Heading out in 2 hrs

[bobw]

IR that assessment is like comparing apples to oranges though. IMHO Nothing comes close to a 45-2 7/8 for LR work and carrying a heavy blow over long distance. The high BC and slinky bullet shapes of LR45's are about insurmountable in excellence. My 50 on the other hand has the 1 in 36 twist and 600 grs is right at the end of bullet stability in my gun BTDT. My 570 gr ppb is out of a RCBS mold with a rd nose and cup base. It shoots good to 800 yds, I picked the Rapine bullet I used for it's flat meplat and will work some more with it to determine how soft an alloy I can go, this time it was 1 in 30. Kurt and others have proven time and again the validity of the tight twist and using 700+ gr bullets for LR work. I had no intention on this hunt to shoot past 150 yds but I am capable to 200. My overwhelming desire was to do it right with one shot and not make a problem for my host or feel bad about wounding a fine animal with a prolonged demise. I succeeded on this not as quick and sure as the head shot Dick Savage made on his, but Dick is a better shot than I . Many thousands if not millions of buffalo were shot with the 50 2.5" using the 473 gr ppb patched bore dia. No one ever found it inadequate as a buffalo round. Flatter shooting 44 's, 40's and finally 45's replaced it. Not because they killed better but were easier to hit with at extended range from the flatter trajectory they offered. Those ODG's didn't think much about today's value about quick humane 1 shot kills as much as they valued stacking up as many as possible as fast as they could. The estimated .300 BC of that 500 gr Rapine ppb doesn't even begin to compare with the .442 BC of the 45 TGBS Kal mold in .440" dia that I use in my 45 2 7/8". I watched yesterday as Rick put 3 of these in .440" dia patched to bore (.4495") in his 45 2 7/8 Loomer gun into 6-7" on his buffalo target at 200 yds offhand in the KILL zone. With no wiping or blow tubing between shots ,just a simple breath. Fact is between us we shot it 13 times before running 1 patch thru it. My ammo loaded for my Loomer chambered 45 2 7/8 in his Loomer gun with std silver blade frt and buckhorn rear. We did not miss much. You simply play hell trying to improve on a Loomer chambered 45 2 7/8" and patch to bore ppb's as a ultimate black powder cartridge rifle for a slayer of all game animals. Rick has seen hundreds of buffalo shot and tells me that a 45 Sharps is still the best of them for penetration on body shots, he has had guys use 375 HH and 416 Wthby's rounds that did not produce the penetration provided by the 45 Sharps. Over 3' with my 50 and no exit which was good for the shot I had as I came for 1 and sure didn't need to wound another on a ricochet from an exited bullet. Besides I have that bullet as a memo, cool huh?? I have had a lot of fun and will have some great eating from it. bobw