Old Winchester Silvertip Ammo - 300gr .375 H&H

[Professor Mawla]

In 1974 , Winchester altered the jacket material of their infamous .375 calibre 300 grain Silvertip soft nosed bullet from a mixture of copper , nickel and zinc to aluminum . While this reduced the manufacture costs for Winchester , it also turned a once perfectly reliable soft nosed bullet into one which was now completely unsuited for the hunting of dangerous game .

This is why @Major Khan Sir reports such excellent performance with the Winchester Silvertip bullet on Royal Bengal tigers and cheetahs in the 1960s , but I find them to be completely unsuited for use on anything which can hunt you back .

 

[krish]

When I bought my .375H&H the guy I bought it from gave me a box of ammo. I was a box of Winchester .300 Grain Silvertip Ammo from like the 60s or 70s I would guess.

Now, as I understand it, in it's day the "Silvertips" were considered "Premium" ammo vs. the standard Pointed Soft Point but the question I have is this: How did the old Silvertips perform?

I don't know how fast or slow they expand or what type of game animal they might be good for? I know I won't be risking my life on 40-50 year old shells with Cape Buff or Brown Bear but what about Moose or Elk or Eland?

I am trying to figure out where these old shells might be used other than target practice.

I also have some Winchester .270 grain Pointed Soft Points from like the 80s or even newer which I think would open up fairly quickly and probably be a good Lepord or Lion load???

I know that when I take my .375 on a Cape Buff hunt I will be pushing Trophy Bonded Bear Claws backed up by solids and when I hunt Brown Bear it will probably be Nosler Partitions but I would like to find a way to use these old bullets without risking my life so I am wondering if somebody out here has some experience with the old Winchester Silvertip ammo and what degree of expansion/toughness to expect from them.

Thanks for your thoughts.

They are collectors item. If the box and ammo are in good shape it is worth keeping it as a collector item.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

When I bought my .375H&H the guy I bought it from gave me a box of ammo. I was a box of Winchester .300 Grain Silvertip Ammo from like the 60s or 70s I would guess.

Now, as I understand it, in it's day the "Silvertips" were considered "Premium" ammo vs. the standard Pointed Soft Point but the question I have is this: How did the old Silvertips perform?

I don't know how fast or slow they expand or what type of game animal they might be good for? I know I won't be risking my life on 40-50 year old shells with Cape Buff or Brown Bear but what about Moose or Elk or Eland?

I am trying to figure out where these old shells might be used other than target practice.

I also have some Winchester .270 grain Pointed Soft Points from like the 80s or even newer which I think would open up fairly quickly and probably be a good Lepord or Lion load???

I know that when I take my .375 on a Cape Buff hunt I will be pushing Trophy Bonded Bear Claws backed up by solids and when I hunt Brown Bear it will probably be Nosler Partitions but I would like to find a way to use these old bullets without risking my life so I am wondering if somebody out here has some experience with the old Winchester Silvertip ammo and what degree of expansion/toughness to expect from them.

Thanks for your thoughts.

@TERMINATOR
If you are worried about the silver tips you could always pull them and reload the cases.
Then gift the silvertips to @Hunter Habib as he loves themand has regretted the demise of such a fine projectile.
My only experience with the silver tips is in an ald 30-30 and they were stellar performing.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I am not a big fan of this bullet. I used them on Australian buffalo years ago, and they were a bit soft. Ok on careful shots behind the shoulder. I shot one bull under the chin while he looked at me. the bullet making a perfectly centered hole in the wind pipe. It did not break his neck, and precipitated the only Aussie buff charge I saw during the 3 years I lived there. While they may not be as dangerous as cape buff, it would have been difficult to convince me during the moments following that shot. They are a fine bullet for elk. Get something tougher for larger beasts. But if they have been stored correctly, I think they will shoot just fine.........m2cents...........FWB

@flatwaterbill
I didn't realise you lived in Australia for a while mate. Were did you live.
Bob

 

[CoElkHunter]

I recently had some .300 H&H made by Rem that was bad. Poor storage can lead to problems. The primers fired but the powder was all caked up in the case and clumpy and ignition was hit or miss. Some of the cases had verdigris on them and one was actually corroded thru the case. It pays to closely inspect old ammo but if its clean and been kept dry it should OK to shoot. There is much surplus ammo out there stored in steel "spam" cans that is pretty much sure fire and some has been sitting around for 30-40 years.

"verdigris"?

 

[jlb1036]

Excellent expanding bullets I would recommend not using them on cape buffalo, but I will definitely use some other thin skin animals like lion, leopard and eland or moose brown bear

 

[jlb1036]

For buffalo I recommend using Woodleigh bullets or swift A frame