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"regardless of point of strike" ???? not sure on that one, you can shoot a deer in the foot with a .600 and it will travel ! in the boiler room with a 6.5 it´s toast, best, Mike

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Yeah I agree Mike, but it aint always that simple.
Were not perfect, we do make mistakes & fluff the odd shot when panting like rabid dogs, after climbing hills (has anyone else noticied that they seem to be getting steeper?).
Sometimes a shot does go astray, no matter how much we practice & learn about animal anatomy.
Under those circumstances it's good to have a calibre that can put the animal down so it's not lost & left to die a lingering death. Hence my use of a .375H&H on Sambar.
Bust both shoulders & it wont go anywhere.
On the other hand I know a guy that nailed a Sambar years ago straight up the date with a FMJ from a .303
That pill went the full length of the animal & straight into the heart of the deer.
It was dead as dead can get, but still managed to run over 150 metres first.
He was very lucky to find it at all.
No way that would have happened with a .375
That bloke has since switched to a 30.06 pushing 220gn Hornady RN slugs for Sambar.
Much better IMO.

The only problem with calibres such as the .375 or .458 for Sambar is that they are usually sitting inside some reletively heavy rifles which can be bloody heavy when chasing Deer around the hills.
Hence I'm looking at either a 35 Whelan or 338.06 as a compromise.
Good stopping power in a rifle that's easier to lug around than a DG calibre rifle.

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Bill Allen 'Windkael' Epagneuls Bretons. Melbourne Australia.

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