375 rum for long range hunting

[big bore al]

i have a compleat set of rum all but the 7mm 300rum,338rum,338edge and now just got my 375rum barrel the 338rum is built as a repeater with a 28in light target barrel and jp recoil eliminater for hunting all outhers have 32in full bull barrels with the fastest twist avalible to shoot the heavy pills.
i am looking for any info for reloading this beast not about how much beter the outhers would be for long range . for what i have found the 350smk will easily get 2700-2800 fps and that will put about 2000lbs of energy on target at 1000yds that is more than a 308 win will do at 300yds so my thaughts was to build a long range hammer. And yes the 338 edge would probily do all i ever need to do but now i have all 3 guns built the same to compare.

 

[Kennibear]

Big Bore Al

Go to this thread from Jayson/ DoubleZranch:

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f28/375-rum-260-accubond-125238/

Nosler AccuBond 260gr is the leading candidate right now in 3/8" bore. G1 BC is 0.473.

My Savage in 375 Ruger has a Factory Special Order 26" tube and with Hodgdon's max load with WW760 of 79.5gr and a Fed #215 primer the Chronograph says 3022fps Av w/ SD of 9fps. The 375 Rum should go 3100fps+ with this bullet in a 26" tube.

Long Live the 3/8" Bore LR Shooters!!!

 

[Doublezranch]

I wouldn't use the SMK for hunting. I think the expansion isn't the best. For targets they are great. Another option are the cutting edge line of bullets. The 320 grainers have a bc of .8 which is incredible for a 375 cal bullet. My plan is to try the 260 accubond and then the 320 ceb's. Your overall length on the cebs would have to be 3.906. With that being said, a Wyatt's box would be the way to go to make that happen.

 

[chuck plissken]

I'm upset that I haven't seen any feedback on a .375 rum with a 350gr smk... truly bummed

 

[Kennibear]

Chuck Plisskin

Be careful using target specific bullets on big game. Most have jackets that are uniform (and very thin!) nose to tail so they are centrifugally symmetrical and balanced. Most hunting bullets are strongly tapered, thin at the nose and thick at the base. The target types also have a very small hollow point that is as likely to fold in or collapse instead of expand properly. Most bullet makers warn against target bullets being used for big game.
Some target types work well as varmint ammo but only the Berger Hybrids are made for target/big game to my knowledge.

Maybe somebody else has some relevant experience with SMK's used on big game in 375. After all, we are talking about 300grs of lead here. That much lead has to do something when it hits.

 

[338 bruce]

Me and my daughter have killed 3 big game animals with the 350 smk from 375 rum. The first was a spike elk at 800 yards that did very little damage but no bullet recovered. The second was a 6 point mule deer at 550 yards very little damage but no recovered bullet. The third was a 2 point mule deer at 75 yards straight on frontal shot, the bullet hit the deer just above the eye exited the head and reentered at the front shoulder completely gutting the deer and exiting just to the side of the rectum. The only part of the bullet recovered was 3/8" of the hollow point tip that was broken off but otherwise intact (no expansion) next to the exit hole against the hide. These bullets have a very thick jacket designed for the chey-tac rpm speeds and not for expansion.

 

[Kennibear]

338 bruce

Thanks for the post!

Sounds like FMJ performance. Useful on elephants but little else. I find it interesting that the skull of a deer caused the bullet to break in half. How thick can the jacket be? The base of the Nosler AccuBonds are substantially thick. Thicker than the SMK's I suspect.

 

[chuck plissken]

Thanks guys. Looking for honest chrono results with the ,375 RUM 350gr smk. Wondering if its worth stepping up to vs 300gr sml 338 rum/edge/lapua stuff...

I'm gonna guess...with a typical 26" barrel and hand loading for best results that 2700fps would be max fps. I'm also guessing H1000 or RL22 would be best?

 

[big bore al]

i would like to thank everyone for the thaughts and opinnions. I have considered the cutting edge bullets but to costly for me to shoot often also the barns 270,300,350 tsx the 350 is a boat tail and the 270 is tiped so it it the 270ttsx flat base also the nosler have all been considered . Waiting for hornady to make an a max or berger to come out with a 375 . When i built the edge 338 bullets where not what they are today and that was just a few yrs ago the 300 smk and the hornady 285 did'nt even exist and i shot the 250hpbt and acubonds in that and 225 sst . Also my gun is single shot with a 32in full bull barrel and deap throat that i can ream deper for what ever bullet i go with. I have had bad luck with barns bullets not expanding at long range and low vol but shoot good and work as long as inpact vol is arond 1800-2000fps so they are not top pick on outher hand i have good luck with a max bullets at long range and low vol still expanding as low as 1200fps but not so good at high vol to violent but they are all i use in my 300 mag any thing from 400-800yds they work great .

 

[big bore al]

chuck


i would go with somthing like h4831 and imr7828 the 375 is a big bore and 26 in barrel is not that long to burn up some 100 or so gr of h1000 RL22 might be good i like both h1000 and 22 i am using the new power pro 4000 and love it vary clean temp stable and i get the best vol with it so far but 270 speer and some old 300 rond nose is all i have shot out of mine and it has a 32in barrel just so i could use h1000 when i get some and some heavier bullets

 

[Kennibear]

Don't know as Hornady is going to continue production as they have disappeared from the Hornady website but their 300gr SpBT Interlock has a reasonable BC and shoots faster in my 375 Ruger than the 300gr Nolser AB's same powder charge ect..

I've been looking for more as they have not reappeared after the recent drought. Down to about 180 left. Could be driven pretty fast from a long throat 375 RUM.

 

[338 bruce]

In my experience the hornady .375 300 spbt bullet is VERY destructive at impact velocity of 2800 fps.

 

[Kennibear]

338 bruce

I believe you as they were designed for the 375 H&H - Ruger class cartridge. But if we're talking >600yds the velocity will have bled off below 2800fps.

According to Honady's ballistic calculator if you assume a muzzle velocity of 3000fps then at 425yds the velocity drops to 2200fps. @ 900yds the velocity is 1500fps.

Up close they might not do well but up close you could slip something else into the chamber as you're going to have time. But if we are taking LR shots then the parameter is low velocity.

However, your advice is duly noted. Not good up close. Filed and noted!

If I get 2800fps with this bullet from my 375 Ruger I will be doing my happy dance!!!

 

[big bore al]

like the a max in my 300 mag good for long range when vol dropes but not so much up close in the past i have had so called hunting bullets like the barns and acubonds even ballistec tip that are great at 300 yds which is what is consederd ethical hunting by most but when you get out they just make small in and out with no or little exspanshon the 300 grane hornady would be ok but my new hornady manual says they are discontinued. so i will try some diferent bullets into wet news paper untell i find somthing that works good when i hunt out west i cary my long range gun and my 45/70 lever it is good to 200yds all day and i could probily get 300 if needed to