.375 H&H ammunition choices

Swift A frame are my favourite for DG. Can't go wrong with a Barnes X either. Used to love the Trophy Bonded Bear Claw and Sledgehammer too. Personally I like heavy-for-calibre so will stick with 300 grainers for the .375. Have seen a lot of DG taken with these brands.
 
Swift A frame are my favourite for DG. Can't go wrong with a Barnes X either. Used to love the Trophy Bonded Bear Claw and Sledgehammer too. Personally I like heavy-for-calibre so will stick with 300 grainers for the .375. Have seen a lot of DG taken with these brands.
Availability of suitable bullets is the biggest problem in the UK. Trying to find any Swift stockists is hard and the chances of anyone having components or loaded ammo in any calibres above .338 is slim. Barnes have the best supply chain and now Will hopefully become easier still to get now Highland Outdoors have taken over the distributorship. As an example I bought the last two boxes (40 bullets) of 450 grain .458 cal Barnes TSX in the UK about 2 years ago and I have been looking for more ever since! Finding good quality solids was impossible. I have just ordered some Peregrine via Edinburgh Rifles so will give them a try
 
Can't go wrong with a Barnes TSX (so long as its not pushed to silly speeds). We struggle to get quality bullets where I am from too, but I managed to stock up on 500 grain Woodleigh solids for my .458 by pure luck. Glad I did!
I have heard some good things about Peregrine. That's a South African bullet, correct?
 
Can't go wrong with a Barnes TSX (so long as its not pushed to silly speeds). We struggle to get quality bullets where I am from too, but I managed to stock up on 500 grain Woodleigh solids for my .458 by pure luck. Glad I did!
I have heard some good things about Peregrine. That's a South African bullet, correct?
Yes they are from South Africa. They do some interesting looking bullets for big things up close including some brass and copper flat nosed solids that seem to get good reports. Presumably you can’t import components easily from RSA?
Which .458 do you use and for hunting what? I have a 458 Win Mag but in my heart of hearts would prefer a Lott
 
Yes they are from South Africa. They do some interesting looking bullets for big things up close including some brass and copper flat nosed solids that seem to get good reports. Presumably you can’t import components easily from RSA?
Which .458 do you use and for hunting what? I have a 458 Win Mag but in my heart of hearts would prefer a Lott
These are brought in by Ed at Edinburgh Rifles, would be worth a bash.
 
I used hornady DGX 300grain on red worked fine then I bought some federal premium nostler partition 300 grain worked beautifully. Now I bought some federal premium cape shock Barnes triple shock. Not tested yet. I don’t home load I go for factory. And the rifle is a Winchester mod 70 classic super express
 

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Reloading all the way for the big cartridges, that's where it really starts to make financial sense.

Barnes bullets go from one of the more expensive options to one of the cheaper ones when you get up into this class. If you're not shooting dangerous game I'd go 270gr or below. For UK deer even the lightest offering will be more than enough.

Avoid Remington yellow box stuff. I had it separate in a Whitetail, which is hardly a solid animal given the class of cartridge!
 
Reloading all the way for the big cartridges, that's where it really starts to make financial sense.

Barnes bullets go from one of the more expensive options to one of the cheaper ones when you get up into this class. If you're not shooting dangerous game I'd go 270gr or below. For UK deer even the lightest offering will be more than enough.

Avoid Remington yellow box stuff. I had it separate in a Whitetail, which is hardly a solid animal given the class of cartridge!
Good advice 👍
 
Reloading all the way for the big cartridges, that's where it really starts to make financial sense.

.375H&H cost £5.00 each from your local RFD.

Reloading? Re-cycled brass is free, powder is circa 46p, Barnes 270gr TSX is £1.59, primer £0.10. *Total cost per homeload = £2.15

*this assumes you have loaded for a while and start-up costs of press, dies, etc is amortised.
 
.375H&H cost £5.00 each from your local RFD.

Reloading? Re-cycled brass is free, powder is circa 46p, Barnes 270gr TSX is £1.59, primer £0.10. *Total cost per homeload = £2.15

*this assumes you have loaded for a while and start-up costs of press, dies, etc is amortised.
Yes, Ive bought dies and unfired cases from a member here. Have some 540 which should work and magnum primers

Need to buy some bullets and a Lee crimp die
 
Yes, Ive bought dies and unfired cases from a member here. Have some 540 which should work and magnum primers

Need to buy some bullets and a Lee crimp die
Lee Crimp die is a good idea. If you end up loading solids, they tend to be a little smaller on diameter so some crimp helps with neck tension (I certainly found this with my 404 Jeff)

Scrummy
 
Reason for sealant around the bullet is for the very simple reason that most 375s will be in the hands of game rangers, guides etc. Rounds will be in the magazine or on the belt all day and everyday, in all weathers from cold dry winters through to torrential rain, and in northern climes freezing cold or wet snow. The rifles will be rarely fired. Perhaps a few times per year for your guide test.

But there will be a time when the rifle is needed to stop a large, grumpy, hairy beast with big teeth, horns, tusks or toenails. And you won’t be shooting it with plenty of time, you will be shooting it from five yards with fractions of a second. And there will be lots of paperwork afterwards if you get it wrong.

Bullets are sealed so that moisture doesn’t get into the powder and that it goes bang when needed. Cleaning the barrel is a minor problem compared to cleaning up after a close encounter with a dangerous animal.
 
Reason for sealant around the bullet is for the very simple reason that most 375s will be in the hands of game rangers, guides etc. Rounds will be in the magazine or on the belt all day and everyday, in all weathers from cold dry winters through to torrential rain, and in northern climes freezing cold or wet snow. The rifles will be rarely fired. Perhaps a few times per year for your guide test.

But there will be a time when the rifle is needed to stop a large, grumpy, hairy beast with big teeth, horns, tusks or toenails. And you won’t be shooting it with plenty of time, you will be shooting it from five yards with fractions of a second. And there will be lots of paperwork afterwards if you get it wrong.

Bullets are sealed so that moisture doesn’t get into the powder and that it goes bang when needed. Cleaning the barrel is a minor problem compared to cleaning up after a close encounter with a dangerous animal.

You mean like these!!

 
You mean like these!!


Sort of, but I was thinking rather than hunters per se, the sort of occasion where I once explained to a client when she wondered why I was asking her to get out of the Zambezi river and pointing a rifle at her. She was stark naked washing her blond hair, no I was not looking at her numbies, much more I was aiming at the 20ft croc that was taking a shine to her about 20ft from her, and that it would be much less paperwork if the croc ate her than if I shot the croc without a hunting licence type situation.
 
Mine seems to love 300 grain Hornady DGS and RS60 (aka Re17) And yes I know there are 4 shots not 3!!
 

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Sort of, but I was thinking rather than hunters per se, the sort of occasion where I once explained to a client when she wondered why I was asking her to get out of the Zambezi river and pointing a rifle at her. She was stark naked washing her blond hair, no I was not looking at her numbies, much more I was aiming at the 20ft croc that was taking a shine to her about 20ft from her, and that it would be much less paperwork if the croc ate her than if I shot the croc without a hunting licence type situation.

You know the rule…. If there is no photo then it didn’t happen 🤣
 
I've used the Hornady 300grn DGX (and DGS in the second barrel) bonded bullets on DG and found them to be very well constructed and they performed very well. Clearly the DGS won't be need for plains game but the DGX is a good bullet and one that I've found to be (mostly) available in the UK. I've taken many Impala and Warthog with the double using the DGX bullets and although they largely pass through the Impala with minimal expansion, they are perfect on the pigs.

I reload, but I believe factory ammo is available.

FN
 
I have used the PPU for range practice only and to reload the cases. If you are already set up to reload then the cost of extra dia is well worth it. The last time I saw some factory ammo it was Barnes at £120 per box fine for DG but a touch expensive to practice with!

I have have used Federal brass and Speer 235 and 270g bullets perhaps out of fashion but they work extremely well on appropriate game, if you can source factory Federal well worth to try.

I am using RL15 and N150 currently and find it works well, most definitely I crimp and I use the Larry Willis Collet Dia, good addition to your kit.

I would recommend the Peregrine range of bullets VLR4 and VRG3, I used these on my last trip to SA. Give Ed at Edinburgh Rifles a buzz and order some up, they are not quite so expensive as Barnes. I used a VRG3 270g on PG and the Buffalo I shot only took a few steps and was dead, as I say well worth using, as to generalise I and my husband have used Peregrine last four years and have been very happy with them.

Also I would add if you can get some Sierra 200g they make good range practice ammo. Go and enjoy that 375 H&H!

Regards
 
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