Recent experience with Safari Trophy Bonded Sledgehammer Solids

[Hunting Hitman]

Does anyone have recent experience with this bullet on Elephant? I understand that the original version of this bullet had some bending/warping and at some point in the past a design change occurred to the current version.
I have used the Safari Trophy Bonded Bear Claw in 458 Lott with great results but not the solid. Any direct insight would be appreciated.

HH

 

[Hunter-Habib]

I shot (or rather attempted to shoot) one hippopotamus bull on land with a 300Gr Federal Premium Trophy Bonded Sledgehammer Solid from a .375 Holland & Holland Magnum in 2015. The bullet bent very, very badly. It was a frontal body shot. The bullet did not manage to reach the vital organs and the bull would have made it into the water if my white hunter hadn't opted to step in, right in the nick of time. He fired one end-on-end body shot that stopped the bull right in his tracks.

He was armed with a Rizzini Rhino Express boxlock ejector in .500 Nitro Express. The rifle was loaded with the (now unfortunately discontinued) Federal Premium Cape Shok Barnes Banded solids (flat nosed). The Barnes banded solid pierced clean through the heart like butter and almost went completely through & through out of the animal.

My late friend, Dave Bourban took a photograph of the recovered Trophy Bonded Sledgehammer Solid bullet (or rather, what it had become). I'll try to ask his son, Lester if he still has a photograph of said bullet so that I can post it here for your perusal.

Now, it's entirely possible that Federal decided to improve the construction & structural integrity of their Trophy Bonded Sledgehammer Solid bullets after 2015. But based upon what I've experienced, I would definitely NOT recommend this bullet for frontal brain shots on big bull elephants.

 

[JHT]

Does anyone have recent experience with this bullet on Elephant?

A good friend of mine recently shot an 80 pounder in Botswana with one in .470 and experienced perfect performance. Please PM me for contact information if interested.

 

[Luvthunt]

Used Sledgehammers during a 2001 Cape Buff hunt. Shot two and both animals took two follow up shots before ending. Did not recover any of the bullets as were complete pass thrus. 458 Lott at. 2250fps.
Read that Federal made changes after that.