250gr GMX in 375 Ruger

[vancouverbc]

Thinking about trying the 250gr GMX in 375 Ruger for bear, elk, moose. Any experience with this bullet? I wont shoot a lot of ammo through this rifle so rather not reload or I'd just go 270 TSX and be done with it. May end up doing that yet....

The GMX ammo is off the shelf and easy to find. MV of 2900 fps and shots under 200yds likely. I dont think they will expand as well as Barnes but hopefully sufficient with that velocity

 

[sgt.rock]

I wouldn't hesitate to use them in mine. I am currently using up a supply of 250gr Barnes TTSX bullets. Once they are gone, I am gonna load up the GMX's that I have sitting on the shelf. It takes me a while to shoot off 140 rounds of 375 Ruger. I shouldn't load up that many at a time, but I hate starting over each time. I am just going to drive the GMX bullets as fast as I can, to be sure to see them open up. They don't need to open up 2.5x to be effective in a .375 caliber.

 

[vancouverbc]

I wouldn't hesitate to use them in mine. I am currently using up a supply of 250gr Barnes TTSX bullets. Once they are gone, I am gonna load up the GMX's that I have sitting on the shelf. It takes me a while to shoot off 140 rounds of 375 Ruger. I shouldn't load up that many at a time, but I hate starting over each time. I am just going to drive the GMX bullets as fast as I can, to be sure to see them open up. They don't need to open up 2.5x to be effective in a .375 caliber.

Shopped around today and ended up ordering dies and brass for a good price. The same dealer didnt have Barnes 270's in stock so went with 250TTSX to try out. What are you using for powder? I have IMR4350 and Varget kicking around.

 

[Kevan]

Shopped around today and ended up ordering dies and brass for a good price. The same dealer didnt have Barnes 270's in stock so went with 250TTSX to try out. What are you using for powder? I have IMR4350 and Varget kicking around.

For that general bullet weight say from 250 gr. to 270 gr. in three different bullet brands and in the 375 Ruger as well as the H&H my best loads used RL15 and H4350..

 

[Gatehouse]

Never used them but I'm sure they will work fine.

 

[suits me]

I was less than impressed by them on a black bear. Bought two boxes of a frames to try this fall.

 

[bcsteve]

Never tried hem on games but they were splendid in my test. I was going to try them this year but I have some 250 gr TTSX left and the GMX are so freakin expensive!!

 

[Gatehouse]

I was less than impressed by them on a black bear. Bought two boxes of a frames to try this fall.

Lets hear about it!

I'll never use them as I have plenty of 250 TTSX's but alwasy fun to discuss bullet performance!

 

[witts]

I used them in 375 H&H on bear this spring. Worked great for me. The exit was not very large but he only went about 25 yds.
Maybe it was the H&H part that worked great

 

[suits me]

Lets hear about it!

I'll never use them as I have plenty of 250 TTSX's but alwasy fun to discuss bullet performance!

I started a lengthy thread on this earlier this summer.

 

[vancouverbc]

Never tried hem on games but they were splendid in my test. I was going to try them this year but I have some 250 gr TTSX left and the GMX are so freakin expensive!!

Nice, thanks for posting this. Those bullets must have been moving (or hitting a lot of phone books or water jugs). The pictures I've seen of game recovered GMX's were not nearly that impressive!

 

[medvedqc]

Nice, thanks for posting this. Those bullets must have been moving (or hitting a lot of phone books or water jugs). The pictures I've seen of game recovered GMX's were not nearly that impressive!

there is some kind of bullets that prefer phone book and not that much water jugs ....

 

[Red_Mist]

Not sure what they are like in a 250g 375 but I've been nothing but impressed from 165g 30.06 sprg. I do recall seeing the price of the 250g bullets to be pretty high though. Cheaper for me to run the 270 tsx which I'm doing out of my 375. And next I'm thinking of trying the 350g woodleigh.

 

[Boomer]

Nice, thanks for posting this. Those bullets must have been moving (or hitting a lot of phone books or water jugs). The pictures I've seen of game recovered GMX's were not nearly that impressive!

Therein lies the problem with bullet testing on inanimate targets. Its difficult to duplicate the density of a game animal, and its unusual to see a bullet test that includes low, medium and high density target mediums. I've come up with a much simpler formula which seems to answer most questions concerning bullet performance and bullet recommendations for a particular game animal. Ask Dogleg or Douglas.

 

[J.G.]

I used the factory Hornady 250 GMX on my spring bear. It was a straight through shot with no bullet recovered. The bear went 50' and piled up.

 

[elker]

I used the factory Hornady 250 GMX on my spring bear. It was a straight through shot with no bullet recovered. The bear went 50' and piled up.

50 feet is pretty far.
I have not found that mono bullets are more effective than bonded bullets in killing. The only advantage is its lead free. Having said that, I am going to try naturalis 220 grains in 9.3 next year.

 

[medvedqc]

Elker,

let us know how those bullets work and load.

 

[elker]

Elker,

let us know how those bullets work and load.

They will be tested on a bear the next spring though. I am using matrix 270 grains for this coming season.

 

[Weatherby2]

I'll be doing some load development with the 250 gr GMX outta my 375 ruger in the next day or two i'd like to use them on my moose hunt as for trying to launch them out at max velocity may not be the answer as i find that most of the hornady bullets i've loaded prefer the lighter charge behind it when it comes to grouping but then again thats just me.

 

[c-fbmi]

I have used 270 gn TSXs for the past 10+ years in my 375 H&H and have taken dozens of animals with it. I find it gives a good combination of penetration and velocity for 300 + mtrs and have never had to track a single animal shot with this combo. Every single animal has succumbed almost instantly with the exception of a giraffe, which lasted about a minute, maybe two and took a second shot. They are incredibly tough animals. I have taken everything from impala and puku up to hippo, croc and giraffe with this rifle and load and have recovered many bullets. Their final form has varied from perfection with all 4 petals folded back and intact to no petals remaining and just a cylindrical piece of copper looking like a miniature 45 gal drum. I have several of the latter but to be fair all encountered exceptionally hard and large bones like the spine of a lion and bongo.
For my 375 Wby I have had Marshal @ Matrix make me some 285 gn spritzer RBTs to try out, but have not tried them on game yet, and also some 325s for my 378 Wby which I again have not tried out yet. My son has had great success with 260 ABs in his 375 Ruger and found it to shoot flatter than a 30-06 165 gn and arrive with great authority and virtually instant kills. He has made a couple 400+ mtr shots with his on a kudu and some other critter in RSA and impressed the hell out of his PH.
The reality is that virtually any appropriate bullet in the various 375s (exclude the 375 Win) will very effectively handle all NA game with great aplomb, almost irrespective of animal presentation or orientation to the shot. It is truly an outstanding do most everything caliber with any appropriate bullet, even the 235 gn Speer HC bullet does an amazing job at H&H or Ruger velocities.
Just a bit of trivia for ya, Kynoch, when they originally worked up loads for the 375 H&H for Holland and Holland were tasked with making the 235 gn @ 2900 fps, the 270 gn @ 2700 fps and the 300 gn @ 2500 fps all shoot to the same point of impact at 100 mtrs. Which they did and can still be done with this cartridge today with a little load work, and one can add a fair bit of velocity to each weight with the newer powders.