In "Any Shot You Want" Art lists 4831 (H and IMR) as the first powders to try in .375 H&H. He claims more than 2600 fps with a 300-grain solid without exceeding recommended pressure limits.

Now, I'm fairly new to reloading for my two .375s, however I've not seen anybody, anywhere (else) list 4831 as the preferred powder. Even when 4831 is listed in a reloading manual, it is waaaay below the loads listed in AA's book.

Seeing as how this book is consistantly conservative in its recomedations, I was just wondering if anybody else has tried 4831 in their .375 with good results.

The 4350s IMR and H would seem better suited to the .375 H&H than the 4831s.

In my opinion 4831 is too slow. The H&H needs a faster powder. 4350 is a excellent place to start or maybe H414.

From my data you would have to really compact IMR 4831 to get 2600. Even more so with H4831. Not a pressure issue but a space issue.

quote:

Originally posted by ramrod340:
Not a pressure issue but a space issue.

That's my experience as well. you can get it in, but you'll need a drop tube and to pour the powder in s-l-o-w-l-y... you'll probably also have a bit of compression even after pouring it in as described above.

Original factory loads were with a powder similar to IMR-4064 and for years that was THE 375 H & H powder.

I have never tried 4831 in my 375, I save it for my 270 win. and use the sc version. In my 375 H&H I load IMR 4064 & RL15. I believe these two powders will produce the best results in this cartridge. I load mostly RL15, as I recall you should get the highest velocity with this powder in most cases. That said, I just don't bother with trying 4831, maybe one day I will give it a go.

The best powder for the 375 H&H is Hodgdon 4350. Using a compressed load of 81.5 gr. of it, I got 2740+ f.p.s. with 300 gr. Sierra BT bullets with excellent accuracy from my rifle, a Remington 700 with 24 in. barrel. 80.5 gr of the same powder, same bullet, gave me 2730+ f.p.s.

82 gr. of H4350 with 270 gr. Speer BT bullets gave me 2800+ f.p.s.

I recommend Winchester brass and WLR (standard -- not magnum) primers.

IMR 4350 is NOT the same as H4350 -- the IMR version is faster burning and data for H4350 cannot be used safely with the IMR version.

IMR 4064 works well -- it gave me excellent accuracy -- in the 375 H&H with 270 grain bullets, but is too fast burning for max velocities with 300 gr. bullets. The velocities with 270 gr. bullets will be respectable, but somewhat lower than what you can get with max loads of H4350.

I see no good reason to use any of the 4831 powders in the .375 H&H. Velocities will be considerably lower, and accuracy will not be any better.

So Far, everyone is repeating my own philosophies on loading for the .375. I loaded 50 test rounds last night using IMR 4350, Reloader 15 and 4064 with 270-grain bullets. (I'm trying to settle on ONE acceptable and INTERCHANGABLE load for use in two different Mauser-stlye rifles. This makes life much simpler when preparing for a Safari.)

I was just curious about Art Alphin's logic on using 4831 and wondered if anybody else had ever tried it.

GAhunter....I posted some load data using 260 gr. nosler bullets in my 375 H&H using RL15 under the favorite loads section. As I recall I used 70 gr. for the nosler accubonds and 71 gr. for the partitions, got 2700 ft/sec and <1" groups.

I think I will try the H4350 as LE270 sure seems to like it.

4350 is a good 375 H&H powder. I have also used Varget in my 375 H&H with good results.

quote:

Originally posted by Clem:

I have also used Varget in my 375 H&H with good results.

Someone from Hodgdon recommended Varget to me for the .375 H&H, and I tried it.

I was not happy with the results. The velocity was considerably less than what I get with some other powders, especially H4350, and there was no gain in accuracy.

I suppose it varies with rifles. I get the best accuracy with either IMR4350 or Varget and the best velocity with RL19. I prefer the IMR4350 because it also works well in a couple other rifles I own.

In my experience, IMR 4350 is almost too slow for the .375 H&H as it is difficult to get enough of it into a .375 case and still be easy to start a bullet. Maybe WW 760 or H414 would give similar results while occupying less space in the case.

I believe with any of the 4831s, it would be totally impossible to get enough into the .375 H&H case to get high velocities. (In my .375s, 81.5 grains of IMR 4350 produced about factory level velocities with the 300 grain Sierra-around 2500 FPS. I have not tried H4350 in them.)

I DO use 60 grains of H4831 with a cotton wad over the powder for a cast-bullet load with the Lyman 375449GC bullet. This is accurate, gives about 1800 FPS, and is in the same power range as a heavy .38/55 WCF load. Good for target practice and deer shooting out to 100 yards or so. Recoil is about like a .30/'06.....

quote:

Originally posted by El Deguello:

Maybe WW 760 or H414 would give similar results while occupying less space in the case.

Other people have reported good results with H414 in the .375 H&H, but it did not work well for me, at least with the lot of H414 I used then -- the powder was some I had gotten some time ago. Velocities were lower than what I get with H4350, and there was no accuracy gain from it.


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