Most of us are familiar with the old term:
"Loaded for bear".
Was wondering how many tend to work up loads on the hot side or upper end of "safe loads".

What I mean is do you prefer to push the envelope with a load Buffalo or Ele load as opposed to a load worked up for P/G?
Of course the assumption is that loads are tested safe in your particular rifle.

Carmelo,
Just the opposite for a couple of reasons. With a double DGR you can't really mess around or you lose regulation and no longer shoot a decent composite group (both barrels to same point of aim). With my .375 flanged falling block I don't want to make extraction too difficult to delay getting the brass out. With the .375 LH bolt gun, don't see any point served as 300 grains at 2450 or so is more than enough. In any case, nobody wants a sticky bolt as your hot load from home becomes even hotter after hours in the African sun...
Regards, Tim

quote:

Originally posted by Tim Carney:
Carmelo,
Just the opposite for a couple of reasons. With a double DGR you can't really mess around or you lose regulation and no longer shoot a decent composite group (both barrels to same point of aim). With my .375 flanged falling block I don't want to make extraction too difficult to delay getting the brass out. With the .375 LH bolt gun, don't see any point served as 300 grains at 2450 or so is more than enough. In any case, nobody wants a sticky bolt as your hot load from home becomes even hotter after hours in the African sun...
Regards, Tim

Tim,
very good points!

I'm in agreement for different reasons. On DG, you can't carry a big enough gun to get any serious "shock" in the way you can with small antelope or whitetail deer. What you are left with, then, is penetration clear through the vitals and out the other side for maximum blood loss. Extra velocity, say beyond 2400 fps, doesn't help that and, if a study in RSA a couple of years ago is correct, may actually decrease penetration. To me the phrase "loaded for bear" means you're carrying a bigger gun!

Carmelo, I noticed in the book "The Perfect Shot" that the author recommends loading down the 375 H&H to the 2300 fps to 2400 fps range as he feels most people shoot the rifle more accurately (because it lessens felt recoil) with no loss of penetration. And we all know that shot placement is what counts.

It is my understanding that buffalo and elephant are not terribly impressed with velocity and shock. No need to load warm. Cats on the other hand tend to be nervey and shock short circuits them, with proper bullet placement being a given. Buffalo are more impressed by larger and deeper holes than velocity. Just my opinion and worth what you paid for it. D

Carmello, I can only comment from years of reloading and hunting, as I have not been to Africa and experienced that directly. The one thing that I would want in a DG hunt is as reliable operation of the firearm in use as possible. My experiences have shown me that you do not get that by loading on the hot side, rather, you get higher failer of bullet, brass, and primer. About the last thing you need is a brass failure, or any failure, at a time when you most need reliable operation.

Advise I have ignored in the past, but learned the wisdom of, moderation in all things. Rather than trying to go "hot", look for a different gun/cartridge. JMHO.

Carmello: 500 to 600 grain bullet, 2150 or so fps. See Taylor and Roberts on the topic. The .375 at moderate (not hot) velocity deserves its excellent reputation. Roberts actually rates the 9.3X62 above the .375 H&H for certain applications on buffalo. Big bullets at moderate velocity are king, with good reason.

Although I load the 9.3x62 "hot", for my upcoming trip, I am a grain below max. The extra velocity is not worth the trade off in reliability. Kudude

I went the other way for loads in my .404jeff. A 400gr bullet @ 2200fps proved plenty for my buffalo. Jacking it up to 2400fps would probably had little better effect & caused my shooting to suffer.