Some years ago John Linebaugh did a series of comparison tests with heavy weight cast bullets. He concluded that "...a dependable cast slug, not too hard, not too soft, at a moderate velocity not to exceed 1300 fps and let caliber and bullet weight do the job..." He went on to state that his preference was 1200 fps. I load between 1100 and 1200 fps, depending on caliber. I prefer 1100 fps in my 45/70 and 480 Ruger revolvers and 1200 fps in everything else.
This is the problem though. Linebaugh hasnt shot much and quite frankly doesnt know how bullets work or damage is done. This last year we compared 475 440 wfn?s with a huge meplat, the biggest in the business, shot at 1100 fps vs 357 mags with 140 gr barnes at 1450 fps and the 357 created a better wound channel. A revolver isnt just a punch press and the idea that that is the way to go is only touted by those that havent done much of it to begin with. Working on one or two animals doesnt make for a dogma worth adhering to. I shot a watusi, which is no cape buffalo, with a 440gr 500 smith at jrh velocities 1384 fps and it obviously lost its nose profile and took a 60 degree turn and exited the size of a pencil hole and the chase was on. When we caught up to them we couldnt even tell which one was the wounded one until my cousin picked up a trickle of blood in one of their nostrils. Put it down in 10 yards with a barnes xbp 250 out of a 454. According to the dogma its supposed to be the other way around, but its not.
I have a feeling theres alot of animals running around africa that were never recovered, but those stories are rarely told. I witnessed one of them. Rarely in the world of dangerous game hunting is a solid the best answer and ive yet to find a situation where a cast is.
