375 H&H loads

[BillyJack1975]

I recently purchased a new production Winchester Safari Express in 375 H&H and it’s been great. The most accurate factory ammunition I’ve found are the Hornady 300 gr DGX Bonded. I’m getting ready to start reloading for this rifle and I’m wanting to replicate the factory 300 gr Hornady DGX loads. I’m planning on hunting with open sights.

I was considering using Varget for my loads, which works good on my 308 and 556 loads. I’ve also got some H4350 which works awesome in might 3006 and 300 WSM as well. Open to suggestions, but specifically looking for which powder would be best suited for 300 gr heavy bullets, Varget or H4350?

3 shot group at 100 yds. Approximately 2.5”. Love this rifle.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

I would use 4350.

 

[Russ16]

I get good results with H4350 and 300 grain A Frames.

 

[Hooked Now]

I got a reasonably good load for TSX with Varget, but the barrel is still breaking in and im still learning the gun. I tried IMR4350 with A-frames and TSX and didn't feel great about where it was headed. Varget is a "good at most" kind of powder. I can almost always get something workable with it. Good luck with your loads. I've never tried the Hornady bullets. Curious to hear your luck with them.

 

[Daryl S]

Both powders are not temp. sensitive, so either would work, most likely. H4350 will give higher vel. if that's what you want. The .375H&H gained its reputation with 300gr. bullets at 2,400fps and 270gr. at 2,600fps. Those were the original 1912 ballistics as far as I've found from reading the old books.

 

[sgt_zim]

I recently purchased a new production Winchester Safari Express in 375 H&H and it’s been great. The most accurate factory ammunition I’ve found are the Hornady 300 gr DGX Bonded. I’m getting ready to start reloading for this rifle and I’m wanting to replicate the factory 300 gr Hornady DGX loads. I’m planning on hunting with open sights.

I was considering using Varget for my loads, which works good on my 308 and 556 loads. I’ve also got some H4350 which works awesome in might 3006 and 300 WSM as well. Open to suggestions, but specifically looking for which powder would be best suited for 300 gr heavy bullets, Varget or H4350?

3 shot group at 100 yds. Approximately 2.5”. Love this rifle.

As an FYI, Kevin Robertson asserts that 2400 fps is about the perfect speed for both 375 H&H and 9.3x62.

Lotsa guys are fans of more speed, but in all honesty, 2550 doesn't get you a whole lot more than 2400 gets you. If you get an accurate load in the 2400s, I'd stick with that.

 

[Javaman]

Bruce Moulds posted this a while ago and I found it very helpful information:

“h4350 is probably the optimum powder for 300 gn bullets in the 375.
the reason is that the slowest burning powder that will give the velocity also has the least pressure.
so you get best velocities at lower pressure, AND h4350 is fairly temp stable.
this powder burning rate has a tipping point with 270 gn bullets in 375, working well with them, but lighter than that a faster powder is preferable.
in the old days, the next slowest powders were re15, varget, and 4064.
these are ideal for 235 gn bullets in 375, but too fast for 250, 260, and definitely 270 gn bullets.
now there are powders in between that will suit 237 to 260 gns.
yes re 15, varget, etc, will give the speed, but at what pressure compared to slower powders?
bruce.”

YMMV.

Good Luck

 

[Javaman]

I recently purchased a new production Winchester Safari Express in 375 H&H and it’s been great. The most accurate factory ammunition I’ve found are the Hornady 300 gr DGX Bonded. I’m getting ready to start reloading for this rifle and I’m wanting to replicate the factory 300 gr Hornady DGX loads. I’m planning on hunting with open sights.

I was considering using Varget for my loads, which works good on my 308 and 556 loads. I’ve also got some H4350 which works awesome in might 3006 and 300 WSM as well. Open to suggestions, but specifically looking for which powder would be best suited for 300 gr heavy bullets, Varget or H4350?

3 shot group at 100 yds. Approximately 2.5”. Love this rifle.

I set a goal of 1 MOA in a 5 shot group when all is said and done with hand loads. Optimistic but you can get there!

 

[Daryl S]

Anything under 65,000psi with a temp stable powder is good to go. Since the .375H&H has a working SAAMI and CIP pressure of about 60,000psi & book loading data is under that level so I think the actual pressure generated is rather moot. Whatever shoots the best, is what a person should use.
Bravo to those who actually shoot their big game rifles enough to develop good loads for them.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

Bruce Moulds posted this a while ago and I found it very helpful information:

“h4350 is probably the optimum powder for 300 gn bullets in the 375.
the reason is that the slowest burning powder that will give the velocity also has the least pressure.
so you get best velocities at lower pressure, AND h4350 is fairly temp stable.
this powder burning rate has a tipping point with 270 gn bullets in 375, working well with them, but lighter than that a faster powder is preferable.
in the old days, the next slowest powders were re15, varget, and 4064.
these are ideal for 235 gn bullets in 375, but too fast for 250, 260, and definitely 270 gn bullets.
now there are powders in between that will suit 237 to 260 gns.
yes re 15, varget, etc, will give the speed, but at what pressure compared to slower powders?
bruce.”

YMMV.

Good Luck

I sure miss Bruce’s posts. Few men had as much knowledge on reloading and hunting as he did. He was a remarkable resource for this young handloader.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I recently purchased a new production Winchester Safari Express in 375 H&H and it’s been great. The most accurate factory ammunition I’ve found are the Hornady 300 gr DGX Bonded. I’m getting ready to start reloading for this rifle and I’m wanting to replicate the factory 300 gr Hornady DGX loads. I’m planning on hunting with open sights.

I was considering using Varget for my loads, which works good on my 308 and 556 loads. I’ve also got some H4350 which works awesome in might 3006 and 300 WSM as well. Open to suggestions, but specifically looking for which powder would be best suited for 300 gr heavy bullets, Varget or H4350?

3 shot group at 100 yds. Approximately 2.5”. Love this rifle.

I have the same rifle. With 300gr loads it absolutely loves IMR4350. I don't think I've ever tried H4350. I love Hodgdon powders but strangely enough I've not found H4350 to work with any of my rifles. I took this rifle to Mozambique where temps got pretty warm during the day and did not find the IMR4350 to be a problem.

I do agree with others that it is not as temp stable as the Hodgdon powders. That said I've not seen IMR4350 to start dropping off in accuracy or start showing pressure signs until the temperature was over 95 degrees which we can easily see here in Phoenix in the summer. And that was with max loads.

 

[Daryl S]

It is strange how we, as new powders come on the market, delivering ever higher velocities with the bullets we'd been using, jump at the opportunity of increased velocities.
Back in the 70's when I bought my first .375H&H (actually a take-off 602 BRNO bl.) in about 1974, maybe late winter of 75, the "going" powder for the .375H&H was IMR4064 for both 270 and 300gr.
It was supposed to deliver 2,700fps for the 270's and 2,500fps for the 300's - 70gr. for 270's and 68 gr. for the 300's. Just checked my #25 Lyman manual, and IMR4064 is listed at 71gr. for 2,666fps and 68.5gr. for the 300gr. at 2,439fps. These loads in my re-barreled ZKK602 RBNO .358 Norma Mg. to .375H&H both shot under an inch at 100yards & to me were super loads back then. I used 270gr. Power Points and 300gr. Hornady RN's. Someone needed it more than I did, so I sold it to a lad from Vancouver Island & gave him the data and all my loaded ammo. I guaranteed he'd be able to eat down to the hole on the little island deer he'd be shooting, if he used my loads. 2 years later, I saw him again and tried to buy that BRNO back from him. He laughed and said all of his hunting buddies on the island also tried to buy it from him. He noted: "you were right, it dumped them in their tracks and exited out the off side with no tissue damage, what a wonderful ctg. for island deer."
These loads are barely 50fps over the original loads for the .375H&H, but they do work. They worked in Africa "back then" and even in NA today, it appears(OK 50yers ago LOL).

 

[Razorback]

I’ve loaded for several 375 HH. H4350 with 300 north forks have always worked great for me.

 

[davidg8480]

I'm a proud supporter of the h-4350 camp can't go wrong

 

[DLSJR]

I’ve had great results with 70.0 grains of Reloader 15, a Federal 215 primer and 300 grain bullets. It doesn’t seem to matter much which 300 grain bullet we shoot among A-Frames, Bear Claws, TSX’s, Partitions or Cutting Edge solids, they all group well, around 3/4” in my rifle, and in same grouping in both my and my son’s 375’s. I fired a 5-shot group with one of each of those five bullets and got a 1 1/2” group. I recently chronographed some of the TSX’s and got 2,550, which was a bit more than I expected. When all the different bullets group together and at that velocity, there is no reason for me to consider any other load for our 375 H&H’s. …and it kills Buffalo really well!

 

[Daryl S]

THAT'S WHAT MATTERS.

 

[Brickman301]

I’ve had good accuracy with Varget. The bullet I’m using is the Hornady 300 grain round nose bullet. Unfortunately, Hornady no longer makes this bullet, but I still have a few hundred left. I’m Always looking for more!

My 58 grain Varget loads are a little on the slow side, at around 2,200fps. Good enough for the bears and deer I hunt here at home.

I also got good accuracy with 60 grains of Varget, but my chronograph stopped working that day, so I’m guessing they are going 2,300fps?

 

[Javaman]

I sure miss Bruce’s posts. Few men had as much knowledge on reloading and hunting as he did. He was a remarkable resource for this young handloader.

Sounds like he moved on to the Great Safari in the Sky?

 

[AZDAVE]

any of the 4350's will work well.

 

[Daryl S]

Brickman, there are no flies on those loads, as mild a they are.