Well, OK, AR2209 is not a bad powder for the 6.5 MS, I use it myself. I was a little flabbergasted at your earlier load, ie 44gr AR2213 SC in the little carbine, with only sub-18inch barrel. Reckon it must look like a flame-thrower when fired!!

I've got no beef with you personally, Orion, but it seemed earlier that you were expressing some disdain for the use of large-bores on buff, when IYHO a .270 or the little 6.5 would confidently "do the job". While I'm prepared to concede that there is some truth to your words "its not with what you hit them, ..its more important where you hit", you can't always pick the shot you would like!

Most of the big-bores employed by responsible buff-hunters will reach the vitals from any angle, something the 6.5 cannot be expected to do!

This post is still a little more confrontational than I would have liked, and for that I apologize, however I do feel the need to respond to the inference that big-bores for buffalo are entirely unnecessary. Inexperienced hunters perusing this forum might very well accept that as the truth, whereas the whole point of this thread from my very first post was to point out that that is simply not the case!

Everyone who has hunted big bulls knows that anyway, and I suspect you do to, mate. Next time you're in Darwin, drop over for a shiraz, seems like we'd have plenty to talk about. Always keen to meet fellow devotees of the Mannlicher Schoenauer, finest bolt-rifle ever made!

O&BTW, we've all had plenty of one-shot kills, if you don't count those other shots that had no affect!