375 H&H Loads…

A couple of folks wrote to me asking about the loads I used for the recent blog about the Model 375 H&H Model 700.  Say what you will, but most folks are fascinated by these big bore rifles (including me), and I figure if a couple of guys took the time to write, there are probably a bunch more out there with the same question.

When I shot the 375 H&H Model 700 last weekend, I wanted to work up some loads for it but I ran out of time. I grabbed what I had in the ammo locker, but I couldn’t find a record of having developed specific loads for this rifle earlier. Maybe I did and the loads were ones I had tested already (you’ll see from the dates on the load labels that I preppred this ammo a few years ago), or maybe I loaded them and just never got around to trying them.  In any event, these were the loads that went to the range with me last weekend.

I did all my shooting off the bench at 50 yards, and here are the results…

I used a 6:00 hold on all the targets.   All of the loads were accurate.  The recoil on the Trail Boss loads was light, about like shooting a .223.  The full power loads (the ones with 66.0 grains of IMR 4320 propellant) was accurate, but recoil was significant.  It’s probably okay as a hunting load (no one notices recoil when hunting), but shooting off the bench with this load didn’t quite move the needle into the fun range.  The 33.0 grains of SR4759 was potent, but recoil was manageable, and it was very accurate.  It’s the one I’m going to use.

These .375 H&H rifles are normally big ticket items, but Weatherby recently introduced their synthetic-stocked Vanguards (with iron sights) in a .375 H&H chambering.  You can pick these up for around $600, and that’s a phenomenal deal.

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