If you were going to use a .375 on buffalo (and yes, I can tell from the posts on more exotic artillery that many of you wouldn't) what bullets would you use?

How best to "keep it simple" when using the same .375 for plains game?

John, I have done this several times and fortunately fell into a pretty good match. I use 270 grain bullets for Plains game which are zero'd for 250 yards being 3" high at 100.

I use 300 grain Bullets for Buffalo and they by some magic or luck with my rifle are zero'd at 100 yards without touching the scope adjustment at all.

I have since tried this with several other 375HH Rifles and all are about the same. For some reason the 270's shoot just the right amount high at 100 yards to put them on the money at about 230-250 yards. While the 300 grainers will always hit around 95-110 yards for a Zero.

I have used Swift Aframes for the last 4 years almost exclusive in the above weights, and have no complaints. I have had 2 bullets pass through Buffalo on broadside shots and I have recovered one from the opposite side skin after going through the spine and one scapula. The bullet weighed 290 grians but has a big bone chunk imbedded in the front half of the lead.

There are probably other combinations that will work as good or better then this. I know this works for me and I have had clients use the same bullets and loads on Safari with me after asking advice on this. All have had excellent performance with no lost game. jj

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The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything they have.

So you use no solids even on buffalo?

No I do not recommend solids as a hunter. As a PH they may do just fine because it would be a longer target going straight away or right at you. For the visiting hunter a premium expanding bullet is far better on typical shots then a solid which will eliminate some shot opportunities because of shooting two buffalo with an exiting bullet!

Buffalo are expensive and paying for a second one that may not even be a trophy or even a bull could really ruin your day and bring down what would otherwise be a very special moment in your hunting career.

Softs can exit on some shots, Solids will almost always exit on broadside shots. jj

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The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything they have.

I used a 300gr Nosler at 2550 fps for plainsgame and my first shot on buff. Frontal shot at about 45 yards hit where the neck joins body and the buff dropped like a rock. We could hear the death bellow before the rifle came down from recoil. Recovered bullet weighed 200+ grains or typical for a Nosler. I also like Swift's but they seem to plate copper a bit more in this rifle so I went with the Nosler. I backed up my Nosler on buff with Hornady solids loaded to about 2475 fps. When I sighted in my Nosler's to hit 1" high at 100 yards, the solids printed dead on at 50 Yards. The only problem I had with this set up was some long shots on bait impala but the longest shot I had on a trophy was my sable bull at about 225 yards.

In Tanzania where the terrain is more open I use only solids and for a frontal or going away shot I use only solids in the 375 H&H. If a charge was to develope I want a solid..

In the thick Jesse I would reccomend a Northfork, Swift, new Nosler or a Woodleigh in 300 gr. soft point for the paying hunter..or whatever his PH wants him to use...

I may use a solid myself because I don't like taking the rounds in and out of the gun all the time, but I can wait for the shot to present itself and if it does not I can live with that, so its not a stressing choice for me one way or the other, just whatever is in the gun at the time....but as everyone knows I tend to use solids most of the time, it has worked for me, so I see no reason to fix something that ain't broke.

I do believe the smaller the caliber the more dependable a solid becomes, for the most part.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

John,

I used a 300gr Swift A-Frame on my first Cape buffalo. Performance was perfect, even the bullet center-punched a three-inch sapling between us (I never saw it in the scope).
The bullet entered the below the shoulder, breaking the leg, and wrecking the heart.
The bull traveled 75yds., and died without bellowing.

I load a soft in the chamber, and fill the magazine with solids (just in case).

George

John,

I would urge you to evaluate the 270 gr. GS Custom FN solid as one of your choices. GS Custom

The 300 gr. Barnes X in 375 is a good choice also, as evidenced by Saeed's 60-plus buffalo examples.

Don

My temptation will be to use 270 gr SAF for plains game and a 300 Barnes X for buffalo. The 270's shoot great in my rifle. I expect the Barnes to either expand and buzz saw through or open just a bit and act like a solid. I have never done it but plan to. Let us know what you choose and how it goes. "D"

All are good systems, and all will work. I find that I tend to use the same weight bullet for all purposes in a given rifle. In my 375 H&H I use 300 gr bullets exclusively, be they solid, or soft. I use 300 gr Nosler Partitions, and 300 gr Barnes super solids, both loaded to hit the same point of empact, at any reasonable range. If hunting Buffalo in fairly wooded areas I load a Partition on top, and fill the magazine with the monolithics. If I am hunting in fairly open areas, then I load the first two rounds as Soft points, and the rest solids for going away shots (or coming to me shots, as the case may be). I use more solids for plains game than Buffalo, but I use them exclusively on Hippo!

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..Mac >>>===(x)===>