But only if you choose the right sort of bullet to accomplish your mission. Choose wrong, and your big bore is nothing but a novelty.
Regardless of the fancy expensive platform, and the big massive cartridge, if you do not combine that with the correct bullet, or a well designed bullet your best bet is just stay at home, as it is going to cost you down the line.
Unfortunately the vast majority of African hunters are not professional shooters. They do not spend enough time with their equipment to become not only proficient, but educated as well.
We have spent a tremendous amount of effort in the design of proper bullets to complete any mission asked of them. I started this endeavor back in 2006 after I went on the first shooting mission with a 50 B&M. At that time, with all conventional available bullets in .500 caliber, which was mostly designed for 500 S&W, and the 50 B&M could run those bullets faster than they could handle. Many of those bullets I slowed down substantially so as to not break them up too badly. This strategy worked great and the first trip out with the prototype was a success because of it. The first outing was short, 5 days and 20+ animals, from impala to giraffe, no dangerous game yet. Lots of wildebeest and zebra, they are excellent test material.
Where we came up short was proper designed SOLIDS. There were none at the time in .500 caliber. We tried some Round Nose solid brass and copper solids, but they had a tendency to turn, twist and veer off course. After testing 100s of different designs and several years of work, we finally designed the perfect Solids that absolutely were incredible. Drive deep and drive straight, that is what is required. We worked with Cutting Edge Bullets to design the #13 Solid and then later with North Fork Technologies to come up with their solids. These are now the standards of perfection for this sort of need.
Below are some examples of these bullets, FYI..........
These .458 caliber Solids can be used in any .458 caliber bolt gun, such as 458 Winchester, 458 Lott, and of course 458 B&M.
A friend of ours has shot a lot of Dangerous game with his 458 B&M. Some years ago he shot an elephant with the CEB 450 Solids you see above. I was astounded at how that single solid busted this elephant where he stood, breaking both shoulders at the joints and exited. I had never seen an elephant so busted up. Take a look at how the legs are broken back and you will see what I mean.
In 2007 we were hunting crop raiding elephants at night in Zimbabwe. I was using a 50 B&M at the time, and a bullet we designed that was similar to a flat nose Barnes solid, with a nice big flat meplat of 70%. I had shot another elephant a couple of days before, one of the few frontal brain shots that I have been presented, which is spectacular to see. This elephant did not present that shot. When we hit the lights, Yes, it was pitch dark, and we used LIGHTS when shooting! You have very little time to get to work once that light gets switched on. It was a hell of a experience hunting elephants at night.
The shot was broadside heart at 20 yards, I took it, the elephant stumbled and nearly went down at that point, he gathered himself and started running away from me. We were on a slight elevation which allowed me to shoot down on the bull as he took off. I could not let him get too far, so I hit him again in the top of the back angling down thru the heart. This bullet traveled 7 feet, actually hit in the heart and exited the front of the chest. I hit him a third time some bit further back, this bullet was recovered, it did not exit. He was only able to go another 10-15 yards before going down. When we removed the heart the next day, we found the two bullets had criss crossed the heart, one from the side, the other from the rear.
Big Bore Solids are not only used on elephants and other large game. Over the years the solids became one of the most important tools I would always have with me, even hunting lesser game, such as various antelopes and such. The Big Solids are your insurance policy if things don't always go your way.
I was in Alaska I believe it was 2008. I shot a bear, he started running, I followed up with a Solid and he went down like lightning had hit him. From the rear, no common expanding bullet could have done that, and it was a rear end shot. Pay the Insurance, and nothing does it better than a proper designed solid that drives deep and true.
Regardless of the fancy expensive platform, and the big massive cartridge, if you do not combine that with the correct bullet, or a well designed bullet your best bet is just stay at home, as it is going to cost you down the line.
Unfortunately the vast majority of African hunters are not professional shooters. They do not spend enough time with their equipment to become not only proficient, but educated as well.
We have spent a tremendous amount of effort in the design of proper bullets to complete any mission asked of them. I started this endeavor back in 2006 after I went on the first shooting mission with a 50 B&M. At that time, with all conventional available bullets in .500 caliber, which was mostly designed for 500 S&W, and the 50 B&M could run those bullets faster than they could handle. Many of those bullets I slowed down substantially so as to not break them up too badly. This strategy worked great and the first trip out with the prototype was a success because of it. The first outing was short, 5 days and 20+ animals, from impala to giraffe, no dangerous game yet. Lots of wildebeest and zebra, they are excellent test material.
Where we came up short was proper designed SOLIDS. There were none at the time in .500 caliber. We tried some Round Nose solid brass and copper solids, but they had a tendency to turn, twist and veer off course. After testing 100s of different designs and several years of work, we finally designed the perfect Solids that absolutely were incredible. Drive deep and drive straight, that is what is required. We worked with Cutting Edge Bullets to design the #13 Solid and then later with North Fork Technologies to come up with their solids. These are now the standards of perfection for this sort of need.
Below are some examples of these bullets, FYI..........
These .458 caliber Solids can be used in any .458 caliber bolt gun, such as 458 Winchester, 458 Lott, and of course 458 B&M.
A friend of ours has shot a lot of Dangerous game with his 458 B&M. Some years ago he shot an elephant with the CEB 450 Solids you see above. I was astounded at how that single solid busted this elephant where he stood, breaking both shoulders at the joints and exited. I had never seen an elephant so busted up. Take a look at how the legs are broken back and you will see what I mean.
In 2007 we were hunting crop raiding elephants at night in Zimbabwe. I was using a 50 B&M at the time, and a bullet we designed that was similar to a flat nose Barnes solid, with a nice big flat meplat of 70%. I had shot another elephant a couple of days before, one of the few frontal brain shots that I have been presented, which is spectacular to see. This elephant did not present that shot. When we hit the lights, Yes, it was pitch dark, and we used LIGHTS when shooting! You have very little time to get to work once that light gets switched on. It was a hell of a experience hunting elephants at night.
The shot was broadside heart at 20 yards, I took it, the elephant stumbled and nearly went down at that point, he gathered himself and started running away from me. We were on a slight elevation which allowed me to shoot down on the bull as he took off. I could not let him get too far, so I hit him again in the top of the back angling down thru the heart. This bullet traveled 7 feet, actually hit in the heart and exited the front of the chest. I hit him a third time some bit further back, this bullet was recovered, it did not exit. He was only able to go another 10-15 yards before going down. When we removed the heart the next day, we found the two bullets had criss crossed the heart, one from the side, the other from the rear.
Big Bore Solids are not only used on elephants and other large game. Over the years the solids became one of the most important tools I would always have with me, even hunting lesser game, such as various antelopes and such. The Big Solids are your insurance policy if things don't always go your way.
I was in Alaska I believe it was 2008. I shot a bear, he started running, I followed up with a Solid and he went down like lightning had hit him. From the rear, no common expanding bullet could have done that, and it was a rear end shot. Pay the Insurance, and nothing does it better than a proper designed solid that drives deep and true.
