I am heading for Namibia in june for plains game, springbok and up to and maybe including kudu and eland.

I am looking at Rhino cartridges with 235/250 grain bullets...is there a plus to use those for a flatter trajectory on long shots contra conventional 270 grain bullets..?

I guess that shots up to 2oom can be expected..?

You won't gain any advantage using bullets lighter than 260-270grain. You will see a noticeable flatter trajectory between 270's and 300's and not loose much on penetration which you dearly need with eland. I've hunted Namibia a couple of times and used 300grain bullets and made two shots over 200 yds. I shot my eland 30 yds. If you zero the rifle at 200 meters a 260-270 grain bullet will only drop 18-20cm at 300 meters.

I think the 235 Barnes TSX is an absolute killing machine on Plains game. Have taken large to small with it and it works. My handload is moving the 235 out around 3000fps so shoots very flat. Have taken elk here at around 200 to 340 with it and it does just fine.

I like 250-270gr bullets for the longer range shooting over the 300gr. Zero the rifle at 200m and you should be fine. I think all in all an appropriate zero is posibly worth more than a slightly flatter trajectory.

Pondoro.
I used 270 grs TSX in my 375 Ruger in Namibia in 2011, zeroed 2" high at 100 meters.

Longest shot was a black wildebeest at 170 meters.
Three springbuck was taken between 80 and 150 metres.
Zebra, kudu and gemsbok between 60 and 120 meters so I would say you are well set with a 270 grs bullet.

In the past..I've gotten excellent results with the Speer 235 in my .375 H&H on everything from Jackal to Zebra. Were I making another expensive hunting trip somewhere...I'd definitely look at the Barnes 235.

I like the barnes 235 grain bullets. I load them at the starting load from my Lee reloading manual. Recoil is about like 30-06 and has a similar trajectory. Its also a absolutle tack driving load thru my winchester.
My brother shot an impala with one didnt make it 5 feet.

Perfect results in Namibia some years ago with Nosler 260 accubond. Great accuracy, good trajectory, and perfect performance on kudu, gemsbok, and mountain zebra. Wouldn't hesitate to use it on eland as well. Bob

Hi Pondoro,

I also would select the Nosler Accubond 260 grs. You can safely load it at 2800 f/s in the .375 H&H. For me is the best combination of weight, bullet construction and trayectory.

Good Luck!

PH

230 grain ESP Raptor does not lack on penetration and loves velocity. www.cuttingedgebullets.com
Check out test results compared to other bullets on the terminal bullet performance thread.

Either the 235 grain or hornady 225 grain.

Heres another nod to the 260gr Accubnd. Great flat shooting bullet, accurate and the results have been excellant on game from impala to kudu. I used 300gr Swift A-Frames on the eland for total confidence. I know Boddington has been satified with the Seirra 250gr bullets for eland in the 375 H&H.

270 grain expanding bullets are just fine. For any plains game, and Cape buffalo, lion and leopard to boot.

I took my first Eland with the Sierra 250 gr gameking. It killed it deader than hell. That bullet performs well. I have used it as well on elk and bear. Does a great job.

I would followup on Boomie's suggestion. See how the 230 grain Raptor (Cutting Edge Bullets) shoots in your gun. Then try the 250 grain Barnes TTSX. It has a much better BC than the 235 grain TSX. Take whichever is the most accurate in your rifle.

The lighter bullets in the 225-235gr range don't gain you anything ballistically speaking because their BC is so poor. They will however spoil a lot of meat if you drive them up to 3000fps.
The 250gr TTSX up to the 270's do shoot flatter and retain a lot more energy.

In the 375 HH the 230 Raptors should be good to 300+ yards. Let's remember time of flight. Get there quick and fast. If it is African PG I would worry about putting the animal down quick than meat spoiling. The 130 308 has proven quite well on African PG and the 375 even more so. The heart lung shots seem to put the animal down quicker with the Raptors so no worry about spoiling meat anyway. Most bullets will work fine but I like the way the animals respond better to Raptors. DRT is what you want IMHO. Beyond 300 yards I would say use the ER Raptors for up to 600 yard shots. What ranges do you feel comfortable shooting?

pagosa - do you know if the 250 SGKs are harder bullets and thus do well? they are Cup n Core arent they?

I Haven't heard much about The 250 gr Sierra GK's. glad to hear they worked well gor you, I have a bunch and am working up some loads at the moment.

quote:

Originally posted by bluefish:
pagosa - do you know if the 250 SGKs are harder bullets and thus do well? they are Cup n Core arent they?

They are still a C&C bullet. But they are hell for stout. I run them in a .375 Bee in the 3060 fps neighborhood. Put one thorough about 6 feet of black bear once. Would think they would work well on ANYTHING short of buff and elephant.

Bluefish,
Yes, they are cup and core. I shot my first african animal, an Eland at about 85 yards, broadside. The Eland went about 60 yards, the bullet did not exit but was recovered under the offside hide. The bullet retained about 77% of it's weight and was a perfect mushroom. Bullet held together very well. I was pushing my handload in the 2840fps range. I have also used it very successfully on other plains game and even Elk here in Colorado.

I've used the 250g Swift A-Frame on elk at relatively close ranges (250 yards) at 2800 fps and it works well. It may be too tough a bullet for the smaller plains game. I'd recommend the 250g Siera Game King, BC of about .370 and can be driven to 2900 fps or so.

I have collected many species with the 260 gr Nosler Accubond and my 375 H&H.
This is my go-to African plains game kit.

I'm with Jack. The 260 ACB can be driven at nearly 2800 fps and gives stellar accuracy in my rifle. If you'd like a tougher bullet try the 270 TSX. I can drive them at 2775 fps and I'd use them on anything from buffalo on down to duikers.

Mark

For up to 200m I wouldn't worry too much about any of the bullet types.

I've taken Kudu and Lechwe out to a bit past 300 yards with a .375 using 300 grain TSX bullets.

Given that you are hunting plains game, if the range is short, I would worry about the light bullets being a bit excessively expanding, and they may not have the best penetration for an eland. I would use whatever 270 grain bullet that you can find easiest. We in the states have kind of an embarrassment of riches with so many bullet types available. For what you are talking about a .375 is a bit more gun than you really need, and any reasonable hunting bullet will work.

quote:

For what you are talking about a .375 is a bit more gun than you really need,

When talking Africa I would not want to suggest less gun. The 338WM can also work wonders, but as one drops to lesser diameters (.300, 7mm, .277) the margins for a quick kill shrink bit by bit. They all work. The 375 H&H is a great plains game cartridge. Guaranteed penetration should be the standard in judging the 'light' bullets. The BC should also be considered for 300 yard eland.

250 grain Barnes TTSX were accurate for me, and accounted for one shot kills up to eland.

Longest shot was gemsbok at about 200 yards or so.

Great bullet

just a quick thought: if the 250 SGKs are tough bullets and are CnC, is there a need for the 260 AB or, should we simply enjoy a borad spectrum of offerings in the marketplace? I suppose one thing I am neglecting to consider while typing is the fact not all rifles will shoot all bullets as well as others. Guess I just answered my own question didn't I?

I like this idea of the mid range bullets for the H&H. This summer I want to work up a load using a mid range bullet for general usage. Was thinking the 260 AB due to its excellent BC but should also consider the 250 TTSX and the 250 SGK I think.

I've seen Sierra Game Kings come apart with jacket/core separation. Consequently, I wouldn't use them for game that might otherwise benefit from a .375 H&H or 375 Ruger. So you're probably down to testing the 260 gn Accubond vs the 250 TTSX. Both have BC's in the +.400 range for hunting up to 400 yards. Load up the most accurate. If possibly hunting buffalo, I would be partial to the TTSX.

For any shot of less than 300 yards any bullet is going to have almost identical ballistics out of a 375H&H or similar so the primary consideration is going to be suitability of the bullet for the game and accuracy in your rifle.
Even past 300 yards the differences are fairly minor for most hunting applications. I took a wildebeest at over 300 yards with a Woodliegh 350PP at 2400fps and have taken deer at nearly 400 yards with the Barnes 235 at close to 3000 fps. Just know your rifle/load combinations and holdover.

.356 SD on that 350 bullet I see. darned near unstoppable too I suspect. assuming nearly identical ballistics out to 300 yards a rn bullet design will hit like a mack truck on most critters I think.

I will be using 250gr North Fork bonded cores for an upcoming hunt. With H4895 behind them, they're running about 2840fps through my chrony with great accuracy.

This will be my first hunt with my .375H&H, Eland is on the list. When I get back in June, I'll report my results.

This might be an option for you to consider.

A 235gn Woodleigh Hydro does the same job
as a 300gn SNRN Woodleigh on big game but
being lighter can also be used for the
reach out shots.

Lighter bullets usually require faster powder and both are key to less recoil. Lower recoil allows better shooting and sometimes, plains game is way out there.

http://www.gsgroup.co.za/rick2.html

We look forward to seeing the GC bullets readily available in the US.

Light, fast, accurate, and guaranteed penetration.

I have used GS Customs bullets for a number of years, and the 232 gr. HV in a .375 is awesome, I have shot most PG up to Eland with it, and I would not hesitate to use it on Lion...I would use it on buffalo if I had to and feel confident. It has a world of penetration. I prefer the 265 gr. GSC for Buffalo however. you can crowd 2900 to 3000 FPS with it.

I use Hornady 270 grain and have been very pleased. used to be called Light Magnum now I think it's called super performance. Shoots as flat as .338 Win and helps with recoil too.

In my pre double days I shot all of my lighter animals with the 235 grain Speer. Never had any problems.
Cal

All I shoot in my 375 are 300 gr Woodleighs. If I'm going to be in an area where the shots run long I just sight it in for a 200 yard zero and then shoot it at 250, 300 and 350 to see where it hits. I'm not a fan at taking shots over 350 yards at unwounded game so that is my self imposed range limit.

which woodleigh?