Ruger .375 Ammo question

07 March 2009, 23:08

I'm taking my Ruger African to S. Africa for plains game including kudu, gemsbok and blue wildebeest. I'm trying to decide if I should take 270 grain spire points or 300 grain round nose softs. I'm thinking of going with the 300 grain softs so that they are more likely to shoot to the same POI as 300 grain solids.

I will take some solids for use on impala, steenbok, etc.

Thanks for your opinions.

07 March 2009, 23:39

larrys01

I doubt you will need solids for plains game. If you reload I would go with the swift A-Frame or one of the Barnes Bullets. Best advise is use the most accurate round and learn where to place the bullet. A copy of "The Perfect Shot" is a good thing to look into. Just my $.02 worth.

08 March 2009, 00:46

west2721

I used 260Gr Accubonds last year and didn't have any torn up capes on a warthog and impala. Just zipped right through with not much larger exit hole than the entrance. My hunting partner on a previous trip tore up a warthog really bad with the Hornady 300Gr RN softs. In fact it was pretty ugly. Seemed like the RN bullet didn't cut the hide on exit but just ripped it - like 6-8 inches.

08 March 2009, 01:55

Woodrow S

I have also used the 260gr Accubond on plains game. Very good bullet for this purpose. Very unlikely to damage the small game hides, as the accubond will probably zip right thru them. No need to use a round nose on plains game.

08 March 2009, 03:09

Canuck

quote:
Originally posted by rxgremlin:
I'm taking my Ruger African to S. Africa for plains game including kudu, gemsbok and blue wildebeest. I'm trying to decide if I should take 270 grain spire points or 300 grain round nose softs. I'm thinking of going with the 300 grain softs so that they are more likely to shoot to the same POI as 300 grain solids.

I will take some solids for use on impala, steenbok, etc.

Thanks for your opinions.

I'd take the 300gr softs. I have used the 270gr SPs on a couple deer and was not impressed at all....they over expanded and did not penetrate very well at all.

I haven't tried the 300gr factory softs on game yet, but they have to be better than the 270s.

08 March 2009, 03:50

MARK H. YOUNG

rx

For plains game only and the 375 I'd try the 260 Accubond. I belive Federal loads it.

Mark

08 March 2009, 04:49

rxgremlin

Unfortunately I do not reload so my choices for the 375 Ruger are:

270 grain spire point
300 grain round nose soft point
300 grain solid

I am considering bringing some solids as not to mess up the capes of smaller stuff.

08 March 2009, 04:58

Tim Herald

I shot some bait impala with .375 H&H with 300 gr Swift A frames, and the offside shoulders were basically gone. On Kudu to Buff they were perfect.

08 March 2009, 09:01

JPK

When I was last hunting in Zim, a PH told me that he was unimpressed with the 270gr factory softs and that they "blew up" too much.

Based on that comment, I would go with the 300's.

Solids work well on the small stuff like klipspringer or grysbok, in my experience, and don't cause much damage.

JPK

08 March 2009, 09:04

gohip2000

I would be a little nervous using a plain jain lead 270 spire point on something as heavy as kudu. It might work fine, but out of the factory ammo, I would feel more confident using the 300 gr softs. I would definatley try to get more advice on that one. You might ask your PH if any one has used the factory Hornady 270 gr spire point in 375 h&h on those game and what they thinks of it.

08 March 2009, 14:05

Warrior

quote:
Originally posted by Canuck:
I have used the 270gr SPs on a couple deer and was not impressed at all....they over expanded and did not penetrate very well at all.

JPK,

This is an excellent example of Mo/Xsa in action. Increased expansion of frontal area impair penetration drastically despite high momentum values of large bore rifles. I have seen this in the 458 Lott and the 500 Jeffery a couple of times exhibiting very shallow penetration resulting in the animal simply running away. This penny like deformation is often seen with soft bonded bullets that does not arrest expansion at some point in time like the Swift A-Frame is doing. The Mo/Xsa is therefore quite an informative statistic.

Warrior

08 March 2009, 16:44

ldmay375

You might give the Hornady 300 GR DGX a try. This is the steel jacketed expanding version.

08 March 2009, 19:21

458Win

The newest DGX line of Hornady ammo for the 375 Ruger has a 300 gr steel jacketed solid and a 300gr steel jacketed soft that are designed specifically for your purpose as they are designed to shoot to the same point of impact.

09 March 2009, 09:00

JPK

quote:
Originally posted by Warrior:
quote:
Originally posted by Canuck:
I have used the 270gr SPs on a couple deer and was not impressed at all....they over expanded and did not penetrate very well at all.

JPK,

This is an excellent example of Mo/Xsa in action. Increased expansion of frontal area impair penetration drastically despite high momentum values of large bore rifles. I have seen this in the 458 Lott and the 500 Jeffery a couple of times exhibiting very shallow penetration resulting in the animal simply running away. This penny like deformation is often seen with soft bonded bullets that does not arrest expansion at some point in time like the Swift A-Frame is doing. The Mo/Xsa is therefore quite an informative statistic.

Warrior

Warrior,

This is a soft point. The discussion on the other topic was about solids. What don't you get? You yourself point out that designing a soft differently changes its opening characteristics and also its penetration, all from the same rifle at the same velocity with the same bullet weight. Hell, you can do better than this bullet with a lighter weight bullet at greater velocity and even less momentum by controling expansion. Momentum hasn't got anything to do with it.

And this is not a bonded bullet. The two Hornaday 300 grainers are: 1.) the Interbond RN 300gr and the DGX a RN, steel jacketed, bonded core, limited expansion "semi-soft."

Quit junking up this guy's thread with your off topic bunk.

JPK

09 March 2009, 09:55

capoward

quote:
Originally posted by rxgremlin:
Unfortunately I do not reload so my choices for the 375 Ruger are:

270 grain spire point
300 grain round nose soft point
300 grain solid

I am considering bringing some solids as not to mess up the capes of smaller stuff.

Why not do an internet search for custom safari ammunition, then contact a few of the companies to determine if they can custom load .375 Ruger ammunition with your bullet(s) of choice?

09 March 2009, 13:25

Warrior

JPK,

Momentum is always ever present.
Bullets that shatter lose weight, ie terminal momentum.
Over-expansion is always bad, whether bonded or not.
Always relevant.

Warrior

10 March 2009, 08:03

JPK

quote:
Originally posted by Warrior:
JPK,

Momentum is always ever present.
Bullets that shatter lose weight, ie terminal momentum.
Over-expansion is always bad, whether bonded or not.
Always relevant.

Warrior

Stop going off topic on another's thread, eh?

Over expansion is purely the result of bullet design. Momentum has nothing to do with it. Bullets that shatter are also purely the result of bullet desing. Momentum has nothing to do with it. You are not now going to argue that there isn't a 270gr bullet that will not shatter or over expand eh, or that will not out penetrate a more expansive 270, 300 or 350 grainer out of the 375 Ruger are you? That would be idiocy, as proven by your 9.3 soft posting. Here is one just for fun, a NF cup point will out penetrate any other expanding bullet and many solids. Why? Limited expansion...

JPK

10 March 2009, 10:31

Gerard

Easy JPK, never lose sight of how his thinking works.

10 March 2009, 11:34

Warrior

quote:
Over expansion is purely the result of bullet design. Momentum has nothing to do with it. Bullets that shatter are also purely the result of bullet desing.

We all know this, but if the bullet is not moving it can never deform, expand or shatter. When we get the bullet into motion we have momentum, yeah? And guess what, this force can be so great that it could flatten a bullet - a moving bullet.

quote:
You are not now going to argue that there isn't a 270gr bullet that will not shatter or over expand eh, ...... ".

No, I am not going to talk about different bullet weights, I am talking about the fact that momentum is ever present when a bullet is moving. You should actually be talking/arguing to/with Gerard about momentum.

I am glad that you came around to recognize that "limited expansion" will aid penetration. That is recognizing Xsa (cross sectional area) - the bullet's frontal area, and the role it plays in penetration. And there you have it .... Mo/Xsa !!!

Bravo !!!

Warrior

10 March 2009, 19:11

JPK

quote:
Originally posted by Warrior:
quote:
Over expansion is purely the result of bullet design. Momentum has nothing to do with it. Bullets that shatter are also purely the result of bullet desing.

We all know this, but if the bullet is not moving it can never deform, expand or shatter. When we get the bullet into motion we have momentum, yeah? And guess what, this force can be so great that it could flatten a bullet - a moving bullet.

quote:
You are not now going to argue that there isn't a 270gr bullet that will not shatter or over expand eh, ...... ".

No, I am not going to talk about different bullet weights, I am talking about the fact that momentum is ever present when a bullet is moving. You should actually be talking/arguing to/with Gerard about momentum.

I am glad that you came around to recognize that "limited expansion" will aid penetration. That is recognizing Xsa (cross sectional area) - the bullet's frontal area, and the role it plays in penetration. And there you have it .... Mo/Xsa !!!

Bravo !!!

Warrior

"When we get the bullet into motion we have momentum, yeah? And guess what, this force can be so great that it could flatten a bullet - a moving bullet." Your quote from your last post.

Remarkably, you have now gone from arguing that more momentum is needed for more penetration to agruing that more momentum leads to less penetration.

JPK

11 March 2009, 00:24

Warrior

JPK,

You are wrong again - the correct interpretation is needed from what you observe.

This discussion leads nowhere, I still had hopes till my last posting, but it was in vain.

Warrior

12 March 2009, 04:36

Buliwyf

I would take 260 or 270 grain bullets and load for "longer" range shooting should it be required. One year I hunted the Eastern Cape it seemed like every opportunity was a 250 to 270 yard shot. Also, I think the 260/270 grain pills will perform better on the game you are hunting.

12 March 2009, 10:06

SD Shooter

Give a call to Superior Ammunition, Sturgis, SD.

Website: http://www.superiorammo.com/

Phone: Toll free: 1-800-677-8737

Talk to Larry Barnett, the owner. He has been sending custom ammo on African and Alaskan hunts for years. Very knowledgeable and experienced people. And although his ammo is not cheap, it is a small price compared to what you are paying to get to Africa and the cost of your PH.

Good luck on your hunt.