300 gr Swift A Frame, 375 H&H Load Data

[Marty Brown]

I’m going to be loading some 300 gr A Frames for my Cape Buffalo Hunt and I’m looking for some load data. A friend with a similar rifle has been loading 68 gr Varget in RP cases with CCI 250s and getting around 2450 fps. I have a lot of different powders on hand including RL15 which shows up on in several loading manuals. I only have Fed 210/215M and WLRM primers on hand but I see them used, as well. Open for advice! Thanks in Advance!

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Fed215 behind a stout charge of IMR4350. My load is a bit above book so I won’t share it directly.

Follow the Swift manual, watch for pressure and work up. My load is good for 2550fps and very accurate.

 

[bruce moulds]

75/76 gn h4350 with fed 215 is worth working up to.
bruce.

 

[K E Johnson]

IMR 4350 has always been my powder for 375 H&H. 76.5 is the max listed in the Swift manual. My load is a little above that. I always used Nosler Partitions and Sierras. My load is a hold over from older manuals other than Swifts.

Swift shows IMR 4064 with lowest standard of deviation. Max load of 67.5

Accuracy was always good with IMR 4350 for me.

 

[meigsbucks]

With 300 gr Swift’s I use either 69 gr RL15 or 67.5 gr H4895. With the 300 gr Barnes, I use 75 gr of WW748. All are in Remington brass with Fed 215 primers. In all cases start lower and work up.

 

[TOBY458]

I have found RL15 to be a good powder for 24" barrel rifles. Was able to easily get close to 2600fps with this powder in these longer barrels. But with shorter (21 1/4") barrels, I was only able to achieve 2450fps. For shorter barrels, I've found WW748 to work well. I was able to get 2540fps from the 21 1/4" barrel of my Sako 85. These are all results from Barnes 300 gr TSX, but should prove true for the Swift as well.
With that said, I shot the Federal Premium factory load with the 300 grain Swifts on my first safari in Africa. It was only running around 2450 fps from my 24" Kimber rifle, but it performed flawlessy on the PG that I used it for. Zebra, Kudu, Wildebeest, Impala, Waterbuck, Blesbuck, and Oryx all fell to this load, with predictable results.

 

[WAB]

The first powder I tried in my .375 was H-414. I got 1/2 moa performance with no pressure indications. I’m not much help as it worked so well I’ve never tried anything else. That was 20 years ago.

 

[mikecatt13]

You avid reloaded have any suggestions on a good, not too temp sensitive, powder for .375HH (300gr aframe and 260gr accubond) that would also work well for .470NE, or should I just buy two different powders?

 

[ddog]

Using the Swift 300 grain A-Frame bullet, 67.5 Grains of Varget shoots very well, sub moa, in 2 of my 375 H&Hs. CCI 250 primers. Average velocity is about 2470 and that's fine with me because the accuracy is hard to beat.

 

[mikecatt13]

Using the Swift 300 grain A-Frame bullet, 67.5 Grains of Varget shoots very well, sub moa, in 2 of my 375 H&Hs. CCI 250 primers. Average velocity is about 2470 and that's fine with me because the accuracy is hard to beat.

Seems to be out of stock pretty much everywhere

 

[fourfive8]

I think two powders would be better because the two cartridges require slightly different powders for optimal performance. However, I think something like H4350 would come close to being useful for both the 375 and the 470. I know that Varget is an excellent 375 HH powder but is a tad fast for the 470. Seems powder and certain components have become scarce again for whatever reason?? You might try Bass Pro Shops online for the Varget- although I don't do much shopping with them. Not the cheapest powder source but you gotta do what you gotta do as the supplies dry up.

 

[mikecatt13]

I think two powders would be better because the two cartridges require slightly different powders for optimal performance. However, I think something like H4350 would come close to being useful for both the 375 and the 470. I know that Varget is an excellent 375 HH powder but is a tad fast for the 470. Seems powder and certain components have become scarce again for whatever reason?? You might try Bass Pro Shops online for the Varget- although I don't do much shopping with them. Not the cheapest powder source but you gotta do what you gotta do as the supplies dry up.

I'm thinking 4350 for .375 and 4831 (?) For .470.

If I'm mathing right, at around 100 grains/load even for .470, that's over 500 rounds per 8lb jug. So 2 8lbers of each should last me a while

 

[bruce moulds]

my 450 nitro regulated best with h4831 ww2 powder, which is slower than h4350.
this might mean that 4350 to 4831 might be worth testing in the 470.
re 17 is a bit faster than 4350 and could be included.
4350 and re17 are both about perfect for heavy bullet 375 h&h loads.
varget is too fast for best speeds at low pressure.
bruce.

 

[mikecatt13]

Thanks everyone, gonna order some stuff up and start trying some things

 

[Wyatt Smith]

I like IMR4350 for 300 grains bullets and Reloader 15 for 270s. When I try my 250 grain bullets I will likely try reloader 15 first.
I would like to try Varget but will stick to reloader 15 until it becomes more available.

 

[Clodo Ferreira]

Hello Marty Brown and mikecatt13,

In my experience, the ideal powder for 300 grs bullets is the 4350. Any and all of them. Work up the load to reach 2500/2550 fps and you are done. With pressures good for any tenperatures.
For the 250/260 grs bullets there are no better powder than R15-Varget. Work up the load to 2800 fps ant thats it!

Best!

CF

 

[Marty Brown]

I worked up to the 68 grains of Varget that my friend recommended with no pressure signs and sub MOA groups at 2530 fps......think I’m gonna leave it there!