My 375 H&H journey..success

[NVScouter]

Last year I started to get serious about a go to cast rifle. Started with the 30-06 and came up short of what I deemed an Anything in Wyoming rifle. I ended up going to 375 H&H after tons of research. Honestly 80% of what I created/modified came from folks here, so for that thank you all. Even the naysayers since it helped me get off one path and to this one.

My rifle is a CZ 550 Safari with a Leupold VXIII 2.5-10. Nothing fancy with Win760 powder and Remmington cases.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/NVScouter/26200f0d-b634-4d88-a65d-6b2912369630.jpg (http://s44.photobucket.com/user/NVScouter/media/26200f0d-b634-4d88-a65d-6b2912369630.jpg.html)

[NVScouter]

I gave Tom at Accurate molds my boolit design and he cut me a near perfect mold. I did have to open the pour hole and lap the gas check area for better check fit. Some of that probably was my alloy and casting style/skill not mold make differences. The mold is designed with Clip on WW in mind for hunting only. The 38-315E was the end result. Please note this was designed specificly for the 375H&H case, and my rifle's chamber. Seated to just touch my lands and then backed off a tiny bit the gascheck is even with the case neck base. I only backed off the lands due to pulling out a boolit while unloading after a hunt.

I also highly recomend E-mailing Tom your rifle specs to verify your design will work. Tom kept me from making a huge mistake with my initial bore riding specs!

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/NVScouter/320g.jpg (http://s44.photobucket.com/user/NVScouter/media/320g.jpg.html)
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/NVScouter/38-315E-D.png (http://s44.photobucket.com/user/NVScouter/media/38-315E-D.png.html)

I'm launching this boolit at 2120fps while keeping sub MOA to 200y and MOA to 400y. Another scope with target turrets would keep this sub MOA to 500+ yards easily.

[NVScouter]

I'be been hauling this around for Elk but besides my opening day shooter error havent had a chance to shoot anything with it until last night.

A land owner wanted me to take some whitetails off his land and after my Dad took his last week I decided it was 375 H&H time. The whitetails here are very small with the largest bucks standing around 3-6" shorter at the shoulder than mule deer..very easy to mis range. But I lined this one up at 225y, knowing my boolit drop was only around -3" at 200 (150y zero) I held 4" over and put one through the left shoulder. The entrance wound is in the picture if you look closely you can see a tuft of fur marking it..no blood.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/NVScouter/5D9FDCB3-0E11-4CC9-BF1C-2C0632AF3297.jpg (http://s44.photobucket.com/user/NVScouter/media/5D9FDCB3-0E11-4CC9-BF1C-2C0632AF3297.jpg.html)

Not even a step just crumpled on the spot. It was canted away from me so entered left shoulder, took out both lungs, heart and exited through the neck in front of the right shoulder. Only minor expansion and less meat damage then the last three I've shot with my .308Win and 165g Interlocks. The boolit metplat may look small but its bigger than most due to the .379 diameter. Putting the smackdown was an understatement and with more meat to push through I feel the SD and metplat will be the ultimate cast killer. Harden the alloy and I'd bet anything could be taken with it. Thats to be determined with more testing, as this is just the beginning.

[NVScouter]

I had to hurry home as the temperature was dropping fast. I skinned it fast and went inside when the temperature gauge hit 5F. So the pitures are in my mud room so please bear with me.

Entrance:
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/NVScouter/8A305607-3BF7-438E-B113-F8AB19714D6A.jpg (http://s44.photobucket.com/user/NVScouter/media/8A305607-3BF7-438E-B113-F8AB19714D6A.jpg.html)
Entrance with front leg removed:
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/NVScouter/EC2CC575-267C-4505-AB9D-DC8D3CC2F945.jpg (http://s44.photobucket.com/user/NVScouter/media/EC2CC575-267C-4505-AB9D-DC8D3CC2F945.jpg.html)
Exit wound:
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/NVScouter/76EC747A-9663-4D4A-BA7D-B0AD229CE934.jpg (http://s44.photobucket.com/user/NVScouter/media/76EC747A-9663-4D4A-BA7D-B0AD229CE934.jpg.html)

[NVScouter]

Some bloodshot meat but after soaking and cleaning it better around half of that came out. It was so cold the wound area started congealing fast creating big blood blobs that looked more like blootshot meat but came right off. Now I just need a part 2 with a downed elk!

I sliced a part of the backstrap thin and sauted in garlic red wine and sundried tomoatoes while butchering.....what a night!

Thanks for waiting while I got this together. Here are the rest of this years hunting pics:
Antelope #1, Wife's deer:
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/NVScouter/7A7EAD2A-8D37-4175-91F2-F1EA00C922FC.jpg (http://s44.photobucket.com/user/NVScouter/media/7A7EAD2A-8D37-4175-91F2-F1EA00C922FC.jpg.html)
Antelope #2 with my 3.5 year old
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/NVScouter/D735B76F-881C-440B-BA4A-383AE5409B66.jpg (http://s44.photobucket.com/user/NVScouter/media/D735B76F-881C-440B-BA4A-383AE5409B66.jpg.html)
Mule Deer #2 and 3
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/NVScouter/38F25694-159E-4642-9159-8E20C44FFA34.jpg (http://s44.photobucket.com/user/NVScouter/media/38F25694-159E-4642-9159-8E20C44FFA34.jpg.html)

[Nrut]

Looks like you have a great shooting rifle and load there NVScouter..
I am impressed with the accuracy that you are getting at two and four hundred yards to say the least..
What lube are you using in that cold weather?
Thanks

[dk17hmr]

Very nice. I have often thought about a 375 H&H as an all around hunting rifle.

Wish I could get a couple doe tags down here, they are everywhere.

[runfiverun]

doe tags would be nice.
I went over to the inlaw's tonight and they barely lifted their heads from eating to look at the Tahoe as we got out.

anyway that doesn't look like too bad of meat damage, considering the weight of the boolit and the weight of the deer.
I'd give an elk a go with the combination you have now without too many worrys.

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

ridge!

[NVScouter]

Dk17hmr if you get here before dec31 there are tags left whitetail only and I can take you

[NVScouter]

The lube is my own recipe, I started a crockpot with a basic recipe years ago. I was never happy with it so added as needed. Too flakey add LLA, too soft add carnuba, too hard add beeswax, etc. I honestly think it's the best but I doubt I could recreate it...good thing I have around 40#

[NVScouter]

Hornady manuals list 61.5g Win760 at 2100fps to 77.9g getting over 2500fps. I started low and stopped on my second try.

CCI mag primers

[Hamish]

This thread is absolutely what Cast Boolits is all about. Wonderful job NV!

[Char-Gar]

The 375 H&H is very cast bullet friendly and lethal on game. I have toyed with the idea of building a 375 Whelen for cast bullet hunting for some time now.

[btroj]

I have a 265 gr bullet mould from Tom for mine. It shoots great. The 375 is an awesome 200 yard cast bullet deer gun.

I need to work more with medium burn powders and find a good load in the 2200 fps range.

[missionary5155]

Greetings and Congradulations !
That is a good writeup ! Good Photos and plenty to eat. Fine looking son you have there also !
Couple months ago JES had a caliber .375 Whelen for sale and I snagged it. Your rightup on your .375 H&H gives me good ideas about what to look forward to. Thanks a bunch !
Mike in Peru

[357maximum]

Cool job, nice writeup/pics...gongrats and enjoy them there steaks.

[NVScouter]

On this journey as I said began with a 30-06 trying to get 2200fps out of a 220g cast and fairly soft hunting alloys and still hold true to 400y. That is documented in a couple threads, and for me was a failure. If I had compromised my alloys or accepted 1900fps and 250y I could have called it a sucess. But that wasnt the point!

I seriously thought about the 375 whelen, talking with JES and Bullshop to name a few. If this 375H&H hadnt been staring at me for a few months in a local shop I would have gone that route. In fact I may still go that route later as the boolit and fps are what matters on game. I see no reason I couldnt get 2100fps from a 30-06 case with a 270g cast and have a pleasurable shooting rifle. The 375H&H shoots great at 2120fps and maybe this summer I may try and get to 2500fps, lots of wiggle room if I can keep accuracy.

Btroj at 225 yards this soft 320g didnt even slow down going diagonal through this whitetail. Sited in at 150y I'm around 1.5+ at 100 even at 150, -2.8" at 200, -16.5" at 300, -28" at 400. 28" drop isnt that bad/ 2/3 deer high hold, if you practice to it and don't misrange your target. While thats about all I want to shoot it at without getting too fancy with laser range finders and target turrets. This combo would give 100% penitration through any deer no swet. Where its at for bigger critters I can only therorize currently since I didnt get a shot at an Elk yesterday. But I have until Jan14 to fill that tag.

With the shorer/fatter 260-280g boolits I wouldnt expect these balistics as thats the reason I designed this boolit to begin with. BC and SD was my goal, I'm just glad it didnt mush a ton of meat!

[Larry Gibson]

NVscouter

Excellent work!

I've also had excellent results with My M70 three six bits with Lyman's 375449 over 46 gr 4895 with a Dacron filler. That pushes them out at 2200 fps with excellent accuracy and terminal effectiveness.

Well done.

Larry Gibson

[NVScouter]

Did it again. Shot this elk at 290y broke both shoulders compete pass through.

It's only about 450lbs but it was -10 and they snuck up behind me. I turned around and had 3 coming at me over the ridge. I slowly turned around and promptly sat on a cactus. You always forget about those things when there is 10" of snow covering them!

Hiked out about 4 miles and was able to get my truck about 1.5 miles from the kill. Thank goodness for the new Jet Sled. Cut and quartered and packed out in one trip! Boy am I tired.

[NVScouter]

Did it again. Shot this elk at 290y broke both shoulders compete pass through.

It's only about 450lbs but it was -10 and they snuck up behind me. I turned around and had 3 coming at me over the ridge. I slowly turned around and promptly sat on a cactus. You always forget about those things when there is 10" of snow covering them!

Hiked out about 4 miles and was able to get my truck about 1.5 miles frontage kill. Thank good ess for the new Jet asked. Cut and quartered and packed out in one trip! Boy am I tired.

[NVScouter]

Did it again. Shot this elk at 290y broke both shoulders compete pass through.

It's only about 450lbs but it was -10 and they snuck up behind me. I turned around and had 3 coming at me over the ridge. I slowly turned around and promptly sat on a cactus. You always forget about those things when there is 10" of snow covering them!

Hiked out about 4 miles and was able to get my truck about 1.5 miles from the kill. Thank goodness for the new Jet Sled. Cut and quartered and packed out in one trip! Boy am I tired.

[tygar]

Did it again. Shot this elk at 290y broke both shoulders compete pass through.

It's only about 450lbs but it was -10 and they snuck up behind me. I turned around and had 3 coming at me over the ridge. I slowly turned around and promptly sat on a cactus. You always forget about those things when there is 10" of snow covering them!

Hiked out about 4 miles and was able to get my truck about 1.5 miles frontage kill. Thank good ess for the new Jet asked. Cut and quartered and packed out in one trip! Boy am I tired.

Cool, congrats but I don't see the pic. of your elk. Where is it.
Tom

[NVScouter]

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/NVScouter/324B0BB7-B6A4-467A-BD35-20951D32F454.jpg (http://s44.photobucket.com/user/NVScouter/media/324B0BB7-B6A4-467A-BD35-20951D32F454.jpg.html)

It's sitting kinda cattywhampas in a snow drift I thought the pic was better than that. Also when I got back I found this about 75 feet from the truck:

[tygar]

It's sitting kinda cattywhampas in a snow drift I thought the pic was better than that. Also when I got ack I found this about 75 feet from the truck:[/QUOTE]

Got it. Man I would like some elk meat. Havn't shot one in years (many). Elk & antelope & caribou are my favorite meat.

I have a CZ in 458 Lott. It shoots good. Nice tweener gun. Tween my 458WM & 450 Watts.

My son from AK is down here for a conference so he & my other boy are going to hunt deer on my property for a couple days. They both are going to try CBs. Obviously not my 375 since we havn't got the bullet thing worked out but got 30-30, 06 & 450 that are minute of deer so they can pick one.

Dam sure wish it was elk they were hunting. I'd even brave the cold for that. lol

[Ramjet-SS]

Awesome love everything 375 and lead.

[taco650]

What did you find 75 feet from the truck?

[NVScouter]

What did you find 75 feet from the truck?
Sorry had to reboot my router it was dropping stuff:

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/NVScouter/A698555D-9FF5-462E-B542-07EA4D283B79.jpg (http://s44.photobucket.com/user/NVScouter/media/A698555D-9FF5-462E-B542-07EA4D283B79.jpg.html)

My prints going in with a fresh elk track on top!

So rough count is 260lbs of meat.

[dk17hmr]

Very nice...your not making it easy for me to not to go looking for a 375 to add to my safe.

[white eagle]

well done on the boolit and hunting

[btroj]

375 is a great cast boolit hunting round.

[w5pv]

Good pics and a lot to say for the .375 with cast boolits.

[groovy mike]

Thanks for the tale. 375 H&H is my go to rifle/cartridge. Nice to know that cast is an option.

[NVScouter]

Very nice...your not making it easy for me to not to go looking for a 375 to add to my safe.

Is that a good thing or bad thing?

O wait another rifle is never a bad thing! I'm thinking of sending my Interarms Mark X to JES again for a 35 or 375 Whelen. Lighten the load over the CZ 550 Safari, hiking that in the snow kinda beat my butt.

That heavy rifle sure makes heavy loads pleasant to shoot though, about like a heavy 308.

[Rick R]

Congrats on the successes! Took a buck with my .375 H&H Whitworth this year using a J word bullet. Promptly ordered a mold, checks and sizing die and plan on trying again next year with some proper boolits. :)

[Changeling]

Last year I started to get serious about a go to cast rifle. Started with the 30-06 and came up short of what I deemed an Anything in Wyoming rifle. I ended up going to 375 H&H after tons of research. Honestly 80% of what I created/modified came from folks here, so for that thank you all. Even the naysayers since it helped me get of one path and to this one.

My rifle is a CZ 550 Safari with a Leupold VXIII 2.5-10. Nothing fancy with Win760 powder and Remmington cases.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/NVScouter/26200f0d-b634-4d88-a65d-6b2912369630.jpg (http://s44.photobucket.com/user/NVScouter/media/26200f0d-b634-4d88-a65d-6b2912369630.jpg.html)

The 375 is one if not the finest all around calibers in the world! It is enough to take any animal on this or any other planet regardless of "regulations" with the right bullet/boolet!!
Most are extremely accurate and contrary to popular thought about ferious recoil, Bull ****! It's more of a medium hard shove than an out and out "Kick". You want KICK, try a 460 Weatherby!! You will learn immediately what I am talking about!

NVScouter that is a nice looking rifle, What's the barrel length?

As a side note, that is the second deer I have seen with an extremely short neck. Wonder if some are mutating for some reason?Please don't take that as a negative, just an observation.

[NVScouter]

I've had a few rifles that kicked a lot harder than this CZ 550 Safariin 375 H&H!

Steel butt plate handi 20" 45-70 450g @1900fps
Tika T3 Ultralight in 7mmWSM
Ruger M77 ultralight 30WSM
Winchester M70 458WIN

Considering I'm only about 350fps behind factory jacketed rounds this rifle is down right pleasant to shoot. I believe the barrel is 24" I cropped that photo so its off a bit.

The white tails here are tiny thats for sure. The biggest 8 point I've seen this year might top 140lbs on the hoof. Most does are closer to 65-75lbs. The five does I've butchered this year have given 31-42lbs of meat cut/wrap. I've seen some mid west whitetails rival mule deer...not here though.

[dk17hmr]

Dk17hmr if you get here before dec31 there are tags left whitetail only and I can take you

How did I miss this post lol. I just put my second elk in the freezer for the year or I would have been up there. Maybe next year. This is the second time I have read this thread and I think a 375 of some sort is going to be in my safe by next season....but which one Winchester, JDJ, Whelen, Taylor, H&H, Weatherby.........all of them I think.

I had a 375 Winchester contender barrel at one time and wish I would have kept it but someone else wanted it more.

[NVScouter]

Open invite! I run out of freezer space before vacation days I save for hunting season.


How did I miss this post lol. I just put my second elk in the freezer for the year or I would have been up there. Maybe next year. This is the second time I have read this thread and I think a 375 of some sort is going to be in my safe by next season....but which one Winchester, JDJ, Whelen, Taylor, H&H, Weatherby.........all of them I think.

I had a 375 Winchester contender barrel at one time and wish I would have kept it but someone else wanted it more.

[35 shooter]

Congratulations on a good season. Looks like you certainly piled the meat up and gave that rifle a workout....35shooter

[Changeling]

How did I miss this post lol. I just put my second elk in the freezer for the year or I would have been up there. Maybe next year. This is the second time I have read this thread and I think a 375 of some sort is going to be in my safe by next season....but which one Winchester, JDJ, Whelen, Taylor, H&H, Weatherby.........all of them I think.

I had a 375 Winchester contender barrel at one time and wish I would have kept it but someone else wanted it more.

I could tell you, but that might hamper my looking, LOL! Why in the Hell I ever sold my Winchester, It was a flat out stupid move!!

[pls1911]

Hmmm... I've never had suckling elk, but I'll bet it's great.
Tesing aside, it's still more meat than a central Texas hill country deer!!!!...
Honestly, I would like a report on it. I can't eat horns....

A friend of mine had a Ruger #1 in .375 H&H and it was an excellent cast bullet shooter.
The entire community benefits from thoughtful dilligence and write ups like yours.
Thank You.

[NVScouter]

That elk is fantastic! I've had steaks loin and cutlets so far. Best meat on the planet.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I gave Tom at Accurate molds my boolit design and he cut me a near perfect mold. I did have to open the pour hole and lap the gas check area for better check fit. Some of that probably was my alloy and casting style/skill not mold make differences. The mold is designed with Clip on WW in mind for hunting only. The 38-315E was the end result. Please note this was designed specificly for the 375H&H case, and my rifle's chamber. Seated to just touch my lands and then backed off a tiny bit the gascheck is even with the case neck base. I only backed off the lands due to pulling out a boolit while unloading after a hunt.

I also highly recomend E-mailing Tom your rifle specs to verify your design will work. Tom kept me from making a huge mistake with my initial bore riding specs!

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/NVScouter/320g.jpg (http://s44.photobucket.com/user/NVScouter/media/320g.jpg.html)
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/NVScouter/38-315E-D.png (http://s44.photobucket.com/user/NVScouter/media/38-315E-D.png.html)

I'm launching this boolit at 2120fps while keeping sub MOA to 200y and MOA to 400y. Another scope with target turrets would keep this sub MOA to 500+ yards easily.
this looks like an excellent design.

[NVScouter]

this looks like an excellent design.

Thank you its been fanstaic in my 375 H&H and a 375WIN and another 38-55 too.

Really kills deer and elk dead! I lost my father right after hunting season started so my tags I did fill were mostly jacketed so I didnt get to shoot more elk with this. Next year I guess I kind of wanted to soften the alloy a bit and get to 2400fps. Tom knows his stuff on molds for sure.

I need to sit a .311 RNFP on top of this and take a pic for nose comparison since this one looks small...its not.

[smoked turkey]

I have also enjoyed this thread and getting to be there with you as you related your past hunting season. I could almost hear the snow crunch under your boots and feel the -10 degrees that morning as you took on those elk! Good write up and thanks for rekindling the 375 H&H fire. I have one and have used it to kill whitetail here in Missouri and also took it to the plains of South Africa. I am well aware of how versitle the caliber is. I just needed reminding. Good write up and thanks for sharing. Now if I could only really "taste" those elk steaks......:smile: