Improving the 375 H&H

[Tanks]

This ^. Real world experience as opposed to book figures.

When designing something one has to start with book figures. Real life anecdotal experience is not enough data points. Especially when bullet placement varies on each shot.

BTW, my only exception was not that 350 grain was not good enough for buffalo but that it made it equivalent to a .416 in effectiveness.

 

[Marty Brown]

Also a advantage of the AI in any of the calibers that it is chambered for is that you can shoot the standard round through it if you don't have any of the AI rounds handy.

I also have never seen a decrease in value of a rifle that is rechambered to the improved version. Now perhaps if you had a classic it would go down in value but a rifle that goes out on the hunts with you will only be better.

Totally agree!

 

[WAB]

When designing something one has to start with book figures. Real life anecdotal experience is not enough data points. Especially when bullet placement varies on each shot.

BTW, my only exception was not that 350 grain was not good enough for buffalo but that it made it equivalent to a .416 in effectiveness.

No exception taken, I just thought you would find his observations interesting. Having shot a total of one buffalo with them I can’t support or refute them.

I will say that the penetration of the 350 Woodleigh solids is almost beyond belief.

I get 2300 fps with 350 gr Woodleighs in my .375. As stated, I have limited experience with them as I tend to use 270 and 300 gr A-Frames more. These days, if big nasties are involved I’m not using. .375 anyway.

 

[Rule 303]

When designing something one has to start with book figures. Real life anecdotal experience is not enough data points. Especially when bullet placement varies on each shot.

BTW, my only exception was not that 350 grain was not good enough for buffalo but that it made it equivalent to a .416 in effectiveness.

Yep, well aware of what your only exception was/is. I still stand by my comments. Doc Robertson was I believe talking about visual effect and terminal effect, not book effect. Often book and real world do not match. He did not say the 350grain 375 was as good as or better than the 400grain 416 bullet, just that it put the 375 into the 416 territory. This may well be below the effectiveness of the 416 but close to. I will bow to his experience thou I remain doubtful. Probably because I use a 416.

You have just introduced a new topic -design something- that was not under discussion. So to answer that, I totally agree you do need book figures and if possible real world results from similar situation/parameters if possible.

 

[Gert Odendaal]

I own two 375 H&H rifles one is an original ZKK 602 with pop up sight and the other also on a ZKK 602 action has a custom 24 inch barrel.

I am contemplating having the one rechambered to 375 H&H Ackley Improved. (I have a 40 degree die set for the AI)

The reason I want to do this is that here in South Africa we have one of the best bullets available manufactured by Rhino. I love the heavy weights.

I want to use the extra case capacity to shoot these 380 grain Rhinos at about 2350 Fps without excess chamber pressure. I cannot imagine a better combination for all PG through to Buffalo.

The other option is just to rebarrel to 404 Jeff but this is costly and then I need to re licence the firearm.

Thoughts and comments appreciated.

IvW, did you rechamber to .375 H&H Magnum Ackley Improved ?? I am fortunate to get a reamer from Dave on our forum ( I really am much fortunate to have great friend on our forum...I hope to return the favor )for the .375 H&H Mag Improved ...I now need re loading dies ...if some one has a set of re-loading dies for the 375 H&H Improved caliber it will be great if I can buy it form you....It seems I am back , and will give more attention to rifle stuff again...

 

[Odinsraven]

Just do it - as with the RSA gun laws it is the sanest solution - and for the cost of a reaming a useful experiment - should it not delight you - little is lost and you will have a much better understanding of 375HH dynamics - Then you can if desired go down the 404J route - or my favourate the 425WR !

 

[Gert Odendaal]

I already have a 404 Jeffery..but would like to upgrade my .375 H&H Magnum since I have a new barrel on it..29 inches ...heavy magnum barrel..will open up my Mauser action 98 to the back by milling away the clipper slot as has been done with my 8x68 and 404 Jeffery ...so yes, I will go for it since I will do all the work myself with the assistance of my good friend Johan Greyling.as usual ..

 

[Gert Odendaal]

I already have a 404 Jeffery..but would like to upgrade my .375 H&H Magnum since I have a new barrel on it..29 inches ...heavy magnum barrel..will open up my Mauser action 98 to the back by milling away the clipper slot as has been done with my 8x68 and 404 Jeffery ...so yes, I will go for it since I will do all the work myself with the assistance of my good friend Johan Greyling.as usual ..

This is why I need to find re-loading dies for the .375 H&H Ackley improved version. I already received a reamer for this uprgade caliber..but need re-loading dies as well.I am thinking a 250 gn bullet will perform flawlessly and will be shot out to longer hunting distances with this upgrade ....

 

[IvW]

IvW, did you rechamber to .375 H&H Magnum Ackley Improved ?? I am fortunate to get a reamer from Dave on our forum ( I really am much fortunate to have great friend on our forum...I hope to return the favor )for the .375 H&H Mag Improved ...I now need re loading dies ...if some one has a set of re-loading dies for the 375 H&H Improved caliber it will be great if I can buy it form you....It seems I am back , and will give more attention to rifle stuff again...

Hi Gert not yet, I do have the RCBS dies...not wanting to sell them though, we could make a plan so you can borrow them so to speak.....

 

[steve white]

As long as there are Rhino 380 gr bullets, Stewarts special bullets, A Frames, Hydros, they are upgrading the 375 as far as it can reasonably go anyway...especially the frontal area on those Rhinos after they set up!

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Hi Gert not yet, I do have the RCBS dies...not wanting to sell them though, we could make a plan so you can borrow them so to speak.....

IvW, did you manage to get a .375 H&H Magnum Ackley reamer to complete your project>???? If not you are welcome to use my reamer when I completed the chamber ...will it be fine if I then use your re-loading dies to re-load a lot of rounds so I only need to re-load once a year??

 

[EfRed]

You could always re-chamber to .375 Weatherby. About the same as the AI version, might avoid the resale price reduction of the AI, and have a factory-loaded, listed cartridge. Having the dies for the AI does push you toward the AI pretty strongly, though.

Because the case capacity of the AI and the Wby are about the same, you might be able to test your concept for workability using a Wby, assuming you could borrow one with some dies. If it works in the Wby, probably going to work in your proposed re-chamber. I guess borrowing a .375 Weatherby might not be easy, and Weatherby freebore tends to be long, from what I've heard. But likely nothing would stop you from mimicking Wby freebore in your re-chamber effort.

My Woodleigh manual shows max velocity for 300 gr Woodleigh as 2750 fps, for 350 Woodleigh 2525 fps, for what its worth. 2350 might be a hair ambitious.

 

[IvW]

IvW, did you manage to get a .375 H&H Magnum Ackley reamer to complete your project>???? If not you are welcome to use my reamer when I completed the chamber ...will it be fine if I then use your re-loading dies to re-load a lot of rounds so I only need to re-load once a year??

Sure sounds like a plan.

 

[IvW]

You could always re-chamber to .375 Weatherby. About the same as the AI version, might avoid the resale price reduction of the AI, and have a factory-loaded, listed cartridge. Having the dies for the AI does push you toward the AI pretty strongly, though.

Because the case capacity of the AI and the Wby are about the same, you might be able to test your concept for workability using a Wby, assuming you could borrow one with some dies. If it works in the Wby, probably going to work in your proposed re-chamber. I guess borrowing a .375 Weatherby might not be easy, and Weatherby freebore tends to be long, from what I've heard. But likely nothing would stop you from mimicking Wby freebore in your re-chamber effort.

My Woodleigh manual shows max velocity for 300 gr Woodleigh as 2750 fps, for 350 Woodleigh 2525 fps, for what its worth. 2350 might be a hair ambitious.

And in South Africa you will not be able to get 375 Weatherby head stamped cases, so for us it is a no brainer AI all the way

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Sure sounds like a plan.

Ivan, so ek gaan nou nie die re-loading dies koop nie..ek gebruik joune en jy gebruik my reamer???Is dit reg so?

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Good members, I will not buy the re-loading dies anymore..Ivan and me has an understanding...I will give him access to the use of the reamer and he will give me access to the re-loading dies..we will upgrade to the .375 H&H Magnum Improved 40 degrees Ackley caliber ...Ivan and I will then work on loads for our rifles ..we will keep you all up to date ..thank you kindly for all your great input and suggestions, you as members are just a lot of great people to know...this project will commence next year May 2021

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Good members, I will not buy the re-loading dies anymore..Ivan and me has an understanding...I will give him access to the use of the reamer and he will give me access to the re-loading dies..we will upgrade to the .375 H&H Magnum Improved 40 degrees Ackley caliber ...Ivan and I will then work on loads for our rifles ..we will keep you all up to date ..thank you kindly for all your great input and suggestions, you as members are just a lot of great people to know...this project will commence next year May 2021

Ivor, my apologies your name is not Ivan but Ivor...

 

[colorado]

You could always re-chamber to .375 Weatherby. About the same as the AI version, might avoid the resale price reduction of the AI, and have a factory-loaded, listed cartridge. Having the dies for the AI does push you toward the AI pretty strongly, though.

Because the case capacity of the AI and the Wby are about the same, you might be able to test your concept for workability using a Wby, assuming you could borrow one with some dies. If it works in the Wby, probably going to work in your proposed re-chamber. I guess borrowing a .375 Weatherby might not be easy, and Weatherby freebore tends to be long, from what I've heard. But likely nothing would stop you from mimicking Wby freebore in your re-chamber effort.

My Woodleigh manual shows max velocity for 300 gr Woodleigh as 2750 fps, for 350 Woodleigh 2525 fps, for what its worth. 2350 might be a hair ambitious.

That's spot on by me. I have a 375 Weatherby and I get 2800 fps with 300g bullets and 2550 with the 350g Woodleighs

 

[Gert Odendaal]

The .375 Weatherby caliber will not work in SA...head stamps being a challenge , I wonder if the South African police system has the .375 Weatherby on their caliber list as well...I am certain costs of the WEATHERBY brass might just be an expensive item to purchase in SA since few South African hunters in SA use the Weatherby brand , due to the idea of a very light bullet shooting at a very high velocity....in South Africa us hunters follow the "as heavy bullet as possible at moderate velocity to achieve great penetration" principle and we only use the light bullet at great velocity principal when we hunt varmint ....

I therefore think going the Ackley route will be the chosen one for Ivor and me..thank you for your input Colorado, it is much appreciated

 

[colorado]

No problem. Best of luck with the 375 AI! It's a great round, every bit as good as the 375 Weatherby.