Hunting with dangerous game cartridges outside of Africa?

[Hunt anything]

Since I bought my .375 Ruger in 2013 I’ve used it exclusively on feral pigs and whitetail, probably shot 30-40 animals outside of Africa with it.
Started off using 270 grain bullets but had a lot of meat damage but when I moved up to the 300 grain bullets that I use in Africa I’ve had a lot less lost meat, even less waist from the 375 than my 7mm Remington mag.

 

[ET1775]

Be careful if you are using 350gr TSX in 375H&H.
I would love to hear your report on them though.

I believe I’ve listened to a podcast with Dr. Robertson - who is a supporter of heavy for caliber bullets - cautioning especially about this specific Barnes combination.

From all the bullets manufacturers of 350gr 375H&H, Barnes is the one that got it spectacularly wrong. They simply elongated the bullets to gain the desired weight, but did not changed the basic design of the bullet.

Everybody else (Woodleigh as an example since you have experience with them) have changed the design to account for the different terminal ballistic of the heavier bullet launched at a lower velocity. Barnes did not. You might be surprised to find out that the 300gr are actually a better performer that 350gr.

Should be fantastic if you could compare them side by side and share with us the result.

That is good to know. Do you know if the 235gr TSX are similar or better designed?

 

[sureshot375]

I’ll pretty much shoot anything that walks close enough with my double.

It been posted before, but here is a crappy cell phone video of a deer I shot several years back.

Double Rifle Deer

 

[Hififile324]

I use my Winchester Model 70, .375 H&H for deer and Elk and Hogs. I load the Speer 270gr. BTSP at 2660 fps. It has the same trajectory as my .308, pleasant to shoot, accurate, and puts game down "DRT". It can also be loaded up to .30-06 velocities but I see no need.

 

[V.Veritas]

That is good to know. Do you know if the 235gr TSX are similar or better designed?

I believe it is a similar design, hence it is no better nor worse. It all boils down to the SD and the terminal velocity. 235 gr TSX has a low SD and high terminal/impact velocity.

If it hits the target within the designed velocity envelope it will work great for medium size game as long as very deep penetration is not a requirement (which it will lack due to low SD), like in a double lung side shot.

The 350 gr has a very high SD, but since it was not designed for the lower terminal velocity, it will not open up more than a 300 gr TSX striking at a higher velocity. Hence it will not create a larger wound channel and more likely than not, it will be a narrower one.

The 300 gr TSX stands hence as a better performer since it will provide all the penetration required even for a frontal shot with a wider would channel.

 

[colorado]

Used my 375 on a brown bear did the job.

 

[rifletuner]

I enjoy hunting non DG with my different rifles. I have always had a lot of success using various calibre rifles. The reality is that I shoot a lot more non-dg animals with those rifles than actual DG.

I have shot a lot of feral pigs with 9.3x62,, 9.3x64, 375H&H and 450 Ackley. I used to burn up leftover 450 ammo loaded with 500 grain Woodleigh RNSN on pigs when I came back from an african trip.

I carried my 375H&H on a general bag South African trip using 250gn Barnes X using my own hand loads. Performance on everything was great. I took 8 species, from springbok & blesbok up to zebra.

I pretty routinely carry my 9.3x62, 375H&H or 416Rem on sambar deer hunts. When my 500A2 is finally finished, I will carry that for sambar too.

 

[Northern Shooter]

I would think 300 meters would be doable, with the right bullet at the right velocity.

I have for several years, regularly used the 20" barrel 375 & 416 Rugers for moose. My shot visibility is normally restricted to about 230 yards. For my bullet, considering bc, design & construction, and impact velocity; I consider my 416 a 250 yard rifle.

Approximately 80 yards is the farthest distance that I have shot a moose with a 416.
~180 yards is the longest for the 375. The closest for both, 25 yards or less.

I also consider my 458 Lott an easy 250 yard moose-rifle. My thanks for that load goes to @michael458.

Impressive, I always thought of the 458s as a 100-150m cartridge.

If the Lott is capable of 250 I'm sure the 416s are effective at 300m+ given the higher B.C.

 

[ldmay375]

Impressive, I always thought of the 458s as a 100-150m cartridge.

If the Lott is capable of 250 I'm sure the 416s are effective at 300m+ given the higher B.C.

As you well know, all dependent on the particularly bullet bc and acceptable impact velocity.

The 458 Lott with the 404 grain Shock Hammer, of Hammer Bullets, has pretty good trajectory with a set & forget 2" high at 100 yards. They estimate the bc at .419 and I believe use 1800 fps impact for the bullet to perform as designed. For my humble ballistic calculator, I use a bc of .400 and a desired impact velocity of ~1950-2000 fps, with a conservative 2500 fps muzzle velocity.
I have not confirmed the trajectory on target. Though, I confirmed have that velocity and more easily, from my 24" barrel Lott.

I still have work to do with a 22" barrel Lott. One must keep in mind, that chamber throat lengths in the Lott can vary considerably. Pre SAAMI, after SAAMI, and non-SAAMI / Custom / 458 Winchester re-chambers.

 

[ldmay375]

The above first sentence should have included muzzle velocity.

I am highly partial to monolithic bullets. I try to ensure that my maximum expected impact will be within their effective design range. The above .375 calibers, I chose 250 yards, because 230 yards is probably my absolute maximum shot opportunity where I presently hunt. ~180 yards is more likely my probable longest distance.

As to my 20" 416 Ruger, I have used the 350 grain TSX. But, I finally acquired a decent amount of the 350 grain TTSX, which I will finalize my load once winter is mostly over.

I also have some trial loads for the 325 grain Shock Hammer and the 325 grain CEB Maximus. If things work out as I hope, I think the 325 Maximus may become my bullet of choice. The Maximus's bc reportedly is very close to the 350 grain TTSX.

I would also consider the 300 grain TSX & Shock Hammer bullets. Appears some folks are very happy with them. Their potential muzzle velocity may very well make up for bc reduction for 300 meters.

 

[Safari Dave]

If I could only have one rifle for hunting everything in the world, it would be a .375 H&H.


Then, a .22 Long Rifle.

Then, a .30/06 Springfield.


After that, it's "Katy bar the door!"

 

[Happy Myles]

I stay trained with my 500 Jeffery to use on the occasional rogue Lagomorph lurking in the sage and rimrock

 

[Rule 303]

I have used my 416 Rigby and 375H&H on some very dangerous animals here, feral cats, rabbits but mainly on pigs. I have used the 416 R on Camels.

Makes good practice before going after the big stuff.

 

[Jarrah]

I live in Australia and hunt all manner of local game with a .458 Lott and find it to be most satisfactory.

Be sure to use the most frangible light weight bullets you can find loaded to the highest possible velocity with the intention that those big heavy bullets will presumably dump all of that energy almost immediately upon impact.

If you are hunting deer for meat though, well I wish you all the best.. solids seem to bore a nice neat hole without excessive meat damage, however if those big heavy bullets hit bone it's reasonable to expect a mess. Any kind of fast frangible round on the other hand may potentially remove limbs and leave excessively large exit holes, and I do mean large. It should be noted that every (non buffalo) animal I have seen hit here with one of my big calibers has been instantly anchored on the spot and usually very dead, also good insurance for a less than perfect shot too as after a certain caliber size and at close range pretty much no matter where you hit a small animal it is going down regardless.

I once watched a small crouched down feeding kangaroo hit lengthways that was instantly field-dressed with one frontal shot from a .375 Weatherby magnum, it looked like it had been neatly cut down the middle and cleaned out by a professional butcher.

In conclusion hunting small animals with big bores is loads of fun and if you have the opportunity I highly reccomend it. Sure there may not be lions over here but there's still plenty of entertainment to be had going into the scrub after big hogs, buffalo or going after packs of feral dogs alone up ridgelines by yourself on remote rural farming properties surrounded by endless wilderness (the property upon which I most commonly hunt accurately fits this description) it never gets old!

 

[Grumpy gumpy]

I don’t know why I just remembered this but once in Tasmania I shot a possum out of a tree, from about ten feet with the 458 winmag using a 300 gn hollow point. It seemed to vaporise into the air.......sort of aerial pink mist with chunks.... at the time I wasn’t sure I had enough gun......
gumpy

 

[Jarrah]

at the time I wasn’t sure I had enough gun......

and now you're older you know for certain that you didn't!

 

[Grumpy gumpy]

and now you're older you know for certain that you didn't!

Well, I did just build a 404 Jeffrey.....
gumpy

 

[Jarrah]

Dead is dead, I like using bigger than normal bore rifles on everything. Africa type rifles are just cool to use, carry, and look at.

^^^this!

 

[bobdahunter84]

I'm going to bring my 375 h&h to new foundland to pair with my 338 win mag for moose and black bear this fall.

I'd certainly bring my 416 and/or 458 lott when i get the opportunity for brown bear.

Never have done hogs, but sounds like fun with a 416.

Biggest I've ever used on whitetail was 338. The last few years ive used 7mm weatherby. But this post is making me think about bringing the 375 h&h just for fun.

 

[Huntsmans Bane]

I can't see any reason why a 400 to 450 grain cast bullet would not settle the hash of most anything in Africa, excepting the really big guys like elephants, rhino.