A friend of mine just purchased a 376 in the Prohunter 20" barrel version. The seller provided some reloaded ammo and load details as follows:

CCI LR Magnum Primer
VV N550 72.5 Grains
270gr. Hawk RN
Average speed: 2665

Looking at the Hodgdon Manual, they're getting just over 2600 with a 24" barrel and just with one load. The above load makes me concerned - seems like awful high velocities out of a 20" barrel. Anybody with knowledge of the 376 have an opinion?
(I will post this on Big Bore and Reloading forums)

I've been unable to make that kind of velocity out of mine yet, but there are some posts where people claim to be WAY up there using VV550.

Of course, I'm not using VV550..yet.

One guy in particular claimed a 260 Nosler at 2775-2800 with 72.5g, on top of a Federal 215.

Sounds REAL hot to me.

Antlers

I get a bit under 2500 avg fps with 65.5 grns Varget under a 270 grn Horn SP, (which is Hornady book max) in my 20" Prohunter.

I USE 64 grns in my hunting loads as it is more accurate and gets 2465 avg fps. The max load is more compressed and has a higher ES and SD than my 64 grn load. No animals have complained yet.

Your load sounds hot to me. But then I would never use an unknown person's handloads any time.

Regards

Elmo

don't know how that case can hold that much.. benchmark is my powder of choice, and with 300s, 2515-20 is my tops and i back it down to about 2450 or so

jeffe

Antlers

Keep in mind Jeffe gets his numbers from his custom mauser with a 25"(I think) barrel. My 300 grn bullets only get about 2300 +/- with my 20" barrel/Varget max load.

Elmo

Jeffe
How much benchmark do you stuff under a 300 grn bullet for 2450?

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
don't know how that case can hold that much.. benchmark is my powder of choice, and with 300s, 2515-20 is my tops and i back it down to about 2450 or so

jeffe

sorry, Elmo got his post in just as I posted the 25" barrel question.

Elmo,
send me a email for the load.

yep, it's 25"

jeffe

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
Elmo,
send me a email for the load.

yep, it's 25"

jeffe

Jeffe, I sent you a PM..thanks

Jeffe

It was just idle curiosity.. I'm plenty happy at 2300 for a 300grn bullet (Partition)and got to many other projects going on now, to work up another 300 grn load before my plains game trip in july. Thanks anyway.

Elmo

Elmo,
didn't mean to be rude, as I seldom share near max loads in my guns...and always on request

jeffe

Jeffe

I don't think you are rude at all. I completely understand where you're coming from.

Frankly I'm envious. Knowing what I know now, I really wish my .376 barrel was about 23" long. That would make a great rifle even better.

Regards

Elmo

Elmo,
23" sounds pretty darn good.. in fact, 22" sounds even better... and the next one I am going to build will be a LIGHT 22" oberdorf style, strongly traditional in look, like a german hill country stalking rifle.

wanting under 8#, iron sights, and a double trigger (that part may miss)

jeffe

I've been loading my ProHunter with 270gr Barnes Triple Shocks using 68.5gr of VVN-550. I get 2700-2725 fps with sub MOA accuracy at 100 yards. 72gr of VVN-550 and the Barnes 235gr XLC gives 3000-3015 fps and the same accuracy with no more than 15-25 fps difference between shots with both loads. OAL is 3.11 inches on both loads.