I picked up a box of Barnes .375 250gr TTSX for my CZ-550 American Safari.

I went to the Barnes online load site and found 2 powders listed for this bullet.

The first was RL-15 which I expected, but the second was VARGET which I didn't expect.

The VARGET load is also astricked as the "best load" with this bullet.

Has anybody tried Varget in the 375H&H for loading the 250gr TTSX?

At the cost per bullet, I don't want to wander down that rabbit hole if somebody as already found it to be "less good" than the RL-15.

Thanks in advance for any info. The bullet is new to me and I own 50 of them.

rch

I use both powders in my 375 H&H and Ruger, and 375 JDJ rifles and many other calibers also...they BOTH are excellent, accurate powders, are very close in burn/pressure rates but can switch places variously, and the only way to know for sure is to try BOTH....what worked well in my rifles SHOULD work well in yours but the opposite has been proven time and time again...there isn't any down and dirty, cheap trick, quick way other than actual trying...and it depends on YOUR level of accuracy requirements whether one powder is "better" than the other.

I ran the Barnes X through QL with both powders...I haven't tried the TTSX and don't use many Barns bullets...the powders were neck and neck with RL-15 slightly ahead by 40 fs at 61.3 KPSI but requiring 0.5 gr more powder...so basically a wash.

Actually I use more RL-17 in many of my 375's and many other cals as I get higher velo's with less powder and pretty much 100% loading for the "normal" bullet weights/caliber.

You might check out a Barnes reloading manual as my old Barnes #3 lists 9 powders, six of which run from 2836 to 2897 fs in a 24" bbl with the similar 250 gr FXB and solid...i.e., H & IMR 4985, 4320, 4064, and H380...and QL basically did the same with a few more and newer powders.

There are many tried and true, accurate loads for the 375 and Barnes reloading data is excellent and within safe limits, so pick one or two loads and try them then decide...one thing you DON'T want to do is let the tail wag the dog...going chump change along the way on the cost if an individual bullet might just waste the cost of a safari or a hunting trip or even the enjoyment of the hunt...I guarantee my purse is the tightest one around and I squeeze a nickel till the buffalos shats, but the bullet can make or break things very fast and you may only get ONE shot to think about the rest of your life.

Reloadersnest has some good 375 cal loads...check it out.


Luck

I developed loads with this bullet using Varget and H4895. Varget load was accurate and would've been a fine hunting load. But the H4895 load was crazy accurate and higher velocity than the Varget load.

I tried varget, RE15, H435O and W760.
Of all these tried, RE15 was the poorest performer and either W760 or H4350 were the most accurate and gave the highest velocity.

This may not be the case in your rifle, but I found Varget to be kind on the brass although velocity wasn't that high.

Since re-chambering to the Weatherby, the same trend continues in regard to which powders work the best.

Cheers.

I look at RL15, IMR4895 and Varget. First two usually give higher velocity. But I am using a Nosler 260 not the Barnes.

One of these days going to burn some RL17 and see what happens

I just bought some 250 grain TTSX bullets that I'm going to try soon.

I have H4895, R15, H4350, etc. and just ordered some more Varget to try because that was Barnes' recommendation. I'm also going to try BLc-2. My Lee reloading manual (second edition) says 80 grains of BLc-2 will make 2835 fps with a 250 grain bullet.

100% load of RL-17 gave me slightly over 2900fs in my 26" 375 H&H at ~56-57KPSI and better accuracy than RL-15...then I got all wannabe brush hunter, chopped the bbl to 20" and lost 200fs...basically not much better than a 24" 375-06/Scovill or my 26" 375 JDJ...and totally wasted a very decent bbl...and totally embarrassed myself, as I KNEW that was going about to happen. WHY do we do things like that????...it was like I couldn't stop.

I load my 24" Ruger/260 Part out to ~3.475" and get ~2900 fs with RL-17 and fairly tight clover leafs for the most part when I'm doing my job...once in a while everything comes together and out pops a bughole...and when Murphy is licking my ear, something akin to a pattern.

I'm looking for some data for the new "neon" powders...maybe 4451 or 7977 will add a few fs or less pressure.

Luck

I really like RL17 in the 375 as well. But have only used it with 300 grn bullets. Interested to hear what you come up with for the new "neon" powders as well. I picked up an 8 lb jug of all 4 but have yet to try them in anything yet.

I had five loaded 375 H&H on my bench with no label. I know they were 270 gr Hornady soft point's. I couldn't remember what powder or how much I put in them but I shot a 1/4 inch group with my new to me AHR CZ. This thread jarred my memory and I think I used H4895. Going to have to try that again because I couldn't get very good groups with RL-15.