your favorite .375 solid?

[Royal27]

looks like budsgunshop.com is only selling Barnes solids to people who pay for their special membership.

-matt

Keep watching. That comes and goes. It wasn't there last night. I'm not a member.

 

[matt85]

I just ordered a box of CEB 300gr solids, if you order strait from their website the price is reasonable. ($69 shipped for 50)

I don't actually intend to use solids on my upcoming buffalo hunt but id like to have a solid load worked up just in case I ever feel like using it. you also never know when the ATF will get a wild hair up there butt and start banning more bullets.

-matt

 

[graybird]

I've got a load that will shoot the 300 gr DGS using Ramshot Hunter into groups 0.5-0.75" ridiculously and boringly consistent. Also, working on a Barnes 300 gr TSX that is shaping up to be in that 0.75-1.0" range roughly an inch higher POI.

These will be my two loads for PG in my 375 this June.

 

[uplander01]

Noticed some of you guys mentioned North Fork. I agree these are a very good bullet, whether the softs, or solids. I like the flat meplat on the solids....I hit a buff last year at 40 yards with 375 HH, 350gr flat point solid and lets just say it really really worked. I am going to try a cup point solid from these guys on my next trip. On my last trip to Moz I used 350's in my 375 exclusively on everything, worked perfect. My buddy had one of his bags get lost, happened to be the one with the his ammo, so he had to use my back up ammo which were the woodleigh 350's. Worked well for him except one of the PP came apart and there wasn't much left, maybe 40-50% weight retention.

Just as a note for the hand loaders reading the thread....I have had really good luck with 68 grains of IMR 4320, yes, 4320, with the full line of 350 bullets whether they be NF or woodleighs. Single digit deviation in velocities and right at 2300fps, POI shift minimal between softs and solids. For some reason with the woodleighs the load needs to be 1gr less with the solids to keep POI in same group with softs. H414 works well also, but hodgdon powder has been hard to get.

 

[Matt_WY]

Reviving an old thread here ... have people's opinions changed?

Barnes - looks to not be available in 375
North Fork - wow. they are proud of those!
CEB - potentially a good option
Nosler - has anybody used their solids?
Swift - i think their breakaway solids are new. quite pricey. anybody used them?
Federal - sledgehammers are still available, reasonable option

barring other input, I'll probably start by comparing the CEB, Federal and Nosler

 

[Red Leg]

I believe the best, by some meaningful margin, is the Woodleigh Hydro. Close second would be the North Fork. The Woodleigh acts like a solid, but does more damage. I have used it on game in both North America (bear) and Africa. They too are not cheap. However, if you are trying to close out negotiations with an angry buffalo or tusker, they are a pretty darn inexpensive investment. A good SP like an A-Frame or TSX is my preferred first shot on buffalo (along with second and third), but the Hydro is a superior choice as a follow-up round if you prefer a solid.

 

[Matt_WY]

I believe the best, by some meaningful margin, is the Woodleigh Hydro.

Cool. I'll ad those to my list!

 

[IdaRam]

Reviving an old thread here ... have people's opinions changed?

Barnes - looks to not be available in 375
North Fork - wow. they are proud of those!
CEB - potentially a good option
Nosler - has anybody used their solids?
Swift - i think their breakaway solids are new. quite pricey. anybody used them?
Federal - sledgehammers are still available, reasonable option

barring other input, I'll probably start by comparing the CEB, Federal and Nosler

I haven’t shot the CEB’s in .375 cal but I have shot the .416’s and .458’s. My RSM in .416 Rigby loves both the solids and Raptors. Another positive, both shoot to same point of impact.
100 yard 3 shot group .416 400 gr solid

Performance on game has been very good as well. I shot an elephant in Zim last year with the 400 gr solids. My first shot missed the brain, slightly low. My follow up shot was through both lungs. In one side and out the other, complete pass through.
I also shot an Eland with the 370 gr Raptor. First shot was a frontal shot and it penetrated full length, exited the belly skin and actually ended up IN the scrotum. Ouch! Next shot was going away and also penetrated full length and exited the throat.
So I guess the cautionary note with the CEB’s (Raptors or Solids) is, be very careful about what is behind the animal you are shooting! Buffalo in a herd, I think I would rather have an A-Frame. Otherwise, I really like the CEB’s.

 

[Eric Anderson]

as the title suggests, what is your favorite .375 solid?

-matt

Cutting edge bullets brass solids.

 

[matt85]

Reviving an old thread here ... have people's opinions changed?

I know my opinion has changed since 2014. I no longer believe there is a purpose for a .375" solid. modern expanding bullets will out do solids in every role with the exception of elephant brain shots and I don't believe the 375 is a suitable caliber for elephant.

I shot my buffalo with Swift A-frames and they did a fantastic job. if/when I hunt another buffalo it will likely be with Swift A-frames or a light weight Barnes TSX.

-matt

 

[Luvthunt]

Used Sledgehammers in the past and will again. Barnes printed OK in my rifle but due to the length of the mono metal bullet had to reduce powder charge in the 458 Lott.
Have only used the Sledgehammers in the 375 and will continue.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Last weekend, Gordy and Sons (a high end gun shop in Houston) hosted an afternoon with Dr. Kevin "Doctari" Robertson. The good doctor is very much a heavy for caliber guy and also a big fan of North Fork bullets. In his slide show he had many photos testing various bullets through several feet of newspaper and lots of test firing and bullet recovery into already dead animals. As I recall, Robertson was very keen on a certain type of NF that doubled the penetration of other solids. PH John Sharp was also there and he mentioned that over penetration would be a concern, as in shooting through animal one and hitting another.

Pay your money, take your choice.

http://kilimanjarorifles.com/press-kevin-robertson-article.html

From a PH’s perspective I have long wondered if there isn’t a better bullet out there for the buffalo ‘backing’ shots they are so often required to take. Something that will penetrate better than a quality soft point on awkward angled, going away shots, (in other words get through the intestines or rumen from the rear end, and into the chest cavity) while at the same time creating bigger and better permanent wound channels than even flat nosed solids. In terminal ballistic terms I wanted a bullet that will still penetrate the full body length of a buffalo while at the same time creating a suitably large PWC. In terminal ballistic terms, I wanted a bullet that will bridge the gap between good soft points and equally as good solids - and by gosh I have just found them. They are called Cup Nosed Solids (CNS) and North Fork Technologies makes them.​

 

[johnnyblues]

I don't reload but I had Superior ammo load for my 375 Ruger, Northfork solids grouped very well. They send out a test box first using different powders, primers marked with different color ink on top.

 

[IvW]

340 gr Rhino solid brass Meplat front...

 

[Rule 303]

I go with the Woodleigh Hydrostatic's. Shoot to the same point of impact as my softnose in my CZ550 416 Rigby and both my 375H&H. That is a CZ550 and Rem 700. In the Rigby it entered the chest of the Buff I shot and was found a couple of inches from the skin in the rump. Straight line and through bone as well.

I much prefer metplat or cupped nose solids to a round nose. Push the Hydro as fast as you can and it works better as far as creating a wider wound channel.

 

[Dr Ray]

I go with the Woodleigh Hydrostatic's. Shoot to the same point of impact as my softnose in my CZ550 416 Rigby and both my 375H&H. That is a CZ550 and Rem 700. In the Rigby it entered the chest of the Buff I shot and was found a couple of inches from the skin in the rump. Straight line and through bone as well.

I much prefer metplat or cupped nose solids to a round nose. Push the Hydro as fast as you can and it works better as far as creating a wider wound channel.

Agreed Rule 303!

 

[CTDolan]

Always been a huge fan of the Sledgehammer. Drills deep and straight. Was also a huge fan of Speer's African Grand Slam solid, but unfortunately these are no longer available. Swift's new solid looks wonderful but I've never used them. Woodleigh's hydrostatic also seems a gem but I've never used that one, either. It really all depends upon what you need a solid to do. If you're looking for deep and straight and are not so concerned with the size of the permanent wound cavity, then any of the ones I've mentioned would work great. If, however, you want decent penetration AND a bit more of a permanent wound channel, then Northfork's cup point seems to me to be the answer. And, if you're willing to sacrifice even more in the way of penetration in order to realize an even larger permanent wound channel, then a premium soft (expandable, whether monometal or not) seems the obvious choice.

 

[Ridgewalker]

In reference to the Federal Sledgehammer in 375 H&H, I’d suggest you measure the over all length. The one box I have purchased varied between 3.550 and 3.820! I could easily see the difference in the box. I fired three of varying lengths and and they grouped awful. Then I seated the rest to the 3.550 COL and the next two 3 shot groups were each within 1 1/2”.
It may have been a fluke from an initial factory set-up, or worn tooling, but that was what I found.

 

[neckdeep]

Northfork CPS's

 

[CTDolan]

I shot my buffalo with Swift A-frames and they did a fantastic job. if/when I hunt another buffalo it will likely be with Swift A-frames or a light weight Barnes TSX.

-matt

That was with a .505 Gibbs, right?