Best 375 H&H factory ammunition for thin skinned game?

[Shako Badhan]

I recently picked up a Safari Express in 375 H&H that came with a synthetic and wood stock. I want to make it my go to all round rifle for all but hunting DG. I was wondering what people’s thoughts were on what would be the best factory 375 H&H ammunition for thin skinned game that is currently available. The rifle will be used for North American big game as well as African plains game. I have a 458 Lott for the DG.

So I guess the question is this, 300 grain bullets or something like a 250 or 270? If I go with the 300 grain expanding or just stick to solids for the little guys?

 

[Philip Glass]

I would consider the 270g Barnes. This is what I am using in my .375 Ruger. It is very versatile!

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

With the 375 H&H's 4,000 foot pounds of energy, just about anything will kill thin skinned game.

On my recent trip to South Africa, I shot game from monkeys and a baboon to a buffalo with a 375 H&H. For bullets I used:
300 gr Barnes TSX for buffalo
275 gr Cutting Edge Safari Raptor for a lioness and planes game
285 gr Speer Grand Slam for a zebra, giraffe and other game

These all shot to within an inch point of impact at 100 meters.
I took both the 275 gr and 285 gr to try out the Grand Slams. I have a large stock of those factory seconds.

I made all good hits and everything dropped or dies in a few steps. All the bullets performed as they were designed to. Here is a detailed hunt report;
https://www.africahunting.com/threa...-tally-ho-hunting-safaris-october-2022.71692/

One could of course use lighter bullet weights but to keep it simple, I stuck to the tough 300 gr TSX for buffalo and heavy but softer bullets for lioness and plains game.

 

[Rem700stw]

Keep things simple. Load 300 grain Barnes TSX or Swift A-frame. Kill everything. Problem solved.

 

[dchum]

Hornady CX Outfitter 375 H&H Magnum 250gr Rifle Ammo - 20 Rounds

Hornady CX Outfitter 375 H&H Magnum 250gr Rifle Ammo - 20 Rounds - From the backcountry to the back-forty, trust your hunt to Outfitter ammunition. Featuring corrosion resistant nickel-plated cases that are sealed watertight and topped with the accurate and rugged CX bullet, Outfitter ammunition...

www.sportsmans.com

 

[YancyW]

270gr A-Frames really aren't too much different from the 300grs , but in my M70 they shoot lights out accurate, so I do use them. The 270 LRXs also shoot very well in the same rifle.

260gr Accubonds would work well, as would most anything else you use.

 

[Borderer]

Keep things simple. Load 300 grain Barnes TSX or Swift A-frame. Kill everything. Problem solved.

This is exactly what a friend of mine does. He uses 300gr TSX for everything from Impala upwards. But he does work on a DG camp, although his hunting is confined to camp meat most of the time.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

300Gr Nosler Partition. Hands down.

 

[Shako Badhan]

Hornady CX Outfitter 375 H&H Magnum 250gr Rifle Ammo - 20 Rounds

Hornady CX Outfitter 375 H&H Magnum 250gr Rifle Ammo - 20 Rounds - From the backcountry to the back-forty, trust your hunt to Outfitter ammunition. Featuring corrosion resistant nickel-plated cases that are sealed watertight and topped with the accurate and rugged CX bullet, Outfitter ammunition...

www.sportsmans.com

I was looking at those but I’ve heard mixed reviews. I would still be interested in trying them.

 

[chashardy]

300 gr. Swift A-frames either from Swift or Federal. Or Federal's Trophy Bonded Bear Claw if you can find it. Nosler partition also a great round.

 

[mdwest]

I used 260gr nosler partition Trophy Grade factory ammo on my first PG hunt... they did well on everything I shot with them (blesbok to waterbuck)..

https://www.nosler.com/375-h-h-mag-260gr-partition-trophy-grade-ammunition.html

These days I use 300 gr TSX exclusively in my 375... whether the quarry is impala or Cape Buffalo.. I know exactly how the bullet is going to fly and perform.. While I load my own, I have built my load to replicate the Barnex Vor-TX factory load (same projectile, same brass, same primer, shot at the same speed, etc..etc...)...

Barnes VOR-TX Safari 375 H&H Mag Ammo 300 Grain Barnes Triple-Shock X

Barnes bullets have historically had the reputation of offering quick, clean and humane kills. Now they are taking their highly regarded bullets to the...

www.midwayusa.com

 

[dchum]

I was looking at those but I’ve heard mixed reviews. I would still be interested in trying them.

The Hornady mono bullets are great. I can’t tell a difference between GMX and a Barnes.
The CX is just an upgraded GMX.
250 mono out a 375 would be a hammer on medium to light game.

 

[Shako Badhan]

Thanks all for the great feedback, I will probably buy a bit or each and see what the rifle likes best. Now I just have to track it all down.

 

[BeeMaa]

I'm currently using Barnes 300 grain TSX because it shoots best in my rifle. The only other bullets I'd consider for thin skin game are the Swift A-Frame, Federal TBBC, Norma Oryx or a different Barnes TSX. These are premium bullets that will not disappoint when the shot of a lifetime is upon you.

Personally I'd keep the 300 grain pill from any of these manufacturers so you have a proper buffalo load when the time comes. And yes, that time will come.

Best of luck and let us know how it goes.

 

[Aussie_Hunter]

I've even used quite a bit of just the standard old Federal Powershok blue box ammo on thin skinned game with my 375H&H, reasonably priced, has been accurate in my rifle and does the job just fine.

 

[Dinsdale]

I think all the suggestions here are good. Shot well over a hundred plainsgame with 300 Aframes as thats the only soft I load; great performance from tiny ten to eland.

what shoots well is what I’d go with.

 

[sierraone]

On my first trip over I used my M70 375 HH. Ammo used was Federal Blue Box 270 gr soft point. It was pretty cheap at the time in 2017. Dropped everything with one shot except for the one bad shot I made on a Blue Wildebeest.

 

[Sika98k]

I have to agree with the last two posts. 375 ammunition would be on a par with hen’s teeth in this neck of the world.
Federal blue box 270gr soft points was my choice or nothing.
Shoots fine out of my Browning A Bolt and has dropped African plains game and wild boar in Europe with good results.

 

[Red Leg]

I use 300 gr A Frame (Federal factory load) for everything in Africa except the tiny ten for which I use solids. I would be served just as well with the TSX. I like to keep things simple and not use multiple loads of different weights. A quality 300 gr bullet handles everything.

All that said, were I taking a .375 on a pure PG or North American hunt, I would probably opt for a 270 gr bullet.

 

[Safari Dave]

I would keep it simple and buy Hornady Outfitter 250 grain factory ammo ($70/box of 20).

It would be plenty for any plains game and anything in North America

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