375 hh soft/solid zero

[ozarkrambler]

Advice needed....

So, doing some load workup for my 375, and my 300gr northfork ss group about .75 and my 300gr ceb safari solids group about 1.25 and are about a 1.5 inches higher and .5 left at 100yds. Velocity is running 2525-2550 for both. At 50 yards they are 1 inch apart dead on (off sticks) Question is, how good does it need to be? Do I keep playing and try and get them perfect at 100 or since probably not going to shoot a solid at 100yds is that close enough ? Never done much work with solids.

Thanks

 

[M70375!]

I love CEB solids, maybe you should try so NF solids and see what they do. I'm quite sure the terminal effects would be the same for both loads

 

[IdahoMo]

I know this isn't what you were asking, but I second M70375!'s comment. I used the 350 gr SS and CPS from NF for my buff hunt this past year. Just using the companies instructions, I was able to get the same POI with ~2300 FPS for both bullets.

 

[Schüler Jumbo]

With the CEB Solid being 1.5” higher tells me the bullet is leaving the barrel slightly higher in the recoil cycle of the rifle. Try speeding up the solid a bit more.

 

[ozarkrambler]

Is there a rule of thumb/ratio on velocity increase=x avg point of impact change?

Ill try the cps if I cant get it exact. Just wasn't sure what i should be striving for.

 

[Andrew62]

Advice needed....

So, doing some load workup for my 375, and my 300gr northfork ss group about .75 and my 300gr ceb safari solids group about 1.25 and are about a 1.5 inches higher and .5 left at 100yds. Velocity is running 2525-2550 for both. At 50 yards they are 1 inch apart dead on (off sticks) Question is, how good does it need to be? Do I keep playing and try and get them perfect at 100 or since probably not going to shoot a solid at 100yds is that close enough ? Never done much work with solids.

Thanks

Unless you’re looking to take some small antelope at distance, I’d go hunting!!

 

[roklok]

I would call that close enough and go hunting, in fact that's what I did. I was not able to get the CEB 300 grain solid to print on top of my 300 grain A-Frame, but within 1.5 inch at 50 yards. I ran it by my PH, he assured me that was more than close enough for what we would be doing with solids.

 

[375Fox]

Unless you’re looking to take some small antelope at distance, I’d go hunting!!

My exact thoughts. If this is a soft solid combo for buffalo 1”-2” is insignificant. If there’s a need to load solids for buffalo there will likely be a lot of brush and close shots anyway.

 

[C.W. Richter]

I think your setup is just fine (esp. if for DG at <100 yds.) That said, if using factory ammo., using same brand softs/solids is ideal (as they've already factored that in.) Solids generally shoot a tad faster with the same load, and handloaders often cut back a bit and make them print the same. Higher V generally raises point of impact. (e.g. my .416 using 77 gr of Varget @ 2,450 fps initially shot 1" lower (directly in-line horizontally) with Swift SPs than a banded Barnes solid. While that in itself isn't a bad thing at all, especially if the only use for the solid is following up on DG running away at 100+ yds, I decided to cut the load a bit on the solid until they printed the same (if a precise shot were required on Hippo or Croc, if you ran out of one or the other and had a longer shot at PG, etc.) A lot of solids are more dense and thus shorter than SPs (and it can work the other way too), so they react differently to the powder charge (pressure) and rifling. IF factory ammo, just use the same brand, but yours seems fine (within acceptable parameters for the situation.)

 

[ozarkrambler]

Now im curiou...Velocity is running within 20-25 fps....according to my chronograph.

Ill load some a little faster and some a little slower and see what happens .

 

[Schüler Jumbo]

I had the same challenge working up soft & solid loads for my .416 Rigby. I made adjustments until POI for both were to my satisfaction. If the sight picture is held identical at a zeroing distance then a higher velocity bullet leaving the muzzle will print lower because it left the barrel at a lower point in the recoil arc. A slower velocity bullet of same weight leaves the muzzle it will impact higher because it left the barrel at a higher point on the recoil arc. Time difference is in milliseconds.

 

[Firebird]

Do you really need solids? Talk to your ph, they may tell you to leave them home. Or maybe you want to hunt elephants or duikers with them. I would guess you don’t even need to take solids with you tho-

 

[ozarkrambler]

Probably wont need them, but want the solids as an option as the rifle is a backup for my elephant/ Buffalo hunt.

 

[Sideshow]

Good info here guys thanks I’ll be running into the same problem.

 

[DLSJR]

Probably wont need them, but want the solids as an option as the rifle is a backup for my elephant/ Buffalo hunt.

Based on what you said here, you’re fine.

If this is your backup gun for an elephant your solids are only going to be about 1/2” high and that’s not enough to matter. If you can put the bullet within 1/2” of where your want on a side brain shot, you’ll have a very dead elephant.

If you’re using it for a buffalo it’s already zeroed and you’ll probably just shoot the North Forks anyway. Even if you do shoot a solid as a secondary shot on a buffalo it’ll probably be fairly close and moving so again, you’re close enough.

 

[Sideshow]

A side question (which I’m guess will have million answers) how many rounds do you go through in testing before you call it quits?

 

[ozarkrambler]

Me personally, with this rifle, Ive shot 50 softs and 20 solids so far. I probably won't shoot anymore of the northforks since its shooting well and is my main hunting bullet. Im going to continue playing around a little more with the solids but if I can get them just a tad lower im going to call it good. Im shooting a cheap, relatively speaking, 300gr round nose and a speer 235 sp for practice.

 

[Schüler Jumbo]

I prepare and prime my brass at home then take all my loading equipment and chronograph to the range with me. I take powder and bullets to the range and I already have an idea of seating depth. I can evaluate load performance on the spot and make immediate adjustments. Of course all front end work regarding powder selection and beginning charge amounts are also done at home. It took 22 roads to dial in blue nose and solids for my .416 Rigby. Then I take a break to clean my rifle, load several rounds or come back to the range another day with 40 rounds and confirm my work.