Anyone have experience with a short barrel (19 -21") .375H&H?

If so, what has been your experience with velocity loss? A very noticeable loss in velocity, or negligible?

I've had a 24", 23", 20.5", and a 20" barrel length 9.3x62mm, and the velocity loss on the shorter barrels has always been negligible in my experience. Wondering is the same applies to the H&H?

Obliged.

I have a 20" bbl .375 H&H built on a Montana 1999 action, #3 sporter contour I think...might be a #4...basically it's the thinnest bbl that a .375 H&H could be built on.

Using exactly the same brass, exactly the same load: 80.0 gr. H4350:

300gr. SGK & 300gr. Partition: 2,550 fps.
260gr. Accubond: 2,600 fps.
235gr. Speer HC: 2,650 fps.

I seem to lose about 100 fps relative to book values when using H4350.

If 300gr. of Partition and 2,550 is considered adequate to your needs, then go for it.

quote:

Originally posted by rnovi:
I have a 20" bbl .375 H&H built on a Montana 1999 action, #3 sporter contour I think...might be a #4...basically it's the thinnest bbl that a .375 H&H could be built on.

Using exactly the same brass, exactly the same load: 80.0 gr. H4350:

300gr. SGK & 300gr. Partition: 2,550 fps.
260gr. Accubond: 2,600 fps.
235gr. Speer HC: 2,650 fps.

I seem to lose about 100 fps relative to book values when using H4350.

If 300gr. of Partition and 2,550 is considered adequate to your needs, then go for it.

I had a Win. M70 with a 20 in. barrel that was built for the Alaska DFG and it lost about 27 FPS per inch of barrel when compaired to he same loading shot in a 24 in. M70.

The load was Win. brass, 300gr. Hornady #3720 (RN), 69.2 gr. RL 15, Fed. 215 primer. Got 2414 FPS 10 ft. from the muzzle, verses 2521 for the 24.

Appreciate the feedback gentlemen.

Contemplating building a new H&H with a short barrel (20" or so), and was wondering if the loss in velocity would bring the performance/capabilities down closer to the 9.3x62mm.

It sounds like the H&H would still have an edge... but I think I may still be leaning towards the 9.3x62mm as I can easily build it a little lighter and svelte and still have less felt recoil.

I have a 20.5" 375 H&H and shoot mostly 300 gr bullets at ~2500fs and a 23" 9.3x62 I use 286's at ~2400...the velocity between the two is so close as to be of little consequence in hunting...BUT the 375 still has the edge.

I have to feed it more powder to get the same velocity as the 9.3 and even more to get that extra 100 fs...which means more recoil in the 375...should have left the original 375 barrel alone...the extra 6" of barrel would have pushed 2650 fs real hard with a 300 gr bullet...but I wanted a "short barreled, quick handling brush buster"...all I got was a short barreled 375 with the velocity not much higher than a 375-06 and 25% bigger appetite for powder and recoil...

There AIN'T no free nutt'n'...but I still like both shooters.

The 375 is about 1 1/2 lbs heavier and a much stiffer barrel so it does soak up the extra slap...the 9.3 weighs just under 9 lbs but feels lighter because the barrel looks smaller and lighter...

As they are right now I don't expect any difference in killing power between the two.

I built the 375 for nostalgia and were it NOT for nostalgia I would have used the RUM case instead of the belted mag case...and the 9.3 because I wanted to build a REAL Mauser action DGR. I'm happy.

You can't go wrong with the 9.3 x 62...it's always been the poor mans magnum and a very good one.

Whatever you decide, think hard about ALL the parameters...barrel contour and weight, stock, cost of ALL the components, recoil, bullet availability for what you want to use it for...and all the rest.

Luck

Don't get me wrong, as I have a .375 Ruger that I chopped off the barrel to a short little 17", and really like it for what I do with it in thick brush type hunting. That said, I also really like the H&H, but in my thinking, the H&H just needs a 24, or preferably a 25" barrel.
Nothing to do with it not working well with a shorter barrel, but because I view the .375 H&H as a true classic, and a lot of the actual Holland & Holland rifles had 25" barrels.
Though the Ruger and H&H are close ballisticaly, I see them as totally different firearms. One is classic Africa, the other pure funtional. Both are good.