Posted on 05/09/2019 5:04:20 AM PDT by w1n1
African safari hunter on having to choose just one bullet for continent's game: ‘It would most definitely be the Woodleigh Hydrostatically Stabilized Solid.’
The bull elephant was in musth – that was immediately clear – as his temporal glands were weeping down the side of his head. The night previous, he had destroyed the maize field that the village was counting on to survive the winter, rolling around HYDRO POWER like a drunken teenager and ruining their efforts.
We got on him early, and we got in close – 16 long paces to be exact – as my professional hunter advised me to take the bull in the heart. I eased the forend of the Heym Express into the sticks, and focused hard on that front sight; in spite of the short distance, you don’t want to botch a shot on a bull elephant.
The .404 Jeffery spoke, and I saw the dust fly on the bull’s hide. He took a half-dozen steps backward, and nearly went down as his rear end bounced off the ground.
Upon recovering himself, he started forward, but a second 400-grain .404 put him down for good. I’ll never forget the sheer enormity of the creature – this was a bull from western Zimbabwe, near Hwange Park, and they have the same build as the huge Botswana bulls; in fact they are one and the same, as they migrate from eastern Botswana to western Zimbabwe.
His ivory wasn't huge, but that was no matter. I was honored to have taken such a magnificent animal, and to see that all that meat went to the village to help them through the lean months. I noticed, upon investigation, that both bullets had passed through the huge body and exited, and was very impressed with that level of penetration.
I HAD HANDLOADED my ammunition for this safari, a two-part venture stopping first in South Africa for plains game, and then onto Zimbabwe for a non-trophy elephant, but I chose something a bit different than the classic softpoint and solid combination: Read the rest of Woodleigh Hydro load.
How much and what kind of powder does one put underneath that bullet?
L
Damn. That would leave a mark.
Before the anti hunters jump in, that elephant would have been killed by park rangers for being a menace, The government probably sold him a license for $75,000 and he spent another $20,000 on guides, porters, cooks, AND gave the meat to the vilagers whose crops had been destroyed.
Seems like a good question. The article doesn't address this issue, I wonder why? The author says he's a friend of the owner of Woodleigh. Their webpage invites inquiries on the subject of loading, and asks the enquirer to state "what powders are available." Perhaps it's an individual calculation that depends on the type and age of the intended rifle.
Woodleigh makes only the bullets, it must be that big-game hunters all build their own ammunition.
The author states that he fired two rounds at the elephant, and both passed completely through the animal.
“Woodleigh makes only the bullets, it must be that big-game hunters all build their own ammunition.“
It must be. Being a handloader I’m interested from a purely academic standpoint. Not that I’ll ever load anything this big personally. I doubt one can put a .416 Rigby through my RCBS single stage.
I do enjoy playing around with accuracy loads for my .308 Savage. Using the Sierra Match King bullets over 42 grains of Reloader 12 I can keep a 3 shot group inside of a quarter at 100 yards. I still have a pound or so of that laying around.
I have no idea why it was discontinued. It was a favorite of Hi Power Match shooters for the M1A. I’ve to some 150 grain Nosler Partitions that are up next. But it’s going to be difficult to do better than those Sierras.
Enjoy your day.
L
From and African Hunting Forum:
The load using 84 Gr. of H4350 has proven to be very accurate in a number of different 404(s) around the world.
Thanks. Too lazy to look it up for myself.
L
My question is, does elephant meat make good eating? I can’t imagine the size of an elephant steak.
I shoot a 416 Rigby which is similar in size, 104 grains of H4831 with a 400 grain bullet, 105 with a 370.
The bullet is also a copy of a North Fork cup point bullet which has been around for years.
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