I find myself always cheering for the underdog in the fight and this years JRH Bovine Bash was just that for me. In the red corner, the baddest of the bad, showing up from .44 cal all the way to the top in .50 cal. The red corner packed with the Big Boys, the heaviest of hitters. Believe me, for this novice of 5yrs of handgun hunting it is always a sight to see. Now in the blue corner, the lightweight, a Ruger .357 Mag GP100. It was a test of David vs Goliath. Can this meager, in comparison, revolver really show up and dance with the Heavy hitters. Thats what I was there to find out and impressed is all I can utter. The .357 Mag did an amazing job and its gloves, 180 gr. Swift A-frames from Federal, did not disappoint.
IMG_0736 by
Michael King, on Flickr
IMG_0737 by
Michael King, on Flickr
The first test this setup was going to face was a lightweight of its own. We called this Catalina goat, "Wildagoat". This was the first time for me testing the 180 gr A-frame from Federal Ammunition and was not sure as to what I should expect. The goat was probably 30 yards away and broadside. I let her fly and she found her mark right behind the left shoulder. The goat tried to run but fell within 15 yards. One shot and it was over. I was able to recover the bullet extremely easy as it was sitting directly across the body cavity of the entrance just on the offside hide. Any fear that might have been about the ammunition were starting to fade away, but the true test was still to come.
Up next was a true test for my setup, a 1200lb+ Watusi. I was hunting with the other Mike in camp on his hunt. He was using a BFR 45-70. When we came upon the herd out in the open fields. He placed his shots into the Watusi and when we approached she was standing broadside. At this point, I had asked Mike if it was ok if I tested my setup to see how the .357 Mag would do. He gave the green light. I placed my shot behind the left front shoulder and let her fly. What happened next was impressive. The bullet found its mark and immediately blood started spraying from one of the 45-70 holes in the shoulder. She spun around in a circle once and collapsed. She was done but didn't want to give up the ghost, so the final KO was a 180 gr A-frame right between the eyes. Lights out.
At this point, I am proud of my underdog. It came to play and did so very well. The fun was just beginning. It was the finding of the bullets that has me in utter shock. While one can say that finding the bullet on the goat is to be expected, where are the bullets going to be found on this type and size of animal. Zee and I had a great talk about the possibilites of this setup and where we would find the bullets on the way back to the skinning shed. Talks that we would both learn soon enough, would leave us in disbelief.
IMG_0734 by
Michael King, on Flickr
IMG_0735 by
Michael King, on Flickr
Here are the recovered bullets from the animals. From Left to right: Watusi Head Shot, Watusi Broadside, Wildagoat Broadside.
As you can see the bullets held together and performed as advertised. The wildagoat bullet expanded well for hitting light skinned animal. The shock came from where we found the bullets in the Watusi. The broadside Watusi bullet was found in the offside shoulder right before the hide. This shocked both ZEE and myself because we were looking in the heart and lungs thinking that the bullet with good expansion did not have quite enough to make it through the body cavity. The head shot was also surprising. It was found 6" into the spine. The penetration from this setup was beautiful.
The .357 Mag with the 180 gr A-frame is a setup that I have removed all doubt. I personally have found that this setup is one that I would use without hesitation on game up to and including ELK/Moose, black bear, & mountain lion.
