For 375 H&H, 458 Win Mag and 458 Lott, whose solids would you use and why?

GS Custom.

Most accurate.

Least pressure.

Least fouling.

Deepest penetration.

And I am not kidding.

Speaking of GS Custom, does anyone know if Gerard is still alive?

If S&H gets into full swing and can supply the common calibers you mention, I am sure those bullets will be as good as it gets.

S&H would also be a lot more reliable for those on this side of the pond.

?In .375H&H, I've always used Hornady FMJs. I don't have a .458 yet, but when I do, I want to see if I can get a hold of some Bridger solids. They shoot beautifully in my .470 Capstick.

George

Amongst the Boutique Bullets:

Bridger Bullets ... Gone ... never actually got beyond R&D service to friends ...

North Fork ... Good while it lasted ... Gone ... Goodbye ... and fair thee well ...

GSC ... Are they still in business???

S&H ... Up and coming ... a true custom bullet maker of ultimate precision.

Im using barnes banded solids after using sledgehammer and woodleigh. All three worked well for me with one partial failure with woodleigh. I've only shot seven elephant and six buffalo so its not a real test.

Here's a Woody 600 fired from the same rifle with the same charge into the same medium. Hmmm......

speaking from personal experience, I believe we must include macifej in the equation in the calibers he currently produces; or has scheduled for production. If things go according to plan, I will be testing some of his 458 solids by month's end, and bring some loaded for my 450 Dakota to Helena. I am hoping to test them of a big, make that B-I-G bull bison this summer after Quigley.

Support the AR members who experiment for our benefit. We are waiting to see if GSC ever comes thru, and you can go to San Diego and pick them up from Mac.

Rich
DRSS
Knowledge not shared is knowledge lost...

With South African powders I simply cannot stuff enough into a .458 win case to make it work with mono's. I load speer AGS solids for the lads who want .458 Win reloaded- Zim still has a good stock!

In the Lott, I load 450grn Barnes Banded to 2325(ish) fps. (shoots same POI as the 450grn TSX)

In .375- Same combination works for me- Have loaded Barnes, Dzombo, GS custom...Do not load PMP... They are too brittle for .375 velocities.

If you can get the FNS to feed in your bolt action that is fine, if they REALLY feed under all circumstances.

The real calling for FNS is in the big NE cases where bullet voume is irrelevant and for double (or single shot) rifles where feeding is not an issue.

Speer AGS tungstens are still available on the net if you search enough. I bought fifty .375's three years ago and still have several remaining. I have seen them available in both .375 & .458.

I use swift Solids 500 gr. But I haven't had to use them yet. So I can't say much about them.

quote:

Originally posted by jro45:
swift Solids .

huh?

quote:

Originally posted by 500grains:
GS Custom.

Most accurate.

Least pressure.

Least fouling.

Deepest penetration.

And I am not kidding.

These are my findings also in 375,458, and 500. If you have a bolt rifle you must make sure that they feed, feed, feed correctly in your rifle.

Dirk

Ganyana,

If you have time I would be interested in your observations about the new Hornady steel jacketed solid that I cross sectioned and posted on the Africa Big Game Hunting page.

https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/1411043/m/189103468

I just returned from Zim (see my report on page #2) where I used 400 Gr. Barnes Banded solids out of my Ruger RSM in 416 Rigby. They worked quite well. They are accurate in my gun and gave very good penetration on a charging elephant.

My PH was very impressed by the penetration. The last finishing shot I put into the bull while he was laying on his side entered his chest between his front legs and exited his back. After seeing this penetration the PH was talking about getting a Rigby to use instead of his 458 Win.

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
Ganyana,

If you have time I would be interested in your observations about the new Hornady steel jacketed solid that I cross sectioned and posted on the Africa Big Game Hunting page.

https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/1411043/m/189103468

I just got 100 component solids and one box of loaded solids from Grafs. They really look nice. Don't look like an American made projectile, whatever that means. Also got some component expanding dangerous game bullets -- i shoot 458 lott. They also look great, kind of like a speer magtip. Grafs sent me standard soft point 458 lott loaded ammo when i ordered the DGX soft. going to have to send it back. i have heard enough internet nonsense to make me think that the 500 grain regular soft point would not make it through the ribcage of a white tail, but i figure it is best to use the right stuff. costs the same. lady at grafs said they had people calling wanting the standard soft point ammo. she says the standard has been discontinued. shot all my interbond 500 grainers at paper last year. have a friend that turns the 500 grain IB solids on a lathe for his 450 No. 2. takes them down to 480 grains. He has shot the crap out of a number of toothy things in Uganda with the bullet and loves it. says it regulates and stops well, about all he cares about.

I too use a .450 no.2, and often use the 500 grainer as is and not the 480's, due to my rifle regulating better with the 500 grainer.
I simply keep the pressure the same by dropping a few grains of rl-15. The load is 91 grains of RL-15 now behind the 500.
Works out fine.
Your friend might find better penetration by doing this. I have. But, his rifle might not regulate with it though.

quote:

Amongst the Boutique Bullets:

Bridger Bullets ... Gone ... never actually got beyond R&D service to friends ...

North Fork ... Good while it lasted ... Gone ... Goodbye ... and fair thee well ...

GSC ... Are they still in business???

S&H ... Up and coming ... a true custom bullet maker of ultimate precision.

Boutique bullets revolve around the ingenuity of idividuals that never get equalled by the big ammo companies. Lately the trend is that these custom bullets are sourced from the individual bullet makers, and that is a good thing. The sad thing is that "Boutique bullets" are like "Boutique clothes" - they come and go over time as idividuals are unlike big corporates with plenty shareholders.

Warrior

I use GS FN in my 375,458,30'06 and doubt I will change. My elephant, last year took a body shot through both lungs nicked a shoulder and exited, the head shot was quartering away behind the ear through the brain and stopped at the opposite eye: plenty of penetration. My 30'06 took a eland with a through shot and the 375 took a zebra quartering away another through shot