I must preface this post with a disclaimer that I have had little experience hunting Africa, and much less experience hunting the big boys..... My sampling size is thus very small, but is simply one data point in a broader discussion.

Take a look at the pics that Daryl graciously posted for me a few posts back in this thread. From the hippo, out of the 10 or so fired, only 2 Hydros were recovered and are shown in the posted photo. The rest were passthroughs. Dead is dead so I can’t say the bullet “failed”. I can say that it didn’t perform quite as expected. The small amount of riveting witnessed is probably not a really big deal, certainly not compared to the handful of Hornady DGS retrieved from previous hunts that the PH showed me that were twisted up, shredded, and otherwise mangled. The bending of the hydro was not terribly impressive though.

When shooting really truly heavy game, it would be really hard to make a bullet that works perfectly in game but does not inflict grievous harm to an expensive barrel set. The one Barnes Banded solid that I have recovered from an earlier hunt, having passed from brisket to deep in the soggy chewed grasses inside a buffalo, and all others witnessed by my PH as he related to me, looked perfect save for rifling marks. They are solid enough to withstand deformation, but just maybe a bit too hard for an older double? The Woodleighs are specifically designed to not harm the older doubles as I understand it, and maybe that’s what is the deciding factor when they cooked up the alloy?

When loading the traditional Woodleigh Steel jacket solids along side the Hydros, one can hear, and feel the difference between the two upon firing, with the traditional steel jacket solids making a much sharper “crack” and recoiling more, given similar loadings. At least to me this means higher pressure with the steel core solids.

I’ll opt for the Hydros for buffalo followups, although I just may select the Barnes Banded solids for elephant or hippo if ever again I am afforded opportunity to hunt these very large beasts.

The hydros give me a sense of confidence that my rifle barrel will not likely be harmed. The Banded Solids give me confidence that I won’t be harmed and situation dependent, I may not give a damn about the gun barrel.