[marktwain]

Used to be, a person would put a round or two into the water between them and the hippos. Hippos in the water are likely sensitive to the sound and shock. Is this experience talking or just guessing?

Not experience, but reading non-fiction of African hunting for 45 years. Most of the stuff about hippos is from Capstick, as I recall.

Water conducts sound extremely well. A supersonic projectile hitting the water sends out quite an intense wave of sound.

[RedMonqey]

I must admit my only experience with shooting critters in the water were popping red sliders in the farm ponds with a .22 so I can’t really argue with any conviction one way or another. Just knew that you had to get the suckers on a log or just near the surface or they got away.

Hardly “authoritative experience”

Anyhow, if a hippo was charging me I’d want as big a gun as I could get my hands on and start shooting at it and not the space between me and thee, Mr Hippo!(grins)