A gaur bison shot through the heart with a 500 grain non expanding .458 calibre bullet ... Shall succumb to it's injuries far quicker than a gaur bison shot in the same region ... By a 300 grain .375 calibre bullet .
In my entire career ... I have only seen 1 rifle which was capable of breaking both the shoulders of a gaur bison , with only 1 shot. It was a .476 Westley Richards calibre double barreled side by side rifle , loaded with 520 grain ICI Kynoch solid metal covered bullets . It was quite an intense sight to witness . My client's 1st and only shot not only broke both the shoulders of the gaur bison ... But it also punched a sizeable hole right through the brute's heart . The gaur bison just gave up ... Then and there .
When using solid bullets on gaur / Cape buffalo ... You are also endangering the other animals right behind the gaur / Cape buffalo which you are shooting at . There will always remain a risk of the bullet passing completely through your intended game animal ( Without significantly rupturing their vital organs ) and hitting another animal behind them .
To summarize ... The only appropriate circumstances for using solid bullets for gaur bison / Cape buffalo , is :
> When you are using at least a 500 grain bullet of .458 bore .
> When you are hunting a solitary animal ... Which does not have any other herd members around it .
