I put this in the rifle forum mainly because I was impressed with the performance of the 300 WSM and the Failsafe bullet. Now for the details.

Just got back from a Buffalo hunt with my dad in New Mexico. Took the Savage model 12 in 300 WSM loaded with Winchester 180 gr CT Fail Safes. Took my Savage model 99 in .308 as a backup gun in case anything happened to my Savage. I had it loaded with the same Fail Safes as the 300 just a lot slower. Dad decided he did not want to bring his 06 so I told him he could use one of mine I suggested the 300 but he wanted to use the .308.

We were about 100 yards away and dad shot at his buffalo, unfortunatly he hit it a little bit low in the neck - the Fail Safe sailed right through. It looked like a drain open on the Buff but it would not drop. Incrdible how tough they are. Anyway as soon as it was wounded the others gathered around and we could not get a followup shot to drop it. I could see it through the scope still pouring blood - how they still stand I don't know and after 10 min dad told me if I get a clear shot to drop it. Anyway I finally had a clear shot put the crosshairs behind the eye and below the ear and fired the buff dropped like a ton of bricks.

Next I had my turn but it was not nearly as dramatic, I spotted the one I wanted and waited for it to get in a good position. Same basic shot, right behind the eye and below the ear - drops in its tracks. Both the shots went right through I would have liked to see what the Fail Safe looked like after doing its work.

Edit - Caped out the Skull this morning - I found these just under the skin after a complete pass through. Looks like only the lead in the steel cup made it all the way through both sides. These fragments were on the far side after passing through 2 inches of bone - the brain then another 2 inches of bone(Complete pass through the skull). I wonder how another bullet would have fared.

Sure hope you folks like buff burgers!

Did you ever find the processor you were looking for?

Great hunt - imagine after they dropped it was all solid work.

Sure hope you folks like buff burgers!

Did you ever find the processor you were looking for?

Great hunt - imagine after they dropped it was all solid work.

We ended up going with 4 peaks game processing. Checked out their facility which is clean. Prices we found ranged from .45 a pound in Camp Verde to .83 for Farabies. Four peaks was .65 a a pound and he is aging it for 2 weeks.

For future reference, there's a commercial packing plant down in Queen Creek (Combs Rd, just west of Schnepf Rd) that does wild game processing that looks clean, also. Never taken anything there, so don't know what the prices are.

azshooter -

Congrats on your buffalo!

As to the Failsafe, although they dropped the buffalo, I would be unhappy with the way the one you recovered held together.

I suspect a Barnes "X" (same basic design but with a solid rear section) would have held together better and probably exited after the "X" petals broke off.

The Speer Trophy Bonded and North Fork bullets also have a solid rear section but with a bonded lead core up front, and I suspect these would have fared better as well.

Don't know about the Swift A-Frame, as the rear core is not bonded in place.

4" of bone is a tough medium. I think I would have preferred to start with something bigger than a 180g bullet.

Just my completely inexperienced opinion!

azshooter -

Congrats on your buffalo!

As to the Failsafe, although they dropped the buffalo, I would be unhappy with the way the one you recovered held together.

I suspect a Barnes "X" (same basic design but with a solid rear section) would have held together better and probably exited after the "X" petals broke off.

The Speer Trophy Bonded and North Fork bullets also have a solid rear section but with a bonded lead core up front, and I suspect these would have fared better as well.

Don't know about the Swift A-Frame, as the rear core is not bonded in place.

4" of bone is a tough medium. I think I would have preferred to start with something bigger than a 180g bullet.

Just my completely inexperienced opinion!

That seems to be a tough one to call. Looking at the design I don't know if anything other than a solid could handle the impact. http://www.nosler.com/failsafe.html In the picture you can probably make out that I found three of the four pedals - no sign of the steel cup of lead which is what I assume went out the exit hole.

The condition of the skull was ... best word seems to be horrific. The cape was the only thing holding the back of the skull on and it was cleanly fractured all the way down the front to past the eyes. The buffalo never knew what hit it.

Neat, would love to do that one of these days. Have a box of 19 rounds for my .458 (only ever shot one besides my reloads, LOL)..... now that would be a worthy critter to use it on!!!!

Great info. I just love that 1st hand bullet performance stuff.