I have decided to go with 375 for my elephant hunt and I am interested in options for bullets. I do not reload and so I am limited to factory ammo.

So what do you guys with experience in this area reccommend as the propper elephant medicine?

Does your 375 "like" one brand of solids versus another? If so, go with that brand.

My only thought would be to reconsider the choice of a .375H&H. While adequate, I think you will be much more comfortable staring down an elephant at 20 yards with a .416 or a .458. I used a .458 this year and am experimenting with a .500 for next year. I just think the bigger bullets give you far more room for error than a .375H&H would. The ability of an animal that big to absorb punishment and stay on its feet is remarkable. As I said, a .375H&H will work and I am sure others will say they have used it without a problem -- but in my opinion I would go bigger.

Pick ANY Solid and go shoot your elephant. The 375 is more than adequate to kill it just as dead as anything that can be fired from the shoulder.

I'm not an expert of factory ammo but I'm sure some will be able to tell what is good or not. In the end of the day it is the shot placement that counts learn the perfect shot out of your head. Good luck on a great hunt.

Any solid that functions well through your rifle (all may not, particularly Barnes banded but I prefer them) will do the trick and will probably exit. You will be shooting at close ranges and will have to watch your backstop so you don't hit two of them.

My favorite 375 ele shot on video is Ann shooting off of sticks at spitting distance for a frontal brain...and yes, she nails it. Tough shot as the head raises up at the last.

I would shoot a 350gr Woodleigh solid or a flat nosed solid by North Fork... Superior ammo will custom load your ammo for you...
In fact you can tell them to load you 4 different loading and you can choose your own customized load for your rifle...

Mike

i second superior ammo. They furnish all my african ammunition and to date the rounds have not let me down. I use the GS flat nose solids in my 375 and 458 win with good effect. The 458 killed my elephant this year. Never used my 375 on DG yet just plains game, so, cannot comment upon how effective it will be. My ph uses his 375 for everything. I prefer the 458 for the big stuff. you can send your rifle to Superior and they will tailor the load to your rifle.

Not much selection in factory stuff for the .375 H&H Magnum as far as solids are concerned.

Federal offers a load with the 300 grain Trophy Bonded Sledgehammer solid and Hornady offers a load with its 300 grain steel jacketed RN solid. Also Norma is now loading 350 grain Woodleigh solids.

I'd feel well armed with any of those.

But if it's the Hornady you end up with, just make sure it's the steel jacketed round and not the encapsulated solid. A magnet will tell you.

You can always opt to use one of the custom loading companies who will load any bullet you choose..... it'll be more expensive than buying ammo off the shelf but the difference is a drop in the ocean compared to the cost of an Elephant hunt.

From my experience, a good quality flat nosed solid will be your best option. I like GS Custom ones but you may prefer to buy an American product, maybe something like a Northfork, which is similar to the GS Custom.

FWIW, the two bullets I dislike the most due to having seen repeated failures are the Trophy Bonded and the Rhino. I wouldn't use 'em as fishing weights, let alone anything else.

MR- I just looked up the specs on the Trohy bonded Sledgehammer and it looks like it should be a good place to start. I think I will order a box of those and see how my gun handles them.

Thanks to all who offered advise. Glad to get any more opinions.

Shakari- our posts crossed in cyber space- Tell me more about the TBS bullets if you will as I had all but decided to give them a try.

You also might want to consider ordering some custom made ammo from Mr. LaSala at Safari Arms Ammunition. He does an excellent job, his prices are right and his favorite loads are the Barnes TSX and Banded Solids.

Not much to tell really, except that I've seen a LOT of them fail on a variety of species over the years. The one that really sticks in my mind was a few years ago. I had a client who shot an eland with a side on chest shot from about 100 yards or so. Sure it killed the animal, but on entry, it went between the ribs and not through them and we found it inside the ribcage on the other side....... not only had it failed to get through the ribs on that side but the (solid) bullet was bent at right angles like a badly bent banana.

Had that bullet (for example) been shot into an Elephant rather than an eland, we'd have been deep in the brown stuff....... Assuming you're using a bolt action rifle and not a double, I'd strongly recommend yo use a mono solid rather than a FMJ. I've seen most of the FMJs fail occasionally over the years, but never a good quality mono solid.

Have only used Woodleigh solids on the ones I've shot and most were handloads. If you want facrories I would try the Norma's with the 350 Woodleigh. I have NEVER heard of a failure with a Woodleigh bullet. They seem to be the standard for comparison.

regardless of what saeed saig before I believe that what he would want you to use is a 577 trex

I have been impressed with the penetration of the 350grn Woodleigh bullets so would recommend them.
I think Norma have them as factory loads if hand loading is not an option.

If you are limited to loaded ammo, you can try the steel Hornadays, the 350 Woodleighs in Norma, and any other bullet from a custom shop.

I've had goos success on elephants with Woodleighs and North Forks, though not in 375H&H.

If it were me using the 375H&H, I would follow Oz Hunter's advice and go with the 350gr Woodleighs from Norma.

Shakiri,

The GS Customs and the North Forks are fine in a double rifle, as any driving band bullet would be (but not a banded bulet like Barnes.)

JPK

Ive killed seven elephants with a .375 using both woodleigh and sledgehammer solids. Both worked well with the nod going to the flat nosed solid like the sledgehammer or barnes banded.

Almost as many different opinions as posters. That is OK.I thank all for your advise.

EYEDOC:
Maybe you must change the phrase:

"When I was a child I played with childrens toys;now I kill things with a sharpened stick!

by

".......kill things with a sharpened stick and hard bullets!!!

Luck with your Elephant , My regards to your son and brother, dont forget to post the pictures, we will celebrate with some Quilmes cristal beers !!! Guillermo (The Nissan 4WDV Owner)

You can never go wrong with a Woodleigh solid, but I would prefer GS Custom flat nose solids for elephant. I have not used the North Fork flat nose solids on elephant but I am sure they would work..Butch Searcy used them this year and told me they were awsome..I am sure the Barnes flat nose solids would work also.

In Factory ammo I think I would try the 350 gr. Woodleigh solids in Federal ammo. I see no reason why that would not work, I know the 300 gr. Woodleighs work plenty good.

Norma African PH 350 grains woodleigh. www.norma.cc

quote:

Originally posted by retreever:
I would shoot a 350gr Woodleigh solid or a flat nosed solid by North Fork... Superior ammo will custom load your ammo for you...
In fact you can tell them to load you 4 different loading and you can choose your own customized load for your rifle...

Mike

Ditto

I have never, EVER heard a bad thing about www.superiorammo.com

and they allow you to use any bullet! I think you can't loose if

you get your ammunition from them. 500 GRAINS will tell you the

flats out penetrate the other designs and www.gscustom.co.za made

less pressure than North Fork if I recall his posts from the past.

He's shot 15 elephant or so I believe.

Personally, I wouldn't use factory ammo as a client unless I had to. I prefer loading my own ammo with premium bullets and knowing exactly what I have but not everyone feels that way. I also like the satisfaction that comes from hunting with my own ammo.

YUKON DELTA-I understand your feelings about loading your own ammo and the feeling of pride you get when you take game with ammo you loaded yourself. As stated here before I am primarily a bowhunter. I have been to Africa six times and have taken everything from Aardvark to Zebra, including eland, giraffe, and cape buffalo with my bow, all using arrows that I myself make.There is a bit of a BONUS in being successfull with weapons of your own hand, so to speak.

But this hunt was selected because if I were ever going to take an elephant it would be a PAC hunt or a hunt to provide meat for locals,etc. I could not justify spending three times as much money for a trophy bull hunt. The hunt I selected takes place in Namibia and they will not allow dangerous game hunting with a bow. So I am going to use a gun and make the best of it. But it does not make sence for me to buy reloading equipment and all that is needed to become proficient at reloading when I will quite likely never put four boxes of ammo through this rifle in my lifetime.

When this hunt is over I am going to pick up my bow again and get back to chasing critters with my bow.

The idea of having some ammo made by a custom shop does make a lot of sense and that is what I think I will do.Is someone from Superior likely to be at Dallas Safari Club meeting as that may be a good time to try and make a connection.

Federal premium trophy Bonded sledgehammers - easy answer

quote:

Originally posted by JTHunt:
Federal premium trophy Bonded sledgehammers - easy answer

Nooooooo - think of your PH! - Only joking!

But my choice would still be GS Custom or Northfork, closely followed by Woodleigh.

eyedoc,

Just my two cents.

If I did not handload my own ammunition, and if any of the factory loads cited above (i.e., Federal, Hornady or Norma) were accurate and reliable in my rifle, I would not pay a hefty premium for anyone's custom loads.

I do handload, yet I have used all sorts of factory ammunition to take all sorts of game. Hell, it was accurate and reliable and I saw no purpose in trying to improve on it.

quote:

The idea of having some ammo made by a custom shop does make a lot of sense and that is what I think I will do.Is someone from Superior likely to be at Dallas Safari Club meeting as that may be a good time to try and make a connection.

They were there last year. You can check the exhibitor list at the DSC website to be certain or just call Superior. They have been very helpful when I have called.