Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Lighter Recoiling Loads for a 375 H&H

A friend of mine -- a real skinny guy -- insists on using his 375 Holland & Holland for moose -- I know! Common sense is not all that common around his office. He uses a 270 grainer for hunting, and wants to know if there is another bullet/powder combination that will put the bullets into the same group at 100 yards, but not destroy his shoulders.

My recommendation to him was not to worry about where the practice rounds go on the paper as long as they group nicely, and then fire a couple groups with the hunting ammo to verify zero before the hunt.

Anybody got any wisdom on the 375 H&H with "target" loads??

Your friend might play with some Speer 235gr. and see if he can get them hitting to the same point at 100 as the .270gr. or just load down the .270gr. At one time I used some cast bullets for light .375 loads as well. Good luck.

My Hornady manual shows loads with the 220gr FP duplicating the 375WIN peformance. I doubt it would have the same POI though. I think it will be tough to reach his goal. If the 375HH is that difficult for him, he probably should sell it.

RH

I have hunted and taken deer with a cast .375 HH load with only about 45 grs of powder.

Use the top plex in your scope for a post aiming point for the reduced load. Raise and lower the poi with the scopes power ring.

I spoke to him today and suggested he might want to go with a lighter recoiling round altogether, and he said they were "wimp guns." I told him if he was a "wimp" and couldn't handle the recoil of a 375, maybe he would do better with a "wimp gun."

His issue with not hitting at the same POI as the hunting rounds is that he doesn't want to have to shoot the big recoiling slugs to verify POI prior to the hunt. I told him that if that is the case, he is an idiot to take an unproven rifle into the field.

Thanks for the feedback thus far. Keep it coming.

Loading Big Game Bullets for Deer,Ken Waters,Handloader #203.
.375 H+H Magnum

200 Sierra flatnose IMR-3031 59grns 2578fps
200 Sierra flatnose IMR-4064 62grns 2573fps
220 Hornady flatnose IMR-4064 65grns 2521fps
220 Hornady flatnose H-4895 65grns 2520fps
235 Speer semispitzer IMR-4895 65grns 2463fps
235 Speer semispitzer Varget 63grns 2482fps
250 Sierra SPBT IMR-4895 59grns 2424fps
250 Seirra SPBT IMR-4064 62grns 2454fps

I'd like to add some personal thoughts but you've said enough for us both already. Keep on him!!!!!!


til later

A light recoiling 375HH is also known as a 35whelen, 9.3x62,66.

Tell your friend to get a new recoil pad, if his has hardened over time, put a reducer in the stock and wear a Past pad when shooting at the bench, the magnum version. You haven't said what make the rifle is. Honestly, my M70 in H&H is my favorite rifle to shoot. The recoil is no worse than my 300 Roy, and in fact is more managable to me, due to it being a slower recoil. The extra 1.5 pounds in the 375 probably helps that as well.

Sounds like he needs to dump some testosterone and buy something he can actually handle.

David

I was going to suggest a new recoil pad as well, like a Kick eez or some other good pad.

.375 H&H Magnum
225 grain Hornady Spire Point seated to 3.6" and crimped with a Lee Factory Crimp Die
Remington brass
CCI 250 primer
67 to 70 grains of H4895 (74.8 grains H4895 is maximum according to Hornady)
Should find a shooter in there somewhere.
At 70 grains has about the same trajectory as a maximum 270 grain bullet load.

Here is what I did...
I started out with 235 Speers and 69 gr H4895. Recoil was more of a push than the quick shove you get with 338 Win type guns. Then I increased to 72 gr H 4895, and the 235 Speers and the 235 Barnes TSX shoot to same POI. Based on the terminal performance on one cow elk, I cannot really imagine needed anything more for moose.

Well there are other things that live in Moose country that might take more?

His rifle is a Voere (sp?). I told him to make sure the stock was the right length for him and that he had on a good premium recoil pad like a decelerator or a kickeze or a Limbsaver. H really doesn't have a clue.

MOST of the moose I have shot hereabouts have been under 250 yards and died real quick like with a 30-06 165 or 180 grain average garden variety bullet. There are NO OTHER THREATS here that require a shoulder cannon to keep from getting et while hunting moose. He tells me that he has 30-30 numbers at 500 yards, blah, blah. I asked him if he has ever shot anything at 500 yards and he says never, but what if I have to? I say have you ever shot a target at 500 yards? Nope. Any idea where the bullet will strike at 500 yards? Nope.

I discovered a load in the Barnes #2 that shoves a 210 gr XFB at 2800 fps with 69 gr of IMR3031. I will crunch the numbers, but that should be pretty mild, methinks.

GOOFBALL!

Now that is an interesting idea with applications in other situations as well. Just ashamed I had not already thought of it. Thanks Savage_99.

Based on what you are saying the .375 is just too much gun for this guy and he should probably leave it alone. He might try the .35 Whelen, 9.3x62, or .338-06 among others. All have less recoil and will sure get the job done. He would even be better off with a 30-06 and 220gr bullets than a .375 he was scared of. If he doesn't want to do that I would recommend starting with light loads and just working up gradually to the full power stuff. I did that with both my .375 and .458 and it works. However, your friend is not going to learn to shoot ANY caliber well unless he is willing to do some shooting. Nothing takes the place of good old fashioned trigger time.

How light? What velocity with what bullet?

I've tried several reduced loads with the .375 H/H and none have given the same POI as full power 270 gr bullet loads. Most commonly I shoot a reduced load of 225 gr Hornady SP/36 grs H4227 for about 2300 fps. Some have reported that they can adjust reduced powder charges to get the same POI as full power ammo, but so far, I haven't been able to get that magic combination.

Since I shoot lots more reduced loads than full power ones, I've just sighted in with those and recorded the scope adjustments that will get me back on target with full power ammo. That has worked for me.

However, if your friend can't stand to shoot his .375 enough to resight it with full power stuff, maybe he needs a smaller gun.

Good shooting!

Barnes #2 manual shows a 210 XFB with a light load of IMR3031 at 2800+ fps which should be roughly the same velocity (a little higher, I guess) than the 270 hot rodded. It should do okay for practice at 100 yards. I think the powder charge is 69 grains. I worked out the recoil figures for a 9 pound rifle/scope combo, and with that load, there should only be about 30 pounds of recoil energy, which is about 20-25% reduction from a 270 grainer at 2700. I'll see what he says. The slug at the same velocity should arrive at 100 yards about the same place. Worth a try, anyway.

Hope that guy APPRECIATES the friend you are!!!!!!!!!!!

til later

A man that hath friends must show himself friendly; and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.