Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Favorite .375 H&H factory or handloads for elk out to 400 or so?

My brother's getting bored with his .300 WM and has a Whitworth .375 that's been sitting around unblooded for 30 years.

He's fixing to go through it and get it a bigger scope than his 1.5-5X Leupold.

I'm thinking a factory or handload load with a Nosler AB .260 or a handload with a Barnes 235 TTSX at 3,200 fps might work.

Any favorites you thumper shooters would share?

the 260 accubomb would be my first choice , probably launched via ramshot Big Game

Not the 375 H&H, but I elk hunt with a 375 Ruger Guide Gun with the 20" barrel. I load a Nosler 300gr. Accubond and I get a chronographed 2590fps. Far as scope I use a Leupold VX3 2.5-8x36mm with Alaskan Arms quick detach rings sighted in at 200yds. Then I have NECG Ruger Ghost Ring Peep sight for thick timber areas.

I know Bob used to run 250 BBCs with RL15 at 2900. I'd be just fine with hunting elk or pretty much anything with that set up.

Scotty, those pills might be hard to find for most guys. My rifle really liked 260gr. partitions at 2,900 fps. Never got to shoot an elk with that set-up, but I'm pretty sure it would work just fine out to the OP 400 yard limit...

For danged sure. I'd hunt that all day long!

Nobody liking a TTSX at Mach 3+?

Have killed an elk and moose w/ the .375 & 260 Accubonds & I4350. The elk was rather far.. No time for range finders, but a ' hold over the back put the bullet in the bottom 1/4 of her chest..

I'd run them in the 250's if they shoot well. Probably a wicked killer.

I'm thinking a 250 TTSX, though I've never loaded it, as I retired my H&H. My favorite in the H&H was, a Hornady 270 SP, pushed by 82.0 grains of WW 760,CCI primers, RP brass. The above load is over listed max, but shot extremely well in my Model 70. My best 4 shot (I blew the group with 5th shot) was just under 1/2 inch. memtb

I have taken two with that combination, but both were only around 150 yards or so...

It is a hammer though!

For factory loads I have used plain old Remington green box 270 gr Corelok sp. And Hornady 270 gr Sp Heavy Magnum. Both did just fine on all Namibian plains game. Many gemsbok,zebra,kudu,springbok,wilderbeast,leopard etc. But they were classic cup and core seperations. Only factory loads I've ever used hunting. I didn't have time to load up some of my own. For hand loads Nosler Partions 300 gr sp and Sierra sp bullets were fine for elk. I believe the Sierra bullet to be a bit soft for any angle shots on bull elk. Never have shot a cow with 376H&H. African hand loads have only been different solids and Swift A-Frame 300 gr. Swift is IMHO the ultimate 375 soft point as I have no on game expierence with the Accubonds.

DaveO.

My .375 is of the Ruger variety, rifle is the Hawkeye African, with a 23" barrel. I handload the 250 gr. Barnes TTSX bullet for it, with a MV of 2880 fps. Shoots very accurately out of my rifle.

If I were thinking of possible shots in excess of 300 yards, I would be mounting up a Leupold VX3 2.5-8 with CDS, to take the guesswork out of bullet drop at longer ranges.

I had terrible experiences with the Sierra 300 SPBT. Broadside on a black bear and a mule deer.... Bullet failed to exit..... came apart. I know the response.... It killed them, didn't it? And lost my first elk I shot.... easy shot,close range, very steep angle. Shot from behind, angling forward, hard dry dirt and no blood trail. Just a little hair on ground,at impact point. These bullets were regulated to shooting prairie dogs and jacks! memtb

Yes I agree. You would think Sierra would take into account what a 375 bullet would most likely be used for and thicken the jacket accordingly. I would use it on a mule deer,but then again a 375 on a deer? And I don't like to be handicapped by having very few options on shot placement and angles. When that bruiser 7x8 monster is quartering away I want the option and power/penetration to get,'er done. I do use Sierras for "375 plinking" blowing up rocks and dirt clods. Hornady regular softs as well. Haven't had a chance to use their DGX yet.

Zengela, Used and liked 270 Hornady SP in my old H&H. When I went to my AI, quickly went to Barnes with total success and happiness. Dropped down to 250 TTSX (though I hate light bullets), because of much better BC's than the 270 TSX. memtb

I see a lot more 270 TSX info than 250 TTSX data. You're right about the better B.C.

Here's another interesting option I may explore.

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/11925337/1

DF

Was shooting with a friend of mine yesterday after an unsuccessful morning bear hunt. He was toting his 375 H&H and has 235 Speers and 270 Barnes tsx. We found a nice spot to shoot across a little canyon at some rocks. Lasered at 367 yards. His Barnes were dropping just enough to use the bottom post of his cross hair on a 2.5-8 Leupold. That would make a darn good elk load.

As for switching out the scope from a 1.5-5 no need really. My farthest elk kill was with a 375 Ruger at 376 shooting handloaded Hornady 270 sp. Had a 1.5-5 Leupold, plenty of scope on an elk out that far, heck it would be plenty of scope on a deer at that range.

Hello,

I like the 260 grs Nosler Accubond for long range in my .375 H&H. Well, like it for all uses...!
With 75/76 grs of R15 in Winchester cases I get 2800/2850 f/s in the 25" barrel of my Winchester Pre-64. With this load I have exatly the same trayectory to 400 meters as in my FN .30-06 with 180 grs Accubonds at 2800/2850 f/s!!! Great!

Good luck!

PH

Those scope can be fitted with a CDS. The VX-6 1-6 is CDS ready.

To me, 5X or 6X with a turret is pretty effective for longer shots, distance depending on the round and the shooter.

DF

I have shot a 375H&H for over 40 years now, and I have used it "everywhere against everything". It is now on it's 2nd barrel because I shot out the throat on the 1st one.

I have used a lot of different bullets in it and what I have learned is that the very worst performers are still OK on elk.
If I were to pic one to recommend it would probably be the 260 gr Nosler, but even the ones that break up and seem too fragile for me to give then an "A rating" still killed elk VERY well. (Speer 235 gr, 300 gr Sierra and Hornady 270 gr spire points)

That's the best thing about a 375. You can trust it to kill things.
In North American I can only think of 2 animals I would worry about the bullet holding together, and those are Buffalo and Big Bears. Unless you are shooting something over 1500 pounds, or something that is going to rearrange your body, you can probably use anything you like in a 375H&H in N.America.

Since you asked I would recommend the 260 gr Nosler Partitions but it's not so critical with that rifle against elk.

The 250 Sierra bullets work well on elk

My brother just bought five boxes of ProGrade Ammunition .375 H&H 235 TSX at closeout price at the Sportsman's HauxHaus in Loveland.

He's gonna see how they group soon. Still mulling scope choice.

He's shipping me two more boxes he bought.

That's making me want to scope the Tropical .375 which has lain fallow since whopping two whitetails here several years back.

I carried 250 TSX's but never connected with an Elk. My load is around 76 gr. of R15 and with only a little juggling I could get 250 Sierras and Kodiak's into the same group at 100.

All of them were devastating on Deer and no doubt would work well for Elk with the preference for the tougher 2 of the 3 the TSX and Kodiak which is similar to the old Bitterroot bullets.

I think szinh is right as all of the .375 bullets were geared to the H&H but some like the Sierra are geared to lighter game or longer ranges so would not be my first choice. If I wanted one load for anything I would probably go with the 270 grain slugs in any of the premium type bullets.