Hi All:
Found a very nice web site a few days ago:
http://www.africanhuntermagazines.com/ I printed a copy of just about every interesting article in their archives. I guess I'll have to subscribe now in order to remain honest. A very refreshing view of hunting in general and cartridges and muzzle velocities in particular. I am very much of the same mindset as they are, in that they repeatedly point out the effectiveness and ease on the shooter of velocities in the range from 2,300 fps to 2,600. I for one have always held that anything over about 2,500 fps is a plain and simple waste. Velocities above that IMHO are just a waste of gunpowder, are hard on shoulders, ears, and equipment. High velocity loadings tend to develop flinch, seriously disturb the sight picture needed for follow up shots, and make one practically deaf when ones hearing is most needed.
One item of interest pointed out by one of the authors who also works as a Game Officer in Zimbabwe, the majority of those killed during Elephant or Lion hunts are taken from the flank or the rear by a non-target animal who decides to join the fray. In these cases ones ability to still hear clearly after the first shot at the target animal is often the difference between life and death.
A quote from one article on stopping power gladdened my heart with one of the most wonderful comments in terms of good old-fashioned common sense that I've ever had the pleasure to read: " The last option is to move to a smaller calibre that produces less recoil. This though is a double edged sword. I suspect that the reason many new hunters buy cannons is that they fail to realise just how easy it is to kill even the toughest game with a well-placed bullet. This would imply that the ‘ideal’ dangerous game rifle for a citizen hunter is either a .375 H&H or a 9.3 x 62. My personal choice is the 9.3 x 62. The 286 grain Woodleigh solids will exit on a buffalo from any angle including a Free State (Texas) heart shot. They will comfortably break the shoulder of an elephant and still reach the vitals and will exit on all head shots. The premium soft points available, particularly some excellent flat-pointed ones produced by Ken Stewart, are more than adequate for lion or an initial shot on buffalo. In short, the 9.3 will cleanly kill any animal, and do so with surprisingly mild recoil in an 8lb rifle.
In comparing the 9.3 to a .375 H&H, I’ve personally never noticed any difference where good quality solids are used, since bullets from both whistle straight through an elephant or buffalo making approximately the same sized hole. The only difference I can think of is that the .375 exits 200fps faster than the 9.3 and so has more energy to expand on the environment (and do so whilst producing more recoil and considerably more muzzle blast)."
