Oryx 285 and cow buffalo

[Desperatezulu]

Personally I'd be happy to use the Oryx's as they are phenomenally accurate in my 9.3. Sure an A-Frame would be tougher and arguably better but if you can't get any then I'd use the Oryx with high confidence.

TSX > AF, should you need to discourage a bull. My $.02.

This assertion is highly dependent on the bullet mass and velocity, especially so in the 9.3 which is not a speed merchant. TSX's need a degree of speed to work well. For my money A-Frame>TSX in a 9.3

 

[shootist~]

With a mid bore at 2,300 fps, I would choose the one most likely to penetrate best if a scull shot (especially on a bull) is a consideration. Again, just my $.02.

Not meaning to be a cop-out, but I would listen to your PH.
TSX > AF, should you need to discourage a bull. My $.02.

 

[IvW]

Oryx is not a buffalo bullet.....leopard yes buff no....

 

[Dewald]

I’ve been on a buffalo hunt where a 300gr Oryx from a .375 failed to penetrate on a shoulder shot, as well as on a follow up where the hunter shot it at 25m below the left eye. We recovered that bullet from the facial bones later, in line with the brain, but not reaching. MV was 2300fps.

Just to give context, we were hunting plainsgame, and then realised there was a buffalo bull with a broken hind leg, hence the reason Marc didn’t have other ammo.

Lesson learnt, when hunting in buffalo country have the correct ammunition to deal with a worst case scenario, ie a charge from a bull, presenting a suboptimal shot.

Norma Oryx is not the right bullet for buffalo. In the 9,3 I would go with A-frames or Woodleigh.

 

[Warren Knudsen]

I would go for the Aframe, as you're chasing buffalo, the oryx would be fine for heavy plains game but Buffalo, even cow is in the heavy skinned game. I am in a similar position with a plans game hunt next year in Botswana, where I will be after Eland ,kudu oryx, I have been considering the 286g Oryx also, and will most likely use them, but have 300g Aframes on hand also.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Nothing wrong with the oryx, my preference is Woodleighs but hard to find at the moment and obviously A-frames are also a great choice.

@Aussie_Hunter
A Frames are bloody hard to find in Australia in any caliber and when you do find them they are 2 to 3 times the price of Woodleigh.
Bob

 

[Aussie_Hunter]

@Aussie_Hunter
A Frames are bloody hard to find in Australia in any caliber and when you do find them they are 2 to 3 times the price of Woodleigh.
Bob

Don't I know it, I'm nearly out of 165 grain Woodleighs for my 30-06 so I bought 100 A-frames 165 grainers, can't remember exactly what they cost me but I remember it was atleast 3 times the cost of Woodleighs

 

[sgt_zim]

I would go for the Aframe, as you're chasing buffalo, the oryx would be fine for heavy plains game but Buffalo, even cow is in the heavy skinned game. I am in a similar position with a plans game hunt next year in Botswana, where I will be after Eland ,kudu oryx, I have been considering the 286g Oryx also, and will most likely use them, but have 300g Aframes on hand also.

Any thoughts on North Forks? Just curious.

 

[sgt_zim]

I’ve been on a buffalo hunt where a 300gr Oryx from a .375 failed to penetrate on a shoulder shot, as well as on a follow up where the hunter shot it at 25m below the left eye. We recovered that bullet from the facial bones later, in line with the brain, but not reaching. MV was 2300fps.

Just to give context, we were hunting plainsgame, and then realised there was a buffalo bull with a broken hind leg, hence the reason Marc didn’t have other ammo.

Lesson learnt, when hunting in buffalo country have the correct ammunition to deal with a worst case scenario, ie a charge from a bull, presenting a suboptimal shot.

Norma Oryx is not the right bullet for buffalo. In the 9,3 I would go with A-frames or Woodleigh.

That's what I was looking for. Thank you. Do you have an opinion on North Fork? I have 286 gr SAF, but if I'm going to buy a couple more boxes of not-Norma, just looking at options.

 

[Warren Knudsen]

Any thoughts on North Forks? Just curious.

I believe they are very good, I have no personal experience with them, I have an article that I'll try to attach that tests a whole bunch of 9.3 profiles.

 

[IvW]

Any thoughts on North Forks? Just curious.

Excellent...

 

[Warren Knudsen]

I believe they are very good, I have no personal experience with them, I have an article that I'll try to attach that tests a whole bunch of 9.3 profiles.

 

[Dewald]

That's what I was looking for. Thank you. Do you have an opinion on North Fork? I have 286 gr SAF, but if I'm going to buy a couple more boxes of not-Norma, just looking at options.

I Think North Fork or any solid shank design is good for buffalo. This includes Safari Bullet Co, and Rhino, if the QC is up to standard for the latter.

 

[Andrew62]

Oryx is a wonderful bullet and would do perfectly fine on cow buffalo.

 

[SFRanger7GP]

I mostly shoot factory Norma 285gr Oryx in my Merkel 9.3x74R. I have shot most plains game and a lot of whitetail and pigs with that ammo. The only bullets I recovered was in a gemsbok and a kudu. They had expanded beautifully and just lost a grain or so of weight. I have shot a couple blue wildebeest and an eland using Federal factory with the 286gr Barnes TSX. All of the Barnes bullets exited, and animals did not go more than a few steps.

Safe hunting

 

[Wildcatter]

After seeing a failure of TSX to penetrate the heart of a huge bull and stop in less than 18”, there is no other currently produced bullet other than Swift A-frames for shot number one on Cape buffalo for me. The Oryx bullet is very similar to a Woodleigh, a little on the soft side for buffalo at any angle.

 

[shootist~]

After seeing a failure of TSX to penetrate the heart of a huge bull and stop in less than 18”, there is no other currently produced bullet other than Swift A-frames for shot number one on Cape buffalo for me. The Oryx bullet is very similar to a Woodleigh, a little on the soft side for buffalo at any angle.

What were the details on the TSX failure?
Caliber, bullet weight, velocity...did it hit a tree first or something along those lines? Broadside, frontal, etc.,?

 

[Wildcatter]

Shootist~

Here are all the details:

Big Game in 9.3 questions

For the guys who have used the 9.3 in Africa, shooting 286 bullets with Big Game powder. Have you guys had any issues at all with higher temps and powder sensitivity? While I am not at the level that John Barsness went to, I also do not want to push my luck. I also worked up my load in...

www.africahunting.com

 

[shootist~]

@Wildcatter
Wow. Hard to argue with your results.

 

[Hyde Hunter]

make it easy and call Steve at Hammer Bullets and talk to him about their 258 grain Shock Hammer great bullets and always in stock