The title of this thread should have been "Use Solids On Everything -- All The Time?"
I started this post as a follow up on JamesB's thread “45-70 in Africa”. Things had went way off topic, and since it wasn’t “my” thread and I didn’t want to spoil a pretty cool little hunting traditions discussion that was going on, I picked up over here.
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Some observations (in recap) from this thread….
Diyj98
“Cons would be the fact that a good expanding bullet normally causes much greater tissue damage. Over penetration could also be a bid con where's there's a chance of shooting through one animal and into another.”
JagMagMan
“Except for better penetration, it's all cons!
Especially with no blood trails!”
Eldeguello
“Well, aside from the fact that what you're talking about is pretty much against all game laws in the Unioted States, the drawback is that a small diameter wound channel produces little shock, gives little or no blood trail….”
AKbound
“And of course.....one other time I'd always choose a solid! When the caliber at hand is marginal for the task.”
“Wild bovine (in nearly all guises) first shot premium expanding, (for lung shot), backed up with all solids in the magazine or second barrel.”
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What I see here is that any cartridge/bullet combination is a trade off of sorts and it’s difficult to “have it all” although some cartridges are superior to others. A re-occurring theme against solids is the issue of "pass through" and the foreseeable killing/maiming of multiple animals. Akbound is correct in that standard procedure for wild bovine (read Cape Buffalo) is to load a soft point in the chamber and solids in the magazine.
A proper Cape Buffalo rifle is capable of launching a first strike hit WITH A SOFT POINT at a Cape Buffalo, and still be able to achieve ALL the following: more energy transfer, more wound channel, more shock, AND STILL have all the penetration needed to come up under the far side hide after passing through muscle/bone/mud-hide,etc. --- this is the triflecta, winning on all counts, firing on all cylinders. The 375’s (to a lesser degree), the 416’s, handloaded 458WinMags, 458 Lott’s, and up are capable of accomplishing this triflecta on Cape Buffalo. Solids? Practically anything can shoot solids and slice through "feet" of meat, it is no sign of power of cartridge, rather it is a credit to the bullet. [Remember Bell with the 7x57 with military AP ammo -- culling off hundreds and hundreds of elephant?]
The 45-70 with the Garrett solids, “sneaks into the club” of Buffalo Hunting, but falls short IMHO because it CANNOT effectively launch the “soft point with sufficient penetration” for a sound first strike while the Buff herd is together and the possibility of a "pass through" secondary hit on an unintended animal is at it’s highest. [If you’ve seen domestic bovine (cattle) packed into the shade and fighting insects you will recognize this problem immediately]. With the 45-70 lacking the oomph to push a softpoint where it needs to go and do what it needs to do, Pearse had to use solids in his 45-70 for his “first strike” shot --- bad dog, bad! The result were two dead buff where there should have been one. It was completely foreseeable as a likely consequence of breaking the “1 soft & balance solids” rule. I would hope the same umbrage that many of you brought up for suggested use of solids here in the USA about it being “illegal” and the risk of "pass through" shots killing multiple animals would apply to your conscious decisions in Africa as well as the USA.
If ethics are of any concern at all, then consider taking the 45-70 along to Africa for plains game (that may be some long shooting for the old girl) and skip Cape Buffalo unless you have two licenses and two trophy fees and know with foresight that doing the first strike on Cape Buffalo with a solid is a no-no. Though Pearce did not have to pay for the “error” hopefully the government game scout (gov’t enforcer) collected the penalties from the PH behind the scene and slapped his hand --- bad dog, bad!
If you are going after Cape Buffalo, then follow JameB’s advice regarding whether to "stretch" a rifle’s capabilities by using solids versus buying something more capable…
As far as the expense of buying a bigger rifle goes, if one needs a bigger rifle for a given application they should probably get one rather than trying to make do with something smaller. In many models the 458 and 375 don't cost much more than the standard calibers.
My $.05
Good Luck and Good Hunting,
EKM