Hornady CX

[Betterinthebush]

After a couple months of trying to find a monolithic (Barnes), 250gr., factory loaded, projectile in .375 H&H for giraffe/zebra for bait in Zim and for work on Barbary Sheep in SA, these are the closest I can find. I haven’t shot them yet in the rifle I’m taking, it dialed in right now for Barnes 300gr. I’m wanting the 250’s because I may have to reach out farther than I’ve had to before in the mountains of SA for sheep and Hartman’s and don’t want to have to sight back in there after Zim.

Does anyone have experience with these Hornady factory loads? Performance? Consistency and accuracy?

Thanks all.

 

[Spartan5]

I have not shot them in that particular caliber, but have had good consistent performance out of the factory loaded ones in a couple of other calibers.

 

[Landlock91]

Giraffe are tough. Really tough. The 250gr CX at .375 H&H velocities (around 2,650-2,700 fps) will work if you put it in the right place.

 

[Andrew62]

I saw a YouTube video where a lady shot a cape buffalo on the point of the shoulder, they were able to find the buffalo and kill it 5 days later, they discovered the 250 grain CX pretty much blew up on impact. I personally would just use that ammo for plains game. If I can find that video I will post a link to it.

 

[Betterinthebush]

I saw a YouTube video where a lady shot a cape buffalo on the point of the shoulder, they were able to find the buffalo and kill it 5 days later, they discovered the 250 grain CX pretty much blew up on impact. I personally would just use that ammo for plains game. If I can find that video I will post a link to it.

Do please! I have no intention on using it on buff. I’m using my .416 Rigby w/Barnes 400gr. TSX for that work.

 

[Captain Jack]

I haven’t tried the factory stuff, but burned up a considerable amount of powder chasing an accurate load with the 250 CX in my .375 H&H. They wouldn’t group better than 1.5” no matter what I tried, so I quit and used factory Nosler 260 gr Accubonds on my PG safari. Great success with those, and flat shooting as well.

The shape of those CXs is to blame, IMO. Weird ogive leads to huge throat jump.

Or maybe I’m just a ding dong! Certainly possible too.

 

[Betterinthebush]

Yea, I’m dubious for whatever reason. I won’t get to the range to test until Saturday. Thanks for the feedback. I just dunked a box of the Accu-bonds in my midway cart.

 

[KCSafari]

I’ve used them on everything up to buffalo. They performed great. I reloaded my own loads for the reason to reach out farther but never needed. Hit every animal hard and bullet performed great from looking at the internals when skinning the animals.

 

[Captain Jack]

CXs do perform great on game. The bushbuck in my photo, along with most of my dad's PG animals including kudu, zebra, and black wildebeest, were taken with the 160 CX from a 7 PRC. If they shoot in your rifle, they will flatten what you hit with them. It's worth noting that we never recovered one - even his quartering-to shot on a big zebra exited the far side.

My PH loved my .375 with the 260 ABs. The only animal I had to shoot twice was a big warthog on which I had to make a snap shot at around 15 yards and hit a little far back. He went down, but not hard, so he got another.

I've not had good luck with the factory loaded CX in 7 PRC; these were my handloads. My 6 Creed shoots the Hornady factory 90s to around 1", which is fine for my purposes. Toss-up so far. Let us know how your 375 likes them!

 

[dchum]

The projectile itself preforms good on game - just like you would expect. Good classic mono mushroom. I think you would enjoy its killing ability,

I just have never found them to shoot well. Only used them in the “outfitter” line up.
243, 308, 30-06. All were not acceptable accuracy to me.

Interesting others have seen the same, even in reloading. But if your rifle shoot them well enough for Safari then you are set.

Keep us posted. Shoot a nice 5 shot group.

 

[Nosler guy]

Like a couple of the other guys - have never used the factory loaded stuff, but played around with the CX handloading. Smaller calibres than you are talking about.

Only used 160 gr 7mm bullets for hunting so far - .280 Rem. This fall - shot one elk and a big bodied Northern Whitetail - both shots were frontal quartering, less than a desirable presentation (that's a long story for another time) Both animals ended up very dead - terrific bullet performance from what we saw. Did recover the bullet from the Elk - inside the skin on rear quarter. If I can find the pic, I'll attach it.

Like someone mentioned - struggled a bit to find real good accuracy with 150's and 160's in that rifle, but they were on par/ no worse than other bullets we've tried in that gun. It's a Ruger Hawkeye, just doesn't seem to be a shooter.

I've loaded rounds for a couple other 7mm rifles and a couple of .30 calibre rifles (all 5 of those rifles are very accurate), so very keen to see the results, but haven't shot any of the test loads yet. This spring and summer's project

Might not be much help to answering your dilemma, but nevertheless another opinion on that bullet

 

[Betterinthebush]

Like a couple of the other guys - have never used the factory loaded stuff, but played around with the CX handloading. Smaller calibres than you are talking about.

Only used 160 gr 7mm bullets for hunting so far - .280 Rem. This fall - shot one elk and a big bodied Northern Whitetail - both shots were frontal quartering, less than a desirable presentation (that's a long story for another time) Both animals ended up very dead - terrific bullet performance from what we saw. Did recover the bullet from the Elk - inside the skin on rear quarter. If I can find the pic, I'll attach it.

Like someone mentioned - struggled a bit to find real good accuracy with 150's and 160's in that rifle, but they were on par/ no worse than other bullets we've tried in that gun. It's a Ruger Hawkeye, just doesn't seem to be a shooter.

I've loaded rounds for a couple other 7mm rifles and a couple of .30 calibre rifles (all 5 of those rifles are very accurate), so very keen to see the results, but haven't shot any of the test loads yet. This spring and summer's project

Might not be much help to answering your dilemma, but nevertheless another opinion on that bullet

Thanks, man. I was hoping you’d chime in. Great info.

I know I should reload, but I just don’t have the time. Maybe after I retire.

 

[Cooposo]

I hope you don’t mind me copying my observations posted elsewhere, see below. I had great results on two elk with the CX before I moved on from that rifle. N=2, so take it for what it’s worth. In terms of accuracy from CX handloads, I had sub MOA accuracy with a 300 WSM Xbolt and a 30-06 Sako 90. I had right at MOA accuracy with a 270 Model 70. With those three rifles, the Outfitter factory loads shot just about as well as well as my CX handloads. And then there was a 30-06 Weatherby Vanguard- worst groups of my shooting life from Outfitter factory loads. In general, you will know from the range if they work accuracy wise. And I’ve been impressed with terminal performance.

As posted elsewhere:

I've loaded the .308 caliber 180gr CX in my 300 WSM X-Bolt since the release of the CX. …This has shot MOA at a couple different powder charges with the H4350… Bullets I have recovered mushroom as advertised by Hornady. Last fall I shot a cow elk at 190 yards. She stepped forward as I pulled the trigger and my quartering away shot turned into a hip shot. The CX obliterated the hip/pelvis, carried on into the abdomen through to the lungs. She went about 20 yards and was found stone dead. I'm grateful I had that kind of penetration because I messed up…The next year I shot a young spike bull at 215 yards, quartering away. The bullet entered at the right posterior ribs, nearly split the liver in half (see photo- you can also see that it had enough hydrostatic force to burst the liver in places), tore through the lung(s), collapsing them and damaging major vessels, leading to a significant amount of blood in the thoracic cavity. I was able to recover it because it continued on to fracture the off-side humerus and dislocate the off-side shoulder. I found it under the skin perfectly mushroomed (see photo). Impact velocity was around 2600 FPS. The elk crow hopped twice, ran about 15 yards, and crashed onto his side, where he stayed down.

 

[Betterinthebush]

I hope you don’t mind me copying my observations posted elsewhere, see below. I had great results on two elk with the CX before I moved on from that rifle. N=2, so take it for what it’s worth. In terms of accuracy from CX handloads, I had sub MOA accuracy with a 300 WSM Xbolt and a 30-06 Sako 90. I had right at MOA accuracy with a 270 Model 70. With those three rifles, the Outfitter factory loads shot just about as well as well as my CX handloads. And then there was a 30-06 Weatherby Vanguard- worst groups of my shooting life from Outfitter factory loads. In general, you will know from the range if they work accuracy wise. And I’ve been impressed with terminal performance.

As posted elsewhere:

I've loaded the .308 caliber 180gr CX in my 300 WSM X-Bolt since the release of the CX. …This has shot MOA at a couple different powder charges with the H4350… Bullets I have recovered mushroom as advertised by Hornady. Last fall I shot a cow elk at 190 yards. She stepped forward as I pulled the trigger and my quartering away shot turned into a hip shot. The CX obliterated the hip/pelvis, carried on into the abdomen through to the lungs. She went about 20 yards and was found stone dead. I'm grateful I had that kind of penetration because I messed up…The next year I shot a young spike bull at 215 yards, quartering away. The bullet entered at the right posterior ribs, nearly split the liver in half (see photo- you can also see that it had enough hydrostatic force to burst the liver in places), tore through the lung(s), collapsing them and damaging major vessels, leading to a significant amount of blood in the thoracic cavity. I was able to recover it because it continued on to fracture the off-side humerus and dislocate the off-side shoulder. I found it under the skin perfectly mushroomed (see photo). Impact velocity was around 2600 FPS. The elk crow hopped twice, ran about 15 yards, and crashed onto his side, where he stayed down.

Excellent! Thank you. Very damaging projectile. Down right impressive, actually.

 

[Cooposo]

Excellent! Thank you. Very damaging projectile. Down right impressive, actually.

I agree. They did a lot right with it in terms of balancing the up front softness and mushrooming vs penetration.

I shot my deer and elk last fall with a 175 grain Barnes LRX out of a 30-06. Very similar performance to the CX in terms of wounding, but even at the lower impact velocities the LRX lost petals. I’ve always had the CX hold together, including shooting a sand bank at 15 yards with that 300.

And that’s not to take away anything from the LRX. I’m taking it to South Africa this year in my 30-06. I have complete confidence in both. Maybe in terms of violent wounding LRX > CX > TTSX? Maybe? And in terms of toughness CX > TTSX > LRX. But that’s from my limited experience.

I’m about to try the 270 gr LRX in my 375 H&H, but only because I already had powders on hand that were book loads with that bullet. I would have ordered a box of 250 gr CX just as readily if I happened to have powders that were listed with that load. I still will if my 375 doesn’t like the 270 LRX or the 250 A frame

 

[mdwest]

I’ve shot the 190gr 30 cal in my 300 prc extensively…

I’m a Barnes guy to the core, and now shoot the 208gr LRX in my 300 PRC…

That said, there is nothing at all wrong with the CX… they shot and performed exquisitely in my 300…

I wouldn’t hesitate to use a CX in a 375 for a buffalo hunt… and a lighter CX in a 375 I would imagine would perform magically on PG

 

[Aussie_Hunter]

I'm using the 250 grain CX in my 375H&H for shooting pigs at the moment. Averaging 2736fps, very accurate and outstanding penetration. I shot this boar (80-85kgs) just yesterday afternoon and the bullet penetrated almost the full length of the body, in the shoulder on an anlge and then exited on the opposite side near the hip. I plan on doing an eland hunt hopefully next year, this is the rifle and the load I will use on that hunt.

 

[Nosler guy]

That's interesting - let us know how the Eland hunt goes

 

[Betterinthebush]

100 yards.

Shot one surprised me. I didn’t know if my rifle would like these. Made one dope change and shots 2,3 cold barrel shots just to be sure. So, I feel like I got dope and beer for a Barbary Ram now.

Thanks to everyone who responded. You were all a big help.

 

[Miletic]

Cx works great. You are free to try. First check the grain length in the 375 and compare it to the twist barrel