375 H&H long range loads

[adam]

Hi
i  own an old .but healthy brno 602 in 375 and  need some good  long range loads with 250 gr sierra  spbt or accubond 260 grain bullets and fast burning powders . if you have some good loading  then please tell me .
'regards
adam

[Grumulkin]

First of all, you need to tell us what you mean by "long range."  The nature of the 375 H&H Magnum is that its velocity is quite adequate but not sizzling.  If by long range you mean 200 yards, then it's quite up to the job.  If you mean 500 yards, then you will have quite a challenge in knowing the exact range and knowing the trajectory of your loads very well.

Also, why do you want "fast burning powders?"  In the 375 H&H Magnum, a fast burning powder will probably top you out on the pressure before you get the velocity you want.  In my opinion, RL-15 is about the best 375 H&H Magnum powder out there.

[adam]

hi
 according to some of my Friends you can get as much as nearly 2800 + fps with  sierra 250 pointed bt  with fairly fast burning powders(not pistol powders) like imr 3031 and it would be better than an average 3006 round for open country shooting which could be from 100 to 400+ yards .  around 400+ i call it long range.  before taking the gun to Africa i am going to shoot it a lot and get really used to it as i am used to my 6.5x55.
regards
adam

[Graybeard]

Whoever is telling you to use faster burning powders is just flat wrong. Seldom if ever do the faster burning powders suitable for any round deliver the most velocity or best accuracy. Look in the reloading manuals and you'll usually see powders listed from fastest to slowest top to bottom. Something in the middle usually gives best accuracy and something just before the bottom usually gives fastest velocity.

[Grumulkin]

according to some of my Friends you can get as much as nearly 2800 + fps with  sierra 250 pointed bt  with fairly fast burning powders(not pistol powders) like imr 3031 and it would be better than an average 3006 round for open country shooting which could be from 100 to 400+ yards .  around 400+ i call it long range.  before taking the gun to Africa i am going to shoot it a lot and get really used to it as i am used to my 6.5x55.

If you practice at 400 yards, you should be OK since you'll probably find out soon enough that the 375 H&H Mag. isn't at its best at 400 yards.  I also doubt it would do much better than a 30/06 at that range.  There are several parts to long range shooting.  One is range estimation; a flat shooting high velocity cartridge makes this much easier.  Another is accuracy.  If you can only get 1 inch groups at 100 yards, you'll be unable to get much better than 4 inches at 400 yards.  For a lot of 375 H&H Mag. shooters 1 inches off the bench doesn't come easily and from hunting positions it will come even harder.

I always load for maximum accuracy with acceptable pressure and not for velocity.  I very much doubt you'll get the best accuracy with IMR 3031.  In fact, this powder has thus far never given me the best accuracy in any load I've tried it in but there must be some cartridge that is the exception.

[Graybeard]

In fact, this powder (IMR3031) has thus far never given me the best accuracy in any load I've tried it in but there must be some cartridge that is the exception.

I've found nothing to beat it in the .243 and it is my preferred powder in the .45-70 and .30-30.

[Grumulkin]

I'll have to keep that in mind since I have an Encore 243 barrel coming.  I've had a lightly used can of IMR 3031 sitting on a shelf for probably 20 years; this may be my chance to finish it off.

[adam]

hi
 for a nearly hundred years ago when the 375 H&H  reached the market it was loaded with 235 gr  @ 2800 fps for long range open country and 300 gr for closer range hunting and all loading were with cordite (rather fast powder). it is not only velocity being  important for long range shooting. bullets shape and BC   are important too. i had learned that light bullets faster powder and heavier bullets slower burning for better result . i don't load my 6,5x55  100 gr and 156 grain with same kind of powder.  a light bullet in a magnum  case needs a lot of  slow burning powder to produce same velocity as a much faster burning powder resulting a lot of muzzle blast  and recoil  and  more money per each round and when you are living in a country that finding  powder is not so easy. then it causes even  a lot more problem. I do not advocating long range hunting as I find it ethically not right, but a hunter should be able to hit the game if the first shot did not down the game and animal run away a couple of hundred yards more and stay and give you a chance to nail him again.
regards
Adam

[JJHACK]

2800fps with the 270 grain bullet is easy. Standard large rifle primers and some RL15 will get 2800-2850 depending upon the barrel quality and length.

Horndady 270 grain Magnum ammo gets 2800 plus and it's just factory ammo.

Long range for the 375HH is about the same range as a 30/06. The 375HH with a 270 grain shoots about the same Trajectory as the 30/06 with a 165 grain bullet. With a massive difference in impact and lethal effect.

Don't be misled by shooting the 235 grain bullets at higher velocity and thinking that the speed is making them shoot flatter. That is not the case. The lighter bullets shed velocity faster and drop in speed along with the stability issues of the stumpy bullet over the much better longer bullet. The 250 grain bullets don't add anything for velocity and are not enough flatter shooting to matter.

Another beauty of the 270 and 300 grain bullets is that the when you zero with the 300 grain bullet at 100 meters, the 270 will be zeroed at about 230-260 meters. So without changing sights, you can shoot two bullet weights for plains game and Dangerous game both being sighted in the same way with perfect impact points for the weight.

[stubshaft]

For years I've been shooting 77.5gr 760 behind this bullet out of my Whitworth.  It is death and destruction on thin skinned game out to 300yds+.