I finally got around to touching off a few in my "big boomer" yesterday: a T/C Contender with a .375 Winchester Super 14 Hunter (factory muzzletamer) using the 200 gr. Win. factory loads.
WOW! Not much more recoil than the 10" unported .221 barrel - just more abrupt and sharp - but WAY more noise. Definitely controllable and shootable, but plugs (and probably muffs) are a must - and even in hunting situations, IMHO.
I didn't accuracy check, or even fire at a standard target - I just wanted to see what it was like and whether I wanted to keep the barrel (I do now!) - I just let five round loose in fairly rapid succession at a dead pine stump in front of a high bank. The results were rather impressive.
Round 1 - hit (okay, the crappy Simmons scope that came with the barrel is at least "on.")
Round 2 - hit (wait, what was that coming out of the back of the stump?) <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Round 3 - hit (A LOT of something just came out of the back of the stump and a rather impressive chunk blew off the front.) <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />
Round 4 - hit (More stuff out of the back, and the chunk hole the front just doubled in size.) <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />
Round 5 - hit (A bit more out the back, and some more off the front.)
When I surveyed the "target," I found a hole in the front about the diameter of a regulation football, and half as deep as a football is long. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> The back of the stump had a crater that you could sit a basketball in and probably hold it over halfway! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> The stump (being old rotten pine) was just about cut in half, and if I'd have let loose another four to six rounds, and concentrated on specific spots, it would have easily come down. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
I am DEFINITELY impressed and amd going to hunt with this barrel this fall (after putting a much better scope on-board).
Anyone out there have field experience with the .375 Contender on stuff other than stumps?
How are the factory 200 gr. loads on deer/black bear?
Anyone tried the 210 r. X-bullets?
Thanks, from a very quickly and increasingly addicted T/C shooter. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />
