Effective range for a .375 H & H

[Wyatt Smith]

I sight my 375HH at 200 meters with great accuracy I was using 300g Sierras and am now trying Swifts just to see if there is a touch more FPS and if the group will be even tighter. It also seem that my Whitworth likes Win 760 or 748 over the other powders I have tried

I just sold a Winchester on here that loved a 300 grain Sierra with H414/W760 behind it. One grain above the minimum load gave me 2500 FPS and a one inch group at 100 yards.

 

[BeeMaa]

That's what my PH told me on judging eland. The bigger the tuft, the older he is.

Update - We got some paperwork back on our trophies with SCI scoring.
The Eland is 90 5/8 SCI Gold, the Gemsbok is 92 4/8 SCI Silver.
Our importer sent an email and said the trophies will be shipping this month.
Mrs BeeMaa is psyched.

 

[Major Khan]

With the Winchester Western brand 300 grain factory loaded cartridges and Remington Peters brand 300 grain factory loaded cartridges , which my clients would bring to India for shikar ( From 1961 - 1970 ) ... Acceptable range was roughly 275 yards , in the hands of a competent shooter . The most accurate .375 Holland & Holland magnum caliber rifle was actually a Remington Model 700 “ Classic “ rifle , wearing a Weaver K series telescopic sight ( Not too high magnification ) .

 

[Newboomer]

Update - We got some paperwork back on our trophies with SCI scoring.
The Eland is 90 5/8 SCI Gold, the Gemsbok is 92 4/8 SCI Silver.
Our importer sent an email and said the trophies will be shipping this month.
Mrs BeeMaa is psyched.

Fantastic!! Congrats on both counts.

 

[bruce moulds]

With the Winchester Western brand 300 grain factory loaded cartridges and Remington Peters brand 300 grain factory loaded cartridges , which my clients would bring to India for shikar ( From 1961 - 1970 ) ... Acceptable range was roughly 275 yards , in the hands of a competent shooter . The most accurate .375 Holland & Holland magnum caliber rifle was actually a Remington Model 700 “ Classic “ rifle , wearing a Weaver K series telescopic sight ( Not too high magnification ) .

275 yards is a nebulous figure without a criteria.
that might be true for a 270 gn spitzer bullet with a point blank range of +/- 3" trajectory.
but it depends on velocity and b.c. to some degree.
a round nose will not achieve that trajectory.
also if you include allowing to aim high past the point blank range things are extended.
bruce.

 

[Nhoro]

Are they trying to protect people from being shot at with softpoints because they believe a solid would be less harmful? In .375 H&H mag??? Please!

Yep! if you happen to shoot a burgler with it, they want to make sure he will make a full recovery. That way, he cant sue you over not being able to practice his trade.

They are hoping that you will shoot the burglar, his 3 accomplices,3 walls and then the neighbour and his cat,budgie and goldfish in one lucky shot. Don't you read Pondoro ?

 

[rookhawk]

With the Winchester Western brand 300 grain factory loaded cartridges and Remington Peters brand 300 grain factory loaded cartridges , which my clients would bring to India for shikar ( From 1961 - 1970 ) ... Acceptable range was roughly 275 yards , in the hands of a competent shooter . The most accurate .375 Holland & Holland magnum caliber rifle was actually a Remington Model 700 “ Classic “ rifle , wearing a Weaver K series telescopic sight ( Not too high magnification ) .

@Major Khan those old rifles were more accurate than that. The ammo was very poor. No doubt with modern ammo your opinion on distanceS that are acceptable would increase to 350 yards.

 

[fourfive8]

Might be able to stretch the MPBR (a simple max, best case trajectory scenario) for larger animals out past 300 but it would call for more guessing and luck- not the best combination for shooting/hunting under field conditions. I like Major Khan's 275 yd opinion for maximum and will go with that. For what a 375 is best for, if it is farther than 300, hunt closer and take a better shot with much more certainty of outcome or don't shoot at all. Pretty simple really.

Here's a trajectory table (c/o JBM Ballistics) for average 375 HH ammo.... 2500 fps muzzle, 300 gr round nose design, modest BC of .275 to cover most bullets including round noses, scope height 1.4", 1000 ft elevation std atmosphere, 200 yd zero and +2.9 " @ 100 yds.

 

[RayAtkinson]

To simplify your post, the 375 will duplicate the 30-06 In trajectory or at least close enough for""" guvment work"

 

[Paul Homsy]

When we qualify the effective range of the .375 H&H what are we using it for? We could really wring it out with a 300-350gr VLD Mono to maybe 1000 yards depending on the target and ability to make the range. The CEB's look really good on paper. A 300gr coming out at 2600 fps is supersonic beyond 1500 yds with a .700 BC. A 320gr bullet at 2450-2500 is supersonic beyond 1700 yds with 1750 ft/lbs at 1000 yds. It's a really cool cartridge and it's over a hundred years old. I think the short answer is the cartridge is effective beyond the range of the average shooter's competence. I'm so happy with mine that I wish I had never purchased a .300WM.

Forrest, at what altitude? At sea level I get the 2600 fps 300 grains CEB bullet (B.C. .661) supersonic to 1150 yards. Or, it is supersonic to 1600 yards, but at 8000 feet of altitude. Most competitions take place at altitude and give different ballistics than those in the usual hunting field for that cartridge. If, boosting the speed to 2800 fps, (375 H&H Improved, Weatherby's entries, etc...) then it's supersonic to 1300 yards when shot from sea level.

 

[Forrest Halley]

Forrest, at what altitude? At sea level I get the 2600 fps 300 grains CEB bullet (B.C. .661) supersonic to 1150 yards. Or, it is supersonic to 1600 yards, but at 8000 feet of altitude. Most competitions take place at altitude and give different ballistics than those in the usual hunting field for that cartridge. If, boosting the speed to 2800 fps, (375 H&H Improved, Weatherby's entries, etc...) then it's supersonic to 1300 yards when shot from sea level.

@Paul Homsy you are correct. I got my wires crossed there somehow. My ballistic computer does use a value of .700 for the 300 grain bullet. I'm showing that I only need 2700 fps from sea level. Either way I do appreciate your entertainment of the .375 at long range.

 

[IvW]

If you know your rifle and the ballistics of the bullet/load of your chosen load 300 yards is not a problem. I know 300 yards for most of us is a long shot.

Having said that I well remember joining an outfitter I was freelancing for. Client had a Klipspringer on his list, we so happened to find one at about 300yards, client was a good friend of the outfitter. Outfitter said there you go no way of getting closer, client said it is too far, outfitter said aim here, client said now way, outfitter said I can shoot it from here with my 375 H&H(I know own that rifle a Original ZKK602), client said you kill it from here with that rifle, I will pay, outfitter shot it from here one shot, client paid, outfitter got a great klipspringer for the lodge....yes they are life long friends... but the moral of the story is know your rifle and what it can do...

 

[Newboomer]

My Win 70 with Barnes 235gr TSX is dead on out to 300 yds sighted 2" high at 100 yds. I have shot steel at FTW Ranch out to 700 yds with a spotter. That's a real rainbow trajectory and not something I would try elsewhere. I try to keep all my shots at 300 or less with all calibers in the field.

 

[IvW]

My Win 70 with Barnes 235gr TSX is dead on out to 300 yds sighted 2" high at 100 yds. I have shot steel at FTW Ranch out to 700 yds with a spotter. That's a real rainbow trajectory and not something I would try elsewhere. I try to keep all my shots at 300 or less with all calibers in the field.

Good advise and yes 375 H&H can easily reach to 300 yards, that is only about 270 meters....and it can do it with 300 gr bullets not light for caliber high velocity jobs......

 

[bruce moulds]

have observed that the 375 is a far more obvious killer at 100 than 300 yds.
distance does affect killing power.
bruce.

 

[Ed Lally]

I use 250gr Barnes TTSX in my R8 .375 with a Leupold 5HD 2-7 with CDS dial for PG and fun and consistently hit 6" steel at 300, 350 and beyond. Before CDS dials I had a ranging chart taped to my stock, however, judging 12" or 18" or more holdover at those ranges is the tricky part. A good scope with a ranging dual us worth a lot when a good hit on a great animal is at stake.

 

[IvW]

have observed that the 375 is a far more obvious killer at 100 than 300 yds.
distance does affect killing power.
bruce.

How do you come to that conclusion?
Same would be true for any caliber then or not?

 

[bruce moulds]

yes it is true for all calibres, and comes from observation in the field.
i think it comes from 3 things, these being, groups get bigger the further out you go, energy reduces with distance of flight, and possibly terminal performance changes as the bullet slows down.
using bigger calibres for the size of the game minimizes these effects.
as humans we tend to see the best as the norm, so 1 instant kill at long range is what we remember.
however in truth, statistically things we shoot closer seem to die much more suddenly that things shot at longer ranges.
bruce.

 

[IvW]

So how does this not make a 375 H&H effective for a hunter who knows his rifle and the cartridge he is using at 300 yards(270 meters) on a kudu bull at that range? Any other suggestions?

 

[IvW]

I think you are bored...