Anyone used them on ele?

Anyone know where to get some? Huntingtons & Midway are out.

Brett

I have used them on about everything except elephant...If I were to hunt elephant with a .375 H&H or Ruger, I would use the GS Customs flat nose solid..

Ray,

From what I've read there isn't much of an advantage with FN bullets when taking a brain shot. That's why I thought of trying the heavier Woodleigh solids.

This will be a back up to my .470 double for a tuskless hunt in April.

Brett

Brett!



465H&H

Thanks 456, now if I could just find some darned bullets.

I posted on the Reloading heading asking for handloading data for the .375 H&H on this bullet and got no responses. Anybody willing enough to give me some info?

BTW, try 800-289-2506. They may be able to find you some loaded ammo.

Jet,

I found this in the bigbore section.

Since there isn't much published data on this bullet I emailed Woodleigh. Here is their response:
For both SN and PP 350gr bullets in 375 H&H use
Federal 215 primer
68-72 grains Hodgdon H4350 for 2300-2380 fps
or
73 grains H4831SC or IMR 4831 for 2250 fps.

For FMJ reduce the SN load by 5% and work up.

These are the only loads we have at the moment.
Regards,
Geoff McDonald.
WOODLEIGH BULLETS
PO Box 15, Murrabit, VIC, 3579, Australia
Ph. 61 3 5457 2226
Fax. 61 3 5457 2339
zedfield@iinet.net.au
www.woodleighbullets.com.au

Brett

Brett,

Many thanks. I called Norma and Black HIlls and they didn't have any info. It's scarce as hen's teeth.

I'll try this. Too bad there isn't an IMR 4350 load, because I'm sitting on eight pounds of the stuff. I really appreciate you passing this along.

Jet,

I saw another email from Goeff McDonald that said start with either H or IMR 4350 at 64gr if memory serves. That was on the BB fourm also.

Brett

The email that was forwarded to me, originally from Geoff, stated the following:

Fed. 215
70-72gr. H4350 for 2300-2350

Maybe back off a couple grains of IMR4350 and work up.

I loaded for softs(RN & PP) and FMJ. All 3 average around 2350 with 72 grains of H4350 and shoot same POI at 100 yds.(M70, 24" barrel). I tested these all last summer at 85-90 degrees and high Alabama humidity with no pressures at all. I shot 10 of the RN softs a couple weeks ago at around 40 degrees and they averaged around 2340, so pretty stable powder. Go to Midway's website and set up a "Remind Me" on the product page for each bullet. They'll email you to let you know as soon as they're received into stock. Then it's first come, first serve. Good luck.

David

Edited to add: Take the usual precautions when using load data from an internet forum. Double check with other sources for powder charges.

Another quick thing to add. These loads are extremely accurate out of my rifle. When doing 10-shot strings last summer, I shot 10 each of the PP and FMJ into the same target thru the chrony. They pretty much just made a big old ragged spot in the center of the target. 20 rounds in, roughly, a 2" circle, without really trying hard. The RN I shot the other day, shot 4 (2-5 of 5) into a 3/4" group. The first(of 5) shot made the group 1.25" but recorded a low velocity, so I suspect it was light charged.

Look on the BB forums for a post from Thornell about his results on a buffalo last year in September.

David

quote:

Originally posted by Brett:
Ray,

From what I've read there isn't much of an advantage with FN bullets when taking a brain shot. That's why I thought of trying the heavier Woodleigh solids.

This will be a back up to my .470 double for a tuskless hunt in April.

Brett

Brett,

My bullet digging has proved that flat nose solids enhance penetration in any situation, brain shot, body shot, doesn't matter, with a flat pooint you will enjoy remarkably better pentration.

(Not that I don't think that the 350gr Woodleigh solids are great, I bought the last two boxes from Midway a week ago!)

JPK

JPK,

Thanks for the FN info. I'm going to use one or another FN in my 470, they seem to regulate better than the Woodleighs...

Any chance you would part with a box of those 350 grainers? I would pay you for them and replace them at the first opportunity!

Best regards;
Brett

quote:

Originally posted by Brett:
Jet,

I saw another email from Goeff McDonald that said start with either H or IMR 4350 at 64gr if memory serves. That was on the BB fourm also.

Brett

Thanks. I'll check it out.

Brett,

I'm heading out of town for a week early tomorrow, and I'll have more info available when I return.

I've got an elephant hunt coming up that I will leave for in late April. I was hoping to take my 458wm double and a new 375H&H double, hopefully shooting the 350's, but the 375H&H double doesn't look like it will be ready to make the trip. If its not then I'll take my bolt 375H&H, for which I already have my solid load, with Woodleigh 300's, developed and loaded to match the Federal 300gr Trophy Bonded load.

So, if the 375H&H double isn't ready to go, I'll be happy to send you the two boxes of 350gr Woodleigh solids on your promise to replace them as soon as practical.

If my 375H&H isn't ready I'll also have a couple of boxes of the 350gr protected points to match the solids and if we do a swap I can send those if you need them.

When is your trip?

So I don't space and forget to contact you one way or another, how about shooting me an email and PM next Wednesday? I think you have my email from North Fork deal.

JPK

Some good friends and I have been shooting the 320grn 9.3mm and 350grn 375 Woodleigh Solids with good results.
A good load in our rifles is 350grn 375 woodleigh with 73grns 0f AR2209 Australian powder which is as far as I'm aware the same as IMR 4350 for a MV of 2350fps.

JPK,

I'll ping you next week. Hope you get the new gun.

I'm leaving on April 15 for Dande South.

And good luck in Nyakasanga. I hunted plains game there after taking an ele in Makuti in 2003. Saw some good ele and even a leopard in daylight in Nyakasanga. Great place.

Brett

Brett,
I am in accord with JPK on this one.. So far I have found the flat nose solid to be head and shoulders obove any other solid for penetration and for straight penetration, also it kills better with heart and lung shots on Buffalo etc.

I talked to Geoff some time back and he was working on a flat nose solid at the time or rather considering one...With the recent demise of North Fork I hope he does it quickly....I also hope that someone makes Northforks cup points, my all time favorite big bore bullet.

That is not to say that the 350 gr. Woodleigh solid won't work, just that I have not used and I am giving you the reason why I didn't use it on elephant..It was very effective on Buffalo, but about any solid is fine for buffalo...I have never found any Woodleigh bullet to be lacking...They are a grand bullet.

quote:

From what I've read there isn't much of an advantage with FN bullets when taking a brain shot.

Even if there is not much of an advantage with brain shots, there is still an advantage. With all other types of shots, FN bullets are superior to round nose solids by a fair margin. So why give up a small advantage on head shots and a clear advantage on all other shots, just because it is a small advantage?


Small advantages are the difference between skinning and tracking, the difference between paying and posing for the photo, or paying and phoning a week later to hear if it has been found.

Gerard,

I would be happy to use your 300gr. FNs but I can't get them in time for my April safari. I should have started sooner...

Chances are that I'll be shooting the ele with my 470 anyway but I'm just covering all possibilities.

Brett

FWIW... Midway has the 350 grain RN softs and PP's, but no solids.

If you don't have time to work up loads, Midway sells Norma African PH ammo with both the 375 H&H Weldcore and Solids...

http://www.midwayusa.com/esearch.exe/search?search_keyw...elector=all_products

Chuck

Chuck,

Seven bucks each is just a little steep...

Brett