Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only .375" 300 Accubond and TSX on deer class game?

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I've used my .375 Ultra mag on two trips to Africa. The first trip I shot 300 gr TSX bullets, and the second trip I used 270 gr TSX bullets. I shot a variety of game with these bullets varying from Steenbok to Buffalo. Although the Ultra mag velocities are quite a bit faster than the velocities that ShortRifleFan was asking about, the TSX bullets opened beautifully in all animals and at all ranges from 30 to 348 yds.

I think just about any .375" cup and core bullet would easily kill a deer. Why waste a 300 gr TSX on small animals at reduced velocities.

300 gr TSX bullets are a great bullet for large dangerous game. For anything else, a Hornady or Speer bullet at half the cost of a TSX will work just fine. Most of us will probably shoot way more bullets at deer than we will at dangerous game. So unless you have a supply of 300 gr TSX bullets that you just want to use up, go buy some 225 or 230 gr Hornady or Speer cup and core bullets and whack some deer.

buffybr - "I think just about any .375" cup and core bullet would easily kill a deer. Why waste a 300 gr TSX on small animals at reduced velocities."

I agree with your statement about killing deer. I also agree with the other helpful posters who pointed out that lighter bullets will work just fine on deer.

My 'armchair African and Alaskan hunter' mind was thinking that 300 grain bullets at 2450 to 2550 feet per second was fast enough for about anything. Also, I model a jacketed bullet trajectory in my head of +1" at 50, +2.5" at 100, +2" at 150, zero at 200, -6" at 250, -12" at 300, -24" at 350, -36" at 400, and -48" at 450 yards. This is my game rifle reference trajectory. No rifle I own actually shoots this exact trajectory, but all come close (with the bullet and velocity combination that I reload).

Thinking this way has helped my game shooting over the years.

The 375s that I own were bought with the thought of using heavier bullets for Africa or Alaska, yet lighter ones for the lower 48 in the US. Sadly, I no longer get to the range often enough to keep my shooting skills as sharp as I would like. Nor do I have enough time to stay on top of a bunch of reloading. So, I decided to reduce my 375 loads to just three bullets - potentially a Barnes solid, the 300 Accubond, and the 300 TSX. These bullets all group close together in my 375 Rugers.

With these thoughts in mind, I started this thread to see if anyone had experience with the 300 Accubond or 300 TSX on light animals such as deer. I wanted to find out if hunters were getting at least some minimal expansion on deer. If so, I planned to settle on the Accubond and TSX. Then anytime I was able to get to the range, I would be practicing with actual loads and my rifles would be sighted in.

You answered your own question Watson. The older type H type and lead core design were destined for the slower moving winchester type rifles. But then came along rifles that could push the .375 slug types to ultra speeds- then you got the results you speak of. The .375 crowd with Weatherby, Ruger,Remy were limited by what they could get at the local grocery store. But in the last 25 years we see more fellas hunting Africa due partly to the economic boom we've enjoyed for so many years. The demand was there because of the poor bullet designs and thanks to Barnes, and many others they stepped up to the task and have designed bullets that really hold together well and open in a regulated way- not scrapnel format. Anyway I was a reluctant Barnes fan also but from the animals I've knocked down, many I credit for the bullet design- not only marksmanship. I'm sold on Barnes and I stick with the same bullet because I don't want to keep shooting all the time to set my scope. I set the bastard and it stays there ready for all game and at many ranges. I don't have to guess, I know that 300 grain will drop 32 inches at 500 yds and beware critter if you get in that range. LOL Merry Xmas.