Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting .375 H&H as a deer rifle

I want to use my .375 more, and not just on paper, so I wondered if any of you loaded it down mild 225 and 250-gr bullets, or even cast bullets, and how they performed, in accuracy, ballistics and on smaller game.

I don't want to wound a deer due to a bullet being so tough that it just goes through like a .30-06 armor piercing round.

Use FN and SP bullets designed for the .375 Win., and/or the 215 gr. Barnes X at .375 Win. to .375 JDJ velocities and get your knife ready.

I hunt with a few fellas using .375 Wins. and .375 JDJs (both in carbines and Contenders). The results from the factory loads and handloads with said bullets are dead deer, short to no blood trails (and one's that a blind man could follow), and good trajectory and power out to 200 yards. You might be able to stretch that a bit further with the H&H loads and velocity from the extra barrel length.

Try the 250 gr Sierra SBT or the 235 gr Speer. Loaded down to around 2500-2600, they should do fine.

I use 270gr SAF's or TSX's, at around 2800fps.

No need to load them down.

Lee24, where are you hunting deer, what ranges, and what body size is typical? If we're talking BIG northern deer (MI, ME, Canada, etc.) and up close, that's one thing. If it's TX or FL/GA whitetails and far away, that's another.

I mostly hunt deer close to home, and that is where I would use the .375, anyway. I wouldn't tote it to Saskatchewan, when I have a bunch of .30-06s.

I am just going to use the open sights, and the range won't be over 200 yards, so I am not trying to match the trajectory of my 270-gr at 2,700 fps, but more like the 300-gr at 2,500 fps. It would be great it the 215 or 225 would shoot accurately at 2,400-2,500 fps.

My first guess is about 47-gr or H-4895 or 60-gr of IMR-3031, but I haven't tried them, yet. I

For 200 yards, give or take a little, the .375 JDJ loads and bullet recommendations in the reload manuals ought to be plenty good and from all I've ever heard on the H&H, just about anything at any velocity is decently accurate.

BTW - I remember years back an article on using reduced loads in the H&H for deer. You may want to ask the specific question re: loads and bullets to our resident gunwriters to get their take. Something tells me that they've tried it and can probably point you in the right direction.

I have loaded the Hornady 220 flat point for the 375 Win in an H&H for deer. They were about 2150 fps. It works!

I used an SR 4759 load based on the reduced loads for 375 H&H in the IMR manual. I think IMR may even list a few reduced 375 H&H loads for 270 and 300 grain bullets on their website. PM me and I can probably come up with some details.

The 235gr Speer was designed for deer and other ''smaller than moose'' game. They shot well in my 375s, but I never got the chance to try them on game.

I stayed awy from the flat points to avoid feeding problems.

I always thought of the 375 as a 38/55 on roids <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />


SC......................

Stay away from the 250gr Sierra, no expansion at all, not even on elk. I've had good luck with the 235gr Speer and 260gr B-Tip.

That's what I had heard about the 250 Sierra, and what I want to avoid in a deer load. A levergun bullet or Ballistic Tip should work, maybe even a light Barnes X, but most .375 H&H bullets are made to put down the bad boys.

Lee,

I've been culling deer on an annual basis for over a decade in addition to hunting the regular seasons for the past 31 years. I reckon I've harvested as many deer as anyone. The 375H&H is one of the best performers I've used and there is no reason to download it on deer either small or big. Both 270 and 300 grain standard loads result in outstanding clean kills w/ minimal meat damage.

Good Luck!

Sierra FN 200 gr. SR 4759 38.7 grs

Sierra 200 gr FN IMR 4064 71.5 grs 2900 fps 3734 ft lbs

Take your pick, these loads will not go through like 30-06 AP rounds.

My uncle and cousin have both killed deer with these loads.
They use Winchester Model 70 375 H&H rifles and love it.
GWN

I just got into the .375 cal. arena this year, but that info on the 250 gr Sierra is just the opposite from what my smith says. He shoots a .375 Ackley and has killed a truckload of elk and deer with that bullet and loves it. He gets good expansion and excellent penetration, without the cost of a premium bullet. I could see where it'd be a little tough on deer, but I'd think it would be excellent on elk. I guess its different strokes for different folks...

Hornady has a 225gr SP they developed for the .376 Steyr. I have some to try. Waiting on the rifle to be finished.

I've only used the 250's on 1 elk, the autopsy showed nice clean holes all the way through with no expansion. 1 through the lungs, barely bloodshot around the wound, 1 through both front shoulders, broke the shoulders but again very little damage inside the chest cavity. 1 in the spine, 2 vertibrae completely removed but spinal cord still intact (freak occurance). This was at ranges from 200-250 yards. I shot 1 mule deer broadside at 80 yards, it ran about 100 yards before it went down. Nice clean hole all the way through, minimal tissue damage. The first animal I ever shot with it was an antelope at about 70 yards, base of the neck. Antelope went down and had minimal meat damage, bloodshot extended less than 1 inch from wound track. The SIerra 250gr is a tough bullet. I believe the 235 Speer is a better choice for deer.

Lee24,

The Barnes X 210 gr. at .375 Win and .375 JDJ velocities from 14" T/C barrels is a sledgehammer. I checked with my buddies that all shoot the .375s in their T/Cs.
Total to date: 23 deer.
Ranges: 8 yards to 225 yards (remember, these are handguns <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> ).
Results. 24 shots; 23 hits; 23 kills (one miss).
Furthest tracking job: 40 yards.
Total tracking jobs (i.e. it got out of sights): 5.
All projectiles, except those over 200 yards (3) exited. The 200+ yarders all three went through shoulders and lodged off-side after having taken both shoulders.

Expansion was full even at 200+ yards, weight retention, of course for an X, was impressive. In all, the bullet is HIGHLY recommended. Download the H&H with the 210 gr. X to .376 Steyr to .375 Win. velocities and get your knife GOOD and sharp.

Of course, hitting a deer with a full-throttle 270 gr. H&H load will likely flatten it as well and may very well be an excellent source of practice for using the same load on elk, bear, and African game.

Your choice, but I hazard to guess that no deer is just going to walk away from a solid hit with a .375 H&H, period.

I hope to shoot a few deer this year with my .375 WSM, running the 250 gr. Sierra at about 2800 fps. I'll be happy to report the findings after the hunt, hopefully they will work OK on these southern Whitetails. Even if the expansion is minimal on these small deer, I still don't think they'll go far after being hit by that big bullet.

I have shot about four deer with the .375..Blacktail deer when hunting other things with 300 gr. partitions. Down instantly at close range with almost no meat destroyed. One small whitetail (just fooling around) at close range with .270 gr. hornandy roundnose. Bang flop! Through both shoulders, not too much bloodshot meat. I see no reason to load it down.

The .375 however has been a bad luck rifle for me as I never have shot what I really was hunting for while carrying it! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Lefty