- RHINO BULLET TEST -
Conducted year 2000
By Mark Radloff

Solid Shank Core Bonded Soft

I had just started to skirt around the edge of the grass, trying to keep a comfortable shooting distance, when the buffalo let out a ‘Grunt!’ and charged at ten meters. It is a good thing that buffalo sometimes grunt, as it tells you they are coming.

Kobus van der Westhuizen of Rhino Bullets and myself had test fired some 500-gr. bullets into a box of wet paper and had obtained excellent results. Penetration was consistent at nearly one metre (approx. 40”), as was bullet weight retention of around 95 - 97 %. Accuracy too was good although test distances were only 20 meters. Loaded with 80 gr. Somchem 321 they produced a muzzle velocity of 2220 fts, with an energy of 5400 ft/lb. To me, however, a wet pack does not constitute the same result as that obtained on a live animal. Nor does shooting at a dead animal produce reliable results. A live wounded animal, full of adrenaline, definitely behaves differently to a pile of wet paper. I shared this sentiment with Kobus and he agreed to let me test his .450 Rhino Solid Shank Core Bonded Soft bullets on just such animals.

I was worried about following wounded buffalo with a soft nosed bullet in the chamber. It was a calculated risk, which in this instant had worked. My client had made two one shot kills on previous buffalo and was getting complacent. I had warned with him about this the night before because it’s difficult to appreciate the braveness and tenacity a wounded buffalo displays - until you see it.

A big male lion had fed for three nights already, but the bait was rotten. We needed another buffalo to keep the lion on bait until there was enough light to shoot. I was sure that these lions, a male and female, had been hunted before as they would come in after dark and leave before first light - leaving us tired and frustrated!

A 1998 survey counted 16 700 buffalo in the Kilombero Valley, Tanzania, so they are not a problem to find. We found a lone bull in a clearing, not 150 meters away, testing the wind. The two and a half metres high grass and the reeds gave me enough cover to get my aging client to within 80 metres. He shot over a shooting stick. I do not like to back-up the client but in this instance I readied myself because I figured the buffalo, if wounded, it would get into the nearby cover.

The client’s .416 soft caused the buffalo’s tail to whip up over its back, indicating a hit. I fired and heard a solid thump just as it reached cover. We approached the area cautiously, reading the signs as carefully as possible, trying to establish the nature of injury inflicted. The bull had run through some long grass leaving a blood trail high up on the leaves, but the wound was not bleeding excessively. I had the client set-up the sticks and watch a corridor, which ran down the side of the grass. My tracker and the Government Game Scout were doing a terrific job following the blood trail and soon we waded through a small river. In difficult situations I find it safer to have someone looking at the spoor, while I watch ahead, so as not to be detracted when a charge is imminent. The bull was moving purposefully through the water and had re-entered the long grass. The visibility inside the tall grass is down to arm length and one has to push the grass out of ones path with your rifle barrel. The client followed and was now covering another small strip at the stream edge. My tracker got worried and that put doubt in my mind. No sooner had the bull grunted, when the 500-gr. Rhino Soft struck the top of its nose. The buffalo was not dead but the shock effect gave me enough time to reload and finish him off with two more body shots. He dropped inside the dense grass line. It was evident that he had done a careful half circle, returning to our expected path and had silently waited for us to follow.

The bull’s head was slightly down and the bullet entered at the start of the nose bone went through the nasal passage and the tongue. It smashed the last molar and bottom jaw, deflecting up into the neck. It did not hit the vertebrae, but stopped in line with it. Total penetration, of my second shot, was just over 51 cm (20 ”). The recovered bullet weighed 438.2 gr., giving a 87.64 % weight retention. Outside diameter was 25.4 mm (1”).

Buffalo 2

My 70-year-old client had shot a bull the day before and was to return home the next day. He had shot the buffalo at 35 metres, beautifully, through both lungs. I snapped a shot at it too, as it made for the tall grass, but my 500-gr. Rhino Soft was deflected by a grass stem knocking up dust at the bull’s feet. A grass stem can reach a diameter of 8 mm (0.3 ”) - and can deflect virtually any bullet. The bull was found dead 50 metres into the grass.

He wanted a second buffalo, as he was not sure if he would ever hunt in Africa again. The hunting had been difficult, as shots over 70 metres were impossible for him to make. I liked him a lot and had tried to get him close to some bulls over the last few days. He said he wanted to be close. At one stage I took him into the tall grass. This is extremely dangerous as one often stumbles onto sleeping dugga boys. It happened to us. We had just located a herd of buffalo and were a shot-put throw away. I think they had heard us.

We stood for 30 seconds when the sound of snoring drifted to us. I got my client into a shaky, standing position next to me and we took another hesitant step forward. The snoring continued. It came from a stand of tall grass not four metres away. Another small step - crack - went the hard grass stem. The bull jumped to his feet and looked at me from not more than three metres away. ‘Shoot, shoot’, I whispered harshly, as I aimed at the buffalo’s brain. My aging client was visibly shaken. He said he could not see it and with a grunt the buffalo turned and left.

We were watching another group off buffalo 200 metres away. The herd began to drift toward our natural grass hide. In front of us was a drying stream 70 meters out. There were some nice bulls in this herd and one that I dearly wanted the Frenchman to have. In the mass of heads, bodies and dust I could see him whenever he mounted a female or chased another bull away from his prize. Bernard was adamant that he was not going to take a long shot. I continued to press him that this was the last chance. The sun would soon disappear behind the Udzungwa Mountains. The shooting sticks were set but our bull passed by on the far side of the 80 strong herd. He was gone.

Then two sets of hands pushed between Bernard and I as my trackers pointed to another bull. ‘That one!’ I said and a small adjustment was made to the sticks - ‘Shoot!’ At 70 meters the .416 Rigby plowed into the bulls shoulder. ‘Reload, shoot’ - this time to my amazement offhand. The bullet hit home, and then I shot the bull at 80 metres the bullet entering through the last rib, quartering into the motor. A haze was settling over the plains as the sun dropped to the mountaintops. Dust flew from the bulls’ neck and shoulders with his dying bellows blending with the cooling air.

There was not time to recover the bullet. We took the last pictures just before dark fell and had to return to the dugout canoe. What impressed me was the visible impact of the bullet on the buffalo. The bullet did not exit, but the angle was perfect for a rumen, lung, heart (or aorta) shot. Bernard’s first shot took the buffalo nicely in the lungs and his second entered and exited from the bulls’ back leg, missing bone. I’m sure his first shot would have proved fatal, but the 500-gr. soft Rhino bullet had speeded up the process.


Buffalo 3

The two Finnish boys’ were on their first trip to Africa. Dad was after lion and the boy’s were shooting buffalo. One of the boys’s used a .416 Rem and the other a lovely .375 H & H. We were in a hurry to get more bait out as soon as possible, so the pressure was on. From on top of the camp water tower I could see two herds of buffalo so we set off, by canoe, trying to get closer. The buffalo are not as spooky towards the dugouts as they are to people walking towards them. Canoes are also quieter than a person crossing a river - and dryer.

With the wind in our faces the chance of a kill was good. There was a lone bull feeding three quarters of the way to the herd. Lady Luck was indeed helping. We did a good 100-metre approach and were no more than 50 metres from the hungry bull. With some minor shuffling, and still no reaction from the bull, the two boy’s got ready for a simultaneous shot. The bullets hit together and he was off. Minimal urging got them to reload and shoot again, but he was still moving away. I shot and my first bullet entered between the bulls’ tail and scrotum. A quick second shot spun him around as it hit and shattered his right front leg. As soon as I reached him I gave him a final spine shot. This was merely a coup d’grace - and another chance to test the Rhino bullet performance.

The first shot went through three-quarters of the rumen before coming to a stop. Over one metre of penetration (40 ”), with an outside diameter of 26.2 mm (1.03”). Not much muscle and no bone were encountered. Bullet weight 491.2 gr. or 98.24 % weight retention. The second bullet had completely destroyed the front leg and exited. My last shot had broken the spine, cut through some lung tissue, ripped open the heart and stopped in the sternum. All the petals had been severed, but the weight retention was a staggering 332.7-gr. (66.54 %). Outside diameter 14.5 mm (.57”).

Buffalo 4

Hermann wanted a big buffalo. Many herds were passed up, looking for such. We were also hunting lion and needed bait. Time was short...

PH Mark Radloff (left) and client Hermann with Tanzanian Buffalo Bull

In the late afternoon a herd of buffalo had moved out into the open. In the open plains a long shot at buffalo is the only possibility. We moved in behind some reed and settled into shooting position. A nice bull presented itself after some minutes and Herman shot. He had a fine .375 H & H double made in Ferlach. The bull was facing us and caught the bullet in the front shoulder. This was closely followed by a tail shot as it spun around. It almost made cover when I shot.

The bullet entered under the last rib, low in the body. As the buffalo was quartering away, the bullet went through the brisket and into the right front leg. It stopped against the skin on the far side. Total penetration 94 cm (37 ”). We measured the shot at 225 m. The bullet did not expand, but I am sure that this was due to the loss of velocity and strength of the Rhino Soft wall. Weight retention 99.64 % (498.2 gr.) with an outside diameter of 12 mm (.47”).

Buffalo 5

During the heat of the day, the herd had moved into long grass. A fire was burning toward us with the wind blowing consistently from the east. The buffalo would have to run toward us...

We were still moving toward their anticipated position when the earth started to rumble. In front of us the grass tops were swishing towards us. Buffalo were bleating a few metres away as they rapidly approached. The only alternative was to turn and run as fast as possible down a dry, narrow riverbed. After a hundred meter dash we came into a clearing and rapidly got into a shooting position. The first buffalo appeared nervously, but were soon pushed out by the remaining herd. There was no time for a shot.

As the herd settled onto the plain we spotted a good bull at 80 m. The shot took him in the lungs and he headed for the long grass. I got alongside the grass and was moving up a clearing. The Game Scout called from behind and I saw the bull facing me at 40 m. Herman was catching up and tried to get into a shooting position. The bull turned broadside to me and ran. My Rhino Soft hit him square on the left leg, passed through the lungs and stopped against the bone of the far leg. He ran no more than 30 m. The left leg was completely pulverized and the lungs shredded. Penetration depth 51 cm (20 ”). Weight retention 409.1 gr. (81.87 %) with an expansion diameter of 23.4-mm (.92 ”).

Buffalo 6

Nic was under pressure to shoot a good buffalo as his brother had taken a nice one earlier in the day. We spotted four lone bulls in some tall grass and headed toward them. The area consisted of narrow paths, tall grass, reed beds and a small stream. It could have been a slightly overgrown garden – with buffalo in it.

Within two to three minutes we were on to them and all the bulls looked good. As the grass was high, I told Nic that I would not give it a chance if it ran off. A bull stepped out on the right, grazing towards us, not more than 35 metres away. I pointed to Nic, indicating which animal to take and saw he was confident and ready. My bullet hit a split second after Nic’s .375 H & H fired. The buffalo skidded to a halt with his head just inside the long grass. He had not made five metres.

The client’s shot had hit it well, but high in both lungs. The Rhino Soft had penetrated 3” of horn, exited, and gone through 10” of neck muscle before hitting the vertebrae. Although the bullet had not broken the axis vertebrae it had flattened out against it completely. Weight retention was 83.12 % (415.6 gr.) with an outside diameter of 22.5 mm (.88”).

Crocodile

I was hunting for a crocodile with three Italian clients. The local fisherman told us that they saw was a big crocodile daily near their camp on the Kilombero River. I located where it was lying up and set-up a blind from which to shoot. There were large drag marks on the mud banks of the river. After waiting a few hours, I looked around and saw another huge crocodile some way up river. We clambered back into the big dugout canoe and built another blind opposite where the second croc had been lying. Darkness fell and we had to return the following day.

PH Mark Radloff (right) with 4.5m Crocodile taken on
the banks of the Kilombero River

It got dark and rainy on day two and I figured that the chance to shoot a croc would be slim but we tried the new blind anyway. If the crocodile was to beach itself, the shot was to be no further that 50 metres. The father had a .30-06 and the son was shooting a .416 Remington. They planned to shoot together. After some time, a nose appeared not 20 metres from me, but apparently out of view of the clients. After 20 minutes, enough of the crocs head and back was exposed to warrant a shot.

A split second separated the two reports and the monster bellied up and sank. After a moment of backslapping, we went to locate the animal. The clients stayed up on the bank, out of harms way. Fishermen began to appear out of nowhere offering assistance. It did not take long to locate the crocodile with bamboo poles. There appeared to be some life left in the animal. A half an hour later bubbles were still coming to the surface. We decided that the croc was indeed dead, so two of the polers took off their clothes and dove over the side. They reappeared seconds later, holding the tail and right back leg. We had pulled it a quarter way into the boat when the water erupted as the stunned monster awoke and decided that he did not like being manhandled.

This did not discourage the fishermen who ‘netted’ the animal again and brought it slowly to the surface. Although slow moving it appeared rather well so I shot it in the body with my 500-gr. Rhino Soft from six metres. Mauro Fabris shot it simultaneously with his .470 Krieghof. The shots produced little immediate result. I waited for a cranium shot, which killed it instantly.

At camp we concluded that the first two shots were both superficial, merely stunning the 4,5 metre (14.76 feet) animal. The .470 and .450 Watts had both exited through the chest cavity and would have killed the croc eventually. My final shot took the crocodile through the brain, destroying the skull and exiting on the far side. The distance through the cranium, from entry to exit, was 30 cm (11.8 ”). Exit hole size was 4 cm (1.57 ”). I fired at a range of approximately eight metres. The bullet had expanded superbly.

4cm exit wound through the crocodile cranium indicating excellent expansion.


Lion

The Ambassador had taken a lion on a previous hunt. He was after a lion with more of a mane and a few other animals. We had taken a hippo bull and set four baits, three of them had been hit. I decided to keep two of the baits active so as to have a back up should one turn sour. The bait close to camp produced a very shy male and a bold female. On our second bait we found some nice long blond mane hairs.

Luis and the Lion mentioned in the text.

We slipped into the blind late afternoon and started to settle in. I had a peep at the bait and was surprised to see the lion had already started to feed. He must have left as we arrived. I got Luis into his shooting position as stealthily as possible. We sat listening to the wattled plovers voicing their shrill call of alarm as the lion lay in cover not far from us. The tension in the blind was tangible as we waited for our lion to reappear. Sunset was imminent and I was beginning to feel the chance of a shot fading.

The gentle wind blew directly into our faces and a faint sound of grass crunching drifted toward us. The big male lion was at the bait. Luis removed the safety on his Blaser .375 H & H and took aim. There were a few hesitant moments as he battled to get a decent sight picture, due to the grass and fading light. “Boom - Smack” as the bullet found its mark at close range. It the grass, not 30 metres from me I could make out the angry eyes and low growls of the wounded lion. By now the light was nearly gone and I did not want to leave the wounded animal out all night.

I slipped out from behind the blind and as soon as I made eye contact, shot. As I ran forward reloading, I fired another two shots. All three hit home and Luis shot it again with his .375. It lay motionless…

There was confusion as to which shot had hit where first, but I recovered a Rhino Solid from the chest. It had entered near the last rib and stopped in the chest, under the skin. Penetration depth was 40 cm (16”) with weight retention of 92.56 % (462.8 gr.). A petal from another Rhino Soft was found under the lower mandible. This bullet had entered through the top of the neck, missing the cranium by mere millimetres. The bullet struck and broke the occipital lobe and broke the bottom jaw. Just for interest sake, the petal weighed 28.6 gr. My third bullet had exited, as did both the .375 bullets.

Plains Game

Although a .450 caliber is not designed to shoot thin-skinned game, I had to use it on a few occasions. The only bullet I recovered was from a Lichtenstein Hartebeest. The client had hit it high, a common mistake due to the high shoulder. It was a long shot at 140 metres and moving away from us. The bullet took it in the left buttock and stopped under the skin, half way down the rib cage. The left leg was badly damaged and the bullet had moved through the rumen, left lung and ribs. Length of penetration 91 cm (36”) with weight retention of 99.56% (497.8 gr.)

Recovered Bullet Info:

During all the safaris I told the clients that I was testing Rhino bullets. This cleared the idea of double shooting before a shot was fired. If they approved - I shot. If they didn’t approve - I would only shoot if the situation warranted it.

I found that on occasion, my long Watt case battled to feed from the left stack of my Brno ZKK 602. Possibly Rhino Softs needs to be rounded more, so as to minimize the possibility of the bullet catching on the feeding ramp. The 500-gr. Barnes solids fed perfectly from both sides of the magazine. The molybdenum-based finish, on the bullet, reduces friction and helps with the arduous task of bore cleaning.

One is well advised to try to break the pelvic girdle rather than try to reach the vitals when shooting Rhino Softs at fleeing buffalo. This is due to the bullet stopping in the rumen, failing to reach the vitals. This is to be expected from any brand of soft nosed bullet. Shots fired at varying distances combined with shot placement variation (accessibility?) a pattern of bullet reliability emerged. Rhino Softs both expand (mean o/d. .85”) and penetrate well (mean penetration depth 27.5 ”) on broadside, rear and frontal shots on buffalo. By comparison some brands of soft nosed bullets fail to penetrate adequately on the frontal shot. Weight retention averaged 443.2 gr. (88.64 %). Lost petals also caused considerable damage, as was evident in the lion. The Rhino Softs created a very large wound channel - ideal for hemorrhaging and shock effect. The visual impact of the bullet hitting the animal was clearly notable. Long serving staff made continual remarks on this. Subsequently, I have no hesitation in promoting and using this bullet for most follow-up work, except headshots on elephant.

I can be contacted on: +27 72 234 4375; (H) +27 43 748 2244

E-mail: radloffmark@hotmail.com or kubusi@mweb.co.za

Mark Radloff – (B.Tech Degree, Nature Conservation)

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