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

I used the 250gr Sierra's out of my .375-.358STA for 8 years or so with a MV of 3080fps. I've shot 7 or 8 elk, about that many deer, and 5 African animals (warthog to Kudu in size). Only 1 elk and the Kudu required more than one shot with ranges out 513yds on the Kudu.

Lee,

Use your 375 as if you were on "safari". Load it up and hunt. You might want to look at the Nosler 260 gr PT or AB bullets.
They will work fime on the smaller safari game.
I've used my 338 RUM with 250 gr PT on WT deer, works fine. Bang Flop. No such thing as over kill.

Regards,

JD338

Doesn't anyone else think it's funny that not more than a few weeks ago there was a huge pissing match over whether the 243 was sufficient for deer, and now the the 375 H&H is being questioned as sufficient?

Chriminy sakes, I need to start hunting deer in another part of the country because there are no deer anywhere I've been that could stand up to a 375.

FWIW, if a freaking cape buffalo can be taken cleanly with a solid from a 375 (with NO expansion), then I'm reasonably certain that just about any bullet you could ever hope to fling out of a 375 will handle any deer that's ever walked the earth. Of course, I'm funny in that I tend to look at things logically.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Actually if you don't place the bullet correctly and if the bullet doesn't expand then you might not think it was " big enough".
I know someone who used Barnes X bullets a few years back
and the bullet didn't expand. He had quite a tracking job. I guess that would hold true with solids or any bullet with to thick of a jacket or poor design for the game hunted.
FWIW <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
GWN

I for one have used the 375 on deer. I loaded the Speer 235 gr to right at 2600 and it performed flawlessly at 175 yds. I shot a doe broadside just behind the shoulder. She bounced she went down so fast. I can't speak to expansion as the bullet exited the offside with a very nice hole. It looked like a laser beam had gone through her. I would not hesitate to do it again.

Pmc

Shooting a deer in the ass with a 50 BMG wouldn't make the 50 BMG any less capable a deer round. Short of an RPG, it does take some skill to cleanly take game, chambering can't compensate for the inability to hit a barn from inside it.

I think what Cas is saying is that the 375 puts a big enough hole in them even without expansion that deer will die right quick. If he is not then I am.. Besides the through and through hole you are guarenteed with any 375 bullet/load while that bullet is whistling through the deer like a piece of paper any bone that it hits will splinter and do some nasty damage on its own. As long as your shooting at a velocity over 2000 fps and figure 200 yards is your further limit trajectory is a non issue as well.

I don't believe anyone questioned the 375 as being enough gun. It will go end to end through an elk.

All I'm saying is a 3/8" hole through both lungs with no other skeletal damge makes for a long day as there is minimal bleeding and it takes a deer a long time to drown. Same as hitting one with armor piercing ammo.

We have killed several Deer with my .375 Ruger # 1 Tropical using the 220 Hornaday FP and 39 gr. SR 4759 (IMR). This load gives 2175 fps and shoots 1/2" groups at fifty yards. This is a deadly load!

I have killed one doe with a Lyman .375248 which weighs 248 grs. cast from lynotype. Powder was 13 grs. Red Dot for about 1300 fps. The doe was at about 50 yards and ran downhill about 50 yards bfore dropping. The bullet was not recovered.

For longer range I use the 235 gr. Speer with 64 grs. IMR 3031 for 2700 fps. This is enough for a 300 yard shot but I have not taken any deer with it as yet.

Good luck with your H&H. I know you will enjoy it!

Thanks Kywindage, for some more real load and field experience. This is my 5th .375, a keeper, and I want to get more trigger time on it, but I don't want to risk wounding a deer by playing with the wrong load.

I am probably going to buy a matching Model 70 in .257 Roberts and modify it to the same sights as this Express. I'll try some of these lever-gun clone loads as well as some of the 2700 fps lighter bullets and get back on what works for my rifle. Keep the suggestions coming!

Simple then, don't shoot them in the guts or the ass. It has nothing to do with the load.

CAS, I know better than to shoot a deer with a FMJ .30-06 or a .375 H&H with a 300-gr Swift A-Frame. I was soliciting comments of those with EXPERIENCE using the .375 on deer.

I use the .375" 225 grain Hornady Spire Point in my .375 H&H for deer, black bear and hogs. Loaded over 70 grains of H4895 in Remington brass primed with a CCI250 it shoots with the trajectory of a 150 grain 308 Winchester and hits like a .338 Winchester Magnum. The 225 grain Hornady is a great deer bullet pushed 2400-3000 fps.

And you got it. Don't shoot them in the ass or the guts and you'll be fine with whatever you fling at them. If you think that a 300gr .375 A-Frame won't kill a deer cleanly then clearly YOU are the one with no experience.

Let me repeat in case you missed it:

Don't shoot them in the ass or the guts with a 375, 30-06, 243, 223, 25-06, 6.5x55, 270, 7 mag, 300 mag, 8mm mag, 338 Mag, 35 Whelen, 9.3x62, 416, 404, 458, 470, 500, 550, 600, or 700 and you will be fine. Punch a hole in the right spot, and you'll have a dead deer. (I'm sure I left out some calibers, so go ahead and flame away)

Chambering (nor bullet selection) won't compensate for crappy shooting.

Good post, CAS....

What's the big deal? You put your crosshairs on him and pull the trigger.

He dies.

People in Alaska do it all the time....

That one was killed, by the way, with a 270gr SAF at about 2800fps.....

David, see your experience doesn't count because you used a 270gr A-Frame, not a 300gr A-Frame. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

BTW, that is a DARN nice sitka.

Yeah, I was concerned about the 300gr SAF pencil-holing.....<grin>

Good to know that a full house 270-gr round worked well for you. I am not surprised, but I bet the expansion everyone so worships in deer bullets did not occur with this .375 H&H kill. I have no shortage of good, heavy big-game and dangerous game loads. It is the abnormal light loads which now interest me.

I killed my first deer with a rifle using .303 Brit using FMJ (which is actually a flatnose like the Accubond without the polymer tip), but today I use a 180-gr RN in the .303.

And CAS, it is you who are flaming. Get yourself a .375 and we can swap loads with you.

Not sure about the expansion....when I looked into the bullet hole, all I saw was daylight on the other side, and the deer was in no shape to comment.

Half-throttle isn't really my scene.

It's your thread, though, so I'll pipe down and let the speculation continue...

I've got that covered SFB, twice.

And as for swapping loads, thank you, but no thanks. I think I'll steer clear of advice on hunting, rifles, or loads from someone incapable of cleanly taking a deer with a 375 H&H.

But you already did give advice...just not based on experience with deer loads. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

How do you like that Monte Carlo stock vs the straight comb? I had pre-64 .375 that was similar. I think the older straight comb with more drop was best for iron sights.

I don't really like the Monte Carlo stock. I could be that the rifle is just so darn light that it makes the recoil worse. You can definitely get to the iron sights better with the older style than with the new style.

Overall I like the new stock much better. It's heavier (a big plus), and it's got a nicer forearm to hang onto and the grip fits me much better. I nearly always prefer a straight comb on a rifle like the 375. The fact that I have to scrunch down a little bit more to get to the irons on my newer rifle is of little consequence to me as they are merely a backup.

All that said, I do like the Pre-64 stock with it's Monte Carlo. I've got yet another 375 that wears that exact stock that I nearly forgot about. It handles recoil pretty well from the standing position, but from the bench it kills you.

Iron sights are the primary sight on most of my rifles, and I thought about restocking this newer Winchester with a push-feed Monte Carlo and then cut that down until I got it right, but this heavy, wide stock does tame the recoil better than the older ones. It looks good, too, all Winchester.

Best stock on a bolt .375 I had was a Griffin & Howe on a Krieghoff magnum Mauser. Best fitting new stock I have found is the Sako 75 Commerative, but it is only a 7.5-lb rifle, even in .416!! Too small.

Yeah, the Sako's are pretty good stocks. Even with lighter rifles, the grip allows me to keep pretty good control of them.

I've heard several people rave about the G&H pattern stocks. Having never shot one myself, I'd have to rely on the unanimous praise I've heard of them.

hey c as(s)

mighty high horse your talking down from there...

i didn't see anything here which questioned whether the .375 was sufficient or not... i saw a guy professing his inexperience with the cartridge on game considerably lighter than what it is normally carried for...

how hard would it be when a qualified opinion is asked for, to simply state your qualifications and opinions?

i'm sure that i put you on ignore the first time for your oversized pictures which make it a PITA to get through a post... i took you off ignore for this post because i was interested... bad move on my part...

FWIW daveak311s post with the picture was short sweet and to the point... (even if the picture was a little oversized)

see ya

I've worked with three .375 H&H's - a custom shop Model 70, an off the shelf M70 Safari Express and a Ruger 1H. All three had long throats. You could load bullets out close to the lands in the 1H but the magazine of the Model 70's limited my OAL such that bullets were a ways from the lands. Don't have notes in front of me but "a ways" = perhaps .2".

Speer 235 grainers never shot well in any of my rifles. The 220 grainers are made for the .375 Winchester. I never got good accuracy with them at any velocity from light loads at 2200 up to 2800 fps with those but never shot anything either. From what I understand they kill pretty well at .375 Winchester velocities but don't know how they'd do driven much faster. They'd sure expand but they might be too violent at the 2800-2900 fps possible.

Tried Sierra 250 SBT's, 260 Nosler Accubonds and 260 Partitions as well. The Sierras never shot very well but the Accubonds and Partitions both shot well, the Accubonds extremely well, in all three rifles.

Hornady 270 Spire Points also shot extremely well in my rifles.

Obviously YMMV but my .375's didn't like being loaded down too much with the lighter bullets, even in the 1H which was an otherwise very acurate rifle and could have bullets seated out to the lands.

Now as to experience - nope, never shot a deer with my .375 H&H's. But concerning bullets being too hard, 270 grain Swift A-Frames at 2700 fps work just fine on impala which are about the same size as whitetails or maybe a touch smaller. They definitely expand quite nicely. Since the A-Frames are a bit tougher in the front end than Partitions I'm thinking Nosler 260 Partitions or Accubonds driven at 2750-2800 fps should do just great on deer sized game.

The Hornady 270's actually have a reputation for being too soft. Folks have reported that they fail to exit on elk sometimes so I'm thinking they should work just great on deer.

I wouldn't worry about bullets being too hard in the .375, except of course for solids. The whole raison d'etre of the .375 is that it works well on everything fwith it's standard 270-300 grain loads. In fact lots of guys go to Africa and shoot everything from little coyote sized dik-dik to Cape Buffalo with Nosler 300 grain Partitions.

My only experience with the .375 on smaller game is on, well, Carp. In the spring, when they are spawning and their backs are just out of the water, the 270 gr. Winchester soft point factory ammo works to perfection. Some of these bruisers exceed 20 pounds where I hunt them.

No recovered bullets, as they are 100% pass-throughs. No tracking needed, however, as many are launched from their watery habitat, or are simply bang-flops.

I haven't experimented with the 300 gr. offerings, as the 270 gr. factory stuff seems to be quite adequate. I don't even think the premium bullets would offer much improvement.

I wouldn't hesitate to go after them with a .243, however. Either caliber should prove to be adequate.

ROTFLMAO!!!!

Considering some of the carp that JJHACK has been stickin' lately, you might want to consider offering your, and your .375H&H's, services to him as back-up should any of those carp get unruly about being arrowed... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Saturday I took my 9th white tail with my 375 H&H.

All but one of the others went down in their tracks. Literally NO tracking needed. They fell at impact. My loads have generally been 300 grain Noslers (3) and 300 grain Hornady round nose softpoints (3) and 272 Groove Bullets (3) over 66 grain of Reloader 15.

The one that did not fall in her tacks was taken with the solid copper groove bullet which did not expand with the lung hit. I attributed this "failure" to the bullet design which was built for deep penetration in larger game.

After that I went back to the soft faced round nose 300 grain bullets which have served me well. But the deer I took Saturday did NOT fall the way he was supposed to.

I double lunged him cleanly at 60 yards. 3/8 inch hole going in - hit rib on the near side leaving a thumb sized hole in the near side ribs. The bullet and chunks of rib flew through his lungs. The bullet smashed through a rib on the off side exiting with a hole you can put your thumb through. Pieces of bullet or rib broke other ribs in two places and one of those smaller pieces of shrapnel also exited.

Here is where it gets weird - instead of being knocked off his feet - this buck just lurched forward and trotted away uphill out of sight.

He went about 50 yards and stood bleeding heavily from both sides until he tipped forward stone dead and folded up on his nose.

How the heck did he keep his feet? Even if he did keep his feet - how did he keep going?

This was a big spike horn white tail - he went 150-160 lbs on the hoof (big for our local whitetail anyway- especially a spiker).

Has anyone else whacked a deer with a 300 grain bullet and had them walk away?

I have used the speer 235gr sp in a 375 ultra mag at 3150fps on 4 whitetails. A fist size exit every time and deer ran usually about 40yds. I think the 225gr hornady at around 2750fps would be great in the h&h.

Not sure if this has been mentioned,,but they can shoot through abour 4 deer so one has to be very careful what is behind them when they are shot...I have done it and it worked great with the nosler accubond..They have also shot through bear and moose as well so when shooting a big gun or any gun due diligence is always required...When the 375 hits the spine it literally severs it..Neck shot on deer you just need a knife to trim alittle meat to get the head off!!!!Helps to get a guy more familiar with his rifle too..Love the cartridge..Haven't had any more dramatic kills than with my /06 and 165 gr interlocks however..

thnx guys

I don't use light loads but I do use my .375 on deer. The bullets I have used - simply because my rifle shoots them well, have been the 300gr Hornady round nose and 300gr Nosler Partition. Either one puts deer down right now and without excessive meat damage. The powder I usually use is W760 in Winchester cases with Federal magnum primers. The .375 is certainly more than needed but nothing I ever used worked any better.

I had the same issue, I had a beautiful win 70 in 375, loaded it with 200 gr bullets made for the 375 win. never did shoot a deer with it but accuracy was good.