This may very well be one of the most controversial articles I have ever written. I may step on a few toes, ruffle a few feathers, and even step on my own toes a bit.

After we returned from a long plains game hunt in South Africa and Namibia this year, I had to stop and think about all the game we shot of various sizes, under many different conditions, with many different guns and loads.

When I sat down, and really thought this all thru, one thing again came out abundantly clear, NOTHING BEATS BULLET PLACEMENT.

For example, one day I shot 3 Springbok. One with a 30-06 and a 180-gr Speer BT Bullet, one with a 300 Win Mag 180-gr PMP bullet, and another with a 270 Win with a 130-gr PMP bullet. Ya know what? It made no difference to the Springbok what so ever. They all just fell over dead.

I shot some 15 animals with the 30-06 using 180 gr Hornady SPBT, from little Klipspringer to large Kudu, and each one seldom went more than 10 yards before expiring.

Also shot Bleu Wildebeest, Red Hartebeest, and Zebra with the 338 Win Mag, using a variety of 225 gr bullets. Same thing applied to them, all went either down at the shot, or ran 10-20 yards, and piled up dead.

My wife shot several animals with her 7mm Rem Mag with either 162 gr Hornady BT, 175 gr RN or Spire Points. Again from Zebra to Steenbok, and they all piled up very dead.

We were in camp with folks that shot Wildebeest, Blesbok, and Kudu with their 375 H&H’s using 300 gr Swift A-Frames. Their game was just as dead as those shot with my 30-06, and just as quickly.

We had one fellow wound a Blesbok with the 375 H&H, and he had a heck of a time before they rounded him up.

Another fellow shot a Gemsbok a bit too far back with a 300 Win 200 gr Partition. A mile later, they finally caught up with the animal, and dispatched it.

Bullet construction, is another interesting thing, and second only to placement.

We were going to (cull) some Springboks one day, and I told them I wanted to use my 338 Win Mag. NO, was the response, as they were sure I would destroy the animals completely.

I bet them a cold Lager Beer, that I would do less damage then they would using their 243 Winchesters.

After the day was done, and when they skinned them out, we made believers out of the boys with the light fast bullets. I was using the 200-gr Hornady Spire Point, and it dropped them right where they stood, with smaller exit holes than the 243 bullets made, and there was less internal and meat damage by far.

Am I saying that you can (or should) use the softest, cheapest, bullets out there instead of the premium ones? Not really, but I would rather have any bullet in the right place, than the most expensive bullet in the wrong spot.

Now for Lion, big Alaskan Brown Bears or Moose, I certainly would use a premium soft point. These guys are big and tough, and I just want to be certain that I can get the penetration and bone breaking performance quite often needed.

Match the bullet to game too. I feel that the 270 Win or WSM with 130-gr bullets, has no place on Moose, but will do just fine on game in the 200 to 300 lb class.

A 30 caliber 180 or 200 gr bullet would be a much better choice for large game.

I also would like to mention that the Leopard should be shot with a lighter plains game rifle rather than the 338 Mag or 375 H&H Mag. Leopards are not that big of an animal, and are light boned or framed. A 270 Win or 30-06 with a softer expanding bullet will do more damage and kill that Leopard faster than a 375 H&H and a 300 gr bullet designed for Buffalo will. The 300-gr bullets will just punch thru, and not leave much of an exit hole or do enough internal damage.

Again, when it’s all said and done , nothing beats bullet placement.

Feel free to contact Terry anytime, at tblauwkamp@superior-sales.com if you have any questions or comments.