I was in Gander Mountain yesterday and was looking at a box of 375 H&H magnum loads for the 270 grain spirepoint. Printed on the box was a small trajectory table which also showed muzzle velocity at 2870 fps! It might have been 2860 or 2840, but it was north of 2800. I then picked up a box of 375 Ruger, same bullet, and it had a velocity less than the H&H, 2840 I think, but was still 2800+. I know I've seen discussions here in the past about the Hornady loads but wanted to see if anyone has recently tried these or run them through a chrono. 2870 sure seems hot, even moreso for a factory loading where they usually lean towards being slower and safe.

I have not chrono'd any of Hornady's 375 Heavy Magnum loads, but I can tell you their Light Mag loads in 280 and 25/06 SMOKE...they are at the high end or beyond of what reloading handbooks have allowed. So to see that their 375 H&H or Ruger loads are warm would'nt supprise me.

Gary
DRSS
NRA lifer
SCI
DSC

I think I shot some of them last summer, but don't remember if I chronied them. Best I can remember they were accurate in my rifle. I only fired 5 to see how they'd shoot. I bought 3 boxes from Sportsman's guide because they were fairly inexpensive and I could use the brass afterwards.

Any idea why the 375 Ruger would be loaded to a lower velocity than the H&H?

Only idea I have is that they tested some of the Ruger ammo in 20" barrels to prove thier point. Otherwise, no.

I think it's called reality...

Rich
DRSS
Knowledge not shared is knowledge lost...

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
I think it's called reality...

Rich
DRSS
Knowledge not shared is knowledge lost...

I don't follow again. 'Reality' that you get less velocity from a bigger case?

It is a curious observation Prewar. My first guess would be differing test barrel lengths. But perhaps their proprietary top-secret powder actually works a smidge better in the slightly smaller H&H case??

Cheers,
Canuck

Reality?
Nobody here has chronographed any of it?
I shot some of the .375 H&H pixie dust loads once, and got about 100 fps less than the packaging proclaimed, and about 2 MOA accurracy instead of the 3/4 MOA my handloads gave in the same rifle.
I didn't write it down. I was laughing too hard.

Packaging print hype is less of an overestimation on the .375 Ruger. That is the explanation.

quote:

Packaging print hype is less of an overestimation on the .375 Ruger. That is the explanation.

Good point RIP. I have not chronied any of the 375 H&H Heavy Mag loads, but I have verified the 375 Ruger Factory ammo claimed velocity as being 'reality'.

Also, the 375 Ruger ammo is not labeled "Heavy Magnum". Logic dictates that if they were going to try to outcompete the 375 H&H that they would come out swinging with their best stuff, but maybe they will still be coming out with a "Heavy Magnum" load for the Ruger. (almost got that out with a straight face)

Cheers,
Canuck

I think it's a clear case of "H&H envy."

......Even in the Heavy Mag , that would be Quite fast for the 270 in the H&H ... However it brings up a good point about the Extremely versitile 375 Bore magnum velocity cartridges ........Long ish range shooting .......With a 270 gr spitzer that becomes a 4-500 yard rifle ....No need for a littler bore .. ...Unless its a 9.3x64 B..

Looking at Hodgdon's loads for the 375 Ruger, they don't have any loads that are getting 2840fps with a 270gr bullet, but there are quite a few loads listed that are over 2750. If you look at the pressure of the max loads, almost all of them are below 60k psi as well. I think that it is intersting that most of the Hodgdon's max loads for all bullet weights seem to be well below the 62k psi MAP. When I looked at the max loads for the 338-06 on Hodgdon's website the other day, almost all the max loads were at pressures near 62-63k psi. It sort of had me scratching my head as why they gave data so hot for the 338-06, but seemed conservative on the 375 Ruger...or am I am missing something here? Not that I would load the Ruger any hotter if I owned own, but it just caught my eye. It looks to me like all the fears that handloaders wouldn't be able to get close to the factory fodder seem unfounded. I guess the point I am trying to get at is that ,while the factory ammo's velocities seem hot, it doesn't look to be loaded to the "Heavy Magnum" levels.