More or less true. Buffalo and cattle have been killed with all sorts of calibres and cartridges.

But how many wild cattle, or wild buffalo have been shot with a .22 RF in your actual experience? And not when captured in cattle yards. Also was the "cattle beast" dropped with a .455 Webley revolver a wild "cattle beast" in the field or ? (BTW not saying it wasn't, just asking for clarification. Cattle are often killed with a .22 in the yards as killers ie meat.)

Orion who I took up to the NT for a buff hunt, wanted to use his "new" 6.5x54 MS on water buffalo. No problems.

On the other hand, one of our Top End experienced resident members also used to use his 6.5mm, but I noticed he didn't anymore several years ago. I asked him why. And the reason, is things don't always go perfectly. Wild scrub bulls, water buffalo, cape buffalo, banteng, can all be killed with medium calibre rifles will appropriate shots. But shots do not always go perfectly. And a wounded beast is a different animal from the one grazing unconcerned. And is the guy with a revolver, or a 6.5mm going to follow up a wounded bull into the high grass? That is when one NEEDS a bigger rifle, if for confidence alone. My opiinion.

Some people online talk such crap, "a .308 is more than adequate for buffalo". Often based on shooting a bull or two out of the window of a Landcruiser. And I KNOW if a wounded beast runs away, these same guys if asked, did they finish it off, reply "Who gives a ffff about it!!!" Information on the internet is often incomplete and "coloured" by what people want to say, not the whole story.

A bit off topic. But back to topic of full metal jackets. While they weren't hydros, on the recent water buffalo hunt, the buffalo were extremely wary. Can explain in a later and different thread. So decided to load up the second barrel of the Jeffery .450 with a 480 gr RN FMJ. As I suspected the only shot I might get was an animal running away. The RN SPs usually won't penetrate end on end, but the FMJs usually do. A rear end FMJ will drop the animal and allow the second barrel to be used to finish the beast.