does anyone have experience shooting .375 or .416 or similar at game at longer ranges. not extreme range but say from 250yds to 350 or maybe even out to 400yds? ive heard it said that the heavier bullets in these calibers are less resistant to wind and will be carrying more? energy down range. wonder if anyone has practical experience hunting at longer ranges with these calibers. thanks, Paul

Yes, sir! I have to qualify that with I shoot the .375 at longer ranges with lighter bullets, haven't tried heavier than 250 grain at longer ranges. The .416 I have used on elk at up to 225 and it performs quite well. Need more info to help further.

My 378 Wby has shot groups of 1 1/2" at 300 yards with 270gr Barnes TTSX.

Not at game, but I regularly shoot a 12"x14" metal plate at my home shooting range that is 330 yard from my patio with my .375 and my .416 Rigby...really no problem to hit.

I shot a zebra at a lasered 302 yards in Namibia in 2008. One shot and he died within 10 feet of where he was hit.

My 375 H&H Browning loves 270 grain Hornady spire points. Off the bench I shoot 6" round steel plates at 400 yards regularly. That bullet is nothing special but still bucks the wind pretty damn good. It sends that plate spinning on the other end too, the impact is easy to hear even with hearing protection!

I have shot mule deer and elk at distance with the .375 and the .458.

The Mulie was shot at 560 yards with a .375 Ultra Magnum using a 260gr Nosler Accubond. I hit him center of the chest facing me head on. The impact crushed him, dead right there. I recovered the bullet just under the hide on the underside ahead of the pelvic bone.








I shot my Elk this last season with a .450 Ultra Magnum at 302 yards with a 350gr Speer Hotcore. Same thing, crushed him, dead right there.The bullet was recovered from just under the hide on the off side at 248 grains.









This Coyote was hooked up with my .375 Ultra Magnum and a 260 Accubond at 370 yards.

When I first put my 425 Express put together I was shooting 350X Spitzers at 2550fps and with a 3" high at 100yds it would only be 8" low at close to 300yds. It stopped many of freighttraining moose at some long yardage. Bears we Always got as close as the client could stand it, no need for long shoots. Barnes stopped making the 350X and I switched brands!

I love the topic. Big bore, long range.

Several times in the past twenty years I've needed to buy a rifle (yes 'needed', but we won't go into that) and I've always come back to a 416 Rigby as THE calibre because of the long range capability. It has reasonable diameter and weight for cape buffalo, AND it can be loaded to 2800+fps with 350 TSX and TTSX for very flat shooting to any reasonable range in Africa. A 100 yard zero of 2.7", 3" high at max arc, stills keeps bullets at only -5" to -6" at 300 yards, -19" at 400 yards. That is flat. As flat as anyone needs in Africa.

A couple of years ago my son shot a buffalo at 200 yards. It was an easy shot off of sticks with the elbow supported, there was not a blade of tall grass between shooter and buff, and the buffalo 'took it for the team', with the rest of the herd running off. The 350 TSX passed through broadside, even at that range. While I don't normally recommend shooting buffalo at 200 yards, there are times when an accurate rifle and a proper load like the 416 Rigby can reach out across a flat, open 'mbuga' (flat meadow, low area between forest land) in Africa.

So yes, there are big bores for long range, and handloaded Rigbys are right at the top of the list for optimum, all-around choices.


PS: However, be careful of that 3" rise. At a 100 yards I once shot right over the back of a guineafowl, trying not to hit the good breast meat on the bottom third of the bird. 416 is enough gun but you need to hit it.

I regularly shoot my .505 Gibbs on the local 300m range, scoped with a Swarovski 1-6x24 EE and shooting off sticks.

Once the trajectory and bullet drop is known for any distance up to 300m (and possibly further; I haven't tried on a longer range), there is no problem with first shot-hits onto the target, with great resistance to wind deflection.

quote:

Does anyone have experience shooting .375 or .416 or similar at game at longer ranges. not extreme range but say from 250yds to 350 or maybe even out to 400yds? ive heard it said that the heavier bullets in these calibers are less resistant to wind and will be carrying more? energy down range. wonder if anyone has practical experience hunting at longer ranges with these calibers. thanks, Paul

None myself, but this may interest you.

It was possible, at one time, to tell the difference between a British heavy calibre rifle built for India and a British heavy calibre rifle built for Africa by the sights.

This in the days of the 1880s.

In that if the rifle had sights out to 1000 yards (and it was not a target rifle usch as 416 Gibbs) then it was definitely built for Africa.

Because it was not unknown when on safari to shoot two or three rounds into a herd of animals at long range so as to kill some for meat.

The animals were either recovered dead or followed up by trackers.

In the book by "Stonehenge" aka Walsh, "The Modern Sportsman's Gun and Rifle" it is mentioned.

375H&H
350gr Woodleigh 300yards on wildebeest
235gr Barnes 384 yards on Blacktail
If you look at ballistic tables the 235gr has a lousy BC. I have since switched to heavier bullets since they shoot flatter.
If you know the trajectory, longer range is not a problem.

Folks unestimate the long-range potential of big bores. In fact, one could make a case that they are better than the smaller bores, because those big large diameter bullets maintain their KO punch even at long range. This is especially true with modern bullets with higher BCs, such as the .375 TTSX 250 gr with a BC of .424 and the .375 260 Accubond with a BC of .473 and the .416 350 grs TTSX with a BC of .444.

Shooting long range means you can't flinch, and holding down a big bore without flinching can be a daunting task. Not everyone can do it.

AIU

The new Nosler 300gr .375 Accubond should be out any day! Along with the new .338 300gr Accubond.

Thanks, all for the replies. quite a lot of helpful info. i particularly liked the pics of bullet performance posted by smack, and also the hint about not flinching posted by AIU. Thanks, guys. based on this i am going to try some long range shooting with my .416 rem and my .375 h & h at the range. the former gun is sighted in 2.5" high at 100yds. don't know what that makes the zero, maybe 200 or a little more? i also will look into a new scope for my .375 maybe something w the sighting lines for long distance. thanks again. i am going to practice some! regards, Paul

My 375HH and 416 rem were 1/2moa out to 400 yards. I took zebra kudo wildebeast out pass 300 yards.

JD

Have used 375 H&H with Remington factory loaded 300 grains Swift A-Frame for a one shot kill at just over 250 yards on a 45 inch Cape Buffalo. Distance measured with Leupold laser rangefinder.
Rifle was built factory as a 7MM Rem.Mag. Now wearing a 375 H&H Shilen #4 contour barrel 23 inches long, in a H&S Precision stock, and Jewell trigger.
Scope was a 4.5 x 14 AO VX-3 Leupold set at 14 power.
Shot taken from a seated position with monopod jammed against a tree.
Shot was taken broadside and was through the heart.
Gun was set for +2 1/2 inch high at 100 yards.
Just could not get closer due to lack of grass or other cover. The animal was feeding on the far side of an open short grass pannel that must have stretched for a mile in both left and right directions between us.
Sincerely,

I broke 3 out of 3 claypigeons off hand at 200 yards with my 505. I collected the bet then quit shooting. I did not want the group see me miss. I was hopeing for just one or two. To win the bet I just needed one

They still talk about that and do lnow I was just as shocked as they were.


JD

Hell yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


http://noslerreloading.com/php...topic.php?f=5&t=2691



http://gsgroup.co.za/fotis.html


http://noslerreloading.com/php...tle+mountain#p152050



My first big game animal actually. October 10 1995 8:10 AM. Just got back to the USA from Europe. Lived there 10 years while in the military.

Shot him at Battle mountain, Wyoming. 5 miles from the truck! Heck, what did I know right?
When I shot him he was three draws away 778 yards. 378 WBY with 270 Hornady SP at 3185 fps. Load was 118 gr of Norma MRP (same as factory loads BTW) One shot and down.

What a humping job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Never want to do it again!
that morning daybreak



My elk

Well done POP, I've shot black bear with the 270 Interlock out of a 375 H&H, shot him through both front shoulders and he was stone dead at the shot. I bet that Weatherby flat WRECKS them.

I did a Elk myself this last season 2 miles from the truck on foot. I wouldn't even want to be looking down at that bull 5 miles from the truck.

I'm in the process of working up a load for my 375 RUM with barnes 250gr TTSX. I'm betting this will be a fantastic long range bullet in the 375 RUM. I'm betting I can get 3200fps fairly easily.

There is no question that with the right bullets a 375 or 416 will range out there for a 300 yard shot. Go over to the Africa Hunting Reports and there was a thread a couple of years ago for a guy plains game hunting with his 416 and I dont think he missed a one or took but one shot at each animal.

A 378 Weatherby is where true recoil is at by the way. The biggest bone jarring I have had was with a 378 and I remember it very well. While I am not recoil shy, this is whole 'nother meaning to recoil. I much prefer the 416.

quote:

Originally posted by Thebear_78:
I'm in the process of working up a load for my 375 RUM with barnes 250gr TTSX. I'm betting this will be a fantastic long range bullet in the 375 RUM. I'm betting I can get 3200fps fairly easily.

3080 tops, and thats pushing IMR7828. I don't even know if you can get more than a 102 grains of powder and the bullet in that case. My 260gr Accubond loads or so compressed with 102grs of IMR7828, the bullet almost wants to be pushed back up while seating the bullet, so I put a slight crimp on the Accubonds canular. I'm getting 3050 out of a 26" barrel. I don't see 10 less grains in bullet weight giving you 150 FPS a second more.

Good luck though, it's a wicked combo!

quote:

Originally posted by SMACK!!!!:

quote:

Originally posted by Thebear_78:
I'm in the process of working up a load for my 375 RUM with barnes 250gr TTSX. I'm betting this will be a fantastic long range bullet in the 375 RUM. I'm betting I can get 3200fps fairly easily.

3080 tops, and thats pushing IMR7828. I don't even know if you can get more than a 102 grains of powder and the bullet in that case. My 260gr Accubond loads or so compressed with 102grs of IMR7828, the bullet almost wants to be pushed back up while seating the bullet, so I put a slight crimp on the Accubonds canular. I'm getting 3050 out of a 26" barrel. I don't see 10 less grains in bullet weight giving you 150 FPS a second more.

Good luck though, it's a wicked combo!

Yes, it depends on what people mean by 'easily'. It is "easy" to let the powder do the work. Pour in enough faster powder and 3200 will be reached. Until something goes wrong due to high pressures. The physics would point to 3100 being the ceiling and even that would be pushing things. Remember the trouble Lapua had trying to push 250 grains to 3000 in the .338? Widening the barrel will give a little help. But 3200 fps with 250 grains is best left for the 'Rigby' size cases like the 378Weatherby. they have an extra 15 grains of powder capacity.

Ah, getting back to Rigby cases, let's us consider a .416" 350 grain TTSX bullet sent out at 2800fps. Yes, that is a longrange combo that can be used in Africa where the buffalo roam. And I find it fairly comfortable in our two CZs. Can someone push this to 2900fps? Yes, in some rifles, (I've done it in the hot sun), but why push it? I've already recovered a couple of shortrange finishing shots where the petals have sheared. (They don't shear, as far as we can tell, from over 60 yards.) Anyway, like all hunting rifles, this long-range 416 load shoves a little but it's managable on a bench, no noisy muzzle-brakes needed, and truly comforting in the field. It is great for Africa. A person can get used to those cartridges sitting in one's hand so that they seem normal-sized, the standard for judging others.

Dare I repeat myself, the important thing is having 4" eye-relief and 5" would be a nice luxury, something we are going to try this next year.

I'm getting 3050fps with 270gr TSX right now. Thats using 4350. No pressure signs, easy bolt lift. 20 grs less bullet in the 250TTSX, I'd say my odds are really good off beating 3100fps. I've always had a hard time getting top velocities out of nosler bullets too. Generally I can get more from a tsx of equal weight.

Like I said good luck with the earlier stated 3200fps.

I shot a Cape buffalo at 308 yards with a .416 and 400 grain bullets. I was the spotter when Wendell borrowed my gun to shoot one at 350 yards. I told him where to aim and how to hold into the wind. Killed it with a heart shot.

But trust me, those bullets are laggards in the wind. And I don't care to ever try and shoot any buff that far again, although I wouldn't hesitate at 200.

Ok not to hijack this thread, But I have a 375 on order and have been looking around for scope options. I would love a nightforce or a zeiss but right now 1500 to 2000 for a scope is not in the cards,
So with this said, I need a quality scope with a 4-16 or 3.5-14 power spectrum and will handel the recoil. Yes I know, many will say i dont need this magnification for a 375, but I am set on this level of magnification.

Lets hear your thoughts, whats brands and why

Thanks Matt

Matt,
I use nothing but Leupolds on my Africa battery, and that includes a 458 Lott. Never had a failure. I was running through a boulder-strewn streambed on a leopard hound hunt a few years ago and fell. The Leupie got a nice big dent, but didn't go out 1/4".

It is true that some of the more expensive scopes are a tad brighter and have a little more resolution, but African conditions rarely demand that level of perfection. Not to say it isn't nice, and not putting down the more expensive glass. I really don't think there is a scope made that is as tough and reliable as the Leupolds.

OOps. That response was to Seasons.

443 yards on a bull elk with my .375H&H 270 gr Barnes x. I've killed several more in the 300's with a .375H&H as well.

Most folks just don't get that the .375H&H is every bit the long range round that .338 is.

quote:

Originally posted by J D:
My 375HH and 416 rem were 1/2moa out to 400 yards. I took zebra kudo wildebeast out pass 300 yards.

JD

How's the 505/416 coming along?

ss, that was my belief and why I posed the question. Ammo & Ballistics by Bob Forker (2000) lists .375 H&H Hornady 270 gr SP Heavy Magnum at 8" low at 300yd w/ 200yd zero. On a balistics calculator I put in a 230 yd zero for this round and it shows 2.5" high @ 100yds, 5.7" low at 300yds. For .338 Winchester Magnum with 225 gr swift A frame Forker's book shows 8.8" low at 300yds. The brx reticule table for my swarovski Z3 scope says to use the .338 winmag calculations for the hornady round in .375. So the numbers seem to back this up.

quote:

Originally posted by surestrike:
443 yards on a bull elk with my .375H&H 270 gr Barnes x. I've killed several more in the 300's with a .375H&H as well.

Most folks just don't get that the .375H&H is every bit the long range round that .338 is.

For stats you can get more information for many more bullets and loads at

http://www.jbmballistics.com/c...bmtraj_drift-5.1.cgi


At the end of the questions,
Click on "zero at max point blank range" and it will give you a 100 yard zero height for the calculated max trajectory height. You can set that at anything from 2" on up on the "vital zone radius" input.