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There's no doubt that the 535g Woodleigh softpoints and solids are both the traditional loads for the 500 Jeffery and that they work well in most situations. The question is whether they are optimal for all expected dangerous game situations and do they shoot well in your particular rifle. I've only used my 500 Jeffery shooting 570g TSX's at 2300 fps on one deer (at 250 yards) and one elk (at 35 yards) so far due to recent health issues and can attest that the 570g TSX both opens up at longer range lower velocity (based on the exit wound channel) and holds together as one would expect for complete penetration at close range in both cases. Since the 570g TSX was designed for the 500 NE at velocities of 2100 fps or lower and it's solid copper construction or one would expect this. My initial concern using the TSX was would it expand regularly, that was not a concern with the Woodleighs.

Not being fortunate enough yet to shoot a cape buffalo with mine, but going on recommendations from multipe experienced hunters and PHs, the concern expressed with the 535g Woodleigh softpoints at 2400 fps on brown bear frontal shots from PHs at close range was penetration (not expansion or them holding together which they seem to do a fabulous job of), similarly for cape buffalo at less than optimal angles. For broadside shots, I don't think anyone has had an issue with the Woodleigh softpoints. Coming into this fresh, I began by loading 535g Woodleigh softs, migrated to the TSX's which shot better in my rifle and then tried the new Swift A-Frame 570g softs but they didn't feed well in my rifle. So I've settled on the 570g TSX's at 2300 fps until experience leads me down a different path. I envy your real world experience on buffalo and perhaps based on it, I may bring both 600g Woodleigh PPs at 2150 fps as well as 570g TSX's as softpoints if I can get them to shoot to the same point of impact or close to it when I go on safari. I intend to do a two buffalo safari in Tanzania once my health improves.

Best Regards,

Chuck

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"There's a saying in prize fighting: Everyone's got a plan until they get hit"

Michael Douglas "The Ghost And The Darkness"

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