CZ 550 .375 H&H sighting in

[duckey]

After buying this gun new in 2008 I have been doing a bit of shooting with it as it hasn't left the safe to much. I mounted a recycled Bushnell Sportview 1.5 X 4.5 on it using Warne Quick Detach rings. The scope came off a TC .50 muzzleloader I have that I decided I wanted to shoot with iron sights. After sighting in last Saturday I shot it again and brought it in a bit more. Distance was 100 yards, bench rested. I have been shooting my hand loads....New Hornady Brass, Federal #215 Primers, 73.5 RL-15, Speer Hot core Semi Spitzer 235 GN Soft Point. This last time out I reloaded 1X fired PMC brass with the above load to see how PMC brass held up (brass looked better than the Hornady i.e. little to no expansion just above the belt, I plan on getting a Wilson collet die to better size those BM's. After Shot #1 I adjusted 4 clicks down, Shot#2 then another 4 clicks down which brought me to shot #3 and then 6 clicks left. Shot #4 and #7 was high right which I pulled, this was also after I cleaned the barrel after shot #3. Shot #5 was right on the money for me and the rest I was happy with so I let the scope be. The chicken wire that the target was attached to was moving a bit as it was windy and rainy out due to a storm moving through. I am very happy with this gun so far, and all the reviews I have read attest to the quality CZ put into making the gun. Recoil is pretty much a good shove on the shoulder and the recoil pad takes the pain away allowing one to shoot this over and over again.

[btroj]

You own a fine cast bullet shooting rifle. Mine does well with an Accurate 38-265D and 2400.

[groovy mike]

nice - that ought to be a relatively fast and flat shooting load for 375 H&H. I only use 66.5 grains of R-15 and find that works fine for me.

[duckey]

Thanks, I am very happy with it. I plan on casting for it in the near future. I have been looking for different load data, I would like a lighter load. What grain bullets are you shooting with the 66.5 grains of RL-15? Are these cast or jacketed?

[groovy mike]

I've used 66.5 grains of R15 with jacketed bullets from 235 - 300 grains. Every one of them shoots very well. It defies logic. The only one of those loads that I chronographed was 270 grains, it was 2400 fps.

My cast lead load for 375 H&H is 255 grain plain base bullet over 15 grains of red dot powder and a compressed cotton ball as a wad between powder and boolit. That load chronographs right at 1450 fps.

[duckey]

Interesting. Alliant claims 2900 ish fps with 78 grains of RL-15. I don't have a chrono so not sure what any of my loads are doing other than written data. I'll try the 66.5 GN with my 235 gn bullets and see what that does. Thanks for the info. Do you use any buffer on top of the powder with the 66.5 GN load? I was pondering cream of wheat on top but this is new to me, heard it being done before but I just need to read up on it.

[groovy mike]

No buffer needed with the R15 load for jacketed bullets, there is very little empty space in the cartridge (if any). I have loaded them hotter but didn't care for the recoil and these still have plenty of speed. I have never hunted with the 235 grain projectiles but they will be going faster and flatter than 300 grains. 66.5 g of R15 behind 300 grain Hornady round nose bullets have worked fine for me for white tail and mule deer. Here is last fall's buck taken at about 125 yards. I was aiming steeply downhill and hit a little high and forward. The bullet had full penetration through the shoulders.

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I do use a wad in my cast bullet load with 15 grains of Red dot. I compress a cotton ball on top of the powder to hold the powder against the primer then seat the bullet over it.

[duckey]

Did that deer go down right away? I have seen some kill shots on YouTube on small plains game and they go down hard and quick which I'd expect. Will have to play around with some loads, nice shot on the deer!

[groovy mike]

At the bullet impact that whitetail buck hit the ground with his shoulder, scrambled upright and ran out of sight. He was in trees so it only took about 10 yards to get out of sight. Since I did not see him go down, I made myself wait 5 minutes by the clock then it took me 20 minutes to carefully stalk the 100+ yards until I saw where he lay. It looked like he ran to the first cover, turned around to watch his back trail and laid down dead. He was nose toward me with his legs under him. He was about 30 yards from where the bullet hit him. He did not have a big rack, but he was a heavy bodied deer for my area.

Any white tail doe or small buck I have ever shot with that load fall over dead - they do not take a step.

A few larger bodied bucks like the one above and this Washington state mule deer (same rifle, same load) have gone 20-40 yards. I don't think any deer I have ever shot with the 375 has gone more than 40 yards.

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[duckey]

Good to know, is that a Remington?

[rmcc]

I have a Rem 700 I picked up in a trade, it has become one of my favorite rifles! I used the Speer bullet in 235 and the Barnes HP 235. Ended up using IMR4320. I have not shot cast with it yet, have a 255 gr mold for my 38/55. Was glad to hear about the Red Dot load.