about to reload for the 378wby, wondering if anyone has some tried and true loads, to use as a starting point. i have some 300gr hornady rnsp and the 300gr interbonds. would like to target buffalo and other australian large game, cattle, and the like. will woodleighs stand up to the speeds of the 378?

cheers cc

cc

I have never shot the 300 grain Hornaday but have shot the 270 grain spite point. And they will not hold up to the high velocity of the .378 Weatherby Magnum. I've never used the woodleigh however, I would recommend a Nosler Partition, Swift-A-Frames, Barnes TSX, or North Fork if you can find them just to mention a few.

Good Shooting

Steve

I am thinking that Woodlieghs may be a bit soft for the velocity of the .378.

The above would all be good choices my preference would be the the Barnes TSX. Or another bullet if it's available in Australia is the 300Gr or the 380 gr Rhino.

Mine likes the 270 TSX in front of 114 grs. of Rel. 22. I find most manuals out of whack loadwise.

A 300-grain Nosler Partition is as puny a bullet as I would use.

300-grain Swift A-Frame better.

300-grain monometal copper softs and solids: best of all.

The Woodleigh would surely be turned inside out.

Work up to 111.0 grains of:

H4831 long cut or SC
or IMR7828
or equivalent

Stop when you get to 2900 fps with a 300-grainer, or anywhere else you like.

For just plinking at long range, I like IMR7828 at 111.0 grains with the Sierra 300-grain GameKing.

thanks for the advice. would the 270gr tsx be ample for the game i am after????

quote:

Originally posted by cc:
thanks for the advice. would the 270gr tsx be ample for the game i am after????

If it ain't, pray fast and run harder!!

quote:

Originally posted by cc:
thanks for the advice. would the 270gr tsx be ample for the game i am after????

CC

If it's "bang-flop" your looking for then it isn't the bullet, it's were you place the shot.

But hell I can't imagine anything here in Australia that would walk away happy after being hit with a 270g Barnes out of your Weatherby.

If your still worried spend a few extra hundred and get the Weatherby drop box magazine floor plate this will give you the extra round

regards
S&F

S&F
3 shots is plenty, but he option of a forth sounds good. most probably go for the tsx and see if i can get the 300gr rnsp to hit near the 300gr tsx. want to use it on pigs as well..........yeah i know too much gun, but its the only rifle i will be taking.

cheers cc

CC

No such thing as too much gun,

I'm the wrong guy to say that too, I'm addicted to recoil, got 416, 458 and currently building a 510 cal, and maybe I'll build something bigger next year

regards
S&F

quote:

Originally posted by cc:
thanks for the advice. would the 270gr tsx be ample for the game i am after????

Perfect!

112 RE-22 was my best load with the 270grain.

Is it a Jap 378 or an American? I had a Jap 378....... no wonder Weatherby call it "the horse"

The 300 gr Hornady RN's are very soft and dont even hold up at .375 H&H speeds in my experience.

Whats the cost for the drop box to hold the extra round ?? I just bought a 338/378 Accumark...............2 things I hate are the two shot mag and the alloy bottom metal. For the price of these things the bastards could give you all steel bottom metal !

Didnt Mike order all his .378's with steel bottom metal ?? I wonder what its worth or would it be cheaper to have a smith make it for you ??

Does everyone with the 378 case based weatherbys load them through the top or do the load them through the bottom ??

I have found them stiff to load through the top but its loosened up a bit and now I have the knack its not to bad to load through the top.

PC,

i load through the top, just takes a bit of practice to get used to. i have one of mikes 378's with the steel floor plate. the alloy one on the accumark isn't that bad, i like mine, and yeah they aint cheap, around $400= for the drop box extension mag...........

I may be a little late for this info but just my 2 cents:
Starting load for a 260 gr accubond is 106 gr Rel 22. Remember just a starting load. Right now I'm am at 112 gr of Rel 22 and have great results, killed my elk last fall, still not the most accurate but deadly. Fed. 215 primers and I set the bullet to the bottom of the cannelure. I haven't played with the depth yet, that will be this spring. I love this caliber, fast, flat and hits like a freight train.

never too late, was thinking they may be too soft for 378 speeds, but would shoot flat thats for sure

I've got a very early German .378 Weatherby first model with the trigger safety that I bought at an auction on a lark for $425 years ago when I was in TX.

It feels about like a .300 in weight. The dang thing is so light that a few rounds and you feel like you have taken a hard blow to the head. Since it has some collectors value as a first model I don't want to put a muzzle break on it. Roy was smart to make the later models much heavier.

I'd be afraid to hunt with this one as recovery for a quick second shot would be difficult.

I just used the loads out of the Hogdon manual with H4350; it seemed to be quite accurate.

If the objective is really large tough game, why not go for heavy bullets like 350 or 380 grain and load to a reasonable velocity? The advantage of the large case really becomes interesting with the larger bullets, allowing you to get adequate velocities at relatively low pressures. Who wants a heavy recoiler with a monster muzzle blast on a light bullet for heavy game?

I don't know Wink...if I had to have one rifle and bullet weight for everything it would be the .378 with a carefully designed 300 grain monometal bullet.

Until they make Dumbo 15 tons and or run 50 mph the .378 x 300 is PLENTY of rifle. The more you use the big Weatherby's the more you get used to the blast and recoil. At first it's scary then comical and then expected.

Once you own one and become seriously proficient with it - everything else is a joke.

stick a mercury recoil reducer in the butt stock. No one will ever know except you and the gunsmith who installed it.

Rich
DRSS
Knowledge not shared is knowledge lost...

Easily done at the factory when ordering.

The woodleighs are too soft.The solids will serve you well.Barnes X types,Nosler partition style "OK".Hornady softs will get you killed with dangerous game.Where possible stick to solids-they will kill!I have used the 378 for many years ,the advice about loading to a sensilbe velocity and no further is sound.

quote:

Originally posted by Macifej:
I don't know Wink...if I had to have one rifle and bullet weight for everything it would be the .378 with a carefully designed 300 grain monometal bullet ... is a joke.

Yes, good joke! Taken out of context.

Of course less funny and more effective would be the .395 Tatanka with a 330-grain monometal bullet, soft or solid, at 2800 fps.

Since Gerard is still procrastinating with deposits from Max and me on bullets, I may have to get you to design a copper SHark to go with the brass S&H FN.

I think The Cat's Meow Bullet would have copper SHark gills and proper diameter and depth of hollowpoint, a rebated boat tail that is a step down behind the last SHark gill and 10 grains lighter than the GSC Trio of 340-grainers that is hornswoggling at pasture in South Africa.

The .395 Tatanka is a hybrid of the .416 Rigby and 378 Wby. It has hybrid vigor.

.395-caliber, 330-grain weight, 2800 fps, brass FN solid, and copper HP soft: Purrrfect.

I think I have that already done around here somewhere........