Speer 235 grain bullet and the .375 H&H.....

[Mr. 16 gauge]

Has anyone here used the Speer 235 grain sp bullet in their .375 H&H for smaller game? I bought some to try....have 5-6 different powders to work with and hopefully I will find an accurate load. Just wondering what velocities these perform best at......looking for something to use for whitetails/feral hogs; just trying to increase the versatility of my Winchester M70. My attempts at finding a suitable cast bullet load (for the same purpose) has been a bust so far.
Thanks......................

 

[tarbe]

I have taken deer and pigs with this bullet over 66gr of IMR 4895 for 2,500fps.

Very effective with minimal mess and always a pass-through.



Tim

 

[matt85]

the 235gr speer would probably be a little too fragile for the 375 H&H. i would strongly recommend trying the 235gr Barnes TSX.

I use the 300gr Barnes TSX at 2700fps in my 416 RM and have killed plenty of critters ranging from wildebeest to warthog.

-matt

 

[Velo Dog]

I have shot one almost completely lengthwise through a mature bull caribou.
It was after a broadside shot, impacting just behind the shoulder that exited, same spot on opposite side.

The bull turned and began walking away so I made a Texas heart shot (exhaust pipe to brisket).
He dropped to the shot and that mushroomed bullet did not exit but almost made it.
Caribou are not as large as they look, only about the size of a very large mule deer buck or a typical mature red hartebeest bull.

Handload was with IMR 4350 and I think going 2700 FPS (30+ years ago in my foggy memory).
Matt is right in that they are soft for some animals but, deer and caribou are soft as well.
So, for open country hunting, I like Speer 235 grainers for same.
For nostalgia sake, this bullet is very close to the original “plains game loading” originating with the .375 H&H when it was young.

 

[Ridgewalker]

I spoke to a Speer customer service gentleman and he says the 235 Hot Core has been used “quite successfully on plains game”. I have yet to kill anything with my loads, but they shoot pretty well using Hodgdon CFE 223 and Trail Boss. These are about as cheap of a practice load as I can come up with. If one shoots close to my 235 TSX, I may be taking it on my next Africa trip for lesser game, ie honey badger, genet, porcupine, serval. I hope to test it on coyotes this winter. Oh, the TSX will be for lion if all works out.

 

[enysse]

My two cents, it would be fine for plains game as long as you avoided the quartering to shot in the shoulder. A shot going broadside or quartering away will be fine with the Speer bullets.

 

[tarbe]

the 235gr speer would probably be a little too fragile for the 375 H&H. i would strongly recommend trying the 235gr Barnes TSX.

I use the 300gr Barnes TSX at 2700fps in my 416 RM and have killed plenty of critters ranging from wildebeest to warthog.

-matt

Gents

Unless I misread, the Mr 16 Gauge said "whitetail and feral pigs".

I have killed both, with both the 235 Speer and the 235 TSX in the .375.

I prefer the Speer as it opens and transfers energy reliably on these animals at the velocity/energy levels appropriate for the game.

If I was hunting 200kg and up critters, I would opt for the Barnes...but we usually eat whitetails and pigs and hitting them at 2,700+ fps with a 235gr 375 is waay overkill and messy.

 

[tarbe]

Mr 16 Gauge - target a 2,200 to 2,400fps impact velocity with the 235 Speer and you will be happy!

 

[matt85]

Mr 16 Gauge - target a 2,200 to 2,400fps impact velocity with the 235 Speer and you will be happy!

i admit i wasnt thinking about trying to make a light load. i had "full power" in mind which would put a 235gr bullet at 2800+.

a Barnes 235gr TSX at 2800+ fps would be suitable for both dangerous and non-dangerous game. you wouldnt need to use different loads for different animals.

-matt

 

[Milehighshooter]

I have a bunch of these bullets and I haven't shot my 375 yet. This thread reminded me I need to work in the gun. Do believe some rounds will be loaded tomorrow. Just gotta choose a powder

 

[Velo Dog]

One of the many reasons a .375 H&H is such a wise choice in hunting cartridges is that, it not only always was effective on large game, with 300 grainers (today 350 and a bit heavier bullets are now available) but, with 235 grain semi-spitzers like Speer and Woodleigh, it will shoot pretty much as flat as a .30-06 with 150 grain spitzer.
This makes it quite suitable for long shots at mountain goats, springbokke and other grassland / open country species.

 

[larry4831]

One of the many reasons a .375 H&H is such a wise choice in hunting cartridges is that, it not only always was effective on large game, with 300 grainers (today 350 and a bit heavier bullets are now available) but, with 235 grain semi-spitzers like Speer and Woodleigh, it will shoot pretty much as flat as a .30-06 with 150 grain spitzer.
This makes it quite suitable for long shots at mountain goats, springbokke and other grassland / open country species.

Nothing like the old 375 H&H

 

[IvW]

I spoke to a Speer customer service gentleman and he says the 235 Hot Core has been used “quite successfully on plains game”. I have yet to kill anything with my loads, but they shoot pretty well using Hodgdon CFE 223 and Trail Boss. These are about as cheap of a practice load as I can come up with. If one shoots close to my 235 TSX, I may be taking it on my next Africa trip for lesser game, ie honey badger, genet, porcupine, serval. I hope to test it on coyotes this winter. Oh, the TSX will be for lion if all works out.

You may rather want to look at using a solid for the lesser game mentioned if you plan on having them mounted, especially the Genet's and the Serval.

For Lion a 300gr readily expanding bullet may be a better choice.

For the animals you mention I would go with the 350gr Norma PH ammo loaded with woodleighs. Both will shoot to the same point of impact. The soft will be devastating on the Lion and be guaranteed to expand and penetrate very well.

The round nose solids @ 2300 fps will cause minimal damage to the capes of the small cats.

Solids in 375 H&H caliber have been used for many years with great success on all manner of small game.

 

[Milehighshooter]

Got to the range with my 375 and the 235 Speer. Took a lot of ladder load, but I hit sub 1" groups outside-to-outside with 64.5 gr of Varget. Its not the fastest load in the world, but I'm not going to argue with .6" corrected groups for a hunt coming up in 5 weeks!

 

[Dunk550]

Hey fellas, little late to the game on this post, sorry. I have a load worked up with the speer 235 going at around 2,900 fps. I was intending this for whitetail and plains game. Is there a disadvantage to having a higher velocity? When we were working up the load our only thought was getting as much as we could out of it. Was this a mistake? What would be the effect of downloading this round to about 2,500 fps or less?

 

[CTDolan]

I'd definitely take it down to 2,500 fps if you're chasing whitetail deer. For plains game, unless the range is extreme or the game on the larger end of the spectrum, I'd run around the same velocity with the Speer.

 

[Bushpig4Ever]

All my kudu bulls plus some bushbuck and bushpig were shot with 235 Speer in .375. No problems whatsoever.

 

[Dr Ray]

Got to the range with my 375 and the 235 Speer. Took a lot of ladder load, but I hit sub 1" groups outside-to-outside with 64.5 gr of Varget. Its not the fastest load in the world, but I'm not going to argue with .6" corrected groups for a hunt coming up in 5 weeks!

That’s fantastic! Congratulations.

 

[IvW]

I'd definitely take it down to 2,500 fps if you're chasing whitetail deer. For plains game, unless the range is extreme or the game on the larger end of the spectrum, I'd run around the same velocity with the Speer.

Shooting a 235 gr Speer bullet with very thin jacket instead of a standard 300 gr bullet at the same velocity makes no sense to me....

Buy a 30-06....

 

[CTDolan]

Shooting a 235 gr Speer bullet with very thin jacket instead of a standard 300 gr bullet at the same velocity makes no sense to me....

Buy a 30-06....

Obviously, we're talking proper 30-06 territory but if you already have a 375 H&H, and want to carry it afield, I don't see an issue.