Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only Best .375 bullet for whitetail

Whats going to be the best actual projectile on whitetail. I dont care for explosive expansion. The deer around here are not huge, figure 200# MAX,
What i dont like is a runner. IN SC I hunt areas from 2.5 acres to 65 acres and everything from flat pastures to swamp. I can shoot and have a good knowledge of whitetail anatomy. I think my 10 year average has been about 85 yards. 440 being the longest shot and 12 paces the shortest.
BBL is 19" MV range of 2000-2500.

225 grain Hornady SP

in my .375 Ultra (this years do-everything rifle) i've been shooting the 260 Nosler AB because of it's BC.

but the Steyr Pro-Hunter shoots the 270 TSX like a bench gun.

i have a load for the PH with a 235 Speer that worked good accuracy wise. bullet seemed to expand a bit much close in. I was thinking about a GC cast at 2K MV since the barrel isnt tapered bore like the steyr.

Any experience with the 225 hornady when velocity gets down around 1700?

In my 376Styer I use the 270 hornady at 2200fps.It shots accuratly and although I have'nt shot a deer with it yet every inantimate object I have hit with it reacted violantly.

That is a 270 hrnady round nose

The 225 Hornady, cranked as hard as you can make it move so that it simulates a 270 Winchester, is probably your best bet. 375 caliber bullets in the traditional weights may or may not give the rapid kills you desire on animals as light as deer.

I've used the 235 speer, 260, 270, 285, 300 seem to knock them flying no matter what I used.

http://www.speer-bullets.com/ballistics/detail.aspx?id=121

just load to 2400-2500fps and go hunting
65 grains of h4895 will get you there

Whatever cheap 300 or 270gr JSP shoots well in your rifle with modest velocity. It is just a soft, thin skinned deer. I'm sure the projectile will still exit and leave a nice, easy to follow blood trail. Not that the deer would go far if you do your part.

+1

Although I have never shot a deer with the Speer 235gn I can't imagine the deer taking more than a few steps after being hit by one.

I have used the Speer 235 at 2860 for many years. Kills clean, no meat destroyed - and most importantly - accurate!

Terry

I've used the 220 gr. Hornady FP and the 235 gr Speer reduced loads for Whitetails, Pigs and Coyotes out of my 375 H&H; the ranges were short (nothing over 150 yds) and the results were terminal.

I have been loading the Lyman 375449 cast with air cooled wheel weights sized .376" gas checked and lubed with White Label BAC, pushed to a little over 2K fps with 50 gr Varget in 375 Ruger 23" Afrikan model. Lit by WLRM primer for very low deviation. I can do moa but saw my brother put 5 out of 6 in a bughole. Performed perfectly on a doe at 25 yds a couple weeks ago.

Awesome. I guess there are no detonation concerns with such a low charge in the Ruger case? I'm guessing your case density is ~60% with 50gn of Varget and the shorter bullet? Perhaps the Varget is slow enough to not be of concern. Interesting.

I took a mule deer doe in Colorado a couple weeks ago with a 235gr TSX out of my .375H&H at 80 to 90 yards. Hit high on the near side shoulder. Exited mid ribs on the far side. Took out both lungs. Ran about 15 yards before she piled up.

I shoot a .375 Hawk with 235 Gr. Speers at 2775 in VERY heavy brush in S. Arkansas and S. Texas. That bullet kills DRT usually in their tracks or at most a few steps. I am sold.

I based my powder choice on Hodgedon's use in 45-70 trapdoor loads, and Richard Lee's talk in Modern Reloading. Probably won't mess with jacketed bullets again until I get a chance at long range elk or go back to Africa or Alaska.

If you're possibly going to be shooting at longer ranges, like you have in the past, I would consider the 260gr Accubond.

I've used the 235 speer from an H&H on Impala and warthog at 2900 fps. It was accurate and put them right down but they did ruin some meat. The bullet did not exit the 225# warthog on a broadside behind the shoulder shot.

Bb