I was just looking over mathematical comparisons in bullet options for my 375 Ruger and some familiar looking values came up.

For example, if you look at using the 235gr HotCor (BC = 0.317) from Speer at an average MV of 2920 fps, your trajectory looks like:
+1.74" @ 100 yds
0 @ 200 yds
-8" @ 300 yds where it is still packing ~2360 fpe.

Similarly, the 225gr Hornady softpoint (BC = 0.320) at a MV of 2950 fps:
+1.68" @ 100
0 @ 200
-7.8" @ 300 (2330 fpe)
-22.8" @ 400 (1850 fpe)
-47.7" @ 500 (1460 fpe)

Even the bigger typical bullets for the 375 (with higher BC values of up to 0.460 for the Hornady 300 gr SPBT) are right in there with about +2" at 100 yds, zeroed at 200 yds, and then about -9" at 300 yds. As I was reading these drops, I thought they looked pretty familiar. They are, because they are almost identical to 308 Win values. Using the 165gr Hornady (BC = 0.435) at MV of 2720 fps you get:
+1.97" @ 100
0 @ 200
-8.5" @ 300 (1700 fpe)
-24.3" @ 400 (1430 fpe)
-48.9" @ 500 (1200 fpe)

I can't believe how closely the old 375 H&H, including the 375 Ruger, matches the 308. Really, anyone who can hit with a 308 out to 500 yds should be able to hit with a 375. Of course, the price to pay is higher recoil - but even this isn't too bad with the lighter bullets. The lower BC of the lighter 375 bullets does mean more wind drift, but drop is about identical. The 308 certainly isn't a speedy flat shooting wonder, but it is accurate.

I wonder how a 'sniper' prepped 375 rifle would work? I see lots of big heavy rifles in 308. Maybe make a 11 or 12lb sniper rifle in a big bore like this and make that rifle weight pay for itself. I know lots of 375 H&H and 375 Ruger rifles can shoot very well. Has anyone tried long distance work with a larger bore like this?

You are correct that medium bores like 375 Ruger have distance potential.
The name of the thread "308" actually sells the 375 Ruger short. See below.

For your calculations you may enjoy visiting a site like
http://www.jbmballistics.com/c...bmtraj_drift-5.1.cgi
It will offer pretty much everything you will want for ballistic comparison.

On choosing bullets for the 375, you should getting something like the
.375 250 grain Barnes TTSX (BC= .434) and the
.375 230 grain CEB Raptor with talon tip (BC= .490).

They start to approach the 270 Win for flatness at similar sectional densities.
Here is a table for JBM that has been edited somewhat to show what is possible.
It has a lot of infomation and columns for wind drift, vel. energy with readings at 25 yard intervals out to 600 yards.
The table below uses a 3" max arc. You can set it to whatever you like.
Note that the table below uses a 2.6" sight-in at 100 yards, and only drops -4.2 inches at 300 yards.
If a 2" sight-in were used that would be -6.0" low at 300 yards, which is FLAT.
(Me I like doing this with a 416 Rigby.]

(The formatting will partially fail below,
but it should be useable, the tabs will switch to spaces)

375 Ruger 250 TTSX 3” 2903 fps elev 1000

Ballistic Coefficient: 0.424 G1 Caliber: 0.375 in
Bullet Weight: 250.0 gr Bullet Length: 1.460 in
Muzzle Velocity: 2889.0 ft/s Distance to Chronograph: 20.0 ft
Sight Height: 1.50 in Sight Offset: 0.00 in
Barrel Twist: 12.0 in Twist Direction: Right
Wind Speed: 10.0 mph Wind Angle: 90.0 deg
Target Speed: 10.0 mph Target Angle: 90.0 deg
Temperature: 80.0 °F Pressure: 29.92 in Hg
Humidity: 50.0 % Altitude: 1000.0 ft
Vital Zone Radius: 3.0 in
Maximum PBR: 286 yd Maximum PBR Zero: 244 yd
Range of Maximum Height: 138 yd Energy at Maximum PBR: 3028.6 ft•lbs
Sectional Density: 0.254 lb/in² Stability at Muzzle: 2.321

Range Drop Drop Windage Windage Velocity Mach Energy Time Lead Lead
(yd) - - (in) -(MOA) - - (in) - - (MOA) - (ft/s) - (none - (ft•lbs) - (s) - (in) - (MOA)

--0 -1.5 *** 0.0 *** 2903.1 2.549 4677.6 0.000 0.0 ***
-25 -0.1 -0.2 0.0 0.2 2850.5 2.503 4509.8 0.026 4.6 17.5
-50 1.1 2.2 0.2 0.4 2798.6 2.457 4347.0 0.053 9.3 17.7
-75 2.0 2.6 0.4 0.5 2747.3 2.412 4189.0 0.080 14.0 17.9
100 2.6 2.5 0.8 0.7 2696.5 2.368 4035.7 0.107 18.9 18.0
125 3.0 2.3 1.2 0.9 2646.3 2.324 3886.9 0.135 23.8 18.2
150 3.0 1.9 1.7 1.1 2596.7 2.280 3742.4 0.164 28.8 18.4
175 2.6 1.4 2.4 1.3 2547.6 2.237 3602.3 0.193 34.0 18.5
200 2.0 1.0 3.1 1.5 2499.0 2.194 3466.2 0.223 39.2 18.7
225 1.0 0.4 4.0 1.7 2451.0 2.152 3334.2 0.253 44.5 18.9
244 -0.0 -0.0 4.7 1.8 2414.8 2.120 3236.6 0.277 48.7 19.0
250 -0.4 -0.1 5.0 1.9 2403.5 2.110 3206.2 0.284 50.0 19.1
275 -2.1 -0.7 6.0 2.1 2356.5 2.069 3082.0 0.316 55.5 19.3
286 -3.0 -1.0 6.6 2.2 2336.0 2.051 3028.6 0.330 58.0 19.4
300 -4.2 -1.3 7.3 2.3 2310.0 2.028 2961.6 0.348 61.2 19.5
325 -6.8 -2.0 8.6 2.5 2264.0 1.988 2844.8 0.380 67.0 19.7
350 -9.7 -2.7 10.1 2.7 2218.5 1.948 2731.6 0.414 72.9 19.9
375 -13.1 -3.3 11.7 3.0 2173.5 1.908 2622.0 0.448 78.9 20.1
400 -17.0 -4.1 13.4 3.2 2129.0 1.869 2515.8 0.483 85.0 20.3
425 -21.3 -4.8 15.3 3.4 2085.1 1.831 2413.0 0.519 91.3 20.5
450 -26.2 -5.5 17.3 3.7 2041.7 1.793 2313.6 0.555 97.7 20.7
475 -31.5 -6.3 19.5 3.9 1998.9 1.755 2217.5 0.592 104.2 20.9
500 -37.4 -7.1 21.8 4.2 1956.6 1.718 2124.7 0.630 110.9 21.2
525 -43.9 -8.0 24.3 4.4 1914.9 1.681 2035.1 0.669 117.7 21.4
550 -50.9 -8.8 27.0 4.7 1873.7 1.645 1948.6 0.708 124.7 21.6
575 -58.6 -9.7 29.8 4.9 1833.2 1.610 1865.2 0.749 131.8 21.9
600 -67.0 -10.7 32.8 5.2 1793.3 1.575 1784.9 0.790 139.1 22.1

I was struck by the similarity comparing the .308 with 168gr match bullet against the .416 Remington with Barnes .350gr TSX. The external ballistic software I have predicts very similar performance out past where I normally get to shoot.

quote:

I can't believe how closely the old 375 H&H, including the 375 Ruger, matches the 308. Really, anyone who can hit with a 308 out to 500 yds should be able to hit with a 375.

And the sun rises on yet another hunter. I figured this out about 20 years ago and have been shooting elk and assorted other stuff with my .375H&H ever since. My 270 gr load leaves the muzzle at 2700 + or minus a couple. With similar BC that identically equals the trajectory of a 180 gr pill launched from a .30-06.

The .375H&h is one of the most underrated long range elk and moose and deer killers out there. Because when it arrives at 3 or 4 or 500 yards it's still a .375 and it kills like one and of course does very minimal meat damage with a good strong bullet.

The old Barnes X 270 gr bullet had a BC of .505. I REALLY wish the TSX didn't have BC of Stay Puft Marshmello.

People are frequently surprised with the trajectory of the 375H&H once they get past the notion that it is more than just a short to medium distance slugger with 300 gr bullets.

In trajectory it is really an overgrown 270 or 30/06,depending on which bullet is used,and in my experience with it Tanzan's numbers for the 250 gr TSX are pretty much right on.I mostly shoot the 250 Sierra with RL15 and it is not hard to start that bullet at +- 2900 from a 24" barrel.I use a premium of the same weight for hunting.

the numbers make a 375 RUM or 378 Wbee look pretty good as a long(er) range shooter, especially if you have some 300gr Sierra MK's.

Rich

quote:

Tanzan's numbers for the 250 gr TSX are pretty much right on.

I am switching this year from my standard 270 gr TSX load to the 250 gr TTSX. With it's vastly improved BC it should be just the ticket for an elk swatter.

Interesting insights guys. I figured that the 375 wouldn't do too bad at longer ranges, but I wasn't expecting to see numbers like these. Very cool! I can feel the perma-grin developing now...

Yep. I memorized drops for my 30-06 40 years ago, and use them foir my 375 H 'n H. No practical hunting difference.

Went to the range yesterday, had a 308, 280 & 375 h&h.
When I hauled the 375 out of it's case a friend ask if I could hit the gong (400 yrds.) with it.
Set up on the bench, took the same point of aim as the other 2 rifles & smacked it dead center.
Was using Rem 270gr factory loads.

I read somewhere that the ballistics of a 308 Win are also similar to a 16" USN gun. It was one of the gun/hunting magazines.

Another interesting note:
I use the speers to practice with in my .375 H&H. I have my rifle sighted in for the 300 gn. partiotions im going to use in africa this summer. They have the same point of impact out to a hundred yards. So i can shoot a few of the lighter rounds and a couple of the heavys and not worry about a different point of impact.