I have been trying to develop a load for my .375 H+H using 300 grain Barnes solids. Impact with the solids is 4" left at only 50 yards! Help!

I have a very good, accurate load using 300 grain Barnes TSX using 76.0 grains of IMR 4350 with Fed GM215M primers. This chrony's at ~2500 fps, and shoots very accurately (about 1" for 5 shot groups) at 100 yards.

I get approximately the same velocity (2480 fps)using the 300 grain solids with the same recipe.
These loads don't shoot anywhere near the same point of impact, however. (BTW, even the solid load is accurate - good groups.) I just need two totally different targets and aiming points - not a realistic field solution!

What should I try to bring these groups together? I will probably use this rifle for buffalo, leapoard, and smaller game in Zim this summer. I will have my .416 rigby for the elephant, but would like to have the .375 capable of taking the ele if unforeseen problems with the .416 develop. In almost all other situations, I would likely use the TSX bullets, but I would really like to have solids for this rifle as well. Thoughts?

Bill

Seems like Barnes said to use 5 grains more than your soft point load with their solids. Don't just jump off and do this without confirmation. For instance I am using 73.5 gr RL 15 with my 375 H&H 300 br solid and only 69-70 gr RL 15 with 300 grain woodleigh and they hit fairly closely as same POI.

Not sayin that this is your case but sometimes it just boils down to barrel harmonics and you can't win using the same powder for both projectiles. Try a few other powders with the solid like H414, Re-15, Re-17, or WW 760.

Usew one type of bullet. The TSX would be my choice for buffalo and leopard, as well as the smaller stuff........

My 375 H&H loves the 300 grain TSX but it hates the 300 grain Barnes solids. I used two boxes of bullets using IMR4064, IMR4350, H4350, BL-c(2) and H4895 and couldn't get them to hold 2" groups and none were close to the POI of my TSX load. I've got a box of the 270 grain solids that I'm going to try next.

In my .375 H&H, the 300 gr Hornady solids shoot to the same point of aim as the 300 gr Partitions and Sierra boattails. I use WW 760 powder mostly, but occasionally IMR4320. The velocity is a little over 2600 fps on my Oehler.

Maybe this happy occurance is a function of a contented rifle (Interarms Whitworth), or perhaps it's the bullet or powder.... Try the Hornady solid or WW 760.

I use Hornady 300 gr. FMJ round nose bullets or boatailed spire points over RL-15 in mine and both shoot to the same place at 100 yards.

Accuracy with the spire points is about 1.5 MOA and with the solids about 1 MOA.

quote:

Originally posted by llamapacker:
I have been trying to develop a load for my .375 H+H using 300 grain Barnes solids. Impact with the solids is 4" left at only 50 yards! Help!

I have a very good, accurate load using 300 grain Barnes TSX using 76.0 grains of IMR 4350 with Fed GM215M primers. This chrony's at ~2500 fps, and shoots very accurately (about 1" for 5 shot groups) at 100 yards.

I get approximately the same velocity (2480 fps)using the 300 grain solids with the same recipe.
These loads don't shoot anywhere near the same point of impact, however. (BTW, even the solid load is accurate - good groups.) I just need two totally different targets and aiming points - not a realistic field solution!

What should I try to bring these groups together? I will probably use this rifle for buffalo, leapoard, and smaller game in Zim this summer. I will have my .416 rigby for the elephant, but would like to have the .375 capable of taking the ele if unforeseen problems with the .416 develop. In almost all other situations, I would likely use the TSX bullets, but I would really like to have solids for this rifle as well. Thoughts?

Bill

Are you talking about groups shot in the same session? If these groups were shot during different range sessions your stock and bedding or your technique might have changed.

SR4759 - I am talking about shots fired during the same session. This is a repeatable event, not related to shooting technique or stock bedding. I can shoot one shot TSX, the next shot solid, the next TSX, etc., alternating as I go. I end up with two very good groups, but at 100 yards they print on two separate targets, they are so far apart!

I agree with some earlier assessments of "barrel harmonics" or something similar as the culprit. It is interesting to note I get excellent groups with both bullets - 1 inch at 100 yards. The two bullets just group in totally different locations!
I have had similar results with a few other bullets I have tried. Sierra 300 grain spire points group very close to the Barnes Solids. Nosler partitions are somewhat in between. This is all with the same powder charge, etc. Hornady 300 grain FMJ's are close enough to the TSX that I have used them in the past. I'm not sold on their overall performance, however, so have tried to find a "better" solid load.

I have tried a few other powders, most notable WW760, with reasonalbe good accuracy with both TSX and solids. Not quite as good as my standsard TSX load, but acceptable. Mixing and matching loads and powders to find two loads that print near the same POI is getting to be a rather daunting task! Thanks for the insights. It is interesting to hear others have expereinced similar problems.

Bill

I was always of the understanding that solids should go no faster than 2400 fps or you run the real risk of over penetration. 2350 fps being a better speed than 2400 fps. I would advise you to slow the solids down.

I've a M70 Classic in .375. I use AA4350 (after testing several other powders) for my 300-350 gr loads. I also found if I keep the velocity a bit lower then POI comes together. I run the Hornady 300 gr SPBT and SPRNs at 2510 fps. The SPBT is zeroed for 200 yards and hits 2 1/4" high at 100 yards. The SPRN hits the same place at 100 yards but is on at 175 yards. The Hornady 300 gr Solid DSG is just above POA at 100 yards. The 350 Woodleigh FMJ and SPs at 2380 fps hit spot on at 100 yards. Those velocities are all the "classic' and recommended velocities for the .375 H&H. I expect all of those bullets will do well on African game. The 300 gr Hornady BTSP and SPRN do quite nicely on elk, caribou and moose.

I never could get any load with a lighter weight bullet to hit close to zero with any of the 300 or 350 gr bullets.

Larry Gibson