I am kicking around the idea of rolling my own for a trip to SA for plainsgame to include Kudu, Zebra, Gemsbock, Wildebeast, Impala, Bushbuck and Warthog. I have a 375 I am going to use and would like a recommendation on a good load. I have been considering a 270 grain xlc or perhaps Aframe. I am leaning towards RL15. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Chad,
I've used the 300gr. Swift A-Frame on three safaris, with a fourth coming up next week.
It has expanded on game as small as jackals, and taken eland, a few wildebeest, several zebra, two leopards, Cape buffalo, warthogs, impalas, and so on.
My load is 78.0gr. of W760, a Federal 215 primer, in Federal cases formed to my chamber. I have been able to also use CCI 250 primers and Winchester brass interchangeably with the above components in MY rifles.
For solids, I use the Hornady 300gr. FMJ with the same load.

George

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Shoot straight, shoot often, but by all means, use enough gun!

Based on my own limited experience, and talking to several PH's, I would second the recommendation for Swift A-Frames. I load mine over Reloader 15 at 2500 fps.

I have been using the difficult to find but unbelievable performing 270 grain Swift A frames for about 5 years now. I had the first batch to try out and was not dissapointed. You can see a number of them recovered from various plains game and bears, on my web site: www.customosteo.com

I load them with RL-15 using 76 grains for 2850fps. This is nearly an exact duplicate of the Hornady heavy magnum load. Only using the swift bullet instead of the hornies.

I have now killed over 50 plains animals for myself and countless backup shots over the years with these bullets. They are just simply outstanding in every way. Difficult to get because they sell out as fast as they can be produced but call around until you find them you won't be dissapointed I promise you.

Every single person who has used these bullets that I know has been very well satisfied. 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 have been disappointed with the 270 Hornday. It is too hard.

I would have to concur with the gentlement above regarding Swift-A Frames. I normally shoot a .378 wby and use 300 grn Swifts with great success, but you could add Barnes-X to the list (270 and 300 grains)pushed at about 2800fps. With my limited experience with plains game (kudu, zebra, gemsbuck, and several of the smaller antelop)I did notice that sometimes the Swifts were too tough for the game and blow on through with apparently minimal mushrooming (I never hit any major bones) resulting in animals running farther than you want them too into the bush. The point is that sometimes a softer bullet has it place.

Chad,
On two successive plains game hunts my hunting partner and I each used .375's and the same factory ammunition. On each hunt about 20 trophies were taken between the two of us; gemsbok, kudu, eland, warthog, etc. The first trip we used Federal Premium with Nosler Partition bullets. Second trip we used Winchester Supreme with Fail-Safe bullets. While certainly not a scientific comparison, the bottom line was the Fail-Safe gave us noticeably more "dropped in their tracks" hits. The Fail Safes seemed to impart their energy much more dramatically and still give expected penetration.

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"shoot 'em if you got 'em!"

George: I bet you have already answered these questions but I will ask anyway. Where are you headed and what are you after? Was it Tanzania? And tell us about your leopards. I hope all is getting better for you and everyone there. Tell us some hunting stuff.

Robert

I used 300gr partitions and they worked perfectly. I also used W760 because it is a dream to load and shot well in my gun. I think it was 78 grs.... but I don't have my data here... so PLEASE check your manuals before filling those cases!

rwj,
I leave for Tanzania next Tuesday! I will be hunting the Moyowosi area of western Tanzania with Wengert-Windrose Safaris.

This will be a two-buff hunt, with sundry plains game thrown in. I am going to lobby for additional game, if available.

The leopards were shot in Zimbabwe in '97 and '99 while hunting with Roger Whittall Safaris, before Mugabe and his goons ruined the economy and political situation there.

As a native New Yorker, I've always been proud of the resiliency of the people here. I am absolutely beaming with pride now.

My office is two blocks from the site of the catastrophe, and the ruins are visible from the window.
The smell of burning paper, furnishings, and building materials is pretty bad, but the spirit of the people here is unbroken.

I don't know what will be built there in the future, but I KNOW something great will be built.

George

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Shoot straight, shoot often, but by all means, use enough gun!

George: That is good to hear about the home front. We all need to be brave. Your message sounds very good to me. Tanzania! Buffalo should be just the ticket!

Robert

The swift is a great bullet but dont forget the trophy bonded bearclaw. It is loaded in federal premium ammo and has preformed well for me on leopard,lion , and all plains game. Used it on buffalo only once but it seemed to work very well.

Thank you all very much!

Ray,

Have you heard any news of a .458 caliber North Fork?

Id like to try them.

Andy

Chad

My hunting partner used 235 Speer and found they were explosive. He failed to get penetration on impala ewes. Best avoided.

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Regards

Richard

I have started using Gerard Schultz. 265 gr GS Custom HV bullet in my 375 with great results. They are extremely accurate and you can gain 100+ fps in velocity with them.

Good Hunting
Steve

Andy,
I havn't nor on the 9.3's...I'll check on them and see what the deal is...will let you know..

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

Chad,
I would pick my bullet based on the type of terrain I was going to be hunting in...and my rifle, caliber etc...

If I was hunting the mountainous RSA, I'd much prefer the 300 H&H or Win mag to a 375..but if I choose a 375 I would consider one of the 250 gr. Sierras or Woodleighs for plainsgame...the ranges can be quite long.

If I was hunting the low veld then the 375 would be a good pick and the 260 Nosler or any good 270 would be preferable for plainsgame...I like the 300 gr. for the big stuff like Eland, Buffalo, Lion but its not really needed on plainsgame, and sometimes too tough in construction for the smaller stuff...

All that said the 375 H&H is top notch and even with 300 gr. bullets I suppose you will get by no matter where you hunt, but it is an all around compromise..

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

Ray, and all the other gentlemen on these boards, thanks for the excellent advice. I will be hunting near Ellisras, up on the border with Zim/Bots and in the Waterberg Mountains. I am really looking forward to hunting with the 375 and want to use it. Based on the advice given here, I am leaning towards 270 gr A-frames. My rifle fouls rather easily, so I am not sure the X is the way to go. I also hear too much about it losing petals and becoming a solid, so the Aframe is out front at this point, though I am still not sold on reloads as opposed to factory Federals with noslers or TBBC. Opinions on this? Friends say it adds much to the hunt to roll your own....

I tried both Nosler Partitions and Swift A-Frames (both 300gr) in my .375 (Schneider stainless barrel) and I got a consistent 30 fps more using the A-Frames (2580 fps vs 2550 fps) and the A-Frames were a little more accurate...not much but noticable (both grouped less than 3/4" at 100 yds for 3 shots). I chose to use the Noslers because the A-Frames deposited more copper in my barrel and on a 15-day hunt I didn't want to need to "mine copper". Noslers worked fine on everything to impala to buff. I would try them both in your rifle and use the one that performs the best...in my rifle the same powder charge was appropiate for each bullet and the points-of-impact over-lapped.

The Ranch Property I work on is near the town of Ellisras. I have worked this concession or "ranch" for about 10 years now. You will like the area, it is thick and shots will be close. The average will be 50-150 yards with the odd possibility of longer shots. There is lots of game, you never know what you will spot around the next bush. By law in South Africa private land must be fenced for hunting. However I have seen so much game in the main roads and crossing highways it's obvious that the fences are not the deterent they were designed to be. Dozens of species don't see the fence as any more then a "long flat metal bush" They jump it or go right under it.

The fence issue for much of northern South Afrcia is more to identify property lines and indicate a game ranch for legal purposes. When you see a big bull Kudu jump a 7 foot fence from a stand still, and impala red hartebest, and gemsbok go under fences that touch the ground near where a warthog has dug under the fence, it's clear the fence is a "feel good" attempt at enclosing game.

More indidgenous species of big game live in this area then anyplace else in South Africa. Only Zululand probably comes close. Also the current world record Kudu came from there. It is near Botswana but still quite a ways from Zim. jj

It is truely a sportsmans paradise in the Northern Province

[This message has been edited by JJHACK (edited 10-26-2001).]

JJHACK, I just returned from a hunt in the Ellisras area and I agree with you about the game fences. We saw numerous Kudu, and Gemsbok standing outside the fences along the roads. My PH told me that he has seen gemsbok going under the fences where a warthog dug it out. Excellant area and very friendly people!! Chad, BTW, I used Hornady 270 gr. SP over Win 760. The only recovered bullet ( taken from a Blue Wildebeast) showed good expansion and weight retention. Can't wait to return. Thanks, Tom

[This message has been edited by TJC (edited 10-27-2001).]

Once again, thank you all for replying and giving me your advice!