Hi Folks,

I want to use Lead Bullets heavier than 300grs, probably 350 to 380 grains, if possible with gas checks in my .375 Weatherby for practising and hunting deers/boars at closed range up to 120 yards. Do you know any source for such bullets or does this make no sense ?
If it makes sense, can you recommend a maximum muzzle velocity, because I have no experience with lead bullets?
In the moment I have 350 grainers from Woodleigh, but I think they are to "hard" for this size of game.

Thanks in advance.
Max

-----------------------------
I believe in God and Mauser !

Max,

Your idea will be fun to try I am sure. I only glanced at a old Lyman handbook and they had listed bullet molds up to 330 grains for the .375 caliber. You might want to check the twist on that Weatherby that it's fast enough.

I have cast bullets for the 38-55 and .375 H&H for a long time but my only molds are in the 240 to 265 gr weights. In the .375 H&H and the .375 Improved velocities of over 2000 fps with gas checks are easy with 3031 and a kapox filler. I shot one deer with the Lyman 375296 hollow point and it fell down and stayed there.

A hard cast bullet with a alloy like the linotype that I have that's heavy might be quite effective. I would want a flat point like the Keith SWC.

Sorry but I don't know where to buy the bullets but someone must sell them.

we make a 312gr .375. We also make a 170gr flat nose gas check and a 220gr roundnose. The 220gr and 312gr are both plain base. [URL=http://]

Thanks for the replies,

I will check here in Germany with Johannsen or Haendl&Natermann, whether they have heavy lead bullets for .375.

Which twist is necessary for a bullet (any style) heavier than 300grs in .375. My barrel is a rechambered .375 H&H factory barrel.

Hunting Max

I case you cange your mind and want to have a bullet with a jacket. I would suggest Solid Rhino shank from South Africa. They have 350 and 380 grainers for your 375 wby

The price is not bad compared to the other premium bullets

/ Cheers
JOHAN

Hunting Max

These busters can be bought from solid rhino shank www.rhinobullets.co.za

They will make your gun a bit better panzer faust for the bigger game animals

/ JOHAN

Johan, (or anybody)

which twist do I need for 350 or 380grs in .375 ?

Regards
Marcus

Don Martin29

Don,

I been posting around and checking with the various bullet makers for a 400 grain 375.

No luck to date. The closest was the 380 by Rhino. Was hoping for a hard cast, with gas check, for loading to 2300 fps. Not sure if this would work with the twist I have in my Browning. Your concept of a Keith type with very broad nose, should make for a bullet that would length wise work in a standard chamber.

Do you have any idea as to the ballistic characteristics of such a long slug hitting various mediums. Seems it should compare roughly to those of the 220 grain 30 caliber loadings. Did this with the 300 Winchester Mag. and had no accuracy problems at all. Bullets did not show any sign of keyholing. The velocity was a little higher in comparison, but they were also jacketed slugs. Been too long for my memory for brands and loads and relied on manuals for expected bullet speeds. Didn't have chrono at the time.

Anyway, any info you may posess on big 375's, please share with us.

Roger QSL

Hi max
If you can cast your own , NEI makes the molds for .375 up to 345 grs. I would recommend #187 a 320 grs.FP. Gas checked
Most lead bullets will shoot quite accurately up to at least 2200 fps.
Here is their homepage
www.neihandtools.com

Roger,

My knowledge of such a bullet in a .375 is just armchair conjecture. I did get out of my seat for you however and looked at my Lyman 375296 mold which is a popular bullet that goes about 265 grains. If the mold were made as long as the mold block allows say by boring out the nose with a end mill the bullet might go up to 350 grains so that mold has a limit.

You mention a Browning. If it's one of the Belgium ones I think they had a 1-14 twist. You should look at the Greenhill formula for twist suggestions and some actual efforts that someone may help us with. A bullet of 400 grains is off the page of usual .375 bullets.

As to the nose shape my knowledge is limited to revolver bullets plus the Speer .358 180 gr FN and they are very effective. Elmer Keith and others attest to this. In Harald's site which is temporarily off line he comments on flat nose bullets.

My internal program shows that the .375 H&H would reach about 2100 fps at 50,000 CUP with a 400 grain bullet.

Such a bullet does not have to be made from lead. The .375 bullets are 3/8" of an inch, to state the obvious, and many metals are made in rod form. They could be cut off to length and fired with flat ends. Just thinking of some other ways to skin this cat.

Don,

I'm a construction electrician, and I see a lot of new and novel construction methods being used in todays building industry. One of the most interesting I observed is the bonding of concrete slabs with epoxied re-bar inserts. They drill holes in the old slab, insert epoxy, and install the short sections of re-bar. The short stubs are then tied into the new grid system for slab strength.

The reason for this little review of mating old concrete with new, is to lay a thought in your mind as to joining bullets in the same way. If I were to take a couple of 200 graing slugs, drill a small hole in both, then pin the two together with epoxy, do you think they would hold tegether with the amount of stresses that occur with high speed bullet rotation?

This would be a temporary bullet for testing purposes only. If indeed, I pursue the 400 grain, bullet project. Heck, I might just wait for the new 400HH round to be placed on the market, and forget this little offshoot venture.

Another important issue I will throw at you, is the probable loads for this project. Do you have access to any starting load data for this bullet weight. I would hope to get somewhere around 2300 fps. You mentioned 50k pressure level for the load in my previous post. Do you think it may go far above this for 2300?

As to the twist on my Browning, I checked my owners manual, and nothing noted there for this. I suppose an E-Mail to Browning if this goes beyond the talk stage.

I hope I'm not burdening you with this nonsense, but sofar you have been the only response to my wonderings. If you care not to be bugged with this, no problem. I'll certinly understand.

Again, thanks.

Roger QSL

Saeed,

I know from having read your post's that you have done quite abit of loading for the 375. Have you ever experimented with a 400 grain slug?
Do you have any knowledge as to what might be expected from such a slug in a 375HH?

Roger QSL

Roger,
If your Browning is from the High-Power rifle series and has a Mauser action,it has a 1-14 twist.

If it is the newer A-Bolt,it is a 1-12 twist.

Brian.

Thanks Bryan,

Mines the Stainless Stalker, and I found out it is 1 in 12. Might be just a little fast for a slug the length a 400 grainer would be at 375. Will only find out if I can locate a 400 anyway. At this point, it appears no manufacturer does this bullet. The closest to this is the Rhino at 380.

Again, Thanks

Roger QSL