YOUR PREFFERED BULLETS FOR .375 HnH ON CAPE BUFF

[WL44]

Hi JJ and others,

Finally got my licence for a secondhand .375 Mod70 Classic SS Synthetic.

I'm hoping to hook up an end of season buffalo hunt later this year and am wondering about the preffered choices as to bullet.

As I'm in South Africa, JJ I'm sure you'll be familiar with the choices.... I'm explaining a little about them to create more general interest for other readers, please correct any incorrect / misleading descriptions.

"SOFTS" or rather "DESIGNED TO EXPAND BULLETS":
Barnes TSX in 270gr and 300gr (leaning towards the 300gr TSX at the moment) - I've read your posts on the TSX and that's part of the reason for my preference. Do you recommend the 270gr over the 300gr?

GS Custom HV - sort of a "Barnsish" type monolithic hollow point with thin driving bands and moly coating (265gr and 300gr in 375). I'm not convinced as to their reliability with expansion and maintaining weight - i.e. petals shearing off etc.

Rhino bonded core 300gr (sort of like a Speer Trophy Bonded Bearclaw also moly coated) - I'm shying away from these despite how well liked they are here, because of huge alleged variances in ogive length and overall bullet length - although it's probably not as big a deal in a 375 compared to say a 300 Win Mag or 270 Win or something). They may actually be a sensible second choice. Perfromance is good from all that I've heard.

"SOLIDS"

GS Custom Flat Nose 270gr and 300gr (leaning towards the 300gr here at this point as first choice) - also a Monolithic with a big flat nose that I prefer (throw back from handgun hunting). There is a German design as I recall that's similar, but don't know the name. I like the idea of the big flat nose for stability and straight line penetration, together with decent wound channel because of the flat nose.

Barnes Banded Solid 300gr (my second choice at this point; the shape I think is much like a Trophy Bonded Solid)

Rhino 300gr solid (a very small meplat, almost a round nose design)


Thanks sincerely for any replies and input.

I exluded Swifts becaues of availability and cost (I'd like to do something that I can keep going with for a few seasons). The rest are all pretty similarly priced and available. There are some other choices that are less mainstream and widely avaialable (like Dzombo) which I'm also not considering, but suggestions on some of the obvious choices that I may have missed are most welcome.

Also, any comments on the use of moly on these and switching from moly to uncoated without a thorough cleaning? I'm led to believe it can wreak havoc with zeros. The GS and possbily Rhino, can be ordered uncoated as well.

WL

[JJHACK]

If I ever shoot another Buffalo for myself, doubtful at this point, it will be with a 270 grain TSX bullet. The penetration has been equal to the 300 as they are much faster. 2800 VS 2500 FPS. They hold together equally and the 270 is a bit more violent internally from what I've seen.

I would not use a solid anymore with the advent of the TSX

[WL44]

Thanks JJ. I'm understanding correctly - TSX's only, for the going away shot on a potentially wounded buff and the lot; no solids in the magazine at all? Thanks.

Whilst I've got you on this thread, your preferred solid anyway, for if I ever get to hunt something that requires one?

Thanks a heap.

[Grumulkin]

For what it's worth, I shoot Barnes TSXs and Banded Solids in a 30/06.  With the same load, they shoot for all practical purposes to the same point of impact with the solids grouping a bit better than the TSXs.  I don't know if a similar relationship applies to the 375 H&H Mag. but it might be worth a try.

I have never used moly and I never intend to have one moly coated bullet go down one of my barrels.  The way I understand it is that the only advantage of moly is less frequent cleaning without loss of accuracy.  This might be useful for varmint hunting but I can't imagine it being of a real advantage in big game hunting.  In addition, at the last SCI convention I attended a gun cleaning seminar by Mr. Jarrett of Jarrett rifles fame.  He said that moly could leave a coating in the barrel that did not benefit accuracy and was next to impossible to remove without radical measures.

[WL44]

I agree, but only on what I've read... as I have no experience whatsoever with moly.

Moly can build up. Some have told of throats so caked in moly that they could nt chamber loaded rounds, but I suspect that is extreme. Favoured cleaning seems to be a combination of either a mixture of Kroil and Shooters Choice, or Kroil and JB (Iosso, or similar mild abrasive type cleaners). Also I'm told that thereafter you need to get a layer of moly back before you get your zero back.

My big worry was load development uncoated and coated bullets independently. Then shoot say 15 or 20 moly bullets and now you need to shoot uncoated and the velocity drops off (due to residula moly in the barrel) and the zero is gone (as I've heard, but can't substatiate). I too intend to try to avoid it.

Thanks for the replies.

[JJHACK]

The Speer Tungsten solids have always been my favorite, I've recovered a few from White Rihino that I could load and shoot again. The only marks were from the rifling. I'm not sure they are readily available anylonger? I have a stock pile and almost never use them except on Rhino/hippo/elephant. I've not shot one of them into an elephant yet but they would be my first choice.

[WL44]

Thanks JJ. I'll pick up some TSX's.

I'm not sure the Speer Trophy Bonded Solids are readily available here.

I'll report back if we get there!

WL

[drdougrx]

So...is the Partition too soft?? 

[WL44]

I "understand" so for buff. Not always reliable, "apparently" depends on the soht and the angle. For general game, all good though. All what I hear, unfortunately no personal experience.

[jwp475]

  A 400 grain Partion from my 416 Rigby at 2380 FPS fired into wet news print
and the other 2 400 grain Partitions were recovered from animals one of them from an American Bison Bull and the other one were from an Asian Buffalo they were both rib cage shots

[WL44]

I really tried to make my rifle work with the 270gr TSX's, but it was a bit of a non-starter. Accuracy was good and velocity was there, but the fouling was extreme. It was like my barrel had no grooves after just 15 shots. This is not the fault of the bullet I don't think, but a really rough bore.

Cleaning was such a chore that it was unfortuantely not an alternative.

I went with the Rhinos (availability and price here in SA). I loaded up 300gr softs (solid shank bonded design much like a Trophy Bonded Bear Claw) and 300gr monlithic solids. All were running around 2500 fps.

The solids recovered were unmarked and the soft retained almost 100% of it's weight, losing the large parts of the petals only. All were only almost unnoticeably bent.

I sort of thought I'd have preferred a larger mushroom on the soft, but the results were good nonetheless. I need to section one to see whether a larger mushroom is possible with the design.

They all shot well in my rifle and fouling was acceptable if still poorer than I'd like.

JWP - what hosting site are you using for the pics?

WL

[Graybeard]

He is using Photobucket which is one of the least reliable out there. Try www.myhostedpics.com

[WL44]

Thanks Graybeard, I'll check it out.

[don heath]

WL44.
1) Never, ever initiate a buff with a solid. no never. From experience, a buff will last over 20 minutes with a hole from a .375 round nosed solid through the heart. A flat nosed one will alter matters quite a bit but still. The example quoted is from the Zim PH proficiency exam 2006. I was still Chief examiner then. (Roy Ludik is taking over). It's not the first I have seen, but it was a well witnessed and documented event, and the buff was professionally dissected afterwards (and photographed by Dave Christiensen) to see what went wrong. I have been charged by a buff that took a .375 solid through both lungs the day before. Solids are for elephant (and perhaps Rhino).

2) There are a host of good bullets that will work just fine. I have used RWS TUG's- the new ones are pathetic. The Nosler Gold were great. In SA you have a choice of Swift A frame (one of my two top recomendations to American Clients- the other being Barnes TSX) and also good bullet makers like GS Custom and old Ken Stuart up in Pietersberg (oops sorry Polikwane). Ken has made just about all the softs I have personally used on buffalo in the last decade. Makes me steel jacketed, bonded core flat nosed bullets. Why do I use Ken when I recomend Swift and Barnes to Clients? Well, I can get a re-supply when ever I want. They work, and they shoot to point of aim at 50m when the rifle is spot on at 10m with the woodleigh solids I use.  And lastly, I am tired of working up new loads - I have what works and am getting too old to try improving on a winning formular!

[WL44]

Mr Heath,

Thanks for your reply and advice.

Yes, the soft was the first shot and the solids were the follow ups.

I used the 300gr Rhino's (both softs and solids). I would have liked something that expanded more than the Rhino soft; although I've seen pictures that looked a lot better (read more mushroomed) than mine. I felt that it performed much like a solid.

I should probably just go with it, but last I checked A-Frames were R 30 each (just the bullet), or about $3.75 here. The cost of taking 50 to develop loads and zero kind of put me off and at the time, together with the cost of the hunt, just wasn't money I could see myself spending. The Rhinos were about a a third of the cost. Still, the Swift would intially have been my first choice.

When funds permit I plan a larger rifle anyway (i.e. a .45? and I'm leaning towards a .458 Lott due to availability of components etc.)

Thank you for the advice on Ken Stewart's bullets I will give him a call.

Two questions please....

1) What is your take on the follow up shots on buffalo, premium soft or solid? (i.e. after you've put in the first shot with the soft). We are always told solid... but?

2) Which GS Bullet would you recommend for buffalo? I found most to behave like solids (on smaller game in ligher calibers), so whilst their FN Solid is probably great, I was put off the softs totally.

Thanks.

And, this is probably as good a time as any. I see from the latest issue that you will no longer be the editor of African Hunter. I've not been a long time reader, but have really enjoyed the last few years that I've been buying the magazine regularly. Congratulations on a great job there.

WL

[don heath]

Hi WL

Life has taken a different turn - finally grown up, settled down and have a wife and two kids...and two full time jobs (hunting and editor) just didn't work on top of the full time job of trying to live in a colapsed state. Still hunting, still writing for the mag (my good friend Ira is now editor), still an  examiner for ZPHGA...but just scaled back.

In specific answers....1) Back up shots? If you are shooting 300grn TSX, just keep shooting TSX!!! There are so many ifs. If the buffalo is alone, then solids for follow up shots would be the right choice. If there is any danger of a shoot through then rather have to make a follow up than wound (and have to pay for) a second buff. I always assume that there will be another buff arround and a shoot through is a real danger.     2) I haven't played enough with Gerards bullets to comment, although they have a good reputation - they certainly do expand on buff!

If your rifle will shoot TSX's and 300grn flat nosed solids more or less together (often rifles shoot solids and softs to very different POA) then just stick with that. You will find that you can shoot 250grn X bullets or 260grn Noslers flat enough to use your .375 for long range plains game hunting in the kalahari. .375 is a good round and unless you are going to be guiding clients onto buff, I don't see the need for a lott.