Kicked off Independence Day with a trip to the rifle range!

Hauled along one of my favorite hunting rifles, a .375 H&H Ruger Number One with a sweet old 3x Leupold atop. I was giving my handloads a try, and refining my 100 yard zero. Black bear season opens August 1st! I've shot three black bear with this rifle over the past few years, normally with the 260 grain Nosler Accubond, but had some of those cool old 270 grain Hornady round nose soft points just begging to be used...





The rifle did not disappoint! All was well. ON TARGET at 100 yards, which should work out well for the bear hunt, as I'm going to attempt to call one into close range again. I also tried the rifle at 200 and 300 yards, with no problem hitting a 9" paper plate from a good solid sitting position. This thing is such a hoot to use! Accurate and hard-hitting. It's got a lot more recoil than my normal 25-06 and 30-06 rifles...

Hope your Independence Day is joyous!

Semper Fi, Guy

Nice!!!

I would be very tempted to get one of those, better not see a good deal !

Nice rifle, Guy!

I think so too...

Seems to me it belonged to some Rifle Looney who used it in Africa and other strange places. Prairie dogs to Cape Buff....

It's a mighty fine rifle John, and I'm very fond of it.

Regards, Guy

I (and my son) enjoy the same rifle configuration. What fuels are you burning?

I don't have one right now, but my last, in stainless, shot around 3/4ths of an inch with the 260 grain Accubond and 74 grains of RL15. When I first got it, it strung vertically about 1.5 inches. A set screw under the fore-end with enough tension to keep the hanger from vibrating took care of that. That's a gun I wish I still had.

With my first (blued) one I mostly shot the 270 grain Hornady roundnose with IMR 4064.

Tom

Normally RL-15 for the 260 & 270 gr bullets and H4350 for the 300's. So far, have only taken game (black bears) with the 260 gr Nosler Accubond over RL-15. Nice load!

But I had this bag of old round-nose 270 gr Hornady bullets just sitting there... Waiting to be used... So, it's their turn!

Regards, Guy

Back to the range with it tomorrow for a little practice. My son is coming along, with a .30-30 Glenfield! He's never hunted with that little lever-action, but wants to use it this year. Cool.

We'll get some practice, then in August... After the bears!

We usually do okay on bear, tagging one every couple of years. They make great sausage!

Even if we don't get one, it should be a fun hunt.

Really looking forward to this. Hope to call in a bear for my son!

Guy

Today at the range, 100 yard practice from sitting, 20 yard practice from standing. Rifle, scope, ammo and shooter working well together. Shooter is the weak link, as usual!

I think the "Rifle Looney" hat is helping though...

Guy

Great rifle, Guy and I'm glad to see you're still keeping it in heavy rotation!

Loved the nice bear rug and story you posted a few(?) years ago (think it was your first bear with that rifle). Ended up selling mine a few years ago (SS/lam). Just too heavy for my taste--especially the barrel contour, but it was a sweet shooting rifle.

Ya, 2010 was my first bear ever, and with this rifle.

It has done real well for me on several bear hunts now.

Thanks! Guy

Guy----I was planning on using those 270 grain round nose bullets on my grizzly hunt. My load was 80 grains of IMR4350 & CCI magnum primer. It grouped well. I had trouble getting my Hawkeye 375 Ruger to feed my reloads. I ended up using Hornady 270 grain factory loads. It was a one shot kill. Bear was slightly quartering facing me, bullet went in just inside of it's left shoulder exited just behind it's right shoulder. Exit wound was about the size of a 1/2 dollar.

I did tests on those round nose bullets. They held up well in dry phone books------it went thru about 13" & weighed 170 grains. Wet phone books gave a perfect mushroom of 180 grains.

Good to know. They sure shoot well. Another fellow told me about taking a good sized black bear at modest range with a .375 using the 270 gr Round Nose Hornady. Said it worked great! And I had this bag of 100 of 'em just sitting here doing nothing in particular, so I decided to give them a try.

I think they are no longer in production?

Guy

Yes, I think Hornady no longer makes them. I think I've got a box or two if you need more.

Thanks. I think I'm set on .375 bullets. Probably have enough to last me through two lifetimes of hunting.

Guy

My similar #1H is as accurate as my CZ550. So far as I'm concerned the 3x Leupold is one fantastic scope.

Guy: first off you can't kill stuff with a little 3X scope!

And secondly the last Time I was at the range practicing from field positions a couple shooters offered me their rifle rests so I could shoot from the bench! They seemed put out when I told them there aren't any benches where I hunt.......

Now, that there is funny!

Ya, I don't shoot much from the bench. Not as much fun for me. I did shoot some prairie dogs using the hood of a Suburban for a rifle rest, otherwise, it's always been me, the rifle, whatever rest I could come up with (usually my pack) and my quarry. I much prefer sending rounds downrange in practice, from standing, kneeling sitting and prone, than from a danged bench.

Thanks Tom & Grasshopper!

Guy