"Whitetail" load for .375 Ruger

.300 Win Mag, with a 200 LRX is what I'd usually use. Want to try the VRG-3 in the .300 as well.
I wish they didn't discontinue the MRX. They were phenomenal but they did up the weights and BC on the lrx. It likely had something to do with California laws.
 
Long live Art Alphin! The a square variant predates the Roy weatherby.
Marketing is all people remember. Like all the dang "Nosler" cartridges. They took the .404 Jeff case, picked a length between the WSM and RUM, and act like they invented a better wheel. It drives me absolutely crazy. Same thing Roy did basically. Stick a belt on an existing cartridge and claim its a revolutionary new design because the shoulder is "double radius".

Mark my words, before long there will be a .37 Nosler, and everyone will flock to it because marketing will say its better than the .375 Ruger.
 
110 yards center group is 4 rounds of 285gr cast bullets with a cup point. Larger group to the right is the same bullet in sold form, needs some work.
20210411_162623.jpg
 
Now that I've got my Buffalo load perfected, I'm going to try some reduced loads.

The Sierra app says 77.1gr of RL22 gives 2470 fps with a 300gr Gameking. So, my test loads are using Reloader 25.
75gr with a 300gr GK
75gr with a 300gr TSX
77.7gr with a 270 Interlock

My "guess" is the 300 Gamekings will be around 2200-2250 and the TSX makes more pressure, so probably 2300-2350. The 270 I expect to be in the 2450-2500 range.

Reloader 25 is bulky enough to be able to reduce them safely. I don't think you could go over pressure with it, if you just dipped the powder with the case. I think I might be able to get down to 72-73 grains without hang fires. I want to get down to 1800 fps or so with the 300 GK. No expansion needed with a 3/8" hole in the heart.

Anyone else ever try reduced loads?

Gonna be a gud day 'Tater

View attachment 392872
The Lyman reloading manual has cast bullet loads that will work very well. I used Lyman data for a 38-55 in my 375 H&H. Load was something like a 260ish grain lead gas check bullet over H4198. Muzzle velocity in my CZ 550 was around 1900 fps. Took my first whitetail with that load. Took off the top of the heart. DRT. No lost meat. No evidence of expansion. None needed.
 
The Lyman reloading manual has cast bullet loads that will work very well. I used Lyman data for a 38-55 in my 375 H&H. Load was something like a 260ish grain lead gas check bullet over H4198. Muzzle velocity in my CZ 550 was around 1900 fps. Took my first whitetail with that load. Took off the top of the heart. DRT. No lost meat. No evidence of expansion. None needed.
That is the beauty of the 3/8 bores. It's hilarious how people think a .375 will ruin the meat.
 
The whitetail load for my .375 Ruger is my standard .375 Ruger load... a 270 grain bullet at 2,700 or a 300 grain bullet at 2,500. The thing is... re-sighting my rifle for a special "whitetail" load is more a waste of expensive .375 bullets that just shooting the deer with a full house load for a gun that is already sighted in. If you only have one gun and it is a .375... and want to shoot deer, bear, dinosaurs, squirrels... doesn't matter. Shoot them all with the full house load and don't worry about it. You won't kill them too dead and the .375, even a full tilt is easier on meat than my old .300 win mag was.

The other issue you are going to run into is that running rifle powders at those lower pressures may result in incomplete burns and inaccuracy. RL17 is my go to and it only takes 75 grains to push a 300 grain bullet out my guide gun at right around 2,500 fps. You are looking at burning that much powder (albeit RL25), to get less speed... doesn't make sense to me but... If you want to experiment (That's half the fun of reloading ) that's totally up to you. If you want reduced loads though... the real fun ones for deer are a 285 grain GC-LFN cast bullet over a case 80% filled with trailboss. It will remind you of a large .22 and kick about like a 6.5x55. It will still pass through a deer almost lengthwise though at 975 fps. It wouldn't be a 300 yard load, but neither will the loads you listed out above.

For what it is worth, I would steer clear of Barnes bullets for reduced loads. Even the TTSX requires about 1900-2000 fps to even begin opening properly. The TSX is higher still. That would limit your range to say... 80-100 yards... maybe... After that the likelihood that they will expand is close to nil.
 
I shot a small whitetail buck last season with my .375 and a 300 gr. Hornady RN at about 2350-2400 FPS. Powder charge was a "book" starting load of IMR4064. Shot almost to the same point of aim as my full power loads, just a touch lower. Expanded nicely, without damaging a lot of meat. I din't find recoil objectionable at all.
whitetial375.jpg
 
The whitetail load for my .375 Ruger is my standard .375 Ruger load... a 270 grain bullet at 2,700 or a 300 grain bullet at 2,500. The thing is... re-sighting my rifle for a special "whitetail" load is more a waste of expensive .375 bullets that just shooting the deer with a full house load for a gun that is already sighted in. If you only have one gun and it is a .375... and want to shoot deer, bear, dinosaurs, squirrels... doesn't matter. Shoot them all with the full house load and don't worry about it. You won't kill them too dead and the .375, even a full tilt is easier on meat than my old .300 win mag was.

The other issue you are going to run into is that running rifle powders at those lower pressures may result in incomplete burns and inaccuracy. RL17 is my go to and it only takes 75 grains to push a 300 grain bullet out my guide gun at right around 2,500 fps. You are looking at burning that much powder (albeit RL25), to get less speed... doesn't make sense to me but... If you want to experiment (That's half the fun of reloading ) that's totally up to you. If you want reduced loads though... the real fun ones for deer are a 285 grain GC-LFN cast bullet over a case 80% filled with trailboss. It will remind you of a large .22 and kick about like a 6.5x55. It will still pass through a deer almost lengthwise though at 975 fps. It wouldn't be a 300 yard load, but neither will the loads you listed out above.

For what it is worth, I would steer clear of Barnes bullets for reduced loads. Even the TTSX requires about 1900-2000 fps to even begin opening properly. The TSX is higher still. That would limit your range to say... 80-100 yards... maybe... After that the likelihood that they will expand is close to nil.
My Buffalo load is 77.1gr of RL17 with a 300gr VRG-3 @ 2595. 79gr gave 2665. I went to 2700, but I don't share that one.
 
I don't load for the 375 Ruger but I have loaded for the H&H for several years. For general light use I find the cast RCBS 250 gr gas check bullet to work very well. I've used SR4759 but by the time it gets low I hope to have a Trailboss load developed. If not, I'll try something such as Rl 7.
 
I don't load for the 375 Ruger but I have loaded for the H&H for several years. For general light use I find the cast RCBS 250 gr gas check bullet to work very well. I've used SR4759 but by the time it gets low I hope to have a Trailboss load developed. If not, I'll try something such as Rl 7.
Kind of late, but don’t rule out IMR3031, IMR4895, or IMR4064.
 
When I had my .375 I used the Speer 235 grain bullet with 3031 for deer. Worked great, but don't shoot a bobcat with it if you plan to get it mounted.
 
I also used the Sierra 200 grain bullet meant for the .375 Win. and 5744. I shot 2 does at once with that combo. Not on purpose though. Oh and both those loads shot to the rifle's at 50 yards. The shot on the 2 does at once was with the sights at close 80 yards.
 
Personally I'd recommend the cast bullet route. I've used cast bullets in a varied assortment of rifles for deer hunting and have always had venison in the freezer. Sized correctly, you'd bee surprised how fast you can push them with no leading. Added bonus, as lead has a lower coefficient of friction than copper/gilded metal, you triple barrel life.
 
True all that. I hunt with cast myself just never had any for the .375.
 
You can load H4895 to 60% of the max load for reduced loads.

That's not true for a 500 Jeffery. Ask me how I know that (I had two hangfires using 91g of H4895, my full power load is 103g). Hangfires are dangerous as hell I would use Accurate 5744 if you want to shoot reduced loads. It's made for that. Also I hunt elk with my 500 Jeffery. I used the same load I would use for buffalo (should i ever be fortunate enough to hunt them), a 570g TSX at 2300 fps. They don't get up!
 

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