Bullet for deer with 375 H&H - UPDATE WITH PICS PAGE 4

If you can shoot a .375 as well as a .30-06, and you're in grizzly country, more power to you, I say.

As for which bullet for deer, I agree with all the people here who are saying 'whatever the gun shoots well' - at .375H&H velocities, anything will kill the deer dead without destroying much meat.

I replaced my .375 with a .416 Ruger, and some days I wonder why I bothered...
 
A buddy was getting 2900 fps with IMR 4895 and 235gr Speers along with 1/2 MOA groups out of a Rem 700....Stevie Wonder could follow the bloodtrail on Wt's......Harold
 
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antiqueguy said:
dont even need that cal for griz

idk about you guys but i carry for what im hunting not what i mite stumble across. deer and black bear cossbow,.303,7.62x54r,7.62x39,12ga with slugs or buckshot id chose one of these depending on what mood im in or where im hunting. moose 9.3x57 or .577-450 (only .45 cal i have but it will pack a punch out to 100 yards),any of the cals id use on deer/black bear again depending on what mood im in
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No you don't need it for grizzly, but it sure makes one feel a lot better in grizzly country while packing your moose out of 1/2 mile of 8 ft high willows.
Guess there aren't too many grizzlies in Ont. I'm going to stick my neck out here and take a wild ass guess that you have never interacted with grizzlies in the wild.
The fact the 375 does less damage to meat than most other "deer cartridges" has been stated already many times here by those who have actually used them, no need to reiterate.
 
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270gr Sierra Gamekings are great bullets too. I saw a 270 (Remington factory ammo) come apart on a coyote so the "cheap is adequate" rule does have exceptions.
 
While I don't have a H&H, I have seen 6 or so Whitetails shot with 300 grain NP. Forget about "eating up to the bullethole". Especially on anything other than a clean lung shot. The ones I have seen had a huge amount of wasted meat, full of bone fragments etc. In two cases, on quartering away shots, the offside shoulder was gone.

Still, it is a fabulous cartridge. My pal has no qualms about taking long shots at deer with his. Plus, tracking is pretty easy!

Moosey
 
The only use I've seen for 375 H&H up here was for narwhal and belugas ... interesting choice for a wee deer!

Otokiak
Rankin Inlet, NU
CANADA
 
I use 225 gr Hornady Spire Points with a mild load of RL15 that pushes them the same 2700 fps as the 270 gr TSX's I load for everything else. Practically same point of impact, and the trajectory is the same as the full power load.
 
Anything will work fine. I like the 300 grainers for everything. You sure don't need to spend the extra $ on premium bullets for deer. Most .375 bullets will hardly open at all on a deer unless you hit a big bone. The winchester Super-X 300 gr is fairly good if you're not reloading.
 
Based on all the bad press the Hornady DGX bullets are getting for coming unglued in the big, tough critters they were allegedly designed for, I'd say a 300 grain DGX in the .375 H&H would be just about right for deer. Thanks, Hornady! :bangHead:
 
antiqueguy said:
why use such a big cal on deer mite as well use a 12 pdr

i thought about buying a .375 H&H.....................................for going to africa

cast bullets is where id go with this cal for deer a soft nose cast or a soft cast paper patch
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It's a common assumption that "african" cartridges will vaporize a deer. Their bullets are designed to work against more resistance than a deer, so they actually glide through with less expansion, and in actuality 30 caliber magnums ruin a deer more. A 375 is commonly used on little antelope by elephant hunters. A fellow coworker goes to Africa every other year and I've picked his brain over lots of things about big bores. I've seen deer and bear done with a 300 win, and now I have 458 for these reasons. Handloads from a Trapdoor load to full balls. Just slow down any 375 bullet you have and it won't be much different than a 375 Win, and nobody would complain about that cartridge on a deer.
 
Crazytrout said:
For those that hunt deer with their 375 H&H ot similar, what type of bullet are you using?
What type of bullet would you stay away from?

CT
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2nd question: any type of premium bullet designed for large game that might not expend properly, or at all on deer size game.

1st question: just an ordinary lead core/metal jacket bullet. If the potential for long shots exists I would suggest a 250-270 gr. bullet, that will flatten out trajectories. The 270 gr. in a .375 shoots as flat as a 180/30-06. I would suggest Hornady/Sierra/Woodleigh
 
Well guys I took a black bear this weekend with one of the 260 gr accubonds shot it through the neck and it was game over I never found the bullet but I'm happy with its perfomance:) Next up moose ;)
 
I'd just use whatever you regularly use...260/300gr Partition, 270gr Interlok, 285gr Grand Slam.....

They will all work fine.
 
If I had a 375 H&H that I wanted to/had to use for deer, I think I'd try something like
Sierra's 200 gr. flat points loaded down with SR4759 to about 2200 fps.
More than enough for short range white tails in the bush.
235gr. soft points at something around 2400/2500 fps might be a little better in the open.
 
I am with Boomer and Headcase. Using Ken Water's "Pet Loads", 76 gr 760 and 300 Gr Partition gives me a 3 shot dime size group at 100M. I have shot deer, black bear, blue wilderbeast (Gnu) and this year a waterbuck. The bullet expands as it meets resistance. I have had NO meat damage on any animal shot. One black bear turned as I shot and blew out the collar bone. That one was the worst damage. The energy vaporises heart lung shots on deer. This year's waterbuck was shot in very windy condutions and anunstable set of sticks. It completly destroyed the liver. The animal still managed to do about 50 feet and lie down. We waited 15 minutes. As we walked up, it got up and very slowly walked. The second shot severed the neck bone. Here is the 50 yard neck shot on bone. it was recovered under the skin on the other side:

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Just to follow-up, had the below buck jump out early in a drive. Took the advice of some of the members and sighted in with 270 grain Federal Blue Box. Nothing fancy needed.

One double lung shot at approx. 80 yards and the deer was down.

Very impressed with one hole in, one hole out. Could follow the bullet travel through the deer easily, even through the lungs.

For those that ignorantly think the .375 is too much for deer, we had a great deal more meat damage from deer harvested with .308's this year.

Thanks again for your comments

CT



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