Recommended Ammo for .375 H&H?

[mark-hunter]

Hi mark-hunter,

Thank you for your ABC Hirtenberger bullets history!
By the way, this could explains the similarity, external, with the actual Slovenian FOX Bullets.

This is correct! Thanks for mentioning.

Fox has 375 bullet on offer. Sadly, they dont have bigger calibers produced yet.
You just reminded me to see availability and test this.

 

[IvW]

What I read is at worst heavier plains game like an eland, which honestly can be taken with a good 30 caliber round.

The 375 is the heavyweight of medium bores. At that point, go with a spire point bullet to give you a little better ballistics for those 100-200 yard shots. If you hand load, a 260 gr Nosler Partition or Accubond or a 270 gr. Barnes LRX would pile drive any plains game. While I'm all for monometal or bonded bullets, In all honesty with that caliber and hunting plains game even basic cup and core bullets would do well, like the 270 gr. Remington Core-Lokt ammo.

It is fast enough with 300gr bullets out to 300 yards no problem and no need for spire point bullets and lower weight and performing bullets. Just stick to 300gr and you will be fine....my 2c

 

[jnmullins]

I used 300gr TSX in my 375 last year on my hunt with Limcroma Safaris. They worked great on a blesbok, an impala, zebra, wildebeest and a cow wildebeest. The cow wildebeest was the only one to stop on of the bullets and it was under the skin on her far hip after I shot her in the near shoulder as she quartered hard toward me. It was nicely mushroomed and performed well.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Has any one had any joy with the Hornady DGX?

I used Hornady 300gr DGS and DGS in my 375H&H on my last African safaris in 2021. I have no problem with the on the proper size game.

I consider mongoose to Not Be, the proper size game, using 300gr DGX at 20 to 30 feet distances....makes a nasty exit hole and requires an exceptional taxidermist like the one I had in RSA to do an exceptionally pleasing full body mount.

 

[skydiver386]

Looking for advice. I will be going on my first African plains game hunt in June of 2025. I plan on using a 375 H&H for the bigger / thicker skinned animals (not cape buffalo). The platform will be a Ruger #1 w/ 3x9 Leopold.

What does the experienced hunters recommend? Thank you in advance.

I like the idea of using the factory 300 grain Barnes X for everything. The ammo is available for a reasonable cost, seems to give excellent accuracy in a wide variety of rifles, doesn't require any trajectory variables that you might have with different bullets weights, and best of all, it does a great job on nearly everything. If you put the bullet where it needs to go, it will do the job from Duikers to Dugga Boys.

 

[Tom Leoni]

Here's a different perspective from a .375 fanatic. Take it as you wish. I honestly think that the current factory offerings for the .375 severely limit the versatility of this wonderful chambering. The .375 is not exclusively a big/dangerous game round, and as such, should not be limited (or mostly limited) to its 300gr guise, as it seems to be for most factory ammo producers.

For a variety of plains game, especially in a 7.3/4-lb light rifle like the Ruger No. 1, I see very few reasons to use a 300-grain bullet and several reasons not to (recoil, overpenetration and meat damage being the main ones). If you don't handload, Hornady makes the 270gr Superformance, which I see as a great way to maximize the usefulness of this cartridge.

But the .375 H&H comes mostly into its own with handloading. For game up to eland, zebra and wildebeest, bullets such as Barnes' 250gr TTSX, Swift's 250gr A-Frame or my personal favorite, Speer's 270gr Boat-Tail soft point--all pushed at velocities between 2,500 and 2,700 f/s--will yield a point-blank range of 250-plus-yards, low recoil, controlled penetration and fantastic killing power.

I see using the .375 with a 300gr bullet for plains game as putting a pickup on a Stradivarius. Yes, you will hear the sound just fine, but you will lose the nuance and versatility of a wonderful, perfectly-designed instrument.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Here's a different perspective from a .375 fanatic. Take it as you wish. I honestly think that the current factory offerings for the .375 severely limit the versatility of this wonderful chambering. The .375 is not exclusively a big/dangerous game round, and as such, should not be limited (or mostly limited) to its 300gr guise, as it seems to be for most factory ammo producers.

For a variety of plains game, especially in a 7.3/4-lb light rifle like the Ruger No. 1, I see very few reasons to use a 300-grain bullet and several reasons not to (recoil, overpenetration and meat damage being the main ones). If you don't handload, Hornady makes the 270gr Superformance, which I see as a great way to maximize the usefulness of this cartridge.

But the .375 H&H comes mostly into its own with handloading. For game up to eland, zebra and wildebeest, bullets such as Barnes' 250gr TTSX, Swift's 250gr A-Frame or my personal favorite, Speer's 270gr Boat-Tail soft point--all pushed at velocities between 2,500 and 2,700 f/s--will yield a point-blank range of 250-plus-yards, low recoil, controlled penetration and fantastic killing power.

I see using the .375 with a 300gr bullet for plains game as putting a pickup on a Stradivarius. Yes, you will hear the sound just fine, but you will lose the nuance and versatility of a wonderful, perfectly-designed instrument.

Completely agree. I love the 250gr TBBC. I still have a few boxes left.

 

[Clodo Ferreira]

Hi,

For big game the size of many african "plains game", I have used the Nosler Accubond and Partition 260 grs and Barnes X 250 and 270 grs. Plus the more "plain" Hornady Spire Point 270 grs and Sierra Game King 250 grs.
Of all of these, I would select the Nosler Accubond 260 grs or the Barnes TTSX 250 grs at 2800 f/s.
For use only one bullet for all plains game and even bigger game, like bufalo, the Barnes X 270 grs at 2700 f/s would be my choice!