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| One of Us |
Been looking at 375 bullets. I see a trend of soft copper jackets with soft lead cores. Not all but several. My question, does the price have any bearing on the performance? Without mentioning names, brand X is $43 per 50, brand Y is $61 per 50 and brand Z is $88 per 50. I am sure there are some manufacturing differences. Testimonies say they all work well. Could there really be that much difference? | ||
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One of Us |
Not to me. I find the old fashioned lead and copper bullets to work fine. I don't need none of the new fangled solid copper gimmicks that cost $2 each. Nor the hand made lead and copper ones. Of course you have to match the weight to the game you are shooting. I assumed you are comparing prices from Hornady, Sierra, and Speer, 270 grain. Others do use them; of course they work. I have shot them, for the record. I feel the bad press the standard bullets got was from decades ago when some of them tended to break apart. | |||
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| One of Us |
I suppose it depends upon where you buy as well since MSRP may or may not be meaningful. I saw Sierra 130 grain 6.5mm Gamechangers locally for $39.95 plus tax. Saw them online for $25.20 per box so even with $8 shipping the online deal is way better. Since one can easily get 5 boxes of most bullets into a small flat rate box, the online deal is way better. So in this case the cheaper one is just as good as the pricier one. In your scenario I'd go with the lower cost, but in actual use you may end up swearing by it or at it so ya pays yer money and takes yer chances. Give me a home where the buffalo roam and I'll show you a house full of buffalo shit. | |||
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| One of Us |
The three I was wondering about are Hawk, Swift A-Frame and North Fork. I have use some Hawk in 416 and they did what they said in feral pigs. Some people have bad mouthed the Sierra Game Kings on larger game (elk) and got me to looking! The old standard gilded metal cup and core have worked well for me on feral pigs also. | |||
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| One of Us |
I've shot a lot of American and African game with my .375/.284 handgun. The best light game bullet for me has been the 250 gr. Sierra Game King. A friend killed a very lage kudu with my gun and the Game king. A broadside shot dropped it, but was recovered on the off side with the jacket and core separated. I would not use it on this size animal. The best thick skinned game bullet has been 260 gr. Accubonds with 250 gr. Hornady GMXs being a close second. The best dangerous game bullet has been Nosler 260 gr. Solids. Dropped a 5000# hippo with one shot. I've had no experience with Hawks or North Forks. AFrames are great, but their construction raises pressure in guns. You need to load them a little below routine loads. I ruined the frame (stretched) on an Encore .416 Taylor with them. Larry Rogers | |||
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| Administrator |
You did not mention what cartridge you are using these in, might have a bearing on the choice. If it is the 375 H&H and similar, you can pretty much pick whatever shoots best in your rifle. Bear in mind that very think jacketted bullets will break up. I have no experience of any of the jacketted bullets available right now. But had terrible experience with the Winchester Silvertips. They had var too think jackets, and in a 375 H&H were breaking up even on warthogs. Also, you have to consider what you are going to use them on. If you are going dangerous game hunting in Africa, or anywhere else for that matter, it pays to have the best bullets, despite the fact them being expensive. And for that I highly recommend mono copper bullets with a hollow point. They will not break up. They penetrate. You can shoot pretty anything from any angle. Use one bullet for everything, forget trying to match the bullet to the game. Makes life so much easier. Enjoy your hunt. | |||
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One of Us |
 NorthAmerican pigs: anything in caliber. Africa: premium bullets that are accurate in your rifle. In mono-copper, Barnes has a new LRX in .375". The 250 TTSX works, as well as 270 gn and 300 TSX. GSC have 250 and 265 HV's that will be all-purpose (they even have testimonies of their 200gn HV fully penetrating buffalo broadside.) +-+-+-+-+-+-+ "A well-rounded hunting battery might include: 500 AccRel Nyati, 416 Rigby or 416 Ruger, 375Ruger or 338WM, 308 or 270, 243, 223" -- Conserving creation, hunting the harvest. | |||
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one of us |
Penetration is key on some of the larger game especially in Africa. This usually dictates thick jackets or monos but not every premium bullet is best. Also does anyone shoot a 375 enough that the cost of your bullets is a limiting factor? Not my first choice for prairie dogs! Have gun- Will travel The value of a trophy is computed directly in terms of personal investment in its acquisition. Robert Ruark | |||
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| Administrator |
You will laugh at this. I used to take my Ruger Number One, originally 458 Winchester Magnum, re-chambered for the 460 Weatherby Magnum, to the beach and shoot seagulls with it! I have actually used it to shoot pigeons at home too! As my late father used to say “give Saeed a gun - any gun - and he is a happy man!”  | |||
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| one of us |
Saeed, I will never again feel silly killing whitetails out back with my .375 GG. Thank you!  | |||
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| one of us |
Live Oak I can remember having the same questions about bullets. In the end I decided when I spent the kind of money to go to Africa I took nothing but Northfork that just happened to shoot best in my .416 Rem for Buffalo and my .358 STA for plains game. I didn’t want to bargain hunt for bullets when the Northforks excelled in both rifles. ——— One of my proudest kills in my hunting career was a Bull Groundhog taken at 40 yards as he was ravishing my garden. The garden just happened to be across the creek from my shooting range, his bad luck. Good Shooting. phurley | |||
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