Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles .375 for Black Bear

Anyone tried the 235-250 grain bullets in the .375 H&H Magnum? Was curious to find something with the lighter type bullets to try out on Oregon Fall Black Bear.

I have a Post ‘64 Model 70 with a Weaver K2.5 for glass.

I've used the 235's from Barnes and Speer on blacktail. You can drive them fast enough that meat damage can be a problem and the BC is nothing to write home about but they do work. Haven't used them but the 270's or 260's might be a better compromise. Thought the 250TTSX from Barnes would be the ticket but for some reason, my P64 doesn't like them or at least I never found a load that was as accurate as the rifle in a box of bullets so I gave up.

Used 260 accubonds (AKA accubombs) in Alberta
They really blow things up

Me and a buddy used 260 partitions to kill some bears, they never went far. The 235 Speer was accurate on paper, just never shot a critter with it.

260g accubonds are my go to in the 375HH.

235s are accurate in my post 64 Win 70, but so too are every other bullet I have tried. I know this sounds like heresy but I have founds 66.5 grains of R-15 is the most accurate load with every weight bullet I have tried in my 375 H&H.

Yep, RL15 was THE powder for anything under 300 grains in the few I owned (2 M70’s and a CZ). H4350 or H414 for the 300 grainers.

I used a 357 Maximum rifle on my western Virginia black bear last December and everyone else in my hunting party packed 30-30s. Are the black bears that much bigger or the terrain less forgiving in OR? I always thought the 375 H&H was used on African dangerous game.

Thanks, Dinny

The thought of tracking a bear in rain forest moss would make the 375 feel pretty good. I have carried it with the 250 Kodiak bullet and Barnes X for Bear but the reputation of the mighty H&H may have run them all off, never got to use it.

I use 250 gr. SGK's in my .375 Wby on black bears. Very accurate and hell for stout, even at Weatherby velocity. They take the will to live out of a bear very quickly.

Thanks for the replies.

I have all kind of 270 and 300 grain loads worked up for the .375, was mainly looking for a lighter weight bullet and load simply to cut down on recoil but not for use as an all around load.

The bears here in Oregon certainly do not require a full house .375 load to bring down I just have thought to take it to do so as where I hunt the shots are pretty close range.

It would be pretty difficult to beat the Barnes 250 TTSX, for an “all around” North American bullet in the H&H! memtb

i shot two or three bears with the 375 used the 270gr. hornady bullet, double lung shots. kept them from wandering in the thick brush and steep canyon.

Ed

270's are my go to for bear when using my M70 375.

The 235 gr Speer is decently accurate whether driven fast or slow. 2700 fps is plenty fast, and pretty soft recoil-wise..

I am going to load 260 gr Partitions in the 376 Steyr. Good oldfashioned premium bullet. Be Well, Rustyzipper.

The original 250 Barnes bullet works well in the 25 in bbl pre-64 Model 70 , while the weight dampens any felt recoil.
Accurate are 260 gr Noslers, 300 gr Noslers or Hawks-North Fork -the New Barnes TTSX not so good. The Kodiak 375s in any weight by Alaska Bullet works will plant
anything in North America and most in Africa. The Model 70s have iron sights, very handy in thick bush.

I load 235 speers over 69gr of RL15 in my classic stainless m70. They shoot very well. And they are cheap.

I've used the Speer 235 grain loads in my 375 Ruger on elk here in Idaho. I load it to just over 2500 fps using 5744. Its accurate and very reasonable recoil. At that speed it works very well, classic mushroom expansion and good penetration. At the 2511 fps I load it to, it gives almost 3300 ft lbs at the muzzle. If you target somewhere around 2500 fps with that bullet in your 375, you will find exactly what you are looking for use on Oregon black bear.