Premium bullets needed for PG?

[Joker12]

So far the Interlocks have dropped everything that I have taken in NA. I’m not debating whether the premium line of bullets are superior, but against PG are they absolutely needed like DG

They are some extra insurance but not absolutely needed. Several years ago a friend of mine called me one morning to ask for some help with ammo to take to SA. He was leaving the next day and the premium stuff that he had bought wouldn't group any better than 4" in the rifle he wanted to use. I called off of work for the day and due to the lack of time took some of what shot vert well in my rifle (an '06 ) to his place just to give it a try. It was a handloads using IMR4831 and Hornady 180gr interlocks. His 4" rifle immediately turned into a 3/4" rifle with that load so I put together 80 rounds which he took to Africa. With it he and his lady friend took 14 animals with no problems. They included zebra, gemsbok, kudu and many others of similar size. The "soft" bullets did their job and not one bounced off. I'm not knocking premium bullets but just saying they are not absolutely required.

 

[dogcat1]

In a word - no. Accuracy is far more important.
I use triple shocks on everything with no issues.

 

[375Ruger416]

Good to know. Thank you!

The RUM is coming out for a warm up prior to Sonora…

View attachment 641172

Very nice…

 

[StevenQ718]

Muzzle velocity at home was 2876 fps; likely slightly faster with the suppressor I use - maybe 20-30 fps. At 80-120 yds, penetration and expansion was excellent. In fact, they expanded and deformed, in some cases losing petals more than I expected.

I kept shooting as long as the animal was on its feet or until the PH told me to stop. Gemsbok - 1st shot through lungs, 2nd shot through L pelvis as he was running away. He was down in about 50 yds but needed a finishing shot. That is the severely deformed bullet on the L which passed through and struck the ground. I watched the skinning and the lungs were severely contused - they had been struck right through the middle of both.

The blue wildebeest took a single frontal chest shot at about 100 yds and did not go far/died quickly. The kudu took one broadside shot through the shoulder at 120 yd (broke the offside humerus) and died quickly. The eland reacted as though hit hard to the broadside shot at about 120 yds. However, I kept firing until he was down at the instructions of my PH which we had discussed prior to the shot. The first shot passed completely through the vitals and was tenting the skin on the offside. He was hit hard and I don’t think he would have gone far but I placed two steeply quartering away shots on his L side one penetrated into the vitals and the other into the rumen.

The blesbok died to a single shot through the vitals.

The expansion and exit wound on the baboon was impressive - taking him under the R nipple and exiting his back on the L.

My impression is that these LRX bullets do in fact expand more rapidly than the TSX; at least in my limited experience.

Thanks for the report! I plan to use it for an upcoming elk hunt.

 

[Luvthunt]

Back in the day Partitions were THE premium bullet worked for me then and still use them on PG or light skinned animals. For me only the big bear in the North American cont rates hvy construction.

 

[mark-hunter]

I’ve been wondering if a premium soft bullet like A frame, Northfork SS has a significant advantage over other SS. Now this is with respect to all PG big and small and not to be mixed up with DG

There is no any scientific proof of guaranteed terminal effect with one type of bullet vs another.

The question is, if you loose an animal or two due to wounding what will be the cost of your doubts?

Good plains game hunt in South Africa and Namiba will be in average 10K, and can go double with premium animals if hunted.
On a safari, you will spend a box of ammo, and for higher volume of plains game hunt - 2 boxes ammo.
Count the difference in price of two boxes of premium ammo against two boxes of classic bullets.
That difference is insignificant compared to overall cost of safari, and your eventual regrets, and later repeatability of similar hunt.
Next hunt will be next year, or in 5 years, or who knows when. In Africa you have limited time on the ground and limited time for correcting the errors of the way. SO, once hunting, you have to be maximally efficient.

There are a lot of variables on safari, and some things can go wrong unpredictably, and some things you cannot control, but my view is to have maximum out of all the variables that I can control. For me this also means high quality ammo: partition, bonded, or monolithic.

I have never lost an animal in Africa due to wounding (I hunted with premium bullets - last two safaris, and classic soft points - my first two safaris)
But being present in the camp during my 4 safaris, I have seen wounded and lost animals by other hunters in the group.
I can not say was it due to poor shot placement, or due to classic soft point bullet fragmenting on high impact speeds. But all of them used classic soft points in 300 win mag on large antelopes and zebra, and up to leopard. (imagine now the total value lost).

Some of those people were first time african hunters. This is not a good memory to take home after first hunt in africa. How much that costs, besides the trophy fee?

 

[375Fox]

There is no any scientific proof of guaranteed terminal effect with one type of bullet vs another.

The question is, if you loose an animal or two due to wounding what will be the cost of your doubts?

Good plains game hunt in South Africa and Namiba will be in average 10K, and can go double with premium animals if hunted.
On a safari, you will spend a box of ammo, and for higher volume of plains game hunt - 2 boxes ammo.
Count the difference in price of two boxes of premium ammo against two boxes of classic bullets.
That difference is insignificant compared to overall cost of safari, and your eventual regrets, and later repeatability of similar hunt.
Next hunt will be next year, or in 5 years, or who knows when. In Africa you have limited time on the ground and limited time for correcting the errors of the way. SO, once hunting, you have to be maximally efficient.

There are a lot of variables on safari, and some things can go wrong unpredictably, and some things you cannot control, but my view is to have maximum out of all the variables that I can control. For me this also means high quality ammo: partition, bonded, or monolithic.

I have never lost an animal in Africa due to wounding (I hunted with premium bullets - last two safaris, and classic soft points - my first two safaris)
But being present in the camp during my 4 safaris, I have seen wounded and lost animals by other hunters in the group.
I can not say was it due to poor shot placement, or due to classic soft point bullet fragmenting on high impact speeds. But all of them used classic soft points in 300 win mag on large antelopes and zebra, and up to leopard. (imagine now the total value lost).

Some of those people were first time african hunters. This is not a good memory to take home after first hunt in africa. How much that costs, besides the trophy fee?

There is really a lot of evidence. Recovered bullets show premium bonded bullets give repeatable performance maybe 90% of time and acceptable performance 99% of time. Recovered bullets show classic non-bonded soft points repeatable performance maybe 50% of time and acceptable performance maybe 90% of time. Lots of examples of fragmentation, separated cores, and failure to penetrate. As the size of animal goes up and higher velocity of cartridge, the more documented failures there are with non-bonded bullets. I agree with you though the added cost for premium bullets is minimal, so no reason to have that question in the back of your mind if the bullets did their job properly.

 

[mark-hunter]

There is really a lot of evidence. Recovered bullets show premium bonded bullets give repeatable performance maybe 90% of time and acceptable performance 99% of time. Recovered bullets show classic non-bonded soft points repeatable performance maybe 50% of time and acceptable performance maybe 90% of time.

Lets say, fragmented bullet delivers 100% of energy, premium bullet keeps mass, and makes exit wound. So, which one is better?
These things will always be debatable. There is always theory that bullet placement is most important, and everything else is less important, etc...
I am not saying which theory is better, I am just saying there is endless debate on these matters without final conclusion.

But generally speaking, for heavier game, tougher animals, difficult quartering shots, field positions, etc, my personal choice would be premium bullet.
So, debate aside, we are in agreement.

 

[375Fox]

Lets say, fragmented bullet delivers 100% of energy, premium bullet keeps mass, and makes exit wound. So, which one is better?
These things will always be debatable. There is always theory that bullet placement is most important, and everything else is less important, etc...
I am not saying which theory is better, I am just saying there is endless debate on these matters without final conclusion.

But generally speaking, for heavier game, tougher animals, difficult quartering shots, field positions, etc, my personal choice would be premium bullet.
So, debate aside, we are in agreement.

The bullet that gives predictable performance through vitals is better. Shot placement doesn’t matter to me if the bullet doesn’t reach the vitals because it broke up. The Nosler partion creation story is a good example and the first step towards premium bullets where the core could give predictable performance. Like you said though it’s a never ending debate. I think the recovered bullet performance and wounding ratios on good shots is the final say though.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

I’ve been wondering if a premium soft bullet like A frame, Northfork SS has a significant advantage over other SS. Now this is with respect to all PG big and small and not to be mixed up with DG

This kind of depends on what you mean by "significant advantage." African animals were killed with standard soft point bullets before the improvements of bonded core bullets. The thing is, the number of wounded and lost animals decreases with the use of premium bullets. Now the question you need to ask yourself is if you are willing to run the risk of losing even one animal due to a factor that you can control.