Hornady 250 GMX in a .375 Ruger

[Viral_SIGness]

Has anyone used the Outfitter ammo from Hornady in their .375 Ruger or H&H ?

I'm curious how the 250 grain GMX works on Whitetail up to Elk, Moose, and Brownies. Would it be suitable for Plains game on the Dark Continent, or would a 300gr Barnes TTSX be better?

Thanks!

 

[USMA84DAB]

Have some similar data for you - used the .375 Ruger with Barnes TTSX 250 grain this past fall on a whitetail doe.

I was going to carry the 270s when I went this next month, until Chinese Flu wrecked the hunting world for 2020. Since I haven't been to Africa for hunting yet, will let those more qualified opine as to the .375 Ruger's suitability for African critters.

These show exit wound with hide and without hide.

 

[Luederitz]

250grs TTSX will work properly in plains game!
My gunsmith used the 250grs TTSX in his .378 Wea Mag and is satisfied.
The 250grs provide a perfect match of muzzle speed and bullet weight / length.

An alternative could be the 270grs A-Frame, which I use in the 9,5x66SE (see cartidge in the middle, very similar to the .375 Ruger). Great performance on plains game.

 

[Ridgewalker]

Can’t help you on the Hornady GMX, but I have used the 250 Barnes TTSX on several animals in Africa with excellent performance! The only one I that wasn’t a pass through was a quartering frontal shot on an eland. It destroyed the left front shoulder then passed through the top of the heart and bottom of the lugs. Ended just under the offside skin.
Some of the game taken were the eland, sable, crocodile, warthog, black wildebeest, and several others.
It would probably work up to Cape buffalo under the right conditions (broad side), but I’d prefer the “bigger is better” bullet choice of 300-350 grain.

All that said, I would suspect the GMX would perform the same. JMO, but no experience with it.

Best of luck in your decision! You might call or email Hornady and check their experience on plains game.

 

[Viral_SIGness]

You guys are incredibly helpful here! I think I'm going to like this forum. I asked about the Hornady's because I haven't gotten set back up for reloading yet, and will probably use them for deer next season.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Has anyone used the Outfitter ammo from Hornady in their .375 Ruger or H&H ?

I'm curious how the 250 grain GMX works on Whitetail up to Elk, Moose, and Brownies. Would it be suitable for Plains game on the Dark Continent, or would a 300gr Barnes TTSX be better?

Thanks!

I have used the 250gr version of the North Fork bonded cores on PG in South Africa. They work great. My hunt last year, I only took my 375HH and these rounds. I will never forget the scene on a Blue Wildebeest, it was like from a horror movie with all the blood.

I also took a Sable on that hunt. One shot broadside right on the shoulder, heart shot for sure. Sable ran around in a circle, dying close to where he was standing when shot.

So all things considered, I'd hunt yet again with the 250's. However, my friend @AZ KJ was on the same trip. Long story short, I had loaded 300gr North Forks for him prior to his moving to Texas a few months before our trip.

After all was said and done, I have decided to defer to the wisdom of @Red Leg and to keep things simple in the future. As long as North Fork (who is coming back into business now) or Swift make their 300gr bonded bullets, that will be the load and only load for my 375HH. There is much to be said for keeping things simple.

The 300gr load will run at 2550fps and will still hit hard at 300 yards on the rare occasion you need to shoot that far in Africa. Just something to consider as an alternative, but you'll be fine either way.

 

[Viral_SIGness]

I have used the 250gr version of the North Fork bonded cores on PG in South Africa. They work great. My hunt last year, I only took my 375HH and these rounds. I will never forget the scene on a Blue Wildebeest, it was like from a horror movie with all the blood.

I also took a Sable on that hunt. One shot broadside right on the shoulder, heart shot for sure. Sable ran around in a circle, dying close to where he was standing when shot.

So all things considered, I'd hunt yet again with the 250's. However, my friend @AZ KJ was on the same trip. Long story short, I had loaded 300gr North Forks for him prior to his moving to Texas a few months before our trip.

After all was said and done, I have decided to defer to the wisdom of @Red Leg and to keep things simple in the future. As long as North Fork (who is coming back into business now) or Swift make their 300gr bonded bullets, that will be the load and only load for my 375HH. There is much to be said for keeping things simple.

The 300gr load will run at 2550fps and will still hit hard at 300 yards on the rare occasion you need to shoot that far in Africa. Just something to consider as an alternative, but you'll be fine either way.

I've always been a heavy for caliber guy. I ran 250 grains in my .338 Win Mag, 200-210 grains in my .300, so honestly, I was going to ask about using the 350 grain TSX on everything. But I came into here with an open mind and ready to learn.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I've always been a heavy for caliber guy. I ran 250 grains in my .338 Win Mag, 200-210 grains in my .300, so honestly, I was going to ask about using the 350 grain TSX on everything. But I came into here with an open mind and ready to learn.

My only concern with the 350gr TSX would be that it's an awfully long bullet. Can you push it fast enough to stabilize? Only one way to tell and that would be to load it up and shoot it. If it is accurate and impact velocity sufficient to open it up, it would be devastating I'm sure.

 

[Ridgewalker]

Viral_SIGness, I have used the Barnes 300 TSX on Cape buffalo down to bushbuck and bushpig, but I honestly believe a 300 Swift A-frame is a bit more universal. I also like the Federal TBBC and NorthFork bullets with the solid copper rear and bonded tips. They also have a better range of expansion and penetration. JMO

 

[Red Leg]

As @PHOENIX PHIL suggests, I am pretty much a 300 gr guy in a .375. It just seems perfectly balanced in that caliber and has proven absolutely lethal for me on everything from Suni to Cape Buffalo as close or far as I care to shoot it. I personally have no interest in hunting deer or elk with a .375, but the gr of the bullet would hardly matter (particularly on a deer). It simply needs to be accurate. If I were going to use a .375 purely for plains game, then I might very well consider a 270 gr bullet. You would have a bit more reach than the 300 and the TSX seems family seem to perform just a bit better with every foot per sec of added velocity down range. If I am going to use a 250 gr bullet, then I'll grab my .338. The terminal ballistics seem to ideally favor that caliber over the .375 with that bullet weight. Remember, bullet weight and MV are only two of the variables determining what a projectile is doing 250 - 300 meters down range at point of impact.

 

[375Fox]

https://www.africahunting.com/threads/my-375-h-h-load-for-bull-elk.55926/#post-640843
This might be a good post for you to look at. I shoot 250 TTSX for plainsgame and 300 grain swifts for heavy game.

 

[375Fox]

My PH in Caprivi said the 250 grain GMX is a very good bullet as well. More or less same as TTSX.

 

[IvW]

Can somebody please explain to me why there is a need to load a 375 H&H with 250 gr bullets unless it is exclusively for use beyond 300 yards in which case there are better calibers for the job anyway?

You lose too much meat.....a quarter of that whitetail is dog food....

If you are going to hunt Brownies(I am again presuming that this means grizzlies) surely the choice needs to fall on a 300gr bullet?

 

[IvW]

If you cannot hit it at 300 yards with a 300gr bullet step down in caliber and spend some time at the shooting range....

The 338 WM comes to mind as the perfect caliber for use with 250 gr bullets at longer range....

 

[375Fox]

With all copper bullets, lighter seems to shoot most accurately. If I can get the same performance from a 250 grain with my 375 why should I buy a 338? There is a 6” difference in the point of impact at 100 yards with my 250 grain TTSXs vs my 300 grain Swift A frames. It’s as good as having two rifles to me.

 

[IvW]

With all copper bullets, lighter seems to shoot most accurately. If I can get the same performance from a 250 grain with my 375 why should I buy a 338? There is a 6” difference in the point of impact at 100 yards with my 250 grain TTSXs vs my 300 grain Swift A frames. It’s as good as having two rifles to me.

At what range? do you get the same performance?

6 inches? Left or right or up and down?

 

[IvW]

Has anyone used the Outfitter ammo from Hornady in their .375 Ruger or H&H ?

I'm curious how the 250 grain GMX works on Whitetail up to Elk, Moose, and Brownies. Would it be suitable for Plains game on the Dark Continent, or would a 300gr Barnes TTSX be better?

Thanks!

At ranges up to and including 300 yards the 300 gr bullet is all you need after that there are better cartridges for the job.....the same would apply in US.

 

[375Fox]

At what range? do you get the same performance?

6 inches? Left or right or up and down?

Here are my numbers all at same scope setting. I was preparing for a end of season hippo/plains game hunt in Caprivi and brought along the heavier bullets in case option was presented to go after a buffalo or own use elephant. The TTSX shoot consistently 4 shots touching at 100, the swifts around an inch to 1.5”, the DGS shoot the worst groups I’ve ever seen so my numbers there are best guesses past 25 yards.

250 TTSX handloads 2800 FPS
25 yards: -1”
50 yards: -0.5”
100 yards: 0.25”
200 yards: -6.5”
300 yards: -19”

300 DGS Hornady factory ammo
25: -2
50: -2.5
100: -6

300 Swift A Frame Swift factory ammo
25: -1.75
50: -2.5
100: -5.5

 

[IvW]

Here are my numbers all at same scope setting. I was preparing for a end of season hippo/plains game hunt in Caprivi and brought along the heavier bullets in case option was presented to go after a buffalo or own use elephant. The TTSX shoot consistently 4 shots touching at 100, the swifts around an inch to 1.5”, the DGS shoot the worst groups I’ve ever seen so my numbers there are best guesses past 25 yards.

250 TTSX handloads 2800 FPS
25 yards: -1”
50 yards: -0.5”
100 yards: 0.25”
200 yards: -6.5”
300 yards: -19”

300 DGS Hornady factory ammo
25: -2
50: -2.5
100: -6

300 Swift A Frame Swift factory ammo
25: -1.75
50: -2.5
100: -5.5

What is the speed on the Swift loads?

 

[375Fox]

What is the speed on the Swift loads?

Swift says 2503 FPS, but I’ve never chronographed them through my Sako kodiak. There is a noticeable difference in recoil between them and the Hornady ammunition so they are loaded hotter than Hornady.