Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only 375 Wby Bullets for Brown Bear, Black Bear, Wolf, Wolverine

I know this overlaps considerably with the 375 H&H thread, but I have some specific questions about how to load my new 375 Wby and did not want to highjack that thread.

I have a new Wby DGR in 375 Wby with the 24� barrel coming to me in the next couple of days. I am taking it to Alaska in September to hunt the game listed in the title. For reasons I won�t bore you with, I have six boxes of Wby factory 300gr NP ammo and two boxes of the Nosler 260gr Accubond ammo.

I don�t hand load, and won�t be able to pick that up before the hunt. So, my options are (i) 300gr NP @ appx. 2,735 fps MV; (ii) 260gr Accubond @ appx. 2,930fps MV; or (iii) have someone like Superior Ammo load me up just about anything I ask for.

First off, I wish there was a factory TSX available because I feel a bit more confident about their reliability than the NPs (I recognize that I might be wrong, but it is how I feel). Though, with a potential rare shot at wolf or wolverine at fairly-long range at issue, I also am less than enthralled by the very low B.C.s of the .375 TSXs (yes, I know why it doesn�t matter, but I think it does a little).

My main questions are: (i) Do the NPs perform significantly worse than the TSXs at 2,400fps-2,700 fps?; and (ii) Is it possible that the people who say that the Accubonds hold up as well as the NPs after impact are correct?

I only have hunted large game with TSXs and 12ga slugs to date (well, I actually hunted mule deer for one day when I lived in Colo. with NPs once, but never saw a deer that day). I like the performance of the TSXs, but have heard a lot of praise for the NPs beginning when I was a teenager in the mid-1980s. I also have heard a lot of criticism of the NP, but I have become comfortable with the idea of using NPs, especially in something as stout as a 300gr .375 bullet.

But, and there always is one, my guide tells me how a number of years ago, he shot a bear twice (after the client�s first hit) with 210gr NPs out of his 338 Win Mag. He says he still has both bullets, which he recovered, and which did not deform or open up at all. He doesn�t use them anymore. He has no axe to grind. I�m not bad-mouthing NPs (and, as it is, I�m leaning toward one of two Nosler products because of availability). But, would a 260gr Accubond open up more and yet still penetrate adequately? Would a hand-loaded 300gr Accubond or 300gr TSX be significantly better than either the factory-available options?

Does anyone have any experience with large Accubonds on large animals?

Thanks in advance for any helpful comments.

Learn to reload or get someone who REALLY knows what he is doing to load for you. 270gr TSX or TTSX is your huckleberry.

GREAT choice of calibers, BTW. In my opinion, THE BEST 375 round out there, bar none.

Lot of custom ammo loaders out there and it is not rocket science in any way. If you lived near here, or wanted to fly with your rifle here I would load them for you and help you get a load developed. Can't legally or practically do it outside of those parameters though.

Good luck!

Just another opinion, but I would shoot the Nosler Partition and never look back.

Sure, the Accubond is earning a big following. BUT, I have seen some purely pitifull performance when shooting Accubonds in smaller calibers. The lack of penetration and meat damage just turns me off.

I agree that the 270 TSX would be another good choice, that is what I shoot in my 375 H&H. However, you have a good supply of 300 grain Partitions and they WILL NOT let you down.

TTSXs, like Porsche, there is no substitute...jorge

Thanks for your comments guys.

jorge and safariman, I too like the TTSXs the best. The 225gr .338 ones are what I mostly shoot out of my 340 Wby. Though I want to get some of the new 265gr TTSXs with the B.C. of 0.575.

But ... they don't make TTSXs in the .375 caliber, unless I'm missing something. I would love a 270gr-300gr TTSX is one existed.

I assume with what's available out there, the 300gr NPs might be the best option. I was just surprised by my guide's experience. I thought the only criticism of the NPs was that they might open up too much--and that would less likely be a problem with a 2,735fps 300gr one. Maybe his experience was an aberration.

the accubond is a somewhat different animal in the 375 than the smaller calibers......the jacket is VERY heavy .

At any rate the 260 Accus have punched right thru the shoulders of 2 elk for me when driven out of my Weatherby in excess of 2900...they left small exits and are still going for all I know .

J Barness has written about seeing a Cape buff or 2 knocked off handily with the 260 Accus .

I wouldn't have the slightest qualm using either bullet on the stuff you mention . If anything , the heavy partition may be too tuff for the smaller stuff on your list .

FWIW , the 300gr partition ammo from Weatherby clocks an honest 2800 out of my rifle.....

Thanks for the info sdgunslinger. How long is the barrel on your rifle?

24 inch....it is a re-chambered M-70

Interesting. I read somewhere that someone (reliable source, I know) chronoed the Wby 300gr NPs at about 2,735 fps out of his 24" Wby--so I was assuming mine would do the same. But I just got my first chrono and also lead sled in the mail yesterday, and I pick the rifle up today.

Were you shooting the 260 ABs out of Nosler factory loads or reloads? If the factory loads, what was the 2,900+ velocity you alluded to? Thanks again for your helpful info. I just ordered two boxes of the 260gr Nosler AB ammo and will compare them to the Wby 300gr NP loads when I shoot the rifle next week.

It's really hard to get that particular Nosler ammo right now because Nosler doesn't do back orders. I ordered some online a week ago, and the nice lady called me and said it wasn't really available and "available" statement on their website was incorrect. I asked her if she could find out when the ammo would be avilable again. Nice lady said she would check into it. This week, I noticed the website still said "available." I inquired by e-mail if that was correct. Nice lady's replacement e-mailed that there were then precisely two boxes available. I ordered them online. It now says "out of stock." So, if I want more, I will have to regularly check out the website.

Marine.....mine were reloads with Ramshot Big Game powder . I use fireformed W-W H&H cases .

I can get a good 3000 with Ramshot Hunter , but opted to hunt with the slightly lighter loads because they shoot to the exact same point of impact as my fireform loads with the 270gr Hornaday and IMR4064 .

Been awhile since I looked at the Nosler site , but weren't their factory loads at a spec of 3000 fps and 2800 fps respectively , for the 260 accus and the 300 partiions ?

I believe Weatherby also quotes 2800 for their 300gr partion loads , but an individual rifle may or may not chrono that fast...you will just have to try your rifle and see.....

Last BB I saw shot was killed(very dead)with a 300 gr Nosler Partition.I think it will work swell.

You may find that the AB's shoot close to same POI in your Weatherby;you could take those for the other stuff.You won't be doing any long range shooting at Brown bears...most guides work hard to get you close.

Onve in a while you hear stuff about Partitions not behaving, but it is rare and I have never seen it.

Barnes 270 TSX, Woodleigh 300

Correct, the Nosler factory 260gr ABs are listed at 3,000 fps, but I don't know what barrel length that's supposed to be for (26" or 24"). Nosler does not have any other factory offereings in 375 Wby. The only others are the Wby 300gr NP (2,800 fps) and a 300gr solid from A-Square.

Thanks for the information. I'll let you know in a bout a week how these bullets perform out of my barrel.

If the 260gr AB really is tough enough to penetrate adequately on big bear, it's almost an ideal all-around caliber for anything bigger than a squirrel. Assuming 3,000 fps MV, check out these awesome numbers:

375 WEATHERBY � NOSLER 260 GRAIN ACCUBOND � (B.C. 0.473)(255 yd zero)

Yds / Vel. / Impact / KE / Drift
000 / 3000 / -1.75 / 5196 / 0.00
050 / 2893 / 0.90 / 4832 / 0.59
100 / 2793 / 2.50 / 4504 / 1.06
150 / 2696 / 2.99 / 4196 / 1.85
200 / 2601 / 2.28 / 3906 / 2.99
250 / 2508 / 0.27 / 3632 / 4.47
300 / 2417 / -3.12 / 3373 / 6.33
350 / 2328 / -8.00 / 3129 / 8.58
400 / 2242 / -14.5 / 2902 / 11.25

No holdover at any range out to 300 yds, and at 400yds, it hits as hard as a 30-06 does at the muzzle. Pretty wicked.

Would rather use a 250 Trophy Bond.

oh yeah , I have looked at those numbers many a time....a fast 375 is indeed a wicked cartridge.....shoots as flat as a 270 ; packs as much energy as a 458 .

If I recall right , my rifle does shoot the 300 gr factory partion load just a bit lower than my 260/270 gr reloads . Which makes it just ideal(as Bob mentioned) to use the heavy load for something like a brownie , then switch to the lighter load for different game .


as far as chronoed speeds with 24 inch versus longer barrels ; my experince with a few of these bigger bore rounds leads me to believe a couple of inches barrel here or there is just not as critical as small bore magnums .

Marine, you can't go wrong with the Partition either. If your rifle likes them, I'd use them with complete confidence. I just happen to have had great luck with the T/TSXs in just about every rifle I own and the only reason I don't shoot them exclusively, is I have "lifetime supplies" of Swift A Frames for my 375 H&H & 416 Rigby. jorge

So far I have had excellent results with the 260 Nosler ABs. I have only five animals to base that on...two elk and three mule deer, but the bullets have done well. They don't fragment and hold their weight well. I am shooting them out of an FN/Sako 375 Wby at 2,935 FPS, and recovered three bullets of the five. Two passed through deer. The elk were shot at roughly 300 yards, and the bullet mushroomed well and retained weight well. The one deer was a very long shot for me, about 375 yards, and the bullet still mushroomed well.

The two deer with pass throughs were very close in heavy timber. There were no signs of "blow up", and the exit holes were about golf ball sized+.

Personnaly I'd kind of old school but I still think that the sun rises and sets on the old 300 Nozler. Oddly enough I've never shot it in my present day 375 Wby.

The 270 TSX and the 235 TSX shoot well with R15 and the 260 Accu shoots very well with H4350 or R15.

I've used the old 270 Power Point quite a bit and really like that slug and I'd like to find a slug of them again...

Bottom line, if the 300 Nozler worked I'd use it and if not I'd be more than comfy with either the 260 Accu or the 270 TSX. And if I recall right theres a couple of SAF's that should kills the dog snot out of anything that moves as well.

Lastly if you're at all concerned about shooting longer ranges and critters (sides brownies) then set your rifle up with a scope with dotz and it's super easy to get it set to kill to 500.

Dober

Thanks to all for the helpful information and comments. It was more than I was hoping for. I went to pick up my rifle today at 1 pm, but the "instant" background check still wasn't through by 5 pm when the place closed. In any event, my Near Mfg. base and rings will be here next week, as well as the 2 boxes of ABs I ordered, an I will start trying both them and the NPs out. Still don't know if I can use the Chrono at the range I have access to. If not, I will be headed to the hills to do that in a couple of weeks.

I like the sound of that!Kinda like the old 250 BBC...should scoot at 3000+ easy from the Weatherby chambering....