Greetings All,
I am new to this sight but have read many posts and decided to join. I have a Win.mod.70 in .375H&H. I am intrigued by the bullets from GS Custom. I would like opinions/advice from those who have experience with their products in my caliber. Is the 200gr HV too light for African game? Would the heavier weights perform better, if so which? I am figuring the 200 and 240 should be great in North America for just about anything I want to shoot-out to 400yds. Would something heavier like the 250HV or 265HV be better suited for African game? Of couse I also like the looks of their solids. I am a firm believer in proper shot placement. The hogs, varmints, and many species of deer I have harvested in North America heave all been one shot kills-that is the way I would like to keep it, all things being equal.
Thanks, Andy

.........drew ,, I have no expierence with the GS HV bullets ,,.,. But I would sure like you to and report back ....I,m going to start useing them in my338, 9.3 ,375 ,416 ,458 . And wen I get it built .475 and .510 .........The other application I,m thinking about useing them in is a lighter one in the 223 on the M4 platform for wolf .....I know Mark was useing 200 gr mono metal bullets from Lutz Moeller ,i think , and he was very enthused about them but I don,t recall any particulars .....Hopefully he will chime in here ........

quote:

Is the 200gr HV too light for African game?

I don't think so.
This man has also used the bullet extensively.
He also uses it on smaller antelope.
This PH started with the 200gr HP and now uses the 200gr HV.
The only game we have recovered the 200gr 375 HV bullet from is Eland.

MV 3100fps - Quartering shots - Weight retention is 100%

Andy, I recommend that you try them and see what shoots best in your rifle. I did not have much luck with the 240's in my rifle. Admittedly I did not do a very thorough job, but for what these cost, that can be an expensive proposition. I did find a very accurate 265 load very quickly, so I just settled for that.
Peter.

Thanks for the info, Gerard. As a tool maker I am most impressed with the tolerances ya'll maintain. My next question is, for first shot on cape buff-again with .375H&H-Would 200 be too light? Thanks for the links,too. I hope to be ordering soon.
Andy

Those bullets Gerard posted, if .375/200grain HV's started off at 3100 fps:

They have obviously slowed down to impact of about 2500fps or less. At what range?

Being so light and so well expanded, they could not have penetrated very far. Not the best buffalo medicine.

Very good PG medicine though.

Heavier bullets will have a better BC (and that nasty old SD is better too), in the same GSC HV format.
Heavier bullets can be driven fast enough to exceed 2600 fps impact velocity at close range.
That's what you want if you want to blow off the petals and wound "big" as well as penetrate well.

The better BC will maintain velocity better at long range.

Heavier AND faster is better at buffalo.

265-grain HV and 270-grain FN for .375 H&H is the safest bet, whether 12" or 14" twist. Monometals.

If you have a faster-than-H&H .375 and can get 300-grainers into the 2650-2750fps MV window, and have a 12" TWIST (most common), then you have maximized .375 lethality to buffalo. Saeed has proven this, many times over.

Save the zippity-doo-dah lightweight HV's for PG and use the highest velocities you can safely and accurately shoot them.

Use the heavier HV's for DG, within your rifle's ability to speed them up to about 2700 fps MV and shoot them accurately.

Just IMHO.

What RIP said on buffalo, absolutely. Both the 265gr HV and 270gr FN will allow straight going away shots on Cape Buff.

The recovered 200gr 375s were both quartering shots, one from the front and one from the rear. One from the front struck at the base of the neck and was found in the small intestines. The other entered on the rib cage and was found under the skin, in front of the shoulder of the opposite side. Distance of both shots are unknown, I am waiting for photos and more detail. The weight retention does indicate an impact speed less than 2600fps.

Don't know why I was thinking plains game on drewh's first post - thanks for the correction RIP.

Now you are talking! The 270FNs are extremely accurate in my 375H&H.
Peter.

quote:

Originally posted by Gerard:

What RIP said on buffalo, absolutely. Both the 265gr HV and 270gr FN will allow straight going away shots on Cape Buff.

Does anyone have personal field experience with the HVs on buff, or has everyone used the FNs? I was looking around the GS Custom site yesterday but the reports I saw there were with the FNs (I may have missed the HVs as I did not click everything). I did see a link to an interesting site about a professional small boy...

Sorry if this is a hijack...

I have used the 270 gr. flat nose solids and the 265 gr. HV GS Customs on a lot of plainsgame and on used both on Buffalo...I have also shot game with the 8x57, 7x57, .308 and other calibers with the HV bullets..they performed in each case to perfection.

They are an exceptional bullet and I highly recommend them as to quality and performance. I have shot some as good but never better.

Thanks Ray.