Accuracy Solid vs Soft point Caliber 375 HH

[Guépard]

Please, can you help me ?

For my next African trip, I begin to try solid bullets in my rifle.

Accuracy, group, obtained with solid bullets is it same level than with soft point (Barnes, Swift ...)?

What did you use solid bullets in Africa with success please?

Thank for your replies !

 

[Red Leg]

The .375 tends to be very forgiving. You will likely have to try several brands/loads but I am confident that you will not only find equally accurate loads, but also solids and softs which make a practical overlapping group. My .375 mauser likes .300 gr TSX's and Federal sledgehammer factory solids. One couldn't find two more different bullet profiles but they will create a 2 inch composite 6-rd group at 100 yards.

I would also note, that unless you are hunting elephant - or you have a real old school PH, you really don't need solids. The new monolithic "softs" such as the TSX drive nearly as deep on a buff and do a lot more dammage doing it. I shot a huge duggag boy a couple of years agoin the chest and the bullet drove through boiler room, paunch, et al and ended up lodged in the spine between the hips.

The one exception is really small stuff like duiker or orobi, where on a one-rifle hunt, a .375 solid will not cause the dammage of a soft.

 

[Patrick R]

Red Leg,

Then i suppose i am old school...damn There is also a reason why we shoot with solids!!

 

[Guépard]

Thank for this first replies.

I look for solid bullet for elephant hunting only !!

For buffalo, I use Barnes or Swift A Frame.

I have good accuracy with this bullets but not with solid !!??

I don't look to have same target with solid bullets and soft nose bullets.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Do you shoot factory loads or do you handload?

 

[Guépard]

Factory loads only.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Factory loads only.

That makes for more of a challenge to have both soft sand solids in the magazine and expecting a close point of impact between the two.

 

[Guépard]

That isn't that I look for.

My question is just if solid is good accuracy because with my first attempts and different brands of solid I find the regularity of impacts very imperfect

With the same barrel and various brands of soft nose, the regularity is good.

 

[Red Leg]

Red Leg,

Then i suppose i am old school...damn There is also a reason why we shoot with solids!!

and I am old enough to be "old school"! But I am still trainable.

Just saying, if I get into an extended running gun battle with a buff, I would rather have a magazine of TSX's than a soft and three or four solids.

 

[Royal27]

That isn't that I look for.

My question is just if solid is good accuracy because with my first attempts and different brands of solid I find the regularity of impacts very imperfect

With the same barrel and various brands of soft nose, the regularity is good.

When I went through this exercise I found that solids grouped quite well in the rifle when compared to the softs. The absolute "best" was the TSX, but. Barnes banded solids were a close second. The only "bad" load in my rifle was Hornady DGX.

Now the banded solid does impact just shy of two inches lower than the TSX from my rifle, even though they swear the same POA. Would a buffalo know the difference though? Nope...

 

[Guépard]

Thank you Royal27, it's this type of informations, results and experiences I look for

 

[Grumulkin]

I've used both solids and softs in a 375 H&H Magnum, a 378 Weatherby Magnum and a 458 Lott. In all, with handloads, point of impact was about the same with all and groups with solids were smaller than groups with softs.

There are two reasons to use solids. One would be when great penetration is needed on a large challenging animal. The other is when shooting a small animal which you don't wish to damage too much. I used solids to take a black backed jackel and an African wild cat. It kill both easily and the damage to the hides minimal.

 

[Royal27]

Thank you Royal27, it's this type of informations, results and experiences I look for

Gladly!

Just remember that results will vary from rifle to rifle!

 

[Guépard]

Yes, it's sure.
Do you think is possible a rifle is OK with soft point and bad with solid ?

 

[Royal27]

Yes, it's sure.
Do you think is possible a rifle is OK with soft point and bad with solid ?

Anything is possible, but I'd bet it is not likely. It also depends on wht tou mean by "bad." If that means softs shoot a one inch group and solids shoot 2.5 inch I'd argue that "bad" is "good enough." Think of the range you will likely be using the solids at, relatively close, right? So pinpoint accuracy becomes less important IMHO.

 

[Guépard]

it's better : 3 solids and 3 soft points

 

[Royal27]

That's a really dead <insert name of any animal here>!!

 

[Guépard]

Thank you.
I'm reassured !!
50 meters is sufficient for dangerous games.

 

[Royal27]

And even doubling that to 100m then you're what, under two inches difference at POI? That's still really dead.... Most of us, myself included, think the bullet has to go through the same hole every single time in order to work, but that simply isn't the case.

 

[enysse]

That is good accuracy!