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Shooting & Reloading - Mausers, Big Bores and others >> Big Bore Rifles
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KWK
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Reged: 28/02/04
Posts: 61
Loc: Illinois
bullets for hunting with the .375 2.5"
      #10400 - 29/02/04 08:43 AM

What sort of .375 bullets work well in this cartridge when hunting game upto 500 lb in weight?

The 375 has become a "magnum" caliber, and I suspect the bullets may all be a bit too tough for the moderate velocities the .375 2.5" can develop. For the rifle I'm thinking about, 2100 fps would be reasonable with a 270 gn bullet.

There seems to be two classes of .375 bullets available. Those for launch speeds of 1500 fps in the .38-55 and those for 2500+ fps in the .375 H&H. One could paper patch 9.3mm bullets, but that might get old.

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475Guy
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Reged: 22/08/03
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Re: bullets for hunting with the .375 2.5" [Re: KWK]
      #10402 - 29/02/04 08:52 AM

Since you're limiting yourself with a short case, maybe try one of the 250 or 260 gr bullets made out there. Even the 270 would encroach into your powder capacity and you'd probably compress the hell out of your powder and creating higher pressures.

--------------------
Lo do they call to me,
They bid me take my place among
them in the Halls of Valhalla,
Where the brave may live forever.

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KWK
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Reged: 28/02/04
Posts: 61
Loc: Illinois
Re: bullets for hunting with the .375 2.5" [Re: 475Guy]
      #10404 - 29/02/04 08:57 AM

But with a single shot, there's no need to seat the bullets deep.

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475Guy
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Reged: 22/08/03
Posts: 1088
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Re: bullets for hunting with the .375 2.5" [Re: KWK]
      #10405 - 29/02/04 09:01 AM

Well in that case, you could seat any bullet out further with a deeper throat cut for your max bullet length.

--------------------
Lo do they call to me,
They bid me take my place among
them in the Halls of Valhalla,
Where the brave may live forever.

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mbogo375
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Reged: 09/02/04
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Re: bullets for hunting with the .375 2.5" [Re: KWK]
      #10407 - 29/02/04 10:00 AM

You can get reasonable expansion and penetration with the 235 Speer at 2300fps. For more penetration you can use the 260 Nosler Partition at 2100-2200fps, 270 Hornady RN at 2100fps, and 250 Swift A-Frame at 2200fps, particularly on larger than deer size game (these act like the 300 grain premium bullets in a 375 H&H in that they give excellent penetration with adequate expansion on medium-size big game). If you want more expansion for deer size game try the Hawk 235 grain RN or 250 grain FP, both with .025 jacket thickness-they will definitely expand at 375x2.5 velocity. The 220 Hornady FP and 200 Sierra FP designed for the 375 Win will also expand well while holding together enough for deer with chest cavity shots, especially at 2000-2300fps, but I would be careful of strong quartering shots from the rear that would clip several ribs on the way into the chest cavity with these two.

This is a really great caliber for game up to the size of elk, and Elmer Keith (Mr. Big Bore himself) was fond of a 375x2.5 Flanged NE double for use on elk in the timber.

Jim

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DoubleD
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Reged: 23/11/03
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Re: bullets for hunting with the .375 2.5" [Re: 475Guy]
      #10409 - 29/02/04 10:08 AM

Take a look at Woodleigh's #42 270 Gr. RN SN .375. That bullet is the one loaded by Kynoch in their .375 2 1/2 Fl. NE ammo and is the bullet that Woodleigh recommends.

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DD, Ret.

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Holmes
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Reged: 01/12/03
Posts: 159
Loc: Wyoming, USA
Re: bullets for hunting with the .375 2.5" [Re: KWK]
      #10412 - 29/02/04 10:27 AM

The Nosler 260 Partition and the Sierra 250 GK will both perform admirably at the velocities you are working with.

What powders are you playing with?

If I were building a lightweight 'mountain' rifle in 375 calibre, this is certainly the cartridge I would use.

Hmmm... I think I need one of those

Keep us posted and welcome to the forums. Your post on the 'current SS' thread was informative and appreciated.

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KWK
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Reged: 28/02/04
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Loc: Illinois
Re: bullets for hunting with the .375 2.5" [Re: Holmes]
      #10436 - 29/02/04 05:36 PM

Blast it all, when this question popped into my mind, I first went to Woodleigh's site. Their bullet list recommends a minimum impact speed of 1900 fps for the 270 RN, which rather surprised me. In looking again, DoubleD, I see this may be a typo, for their upper impact speed is only 2400 for it.

Thanks for all the other recommendations. Some of them had escaped my attention. Hey mbogo375, have you tried the Hornady 270 RN at these low speeds? I've no experience with any of their RN bullets, yet.

The 235 X at 2200 seemed viable since it would still be going about 1900 at 150 yd; but I do fear it might be stouter than the average X, which opens down to about 1800. The North Fork bullets were the only others which occured to me, and they also look to be marginal for this use.

Holmes, the gun exists only in my mind's eye at this time, so I've no powder reports to give, sorry. (A few other current falling blocks came to mind, and I added them to that list.) I had tentatively settled on the .35 Win. for this gun, but a .375 2.5" at the same pressure seems worth considering. Ponder, ponder, ponder...

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mbogo375
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Reged: 09/02/04
Posts: 68
Loc: southeastern Georgia
Re: bullets for hunting with the .375 2.5" [Re: KWK]
      #10501 - 01/03/04 11:11 AM

In reply to:

Thanks for all the other recommendations. Some of them had escaped my attention. Hey mbogo375, have you tried the Hornady 270 RN at these low speeds? I've no experience with any of their RN bullets, yet.



I have not recovered one, but it appears to open to some degree in whitetail size game (this is actually what I hunted deer with this past season in my 375x2.5 FNE bolt action loaded to about 2150 fps). If you want more expansion it would be better to use the 220 Hornady FP or one of the Hawks.

Jim

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NE450No2
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Reged: 10/01/03
Posts: 942
Re: bullets for hunting with the .375 2.5" [Re: KWK]
      #10510 - 01/03/04 12:22 PM

KWK
If you want good expansion try the Hawk bullets with the .025jkt. For deeper penetration use the Hawk with the .035jkt.
www.hawkbullets.com

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atkinson6
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Reged: 26/01/04
Posts: 678
Loc: Idaho
Re: bullets for hunting with the .375 2.5" [Re: NE450No2]
      #10559 - 02/03/04 03:13 AM

KWK,
I assure you the NorthForks will work wonderfully at about any velocity, I have shot Buffalo with them at 200 plus yards in a 375 and got perfect expansion and good penitration after they slowed down and I had them loaded down to about 2350 at the muzzle...Actually they work better slowed down as they penitrate better and expand a bit less and I like that on Buffalo...Same can be said for the 300 gr. RN Woodleighs......

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prof242
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Reged: 10/02/04
Posts: 54
Loc: Colorado, USA
Re: bullets for hunting with the .375 2.5" [Re: atkinson6]
      #10570 - 02/03/04 06:05 AM

I've used the Speer 235gr .375 bullet on mule deer and elk here in Colorado. They open fine on mulies, but a bit much on elk (I like 100% penetration). A call to Speer techies affirmed that the 235gr does open a little too fast for bigger game.

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Politically correct = morally wrong

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