Lighter bullets in .375...?

[DOC-404]

Hey Guys,
Has anyone used 235gr bullets on plains game and if so,with what success..?

 

[enysse]

The last time I was in Africa, a guy was using that combination for his trip in the Limpopo and he shot everything dead with one shot. From kudu to bushbuck....and absolutely loved the combination.

 

[DOC-404]

Hey there enysse, any idea what make he was using..?

 

[enysse]

He was using 225 grain Hornady SP-RP, so I was wrong, but it worked great for him.

 

[Gatorhunter1313]

I love shooting light bullets from my 375. They are so accurate out so much further. It’s an awesome deer bullet

 

[Newboomer]

Barnes 235gr TSX in 375HH is just perfect for any pg. I load mine with 63gr of 4064. Dead where they stand with one shot, springbok to sable out to 300 yards. I use Barnes 350gr TSX for dg.

 

[Ridgewalker]

Interesting old thread.
I had a croc hunt as my number 1 game. So I took the most accurate load I had which was a 250 Barnes TTSX. It took the croc, sable, eland, black wildebeest, warthog and caracal. It is my favorite light bullet.
I have used the 235 Barnes TSX as well. It was suggested I use it on my lion, lioness hunt. I did, but I wasn't happy with the performance. Since I had to shoot through brush, I would have prefered a long 300 grain soft bullet.
The 235 was good on gemsbok, blue wildebeest, blesbuck, impala, and springbuck. But the 250 TTSX or a 300 grain would have worked just as well if not better IMO.
Next trip I will either use Swift A-frames or Federal TBBC which I found a good deal on Federal ammo with the TBBC. I’m still waiting to see how they all shoot in my Blaser.

 

[Philip Glass]

I was shooting Barnes 270gr on my last safari. It was very effective and I doubt I’ll go lighter. Anyone notice a significant difference in recoil with the really light bullets like 225gr compared to 300gr?

 

[Ridgewalker]

Philip Glass, I can tell a significant difference in the 235 vs 300 grain loads. Especially a cheap practice load where I use a 235 Speer. This is my play load just to get range/trigger time.
The fast (3,000+ fps) Barnes 235 still has noticably less recoil. But my 300 grain loads are fairly hot as well. Some nearly 150-200 fps faster than Federal’s factory loads according to my chronograph.

Still waiting to test out of my Blaser.

 

[PARA45]

Philip Glass, I can tell a significant difference in the 235 vs 300 grain loads. Especially a cheap practice load where I use a 235 Speer. This is my play load just to get range/trigger time.
The fast (3,000+ fps) Barnes 235 still has noticably less recoil. But my 300 grain loads are fairly hot as well. Some nearly 150-200 fps faster than Federal’s factory loads according to my chronograph.

Still waiting to test out of my Blaser.

Very nice, and I like the idea of shooting light bullets. What powder are you using with those light bullets, and do you know the velocity?

 

[Ridgewalker]

Very nice, and I like the idea of shooting light bullets. What powder are you using with those light bullets, and do you know the velocity?

I got the load off the Speer website. I use the CFE223 loading.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Recently, I have been shooting some 250 gr Hornady GMX bullets in my 375 Ruger. Recoil is about the same as my 300 gr Swift A-Frame loads. I hope to get to the range in the next day or two, now that the snow has melted in Louisiana, and chrony the 250 gr bullets. I upgraded the Leupold scope on this rifle to a Leica and I'm thinking about using the 375 instead of the 338 WM for my BC moose this fall.

 

[Firebird]

I’ve been using the 235 gr woodleigh ppsn in my .375 wby and great accuracy. I had best performance with Norma 202 powders-they were tough to find in the US. I landed most of it at sportsman’s warehouse or midwayusa, BUT that was last year. . . I liked Norma 204 with the 300 gr A Frame-I have not hunted with either combo yet. I did secure some 235 ttsx but load data is hard to find so I haven’t started working with them yet. Maybe stop in at Barnes since I live about ten minutes away. . .

 

[Ridgewalker]

Para45, Oops! I guess you were talking about the 235 Barnes and not my practice 235 Speer load. The Barnes load is from their website using 235 bullet and R-15. Extremely accurate in my MRC.

FYI, Speer told me their 235 worked fine on PG. But I prefer the 250 TTSX. Just in case a nice eland shows up and I want another one.

 

[PARA45]

It's all good @Ridgewalker, I was actually referring to the Speer 235.

I want to take my 375 H&H to Africa next year, and I think the 235s will serve me well for what I'm going after (Eland being the biggest). I may also look for some 250 TTSX too. Thanks for the info.

 

[MBaugh]

I use and love the performance of the Barnes 235 TSX in my 375's for plains game and have used them on 3 safaris taking everything from impala, bushbuck to eland. Black Wildebeest was shot at 300 yards. Bullet shown was recovered from off side front shoulder on my eland taken at 200 yards.

 

[IvW]

Philip Glass, I can tell a significant difference in the 235 vs 300 grain loads. Especially a cheap practice load where I use a 235 Speer. This is my play load just to get range/trigger time.
The fast (3,000+ fps) Barnes 235 still has noticably less recoil. But my 300 grain loads are fairly hot as well. Some nearly 150-200 fps faster than Federal’s factory loads according to my chronograph.

Still waiting to test out of my Blaser.

How much flatter does the 235 gr shoot vs a 300 gr with the same zero distance at 300 yards?

 

[Ridgewalker]

How much flatter does the 235 gr shoot vs a 300 gr with the same zero distance at 300 yards?

According to my program the 300 reaches 7.6” high and the 235 reaches 4.3” high.
With human field hold error, both would fail to cleanly take a klipspinger at mid range. JMO

 

[IvW]

Cool thx

 

[SRvet]

I have run the numbers through Applied Ballistics that has generated the following drop charts based on the bullet hitting 1.5 inches high at 100m as I do with most of my rifles. The first chart is the 235g TSX @ 2950fps, the second the 250g TTSX @ 2850fps and the third the 300g TSX @ 2550fps.
To me the 250g TTSX looks good with less drop and more velocity and energy at 300m