Nostalgia, or what’s really BEST in Rifle Cartridges – P2

P1 ended with ” what’s really BEST in Rifle Cartridges for BEAR”. Then that subject introduced a common theme: “. . . . and that depends on, a) the shooter, and b) the rifle, and c) the conditions.”

We only got as far as: The Shooter that presented 4 types. (Go to P1 for those types)

After a) the shooter/hunter we move on to part b) the rifle – which in large part defines the shooter/hunter. Then c) the conditions. These three together should make the decision of The best Rifle and Cartridge to be used for a particular big game hunt.

When I came nose to nose with “my bear” on the 15th of October, in this year’s fall hunt (2024), I knew he was gonna be big because I’d been hunting him for 2 years without a sighting. Yet he showed all the signs of being the dominant bruin of the area (his M.O. was always the same and all other critters of any kind – small, medium or large – had vacated the area, which was prime terrain for squirrels, coons, rabbits, grouse, deer, moose and other bears. So I knew if I ever saw him, he’d be a monster bear. Like I’ve written in my last few blogs, that meeting took place at 20 yds – and even when he first emerged into the open at 65 yds – was actually more than what I had expected. But his magnificence startled me! At 20 yds with crosshairs on his back, I walked away because he was too beautiful and too big for a solo hunter in that wilderness. BUT! I never felt over-gunned with that .375 H&H in hand.

The best rifle/cartridge is the one you have experience with and confidence in – no questions or doubts about it. Yet for a hunt that’s new and different, where the hunter has little to no experience, he should be open to consider something different than what he’d normally use – for instance, an Alaskan hunt for a giant bull moose or Brown Bear. A mature hunter will do a through research involving those with knowledge and experience of the area and the game to be hunted there.

A friend’s son in N. Alberta.

I’ve gone on record many times in stating that “adequate” or “enough” may be suitable for “normal” conditions but completely fail in some extraordinary situations. Of course, I’m not recommending a rifle that the hunter is afraid of or can’t learn to shoot without intimidation, but one that with practice can be managed without reflection on recoil. And it must fit the shooter. Meaning: it must become an extension of both mind and body with no distractions over its brawn, weight, recoil or fit. There are a lot of shots on game that will defy finess shooting if the game is to be taken at all. The dictum of placing the shot correctly assumes too much in many scenarios. Firstly, it means different things to different hunters. If I may be so bold as to make reference one more time to “My Bear” on Oct 15th.

Any shooting on my part would have been defensive at best. Why? Because at 20 – 25 yds was the only window for a clean shot, but he was still moving in my direction having never broken his stride and I had no more than 2 seconds to make the decision to leave or shoot. No time for finess shooting from offhand standing on wet maple leaves on a downward slope. In such a real-life situation a 300gr from a .375 H&H at 2675 fps gave extra confidence even though I doubted he’d charge when he saw me since he was familiar with my scent as “the grocery man”. It all turned out as I wanted, except I didn’t get a pic with the rifle in my left hand and the camera in a case hanging around my neck. Other details of that are found in previous blogs.

As it turned out, my hunt was solo in a wilderness area for an X-sized black bruin that controlled the area. He didn’t get the size he was, and the confidence he showed, in a couple of years. I’m 99.9% certain that he’d injured or killed inferior bears, ate a few deer and lunched on a couple of moose calves if not momma moose herself! He had a prime, luxurious black coat that ladies would die for, and he was no respecter of persons – including myself! I’d calculated all that and more! He certainly didn’t disappoint in appearance or manner! So I left without a confrontation. Was I afraid? Naw, just wise as I’d asked to see him, not to shoot him!

On one of his “missions” he not only cleaned up everything up on the ridge but attempted to take the empty tote and cover “home” with him! That’s about 40 yds from where it should be up on top of the ridge – where he normally left it. But that was an important clue as to the direction from which he was coming. The tree in the middle is pointing to where he actually emerged when I saw him on Oct 15 of this year. Blue X where he emerged at 65 yds, and Red X is where I had the crosshairs on him at 20 yds.

Perhaps the greatest lesson learned, or confirmed for myself, was that from the time last year (2023) in the spring bear hunt (May -June) I knew I had a dominant bruin hitting my bait when he dismantled the bait-site and left a pile of scat nearby that was 2 and 1/2″ in diameter. That’s a primary way they advertise their presence and position in the region for a warning to other bears in particular, and any game in general, that this is his grub site, and for no others! Then this year (2024) it has been the same deal for both the spring and fall hunts. I’m very privileged to have experienced it, and to have confirmed that my assessment and judgment of that bear was in fact true, and no fantasy.

My choice of rifle for this year’s hunt (May-June and Sept-Oct) proved to be correct as I became familiar with it features and handling.

Last year I chose my single-shot .35 Whelen, and it took me a while to become familiar with it as well. But I was still a bit unsure about the size and disposition of a bear that might show up at the bait. I was hoping for one of about 200 lbs or less. Toward the end of last year’s hunt, I was sure the only bear hitting the bait was indeed a dominant black bear of the region, so I switched to the .375 H&H for the latter part of the hunt – late September to mid-October (2023).

Did I think the .35 Whelen would be less adequate? Well, yeah, maybe. . . . At such close quarters – 45 yds – from stand to bait, I didn’t want a confrontation with a dominant bruin that was used to having moose for lunch! As it turned out this October 15th (2024), the rifle and load I had in hand at 20 yards gave complete confidence – which is very important if having to stop a charge! A 300gr/.375 at 2675 fps is a significant increase of force if needed than a 225gr/.358 at 2840 fps. The awareness of increased force grants greater confidence, that in turn results in increased steadiness in aiming and shooting.

Therefore choose a rifle and cartridge that:

• Is suitable regardless of what the conditions might turn out to be. . . . and:

• Gives you ultimate confidence!

Because this year (2024) I knew the bear was dominant (big and powerful) but didn’t know when or where there might be an encounter I chose the best rifle and load in my arsenal for such a potential scenario. Because the rifle was relatively new to me, I needed to settle on a load that would be sensible under any condition, but also, I needed to get used to working the action (from the left side) and toting it each time I delivered bait to the site.

As previously mentioned, the reason I didn’t take the Ruger No.1H in .458 Win Mag was because I’d sighted it with those Factory Federal 400gr TBBC’s that (I came to believe) would be too tough for a black bear, and pass through without expansion. That would mean poor results with the likelihood of having to do a search for a lost bear at best or a wounded one at worst, which for my situation as alone in a wilderness area was not to be entertained. That awareness was too late in dawning on me, so also too late to start another reloading project for the .458 Win Mag. A 400gr would have been the right choice for the .458 at about 2200 fps, but I don’t have one of that weight with ideal construction for a big bruin of 400 plus pounds – especially for close encounters that might turn nasty!

All that to stress again that the best rifle for any big or dangerous game hunt is the one:

• That gives the greatest confidence.

• That’s appropriate regardless of conditions.

• That fits like an extension of mind and body. The .375 H&H and the bait setup before being dismantled by that awesome black bear!

Till the next . . . . P3 CONDITIONS of the Hunt

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

Too Much Gun?

It’s been an endless tradition for rifle aficionados to debate when “enough is enough”, and to counter point when “too much is too much”, as though such arguments could resolve any related issues. The 7 PRC or .33 Nosler would never have made it past the drawing board, let alone hunters reviving the .35 Whelen or holding onto their cherished .338 Win Mags IF really “too much is too much”! According to some, all one really “needs” is the ubiquitous .30-06 for all the world, and just in case one runs into a tyranosaur from time to time, perhaps a big bore with solids might have a very slight edge – but even that is questionable.

In spite of such an extreme view, more shooters and hunters purchase, hunt with, and shoot for fun and games, rifles with an excess of energy well over 3000 ft-lbs at the muzzle. This was my 2nd .458 Winchester Magnum. It’s a CZ 550 with a 25″ barrel, a magazine that holds 5 plus one in the chamber, and a fixed 4x by 20mm Burris scope. Nothing but my handloads were shot in it: My two hunting loads were the 350gr TSX’s at 2750 fps/5879 ft-lbs, and 500gr Hornady SPs at 2283 fps/5788 ft-lbs. It went hunting for moose and bear and weighed 11 lbs loaded.

One could make the argument – and it has been and will continue to be their main point – that they’re not needed, but “gun nuts” must own them to see what they’re all about out of curiosity and a “must have” disposition. No doubt, greed is a potential factor, as well as covetousness and jealousy. Those are all symptons of a decadent society, but still there are many with a sense of not only “want” but “need” . . . . and I’ve found myself among that latter group who see “more than enough” as about right for particular hunting situations.

And, of course, such a mindset was firstly honed by wealthy Europeans who wanted, and could afford, a taste of the wild in India and Africa. Then there were some adventurers with the same spirit who had to make their own way, but became famous if they survived. We all know the names of a few, including the journalists who wrote their stories. They used what was available as firearms, and in some cases individual firearms were especially crafted for the wealthy.

Without going into more historic details, there were reasons why companies like Holland and Holland of London created the .375 H&H in 1912. And that was predated by the famed 9.3 x 62 Mauser in 1905 by the Berlin gunsmith Otto Bock. There were German settlers in East Africa who needed a reliable and powerful rifle shooting sturdy bullets to defend against wild animals that raided their crops as well as human intruders with the intent of killing, stealing and or any other mayhem and mischief that bad people could inflict on the unwary and innocent.

Outside of Europe and Africa, the powerful 9.3 x 62 was rarely heard of, and no major interest was invested in North America until a couple of American writers extolled its virtues and the SPEER bullet company made a 270gr bullet in 9.3 mm. The SPEER reloading manual was the first to bring it to my attention, and one load of N203 gave an MV over 2600 fps/4054 ft-lbs+! That got my attention! A .366″ caliber shooting a 270gr at +2600 fps was about there with a .375 H&H, in a handier rifle with less recoil. But that was several years prior to my purchase of the Tikka T3 in 2011, just about when the idea of the Euro 9.3 x 62 was becoming hot in North America.

Getting ready for the start of a fall bear hunt, Sept 1st, 2013, on private property. The rifle was my Tikka T3 Lite in 9.3 x 62 loaded with the 286gr Nosler Partition at 2622 fps/4365 ft-lbs.

Why?

I can’t speak for everyone else, but that was a replacement for all other medium-bores, and the .340 Wby I’d formerly owned. Let’s see, the .340 Wby Mag was for ventures to the “Far North” of our Province of Ontario in moose hunts. Ranges could be very long to short – in your face for a big bull in a marsh, edge of a lake or in a clear cut. There was absolutely no way to know before the fact what the conditions might be, or the size, disposition and condition of a bull moose under multiple possible scenarios!

Why a 9.3 x 62, a .338 Win Mag, a .35 Whelen, or a .340 Wby. . . . . ? Because they have power to spare under most conditions! More than enough for many or most scenarios. For sure, but just right for ANY!

I’ve never been a fan of “adequate”! I grew up in those circumstances during and after The Great Depression, and “adequate” transportation meant someone elses vehicle or a taxi, adequate running water meant running to someone’s property with a bucket hopeful of finding the well not dry! Adequate skates meant worn-out and out-of-date skates that didn’t fit! And so on. . .

I don’t believe in “adequate power” in an automobile to get from point “A” to point “B” . . . I believe in more than enough to pass a long line-up of traffic behind a slow-moving transport truck that hasn’t enough power to pull that heavy load up-hill without a potential “train-wreck” behind it because someone, anyone, needs to get to an appointment on time – so they chance a pass at the wrong time with a relatively “econo-minded” motor that is just “adequate” under normal conditions! Phewww . . . I can now take a breath!

A .30-06 can muster +3000 ft-lbs from decent handloads. That’s adequate most of the time for a majority of North American hunters. . . . accompanied by a healthy dose of jurisprudence. That was my experience with it until a set of circumstances defied my jurisprudence! It was my only big-game rifle, and after that “set of circumstances” I moved on to some serious magnums and Big Bores, and have never looked back or questioned that decision.

“juris” = law; “prudence” = wisdom.

I’m not a lawyer, though some have claimed I could or should be. So be it or not, there are laws of physics and laws (rules, principles) for living. They need to be understood and applied with wisdom! “Too much” is a principle that’s just right if we want to do more than just exist! Then we can live at a level that allows a measure of freedom and the ability to help others.

I apply that principle (law) to life that includes hunting under all conditions that might involve “surprises” and unforeseen or unknown conditions that could turn potential danger into deadly disaster!

<That’s the late Dr Don Heath, PH and wildlife biologist facing a real charge from an angry bull elephant. He shot it with his 9.3 x 62 and dropped it in its tracks using a solid fit for such dangerous business.

When I saw “my bear” for the first time last week, I had less than 1/2 minute to make a quick decision. From the time he emerged from the bush till he was just below me at about 20 yards, took 20 to 25 seconds! I had my scope on him at 20 yards and he was still coming in my direction, all +400 lbs of his grandeur! I left quickly but quietly. Had I remained 2 more seconds there would have been a confrontation! What would his response have been, and mine? While I doubt he would have charged, yet he’s a wild creature that at his size and weight could have covered the remaining distance in a couple of bounds. More than that, he didn’t get that size and condition in a few months, nor based only on the diet I’d provided . . . .

Seven to ten pounds of birdseed, marshmallows, licorice and syrop. The same scattered on the ground, plus some apples and/or anything of interest to a bruin’s palate.He emerged at the blue X ( about 65 yds from me) and I had the scope on him at the red X, 20 yards from me. He wasn’t running or bounding or nervous, but just a confident, steady walk.

There’s no doubt in my mind that he’d killed some younger bears to become dominant for the area, and likely more than a few deer and two or three moose calves. . . . . So? How close was I to becoming a statistic? Of course, no one but God knows as He was in control anyway, and I well knew it, but just the same I was as confident as any mature hunter might be toting the rifle that was in my left hand – the .375 H&H loaded with the 300gr Sierras at 2675 fps. I had it pointed right on his back, between the shoulders at 20 yards, but he was still coming, having never broken his steady pace.

Was I intimidated? Yeah, a bit, but not fearful. I was calculating every second without losing control of thoughts or emotions. When I knew I must shoot or leave, I left without him ever seeing me – though he knew my scent and probably smelled me, which to him meant bear grub in the tote 25 yds away.

What are my thoughts and feelings immediately after and now, over two weeks later? One of my best hunts ever – if not, then the greatest! It was two years in length that culminated in a close encounter with that magnificent beast, almost nose to nose, that God not only permitted, but orchestrated from beginning to end for His glory and my edification.

I’m thankful for the experience and the lessons learned that reminded me He IS that close and in charge!

As to the bear? I wish him well and many more years to become a great-grandfather, as I am!

And a final note to “My BEAR”: If perchance he has “Internet”, this is my final word to him: “Watch out for those nasty moose hunters – they’re dangerous and shoot bear on sight!”

Till the next . . . .

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

Comparing the .375 H&H and .458 Winchester Magnum

Recently I’ve been doing some overall comparisons of those two in my own possession, and not only in ballistics. As my regular readers know, the .458 Win is a single-shot Ruger No.1H that I’ve owned since August 10, 2018, and was shot for the first time by me on August 13, 2018. It wasn’t new but in excellent condition, and I’d traded a rifle and shotgun for it – pic on the header above.

According to my records, I’ve fired it 300 times at the range, including 14 Federal 400gr TBBC factory loads. Another half-dozen or so were fired offhand at various objects in my hunting area, plus another 5 into test media. All were my own handloads – excepting the 14 Federal loads – including these bullets: 250gr MonoFlex, 300gr TSX, 330gr Barnes Banded, 350gr TSX, 350gr Speer, 350 Hornady FT and SP, 400gr Barnes SP and RN, 400gr Buster, 400gr Speer, 400gr-X, 400gr Hawk, 405gr Remington, 450gr-X and TSX, 450gr Swift AF, 465gr and 470gr hardcasts, 480gr Hornady DGX (non-bonded), 500gr TSX, 500gr DGX, 500gr Hornady RN, 500gr Speer AGS, 550gr Woodleigh Weldcor and 600gr Barnes Original RN. Most of those were top handloads with a few reduced loads thrown in. <Just a few of those loads.

Three propellants were employed for most of the handloads: H4198, H335 and H4895. Three others were used on a limited basis for reduced loads: H322, RL-15 and Accurate 5744. Also, H4895 prooved useful for some reduced loads. Cases were Remington, Winchester and Hornady. The primer was always Winchester LRM. Where and when suitable, bullets were seated “long”. For instance, the Barnes-X and TSX’s, plus the heaviest bullets by Speer, Hornady, Woodleigh and Swift – several could be seated longer than the .458 Lott, giving more room for the right powder than the Lott cartridge could run. I’ve gotten plus 2300 fps from the 500gr Speer and Hornady, and plus 2400 fps from the 450gr AF. From the 400gr “X”, nearly 2600 fps, and 3000 fps from the 300gr TSX. The Ruger has a 24″ Mag-Na-Ported barrel.

The rifle weighs 10.25 lbs with the 2 – 7 X 32mm Nikon scope. With sling and 4 cartridges loaded with 350gr projectiles (1 in chamber and 3 in the stock cartridge holder) = 10.65 lbs. With 6 cartridges loaded with the 500gr DGX = 11 lbs.

More recently, most of my attention has been given to my latest acquisition of the .375 H&H in a Zastava M70. If you’ve been reading those reports I’d ask that you’d spare me a paragraph or two to bring others up to speed.

Looks when purchased.

It was purchased in late February, 2023. By March, 2023, I had all that was necessary for a range try-out. It has a 22″ barrel and the magazine holds three. I’ve tried these handloaded bullets in this basic order: 250gr Sierra BT, 270gr TSX, 235gr TSX, 300gr TSX and 250gr TTSX. Bullets were difficult to find other than the Barnes TSX and TTSX’s – and they are very costly! The bullet I wanted to use for a general purpose load was the 250gr Sierra, but other than the few I already had as left-overs from my last .375 H&H, no shop had them or, seemingly, could not locate any themselves. So, I settled for the 250gr TTSX which is much longer than the 250 Sierra, eating more room in the case that should be powder room! Eventually, I settled on a decent load of 77 grs of CFE-223 for that bullet at +2800 fps for my upcoming bear hunt.

But there’s a “But”! I was on the hunt for the 300gr Sierra BT and finally got one box of 50 in time to sight in a load for “the bear”! But the best powder for the “300s” was RL-17, which was getting very low in my only can. After research, study and a hopeful “leap in the dark”, I tried StaBALL 6.5 that became my substitute for RL-17, and it worked like a miracle! So, right NOW, my ammo for the current bear-over-bait hunt is the 300gr Sierra at 2674 fps from the 22″ barrel on the .375 H&H – shooting into ~MOA.

It’s now time to talk about these two rifles that were created to do the same basic “stuff” in the hunting world: Yet there are contrasts as well as comparisons.

CONTRASTS:

• The greatest contrast is in their individual receivers and actions: The Ruger No.1 has a Farquharson falling-block type receiver and action. It’s renowned for its strength and simplicity that is operated by a lever. Push the lever down and forward and the solid steel block drops down releasing the cartridge (fired or unfired) and ejecting it. Drop in another cartridge, raise the lever and the steel block locks the cartridge in place for firing.

• In a bolt-action type, like my .375 H&H, the bolt itself serves as the “block” to hold the cartridge in place for firing. If its a bolt-action repeater, as most are, the action also has a magazine that holds a few under the bolt when it’s locked into the receiver. Therefore the bolt must be opened by lifting its handle, rotating it by the handle left or right (depending if the action is constructed for a right-handed or left-handed shooter) pulled rearward to a stop, ejecting the cartridge or empty case (whatever the situation calls for) then moved forward again to pick up the next catridge from the magazine pushing it into the chamber and locked there by rotating the bolt again in the opposite direction. Though all of that can be done rather swiftly, depending on several features designed into the action, it’s still a lot of work compared to a single shot! And the larger the bore and more powerful the cartridge the slower the process will be due to recoil and length of the action.

So in several ways, I prefer a single-shot of the Ruger type over a bolt-action repeater.

COMPARISONS:

In this matter it will be in regard to ballistics, overall weight, recoil, optics/sights, style and handiness.

Ballistics: This will not be a comparison of factory ammunition and/or standards. Rather, it will be based on potential and personal handloads.

As to factory “stuff”, “they all” have varied their offerings from time to time depending on available resources and perceived hunters’ interests. Generally speaking, in times past their offerings for the .458 Win has fallen short on promises, but that has improved in more recent times as shooters of the great .458 Win Mag have embarrassed the “pros” in loading their own! So, perhaps factories have improved their .458 Win products. Maybe. . . . . as I can’t say for sure as for the first time in my life have I fired anything “factory” from any of my .458s in just this past year!

In that regard, it has been the 400gr TBBC from Federal, and they came close to promises – actually exceeding them – at ~2282 fps when promoted at 2250 fps! Yet still far from possibles from a 400gr when loaded by knowledgeable handloaders. As one example of my trials in loading/shooting the 400gr BARNES original X-Bullet, it recorded 2580 fps over the Chrony – corrected back to the muzzle from fifteen feet away = 2590 fps/5960 ft-lbs. COL was 3.67″. Nothing bent or broken, except possibly my shoulder!

Recoil was up there around = 60 ft-lbs, minus about 8 from the Mag-na-ports = 52 ft-lbs – can’t say it bothered me much – I’ve experienced close to 80 ft-lbs from my 2 lb lighter Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT shooting the 500gr Hornady RN at ~2200 fps.

Of course, the meat ‘n potatoes of the grand .458 are 400s, 450s and 500s, in regard to which well over 5000 ft-lbs is simple and easy, again, for a knowledgeable handloader. The 450gr Swift AF made 2414 fps from my Ruger No.1H over 84 grs of H335. The math says that’s equal to 5824 ft-lbs. COL = 3.56″. . . . And so on . . . .

A .375 H&H can’t even begin to keep up! But it does well for its caliber at around 4700 – 4800 ft-lbs from several weight bullets and handloads. Some claim it’s more versatile than the .458 Win Mag, but is it really? It shoots 220/225 grainers up to 350s, but its meat-‘n-potatoes are: 235s, 270s and 300s. With a new crop of bullets from Barnes, there’s a 250gr TTSX and a 270 LRX which adds to its usefulness at longer ranges and medium game.

My 250gr TTSX load over CFE-223 = 2840 fps/4479 ft-lbs, and with a .424 BC should be good for moose size game to 450 – 500 yds, making this veteran more useful than thought in a bygone era. Then there are solids in 270 and 300gr for any creature thought needing such punishment – maybe elephant.

But I’ve wanted to try the 300gr Sierra from mine and was finally given that wish. It leaves the “short” 22″ barrel of the Zastava M70 at ~2674 fps avg, reaching 500 yds at 1862 fps/2310 ft-lbs still remaining – that should be enough for a mature bull elk or moose with excellant shooting. And there it takes the lead from the wonderful .458 firng the 404gr “Hammer” (.419 BC) at a max of 2600 fps, that may fall a bit short at 500 yds for expansion purposes – but then it sheads it petals, so there’s need for some solid reporting on that issue at up to 500 yds. When started at 2550 fps it’s just at 1820 fps at 400 yds. At 2600 fps MV, that would add about 25 yds to keep the 404 Hammer at 1820 fps/2972 ft-lbs.

The .375 H&H has a flatter trajectory and enough velocity at 500 yds for bullet expansion. The .458 has more momentum and energy, but maybe not enough velocity at 500 yds for that bullet to expand – shead it’s petals. . . I don’t know at this stage as no reporting is yet available that I’m aware of.

Overall Weight: As I’ve recently reported, the two rifles are similar in weigh when ready to hunt, but that weight is not distributed equally. When held at the magazine floor-plate of the .375 H&H by my right hand in walking a trail, or through the woods over rough ground littered by dead branches, deadfalls, rocks and other potential obstacles, the .375 appears awkward and heavier than the Ruger No.1 .458 Win. When I must lift it to my left shoulder quickly for shooting offhand it’s not as “natural” as the No.1H Ruger.

In an analysis of that, there appears to be three causes: 1) The .375 H&H (even with it’s 22″ barrel vs the 24″ on the .458) is longer in overall length by 3.25 inches. 2) Then the width and depth of the magazine area, vs the action area on the Ruger, is thicker by .25″ and taller by .20″ that for my smallish hands creates a noticeable difference for secure handling. And 3) The weight of the Ruger No.1H in .458 Win is more compact in a shorter format, even though somewhat heavier overall, which assists in its maneuvers more naturally and quickly. It’s a smaller rifle that can be easily noticed by the pics below – though slightly heavier due to its heavier barrel as already noted.

Recoil: Each will burn similar amounts of propellant, and both have about the same case capacity in H2O: 94 grs water for the .458 and 95 grs water for the .375 H&H, though depending on particular brands, that could be reversed. Companies that produce factory ammo for each also sell unloaded cases for handloads.

Recoil will, on average, be greater in the .458 Win Mag than the .375 H&H becase of heavier bullets and faster burning powders (there can be exceptions to that general rule if the handloader decides to “load-down” his .458 and “load-up his .375).

That’s why the typical .458 Win is heavier than the typical .375 H&H in factory format. “Heavier” means less felt recoil. Even with max loads in my .375 and medium loads in my .458, the .458 generates faster recoil. The .375 Zastava with a 3-9×40 scope weighs 9.68 lbs. With three in the magazine its 10 lbs even. The .458 in the Ruger No.1 with the 2-7×32 Nikon scope weighs 10.25 lbs. With 3 cartridges (depending on actual powder load and bullet weight) = 10.65 lbs. So there’s little to choose from in actual field weight or reduction of “felt” recoil other than in load management. Of course, rifle fit is a significant factor that will shortly be discussed. As it is, the calculated recoil for this fall’s bear hunt is too similar to matter: 42 ft-lbs for the 400gr TBBC Federal load in my .458, and 44 ft-lbs for the 300gr in the .375 H&H. But the Mag-na-ports in the .458 should reduce that 42 by 10 – 12% to around 38 ft-lbs. Nevertheless, the .458 still seems a bit “sharper” in recoil than the .375. I’m certain there are factors not considered in the recoil formula. Yup, speed of recoil is also calculated x rifle weight = force or momentum.

Optics/sights: The Ruger No.1H in .458 Win has both iron and glass sights, though I’ve never fired that rifle using irons only. I’ve used scopes on my rifles for most of my hunting over the years – including the .22LR’s. The reason is simple: I lost sight in my right eye (I’m right-handed) at age six due to an accident. And it’s difficult to focus at close range on two objects separated by such a short distance – iron sights, front and rear. And it took several years in my life to determine how far an object was from me at relatively short ranges. A rifle scope resolved that problem. When it came to driving a car in coming short of a wall (for instance), I just naturally did what deer do in trying to figure out some moving or still object that wasn’t there previously – they move their head from side to side to get a slightly different angle – it’s called “triangulation”. Two eyes separated by several inches gives a sense of depth and distance – no one told me to do that, I found myself just doing it naturally. A rifle scope eliminates that necessity.

The .458 has the 2 – 7 x 32 Nikon that came off the Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT. It’s perfect for those applications. In walking about in timber or brush country it’s kept on 2 – 4X. In a blind or tree stand it’s usually 5X and rarely 6X. It’s tough and taken a beating and keeps on tickin’. Too bad that Nikon got out of rifle scopes!

The current scope on the .375 is a new BURRIS Fullfield II, 3 – 9 x 40mm. I’ve had several in the past that proved durable and up to whatever task I imposed on them. A 3 – 9 x 40mm has sat on a majority of my rifles. For woods walking I keep it on 3X. In a ground blind over bait – depending on range – I set it on 4x or 5x. A 40 mm front lens gives ample light in those circumstances as the sun goes down behind the trees. A black bear against a dark background needs ample light for a sure shot. Many years ago, I had a fixed 4X by 20mm and it didn’t allow enough brightness in bush or forest till legal light was done.

The 2 – 7 x 32 is ample under those conditions, but the 40 mm is better. I’ve never felt the need for a larger scope. A 40mm at 5x has a light beam (exit pupil) of 8mm, slightly larger than the diameter of the eye’s pupil when fully dilated as darkness arrives. A 50mm has no advantage over that. The 32 mm of the Nikon is also near perfect at 5x with an exit pupil of 6.4 mm. The maximum for a healthy eye is about 7mm dilation in darkness.

Style: There is a distinct difference in style of the two rifles.

It’s clear from these photos that the Ruger No.1H in .458 is smaller than the .375 H&H above. Despite being 1/2 lb heavier and with a 24″ barrel vs a 22″ barrel on the .375 H&H, it fits my hands and arms better than the .375 H&H. As mentioned, the Ruger is 3.25 inches shorter than the Zastava – clearly seen in the photos at the right edge of the pics.

The .375 H&H has a Bavarian type stock that fits me, except the LOP is a bit too long for my arms at 14.2″. The Ruger’s LOP at 13.875″ is perfect. Then the shape and fullness of the pistol grips favor the Ruger for my hands. The Ruger also has a tang safety which I prefer over the left-side safety of the Zastava.

The greatest distinctions in the stocks are the two pieces for the Ruger and the relatively short forearm of the Alexander Henry style which I much prefer over the “extra long” forearm of the Zastava. I prefer the “short” Alexander Henry style for looks, but more importantly, I naturally grab the tip for pulling the rifle securely into my shoulder. That gives a great deal of confidence in handling its abundant recoil and steading the rifle while aiming. The Alexander Henry fore-stock is much more friendly to my arm’s length.

Then, as already mentioned, due to two factors I prefer the single-shot Ruger over the left-handed bolt-action Zastava. The first, as I’ve mentioned numerous times, is that I’m naturally right-handed, but I shoot every rifle from my left side. But I operate a right-hand bolt-action better than a left-handed one that still takes some getting used to. I’m stronger in my right hand and arm than the left hand and arm, so that complicates normal matters: I can eject and rechamber a right-handed rifle faster than a left-handed one!

The other factor is that a falling-block single-shot like the Ruger is simpler and faster to chamber one than a bolt action with its several motions, and with my handicap it appears more natural. And, of course, a so-called “single-shot” is also a repeater with a couple of cartridges between fingers of rthe off-hand, or in a wrist strap, or a stock cartridge holder. It’s simply a matter of putting in adequate practice so we make the same motions on auto.

Handiness: That is smoothness and quickness of getting into a steady position for aiming and shooting. But more than that, it also has to do with portability when toting the rifle and maneuvering it in tight quarters and around obstacles. Then too, it concerns picking up the rifle from its resting place (resting against a tree for example) and shifting it into carry positions of which there are several: port arms, shoulder carry with sling, cradle, switching hand carry from side to side, and so on.

In that regard, the Ruger No.1 has a slight advantage due to it’s rather compactness despite its 24″ barrel. It is still as short as a bolt-action repeater in .30-06 (for example) with a 20″ barrel. The extra weight comes from its heavy barrel designed to handle its power and recoil.

SYNOPSIS

I like ’em both for similar and yet different reasons. The .458 Win Mag has been with me longer and I have more experience with it. It was predated by the Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT for nearly two decades that prepared me for this Ruger No.1H in .458. I was prepped for the Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT by a previous No.1 in plain .45-70, that in turn was a compliment to .45-70s by Marlin. The .45-70 became my favorite rifles when handloaded to modern ballistics, despite owning a .338 Win and a .375 H&H.

I see the Ruger No.1H in .458 Winchester Magnum as an extension of all that. It’s a BIG BORE that can easily handle big and dangerous game anywhere under any circumstance. On the other hand it can be downloaded for medium game and even small game if wanted or needed to. It is much more versatile than thought by most hunters. The variety and sheer number of suitable bullets available is mind boggling! In addition, at least dozens of molds are available to the enthusiast who will make his own. And there’s no lack of suitable gun powders to maximize any ambition.

But perhaps the greatest appeal of the Ruger No.1H in .458 is that big hole in the barrel that spells death and destruction – at least for myself! In my view, anything less IS LESS!

Then the Ruger No.1H bespeaks power with grace and beauty! Therefore her name is “GRACE”!

The .375 H&H is a teacher that shows me that “less” is enough for particular situations. Also, it has reminded me that sheer bulk and size is no substitute for performance.

So, as said several times, when it comes down to one, the Ruger No.1H in .458 Winchester Magnum will be the last to go.

Till the next . . . .

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

Update: We had a visit from our oldest son (Brent) and wife this past week – all the way from New Brunswick. The 9.3 x 62 has left the nest as a gift to him along with dies, brass and bullets. He says: “This will be my moose rifle”. I’m happy for him as well as knowing it remains in the family and will be well cared for and put to good use. It’s a Tikka T3 Lite. It’s perhaps the most accurate BG rifle I’ve owned.

Which is Better overall: a .35, a .36 or a .37cal?

Those are mediums, not Big Bores. And I own all three, but if push came to shove, which should I keep?That’s currently a hypothetical question, but likely sooner than later I’ll be making such a call. Including the individual rifles, they each have positivies and a few negatives. The cartridges for which the rifles are chambered are: .35 Whelen (a single-shot), a 9.3 x 62 a (right-handed) bolt action magazine repeater, and a .375 H&H in a left-hand bolt-action magazine repeater.

The three cartridges are similar in purpose and effect, with a slight progression in potential effect from .358-cal to .375-cal, – at least in theory. The .35 Whelen has often been referred to as “The poor man’s .375 H&H”. And the 9.3 x 62, when given its best handloads may actually be “superior” in KE to the .375 H&H, depending on how each is handloaded. So, in several ways it comes down to the rifles themselves rather than only their chamberings.

Among them, I’ve owned a .375 H&H in M70 Winchester prior to the others. And the history of how that came about has been shared several times in these blogs: The two-piece stock on a SAKO FS fell apart from the recoil of scores of .338 Win Mag handloads, and a replacement Bell & Carlson fiberglass cracked (replaced under warranty), so it got traded at a Toronto gun show for the nearly new M70 in .375 H&H. I thought I’d just won the lottery! In handloads for the .375 H&H, I’d tried just about all available bullets but settled on the 300gr Hornady BT at around 2560 fps for a bear and a moose hunt. No luck in either, but did come close to catching up with a +500 lb monster bear with it, which is another story. After a couple of years it got heavy and unhandy compared to the former Sako FS in .338 Win, so it too “went down the road”.

The short-barrelled (20″) Sako shot 250s at 2650 – 2700 fps compared to the .375’s 300s at 2560 fps. Recoil wasn’t an issue with either, but weight and handiness was. So the search was on for a powerful mid-bore that was relatively light ‘n handy. It seemed that a compromise .358-caliber could fill that void. Then a series of .358s were destined to come my way: first a .35 Whelen followed by a .350 Rem Mag Classic, both with 22″ barrels – and of course handloads for each. Ironically, I suppose in the minds of some, the semi-auto Rem 7400 in .35 Whelen was the better of those two in ballistics. The .350 Rem Mag Classic was a beautiful gun, and fit like a glove but the short action cramped space for adequate powder so it never – even with a 22″ barrel – ever made 2400 fps from 250s, so away it went – and that was prior to RL-15 hitting the market.

Rifles and years passed by . . . . It seemed swiftly. Yet another attempt was made to even the score in the purchase of an H&R Handy Rifle chambered in .35 Whelen. As I recently wrote, that was “a bust” due to a head-spacing problem. More years went by and Remington re-introduced the .350 Rem Mag in a heavy 22″ barrel with the silly barrel-mounted “rib”. . . . Only this time in steel to add “strength and weight” – all in a heavy laminated stock – to add “strength and weight”. It was stout and good looking, though, and somewhat out of desperation, I grabbed one called an M673, again with the Rem short-action. That one had a serious problem – the chamber wasn’t finished and was undersize! Took it to my gunsmith Edwin (Eddy) VonAtzigen, he re-did the chamber and it looked like a mirror inside! It was like a miracle, and handloads were too! It turned out to be one of the most accurate rifles I’ve ever owned, and one of the most powerful – but it was heavy with ammo, scope and sling. It too had the short action, but was far too heavy for what it was. So. . . down the road it went! But the last of my hunting handloads shot 3 into a tiny cloverleaf: 3/8″ at a hundred. MV? 2738 fps from 3 of the 250gr GS’s, and that was from the application of a compressed load of RL-15.

The .35 Whelen

My final attempt to redeem the true value from a .358-cal was (and is) the Traditions G3 in .35 Whelen. Apart from it’s design from the ground up, with its many features, it has a long throat and no action that hampers COL. I take advantage of that and seat the relatively long 225gr AccuBond to 3.45″ COL. That makes it easily the equal of a .338 Win Mag or .33 Nosler, assuming equal 22″ length barrels firing 225 gr projectiles. The OL (overall isn’t two words, OAL is an abbriveation of “over all length”, which is an english corruption in spelling, same a COAL is! COL is correct!).

Anyway, I’ve documented several loads for the Traditions G3 OUTFITTER single-shot in .35 Whelen over the past two years, so will not rehearse it all again. But the two loads for hunting are the 225 AccuBond at 2840 fps/4030 ft-lbs from 69 grs of CFE-223, and the 300gr BARNES O. at 2355 fps via 57 grs of RL-17.

Last year (2023) during the spring and fall bear seasons it was my main carry weapon, and many times in sitting/watching. It is 39″ in OL, including the integrel brake. The .35 Whelen at last year’s bear hunt (Sept. 2023). The orange tote with bear grub inside and outside. Looks the same this year (Sept. 2024) except the rifle is the .375 H&H. As seen here the .35 Whelen weighed 8.25 lbs.

The .35 Whelen handles .357″ pistol bullets and .358″ rifle bullets from 180gr to 310gr and easily makes +4000 ft-lbs of energy from several handloads. My current hunting loads are the 225gr AccuBond at 2840 fps and the 300gr Barnes Original RN (.049″ copper jacket) at 2355 fps that shoots into the same group as the 225 AB at 100 yds. I also have loads for the 180gr TTSX and 250gr Hornady SP.

My current stock of .358″ projectiles (apart from those mentioned) include several left-overs from the past: 200gr SP (Hornady); 200-X and 225-X (Barnes); a few 225gr and 250gr Partitions. Of all those I intend to do more work with the 250s from Hornady and Nosler and the 180 TTSX’s.

The relatively light -‘n – handy Traditions G3 is tough with its Cerakoted fluted barrel (that includes a brake) and action, synthetic two-piece stock, fool-proof safety/trigger, soft-rubber recoil pad and strong ring- mount system for scope. I’ve added the raised cartridge holder in which I usually put three extra cartridges in addition to one in the chamber giving a total weight with scope + 4 cartridges = 8.25 lbs. It’s one of those rifles you naturally grab without much thought before leaving home for adventure in the game fields.

The 9.3 x 62 Mauser (.366″-caliber)

This one I’ve owned since 2011, and I’ve written more about it, including my experiences in both handloading and hunting, than any other with the exception of .45-70s and .458 Win Mags. It’s a TIKKA T3 Lite with a clip magazine that holds 3 plus one in the chamber making it a 4 shooter. In stock form, without ammo or scope, it weighs about 6.5 lbs. That was the selling point for me compared to a .338 RUM for around the same price – that appeared about 2 lbs heavier in bare form. I had an interest in both, but when literally handled side by side in each hand while standing, the weight and handiness of the TIKKA in 9.3 x 62 won that contest. All up, ready to hunt with a 3 – 9 x 40 scope and 4 cartridges it comes in – lighter than the .35 Whelen single-shot described above – at 7.65 lbs. Of course, when loaded to its potential, it comes back pretty sharply with home-made ammo that generates ~ 4350 ft-lbs.

Since it has previously been amply described both in handloads and results, I’ll not try to add more other than to state facts: From it’s 22″ barrel and RL-17 rifle powder it consistently makes +2700 fps from the 250gr Nosler AB, and shoots 3 of them into sub-1/2 moa at 100 yds. The other preferred hunting bullet is the 286gr Nosler Partition at +2600 fps (2634 actual avg. from RL-17) that shoots 3 into sub-moa when I’m up for it. The recoil from those two loads, and the 286 in particular, eats rifle scopes! They are more than my current .375 H&H! About 2 yrs ago, I had a brake installed – not so much for my health, but the “health” of the scopes!

I have 3 other loads, two of which have not yet been used in hunting: the 320gr Woodleigh at +2400 fps (RL-17) and the 232 Oryx (RL-15) at about 2450 fps that shoots into the same group as the 320 Woodleigh.

All of which makes my TIKKA T3 Lite a “Dream Rifle” for any world-wide hunting! Of course, it’s not essential to go full-throttle all the time.

The “other load” was the first in hunting: a Hornady 286 at +2400 fps killed a black bear that had been wounded twice by a young friend. I chased it down and finished it with a single shot from the 286 Hornady from a few feet. It worked and didn’t come apart even though on exit it took out 6 or 8 vertabrae.

The worst I can say about this rifle is that it’s boringly competent! And, oh yeah. . . it eats scopes!

But there’s little, if anything, that the .375 H&H can do that it can’t! We’d be splitting hairs in any attempt to suggest otherwise!

But still, for me personally, there is this downside: I only have about 1/2 lb of RL-17 that remains, and nothing (so far) comes close to its results in the 9.3 x 62 for the heavyweights. I didn’t purchase that rifle as a “deer gun”, it stands in the stead of any other mediums – in fact it replaced my .340 WBY as a handier rifle that would do basically the same thing on moose and bear within 500 yds. The .340 could reach out another 100 to 150 yds which was never needed in my experience.

There are still those who’s talk would limit the great 9.3 x 62 to 250 – 300 yds on large game . . . they are certainly living a nostalgic fantasy that’s 100 years old!

The .375 H&H

It’s the one that sees most action these days, and for most of 2024. It too has received an undue amount of attention in my research, load development, shooting and overall attention expressed in blogs.

The purpose of this rifle for me is three-fold: 1) To finally get a rifle in .375 H&H that fulfills its historic claim to greatness, and 2) To justify the idea that it’s the “best” of the mediums, and finally 3) To challenge the notion that I could work a left-handed bolt-action as well as a right-handed one. (As I’ve explained ad nauseam: I’ve been compelled to shoot rifles from my left side while being a right-handed person due to a childhood accident to my right eye, so most of my bolt guns have had right-handed actions that I shoot left-handedly.)

And, without much doubt, there may be other factors as well: If we’re inclined to think that mediums are the best overall choices for the variety of big game available to us – as I am – then we’d be wise in testing a few, at least, of the most common/available at affordable overall costs, including scope and handloading components.

The Zastava M70 in .375 H&H is a LH bolt-action that holds three in the magazine. It was nearly new with limited use, and a “steal” in my estimation. I’d been wanting a .375 H&H for some time, but they were all at least twice of what my budget allowed. I’d even considered a new Savage in .375 Ruger that seemed affordable, but barely without even a scope, cases or bullets (though I had some of the latter left-over from my past experiences with a couple of .375 H&H’s). Then that shop had neither cartridges, cases or dies, so it was a no go.

I bought the Zastava in .375 H&H in Febuary of 2023 and it made it’s first trip to the range in March/23 to shoot some initial handloads. By a quick count, I’ve fired the rifle 114 times at our range – all handloads. Though ready, it has yet to be shot on game. All have been in testing a variety of bullets and powders, but the majority in 2023 were the 250gr TTSX’s mostly over different charges of CFE-223 and Big Game powders. I finally settled on 77 grs of CFE-223, ignited by WLRM primers in new Rem cases for ~2840 fps (same as my .35 Whelen load for the 225gr AB at 2840 fps).

For this year’s bear hunt and for walking about and toting in bait, the load is 300gr Sierra BT’s over 81.5 grs of StaBALL 6.5 for an average of 2674 fps (Garmin Xero). The rifle’s weight with scope and 3 in the magazine is 10 lbs.

Recorded from the 300gr Sierra BT in recent testing. It’s the load now in use when I tote bear bait to its setup.This is what I find each time I return with bear grub – three times over six days. The bear comes from somewhere beyond that sharp rim – very thick and dark down there. Once, I found the tote and cover down there. So far, I’ve only kept the bear coming, next week my plan is to start hunting him by staying at the blind for several hours.

The .458 was intended as my primary rifle for this hunt but I became increasingly concerned over the 400gr TBBC factory load from Federal that it might not expand adequately on a medium bear to kill it in its tracks. I can’t afford that as I’m hunting alone and the bear might get off the ridge, heading for home, down into the thick tangle of deadfalls and brush below. Getting it out from there would take at least two healthy men even after it had been field dressed. Where the bait setup is located is pretty much a direct pull of 100 yds to the main road – yet even that entails a number of hurdles to be overcome – including that 16″ deadfall across the trail, that is itself encombered by natural growth closing in from both sides, plus uneven ground, sticks, branches and wet mud.

In conclusion: Which of the three MEDIUMS should be kept as a companion to the single-shot Ruger No.1H in .458 Win?

By the end of 2024 I’ll be 89 and can’t keep all of them. The Ruger No1H will be the last to go.

The one closest to the Ruger in weight is the .375, that would not tempt me to choose which rifle for a future hunt based on weight alone. Plus, it’s the closest in recoil and power.

Then, of course, an argument could be made in favor of the .35 Whelen as it’s lighter and more versatile than the .375. And the 9.3 x 62 could do the work of any of them: It’s light, relatively handy and I’m very familiar with it. It lacks nothing. . . except it likes scopes for lunch!

Well, as we all should know by now, such decisions are not made on pragmatism or logic alone – but emotions – feelings play a larger role than often realized – like in choosing a wife! I’ve kept the same one for far more years than most of my readership have been alive! Having thought quite a bit about these matters, little doubt lingers that the 9.3 x 62 will be the first to leave the nest.

I’ve had it the longest and explored all it’s potential, so much so that I’m a little bored with it (feelings)! It’s perfection in fulfilling its promises. . . . Time to let it go to someone else who can appreciate perfection. My hope is to see that happen before next spring.

And the next to go? That decision hasn’t been made yet, but expect by the end of 2025 the choice will be made for a companion to my single-shot Ruger No.1H in .458 Winchester Magnum.

I mentioned in my last blog that a .35 Whelen could have easily handled all the hunting I’ve done over the past 70 yrs – except anything that flies. I think it would be the most practical to be kept – I have the least in it monetarily and it is in several ways the least demanding.

But as said above, there are those annoying feelings. . . .

Yet, what I expect -knowing myself – is that circumstances in regard to my wife’s well-being and pragmatism will make that decision. The .458 Will be reserved for testing loads and bullets, and the .375 H&H for all hunting of four-legged creatures – bears and wolves – as it’s already set up for those hunts. And if moods and circumstances conspire together, I might get a deer tag as well.

Already I’m noticing that the .375 seems to be getting lighter each time I use it, which transferred to the Ruger No.1H in .458, will make it seem lighter as well when my hands and arms get fully used to managing their weights that are nearly identical. Last Sunday’s visit to the bait site after a full day of rain. The freshly fallen leaves were wet and some formed little “cups” holding water. The bear slipped in them. You can see his front paw prints between the .375 H&H and the toes of my boots. The site was re-baited and hit again this past Thursday. I re-baited again, it was a beautiful day and I sat and watched for an hour or so.

In the middle of the pic is the bait setup, as seen from my blind on Thursday, Sept. 26/24 at 3 pm.

Up close, with the .375 in the background on Thursday of this past week. That’s licorice strands on the log and tote. Occasionally, I got a quick scent of them at my blind 45 yds away as the wind was swirling. I left because of the wind that would have alerted the bear to my presence. Bears love the smell and taste of aniseed which is the basic ingredient in licorice, and can smell it from miles away.

A major hurdle to get a dead bear over alone. I sit on it and swing one leg over at a time! The direction here is heading out to the main dirt road where my Ford SUV is parked on the opposite side in a small niche where big trucks and the grader sometimes park or turn around.

Still, my own overall health will become a factor, I’m sure, and the .35 Whelen still has a strong appeal as a one rifle that can do-it-all. It’s handiness and 2 lbs less weight may have an increasingly strong pull as the best option in walking about the rugged hills of Haliburton Highlands.

Time will tell. . . . Glad that I don’t have to make that decision today!

Till the next . . . .

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

Comparing the .300 Winchester Magnum and the .35 Whelen

I have a fair amount of experience with each – especially in handloads. Each can make 4000 ft-lbs of kinetic energy from select handloads – the .300 from a 26″ and the Whelen from a 22″. But, in my judgment, which is better overall, aside from the individual rifles?

I’ve made handloads for six .300 Win Mags of my own, plus one for a friend. In .35 Whelen, three where handloaded – all personally owned. But none were bolt-actions with a magazine. The first was a Rem 7400 (semi) and the other two single-shots. All three responded well to handloads except the first single-shooter (an H&R) that had a headspace problem. When it fired the results were very good, but I couldn’t count on that so it was returned to the dealer for another in .45-70.

From those experiences involving both the .300 Win Mags and the .35 Whelen, plus a significant amount of research on each cartridge, I see a lot of similarities as well as distinctiions that would merit having each in a big game rifle collection.

We’ll not go into a lot of historical details here other than to mention their dates of origin: The .35 Whelen from 1922 and the .300 Win Mag from 1958. The Whelen being formed from .30-06 cases necked up to .358-cal, and the .300 Win Mag being an original creation of Winchester. It fires .308-cal projectiles. My last .300 Win Mag – a Savage 111 with a 3 – 9 x 40 Bushnell scope. It was very fast and shot sub-moa with select loads.

The .35 Whelen can handle bullets up to about 310 grains with a 1 in 14″ twist rate, and the .300 up to about 250 grains from a 1 in 10″ rate of twist, though I’m unsure if any 250gr projectiles are available today – certainly not from regular sources – though 220gr is fairly common at the upper end. At their best in the use of a single bullet, the .35 Whelen excells in the use of a 250gr RN or SP of premium grade depending on species and range. The .300 Winchester is at its best in the use of 180gr and 200gr projectiles of premium quality.

In bullet weight and caliber, the .35 Whelen has an advantage, and in extra long-range shooting any advantage goes to the .300 Win Mag. That’s a brief summary statement, now for the facts and recommendations.

The .300 Winchester Magnum:

In barrel lengths, I’ve experience in handloading from a 23″ semi-custom, a 24″ semi-custom, three 24″ factory rifles and one factory rifle with a 26″ barrel. So, naturally, ballistics have varied from a low of ~3000 fps from 180s to a high of ~3200 fps from 180s. 190s (Hornady) used sparingly in a 24″ gave ~3050 fps. 200s from Speer and Nosler gave 2950 fps (24″) to 3015 fps (26″). I never used 150s or 165s in my .300 magnums. But a 200gr Nosler AB at ~3000 fps from a 26″ .300 Win Mag (same from a 24″ Wby Mag) gives impressive results in ballistics to 600 yds for elk size game.

The results from the data below are from a 22″ .35 Whelen and a 24″ .300 Win Mag. Ambient conditions represent averages from my hunting areas. The rather extreme 300 yd zeros are to show drops at 500 – 600 yds. But with todays optics such ranges are well within comfortable reach. Of course, I’m not suggesting that we should be casual about such extreme distances in taking a shot on large game, but simply to demonstrate their capabilities. They are capable, but is the hunter?

The 300 Win shows more energy past 100 yds, but there’s more to it than that. From MV to 500 yds, the .35 Whelen has more momentum and a larger diameter by 36%, so that counts for more than the energy number alone would suggest. At 500 yds the .35 Whelen has a Terminal Effect (TE) of 51.6 that should be adequate for a bull moose of 1000 lbs with a less than perfect angle. On the other hand the .300 Win has a TE of 49.3 at 500 yds that shoud care for an equal size bull moose with less than a perfect angle – assuming, of course, quality projectiles suitable for such tasks. At 400 yds the above .35 Whelen load has a 61.1 TE, where as the 300 mag has a TE of 55.4. So from the muzzle to 500 yds, the Whelen trumps the 300 in TE (momentum) even though the .300 shows better energy after 100 yds, and surely has a flatter trajectory. Yet with today’s multifaceted scopes that shouldn’t count as much as it did back-in-the-day.

The .35 Whelen: From my first, a Rem 7400 (semi- 22″ barrel), I was getting up to +2600 fps from the 250gr Hornady and Speer. Not so, however, from the 250gr Partition, as about 2450 fps was the limit using RL-15 for those three bullets. I tried a lot of 225s, but settled on 250s for that rifle.

Jumping ahead by a couple of decades to my current single-shooter, the Traditions G3 Outfitter (of which I’ve devoted a lot of space in blogs over the past two years), new bullets, powders and rifles have appeared on the market, making the historic .35 Whelen increasingly popular – and for good reasons.

The Traditions G3 OUTFITTER single-shot in .35 Whelen. The scope is a VORTEX Diamondback 3 – 9 x 40mm. The loads in the stock cartridge holder are 300gr Barnes Originals.

Both Speer and Sierra have taken this cartridge in hand, breathed new life into it, revealing its amazing capabilities employing the latest technology in both powders and bullets. 2700 fps from 250s and 24″ barrels have proved to be safe within SAAMI’s specs of 62,000 PSI. For a loooooooong time, even the so-called “experts” were dithering over safe and sane pressures for the near “ancient” .35 Whelen, leaving handloaders out on a thin limb with all sorts of illusions over “safe” handloads – and Remington that made it legit at SAAMI in 1988, was never a help in that regard keeping all factory ammo well below par!

As of two years ago, my favorite handload for the Traditions G3 is the 225gr Nosler AB at 2840 fps/4030 ft-lbs. And that from a 22″ barrel employing CFE-223 gun powder. That was my carry gun for the following year in bear and predator hunting. It would have served equally well for deer and moose (if I’d had a license for the latter). One Planet, one rifle and load for anything I’ve ever hunted anywhere in 70 years!

Of course . . . . yes, other loads are readily available from 180s to 310s if I ever get that notion in my head for trying them. Well, as a “fast fact check” – the 180s are TTSX and I’ve shot them as well as these: 200gr Hornady, 225-X, 225 NP, 250 Hornady and 300 Barnes O. And the 300gr Barnes at 2355 fps has been in a stock cartridge holder alongside the 225 AB as it shoots to the same POI at 100 yds as the 225 AB at 2840 fps. That 300gr is a bear stopper at feet and inches! The 225 AB would need leave the barrel at 3140 fps to equal the 300gr in momentum! The Traditions G3 has a long throat and no magazine, so the 225gr AB has a COL of 3.45 inches allowing more powder room and higher velocities than “normal” from CFE-223, the ideal powder for that bullet – at least in my experience so far.

Recommendations: (assuming handloads)

• For average hunting of BG to 500 yds, the .35 Whelen lacks nothing in “punch” compared to the .300 Win Mag. And that includes “big” bears and moose. At close quarters, say from 50 yds to 150 yds, I’d prefer it for those game over any .300 mag.

• If I knew the terrain of the hunt and knew that a shot on BG might exceed 500 yds or so, I’d choose the .300 Win Mag.

• Recoil will be similar for each depending on actual loads and rifle weights.

• The Whelen has a potential advantage in handiness, depending on barrel lengths and custom jobs vs factory made.

• The Whelen is more efficient in the use of powder that will also be of a sightly faster burn rate. My best results are from CFE-223 and RL-17.

Conclusion: Today, no longer does a .300 mag of any persuasion occupy space in my gun locker. The handy, tough and relatively light single-shot Traditions G3 in .35 Whelen easily handles any .300 mag job, plus that of a .338 Win Mag with absolute confidence! And I’ve only begun to explore its full potential!

The .300 Win Mag is renowned for accuracy, and I bear witness to that. The .35 Whelen has potential for excellent accuracy, but that may take a bit more work. But certainly it is plenty accurate for the jobs required of it at its limits.

Regarding the main question in the minds of some: Which would I recommend in a choice of one of those two? I think I’ve already answered it for myself as a handloader – it would be the .35 Whelen by a slim margin. If I were not a handloader, choices would be limited to factory ammo from Hornady, Federal, Remington and Sierra for the .35 Whelen. In regard to the .300 Win Mag, there are multiple sources along with many more choices in styles, weights and premiums. Either choice would get their jobs done with any advantage belonging to the .300 Winchester Magnum in regard to factory products in both rifles and ammo. Manufacturers of rifles have been slow to offer them in .35 Whelen, based somewhat on the sales of factory cartridges in .35 Whelen. But, in my view, that’s a poor gauge of interest among potential buyers. On the other hand, interest is very high among handloaders who hunt larger game like elk and moose, and dangerous game like bears and the big cats. So it’s a chicken/egg syndrome. Better education/promotion of the .35 Whelen – and factory ammo availability would result in greater sales. So far, the .35 Whelen is still an insider’s too-well kept secret. That issue is gradually improving but still needs more and better exposure. “Everyone” is selling and/or buying .300 Win Mag rifles and ammo. It’s hard to compete with that if it’s still perceived that the .35 Whelen is a step behind and “old school” – which in itself is “old school” and narrow-minded thinking!

Till the next . . . .

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

What is the Maximum Safe Pressure of My Handloads ?

First off, I’m not speaking as a novice, but with forty-three years as a handloader of cartridges from the .22 Hornet to the mighty .458 Winchester Magnum. And apart from less than a handful of blown primers, I’ve yet to expand or fracture an action – still having no intention of testing the strength of any rifle action for the sake of science.

Officially, we are told to obey instructions and warnings in handloading manuals, and to not exceed loads listed as maxium as terrible consequences could ensue! And, as a novice, I mostly obeyed that, taking it seriously. But time and experience march on, including handloading for a variety of rifles and cartridges in the use of a variety of “reloading” manuals – which often don’t agree on “maximum loads” or their results, despite all being members of SAAMI.

So some of us experiment with different combinations of primers, powders, cases and bullets which often throws manual recommendations out the window! The saving grace of manuals is that they all agree on the most important issue: READING EXCESSIVE PRESSURES!

Of course, while blowing up a rifle is a rare experience, and reading maximum pressure should occur long before such a catastrophe, the publishers of those handloading books are prone to extreme caution because 1 in 10,000 might ignore the blatant signals of overmuch pressure and actually blow up something! But you’re not that 1, and neither am I. . .

I watch for signals of over-pressure – which may vary from rifle to rifle of the same chambering:

• Heavy bolt lift or extraction.

• Flattened primers with a black smoke smudge around the edge or onto the face of the case.

• Extractor imprint or mark.

• Loose primer pocket that doesn’t hold a fresh primer tightly.

• The number of times a reloaded case may be safely used. (Some want to reuse the same cases ten times, but that depends of how “soft” or “hard” the factory cases might be and whether the loads were a certain degree below “maximum” for that batch.)

• A measurement of the case heads (in front and against the belt of a magnum case) using a micrometer after the first firing. In doing this conscientiously, over 40 years, I’ve discovered with careful measurements that any increase in psi will give an increase in case head swelling of a particular lot. And, consistently, beyond a specific measurement (for a particular batch of cases) there will be signs of over-pressure. But that “specific measurement” may vary with a different Lot No. for the cases. There are those with a reputation to guard, who poo-poo this, but yet the manuals are consistent re: the use of these signals as worthy indicators of incipient over-pressure in lieu of a pro lab.

• Yes, and I check manuals, especially in the use of a new-to-me cartridge, powder or bullet, as a starting point. I haven’t trashed them all – just yet. But I don’t treat them as “gospel” either as they may contain several anomalies. Just as a single instance: NOSLER 9 manual lists StaBALL 6.5 as faster burning (429 in their list) than RL-17 (437) and H4350 (452). Every other list I’ve seen puts it slower than not only RL-17 but the various 4350s including H4350. Hodgdon sets it at 138 in their list with RL-17 at 134 and H4350 at 133. And in my recent use of it in the .375 H&H under the 300gr TSX and 300gr Sierra, it is significantly slower than RL-17. It takes an additional four to five grains to match RL-17’s results.

As an example of the above points, I’ll rehearse the recent history of my latest acquisition in a rifle: The Zastava M70 in .375 H&H, which I’ve owned since February 2023.

This wasn’t my first .375 H&H. I’d owned a Winchester M70 way back in 1991. It wasn’t new but a “like new” push-feed that went both moose and bear hunting in using home-brewed ammo. It was accurate and powerful but I disliked its weight. At a “gun show” in Toronto, I’d swapped a Sako FS Carbine in .338 Win Mag for this rifle, plus a few dollars cash. The Sako Carbine was both handy and powerful (using my handloads), but the two-piece wood stock couldn’t handle the recoil and fell apart . . . and again after repairs. Then a fiberglass stock cracked that was replaced under warranty. So when traded for the Win 70 in .375, the two stocks went with the .338. But the Win 70 in .375, after a couple years, was too heavy for what I wanted compared to the previous Sako FS in .338. But I’d learned a lot (not everything) in reloading that .375 H&H.

Identical to my former Sako FS in .338 Win Mag, except this one has a 2″ longer barrel and is in .375 H&H.

Several years later, I thought left-handed bolt-actions would be better for me as one who had to shoot from my left side due to a childhood accident to my right eye. But all my bolt-action rifles to that point in time had been for right-handed shooters. So I traded 3 rifles for two. One of the two was a .375 H&H in a Browning A-Bolt LH with an SS barrel and action. The other was the same in a .300 Win Mag – each having 26″ barrels. Each was fed handloads. The .300 was flawless in every way: function, accuracy and ballistics. The .375 H&H was not! After more handloads were tried than ever in a new rifle without success, the barrel was shortened to 22″ that revealed the bore was off-center and nothing could cure that. So plus $100 and it went back to the dealer for the same in .338 Win Mag that became my .340 Wby Mag. But I’d learned a lot about handloads for a .375 H&H, and that one would give an honest 2700 fps from RL-15 and IMR4320 (book loads) firing 300-grainers from the 26″ barrel.

Now back to the current .375 H&H.

My very first load was from bullets left over from my last – the Browning A-Bolt LH.

A 250gr Sierra BT over a “max” dose of CFE-223 in new Rem brass and lighted up by WLRM primers = 3017, 3018 and 3005 fps for three. That load would shoot into sub MOA. That is until I ran very low on them from a used box. But more couldn’t be found so I turned to the 250 TTSX, which is much longer, taking up space that should be used for powder. The result being I had to reduce that load by SIX grains – that’s 6! – with a loss of 200 fps!!! Not the fault of the rifle. . . . but marketing demands caused by those who think all copper is best! So, word has it, that SIERRA has purchased BARNES! Trends are NOT always good!

Obviously, I disagree with many modern trends, not only in morality and politics, but also in some goods and services. All that with, in my situation, double or even more in costs! And who can calculate the costs in morality and politics?

Aww . . . , well, that’s an aside from our theme, but not totally! They’re all inter-related, and PSI is affected! Of course, since the modern era of smokeless powder for military purposes, rifles have been built to withstand very high pressures for much higher velocities from smaller calibers and lighter bullets. Maximum factory loads are still limited to 28,000 PSI for .45-70s being respectful of some vintage rifles still in circulation since the black powder era. But modern .45-70s can easily digest 40,000 PSI, and some single-shots at least 60,000 PSI ! Then there are some “modern” cartridges that are rated at 65,000 PSI! And rifles made for them must be proved at close to 100,000 PSI. But the weak link is always the brass cases that will show signs of over-pressure long before that. That’s why we MUST pay attention to “signs” of excessive pressure that have already been identified.

“The FOOL has said in his heart, There is no God“! (Psalm 14, vs 1) Little wonder then, that society is being reshaped by fools!

I was in a treestand on private property in 2013 watching a bear bait at 135 yards across the uncut grass of the field, under a small tree that stood in isolation from the woods beside and beyond it. It was a pleasant late afternoon in mid-September – and still an hour or so before the sun would dip below the treeline. Alone – but not alone! On a whim, I looked up and spoke to my Father above, and without meditaton or further thought said: “It would be nice to see some wildlife!” A bear wasn’t in my thinking, but it seemed appropriate for wildlife to give a final touch to the scene before me. In less than a minute a doe walked out of the woods followed by a buck right in front of me! An unbeliever would ascribe that to “chance” or “luck”. But I knew better: You see, I knew God could do that though in six previous years I’d never seen a deer anywhere on those 200 acres! The doe near the middle with the buck (partially obscured by the brush) near the left edge of the pic – taken from my treestand.

It wasn’t deer season and I didn’t have permission to hunt deer there anyway. About 1/2 hr later, on “impulse”, I turned to my right (my blind side that I rarely turned to in that location) and there stood a coyote – also the first and last I’d seen on that property – though I’d hunted with permission there for eight seasons – a farm no longer in use as such.

So thoughts and attitudes determine character, and character governs actions in all we do and say – that includes hobbies, jobs, relationships, money. . . . everything, including how “hot” or “mild” we load our rifles as handloaders. And that means “safety first” in handloading, shooting and hunting, for others’ sake as well as our own! But when our results don’t agree with their results (the manuals) we have the right to say: “That was their results, not mine!” -not inferring thereby that ours are necessarily wrong or superior – or even better! Just different, but they’re ours! And we’re proud of them if they do what we need or want, or even exceed our goals and expectations!

I also have a conscience that I listen to once in a while, and don’t “rush” anything without some knowledge and experience. But also being logical is a major dimention in both thinking and action. That’s why when I pioneered loads for my Ruger No.1 in .45-70, and also for the Ruger No.1 .45-70 LT (long throat that proved to be safe but not previously published by anyone out of fear of rejection, scorn, disaproval or worse!) I knew that the Ruger No.1 in .45-70 had the same action that was used for magnums and other Big Bores like the .458 Winchester Magnum. Logic said it would capably handle the same pressures as those as long as the brass cases could. So then, it was a simple issue of applying the same principles for .45-70 brass as for .300 Win Mag brass, as one example. If the brass held up reasonably well for several firings, then all was good. Also, previous lab tests of newly manufactured .45-70 cases revealed they easily withstood 70,000 psi without breakdown, and could be used for several firings at high pressures common to magnums in the 60,000 + range. So, rather than “obeying” the SAAMI standard of 28,000 psi as max, I went to +40,000 for my Marlins based on Elmer Keith’s work – as far as I know he was a pioneer in that for several older cartridges, including Winchester’s lever-action in .45-70, according to a very old Gun Digest in my possession from the 1950s.

But nothing like 40,000 psi (cup) was being found in any reloading manuals for a 400gr at 2000 fps from a Marlin or Winchester. And even manuals that gave loads for the Ruger No.1 in .45-70 were well below even 50,000 cup. Hornady still publishes a couple of loads that are “ancient” for the Ruger No.1 in .45-70, claiming 50,000 cup as max – but it’s not even close to that! Lyman published a similar load for the 500gr Hornady but was less than 40,000 cup. A Ruger Rep told me, when asked about the strength of the Ruger No.1 in .45-70, that it was comparable to the .458 Winchester Magnum, though he wouldn’t give a specific number for PSI, as he said it was against their policy.

As to manuals, there is some cheating that goes on, in self interest of their products. I’ve cited examples of that in past blogs so will not go into more details here, but we need to be aware of that.

Perhaps the most important thing about manuals and books on handloading (I refuse to call it “reloading” because we start with new components, not old used components) is “how to” and what to watch for. Today, we have a section on “burn rates” but every manual/book will vary in their lists, while admitting that such a list is not “fixed” as there are too many varibles that affect burn rates – such as what cartridge is being loaded, how high the pressure of the load actually is, and the gun itself, as well as ambient temperature and the heat of the barrel which all impact the actual burn rate.

Even after forty-three years of handloading rifle cartridges from small to large, there’s room to still grow and learn because of new powders and bullets, as well as new cartridges and rifles. And that’s NOT to say that I know all there is to know and experience from those I have most experience with – they still challenge me. And that’s good, otherwise I’d get bored and loose interest.

The three new Remington cases in .375 H&H all passed my specs after their first firing. These were the last fired at the range to verify POI for the bear hunt – the 300gr Sierras at 2674 fps over 81.5 grs of StaBALL6.5/WLRM primers. Case head expansion was perfect.

And today (Thursday, Sept 12), I toted it to my bait site and this is what I found:< The orange tote was gone! It should have been where the dark-brown patch is near center-right of the pic. The log is there and the various sticks and branches that held the lid on and the setup in place! But I’d caught a glimpse of it down over the side in the gully below.

< The bear tried to take it home with him, so I knew the direction from which he came. He even left it upright with the cover nearby! He even took the cover with him! When I used 5 gal white plastic buckets, I’d eventually find them weeks later! The blue bucket carries the groceries for the orange tote. That’s the .375 H&H against the tree. So, I have a bear shopping for bear grub! That’s what it looked like when I left the scene today, Thursday, Sept 12/24, near noon as I had a committment at home. Do you know that “the” bear pulls those long sticks and branches out of the tote with his teeth and claws? The marks are clear! They go completely through to the other side and out! And bears are “dumb beasts”? Not in my experience of hunting them for four decades! As I’ve previously stated in these blogs – they can figure things out and solve problems!

Have a happy one!

Till the next . . . .

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

The .30-06 vs the .300 Win Mag – two Popular .30-Calibers. Which is Optimum?

Somewhat arbitrarily, I’ll assume that someone is pondering that question for themselves. Obviously, these .30-calibers are not Big Bores, nor are they even Mediums, but I venture once in a while into what I reckon are Sub-Mediums.

And why not? These are two of the most popular big-game rifles still available in today’s market. Since I check Epps Sporting Goods (one of the largest and oldest in Canada) for their offerings in rifles on a regular basis, the ol’ .30-06 is still a very popular item, with the .300 Win Mag not lagging far behind. And these two have lots of competition from others in the same class that are considered worthy deer, bear, elk and moose cartridges: the .270 Win, .308 Win and 7 Rem Mag, as examples of other well-liked all-around cartridges. But while a few newcomers in that class have eaten some of that popularity, they have yet a ways to go before taking over that grouping!

The .30-06 is still a favorite with some hunters for particular reasons:< A Savage Hog Hunter in .30-06 with a 20″ barrel. An ideal close-range rifle for bears and moose as well, but still has effective reach to 400 yds if wanted using the right ammo. But it’s not considered a “stopping rifle”.

• Practical manufactured hunting ammo is readily available from several sources.

• Rifles in bolt-actions, both right and left handed, single-shots, pumps and semis in new and used versions are plentiful. In addition, custom models are common.

• Generally, it’s adequate for anythiing they hunt or want to up to elk and moose, as well as African plains game.

• Lots of components and information for handloaders.

• Friends and/or family may have been a strong influence.

• Recoil is tolerable.

• “Everyone” has one – it wouldn’t “look good” if they didn’t.

• History from wars, and “tails of the outback” greatly contributes to nostalgic senses.

And how could a “late-comer”, like the .300 Winchester Magnum, compete with that? Of course, Winchester at the time (1956 – 1963) was developing a series of magnums that were filling niches, some of which were occupied by foreign manufacturers, such as the two H&H’s – the .300 and .375. Whatever all the reasons, America was ready for their own .30-caliber magnum; Ne: a .300 WINCHESTER magnum! There was not only power in the cartridge but also in the name!

It was introduced in 1963, based on the .338 Winchester Magnum (1958) with the shoulder moved forward by .156″ and the case lengthened by .120″. It surpassed the .300 H&H, .308 Norma Magnum and .300 Weatherby Magnum in popularity, and became a very successful 600 and 1000 yd target cartridge, as well as a sniper rifle in the US military.

And, of course, due to its popularity, competitors sprang up from everywhere. . . including Winchester itself with their .300 WSM.

I’ve owned six bolt-actions chambered for this famed cartridge – one in left-hand. That’s more rifles for the same cartridge than any others except in .45-70 chambered in ten. (There were two others chambered for .300 mags: a Weatherby and a Norma). All were handloaded, including the .300 Wby and Norma (and all 10 in .45-70.)

< One of my .300 Winchester Magnums second from left – a Savage that performed admirably and with fine accuracy from all handloads.

In all, I’ve owned three .30-06’s, the last was re-barreled to .300 Win Mag. My first ever handloads were made for the first two .30-06’s. So I have a pretty-good estimate of both the .30-06 and .300 Win Mag’s ballistic capabilities. But I’ll have to say in that regard, I’ve far more experience with .300 Win Mags than .30-06’s. In the .30-06 M70 Winchester that was my 2nd rifle in .30-06 (the first was a M98 converted military), I mostly used 165gr Sierras and Noslers for deer hunting. In the .300s I’ve used a greater variety for developing handloads and hunting loads: mostly 180s, 190s and 200s.

So, as with the .30-06,

The .300 Winchester Magnum is still a favorite with some hunters for particular reasons:

• It can make use of heavier bullets at long range – to 500 – 600 yds on elk and moose.

• It can make use of heavier bullets at medium and short range with more effect than a .308 Win or .30-06.

• In power it has a 200 yd advantage over the .30-06 shooting the same bullet. What the .30-06 can do at 100 yds the .300 Win Mag can do at 300 yds, and what the .30-06 can do at 300 yds the .300 Win Mag can do at 500 yds; what the .30-06 can do at 400 yds the .300 Win can do at 600 yds. . . . and so on.

Consider this: (from Nosler’s #9 Reloading Guide)

Barrel: 24″ H-S Prec.

Cartridge: .30-06

Bullet: 180gr AB

SD = .271

BC = .507

MV = 2819 fps/3176 ft-lbs/ -1.6″ (from 62 grs of RL-22) Zero at 250 yds.

100 = 2647 fps/2800 ft-lbs/ +2.87″/ wind drift = 0.63″ (10 mph cross wind)

200 = 2481 fps/2461 ft-lbs/ +2.35″/ w.d. = 2.5″

300 = 2322 fps/2154 ft-lbs/ – 3.82″/ w.d. = 5.8″

400 = 2168 fps/1878 ft-lbs/ – 16.5″/ w.d. = 10.6″

500 = 2020 fps/1631 ft-lbs/ -36.5″/ w.d. = 17.09″

OBSERVATIONS: Who would have guessed this kind of impressive performance from a .30-06 forty to fifty years ago? At 300 yds, 2154 ft-lbs from a 180gr. Numbers like that were reserved for a rare few magnums like a .338 Win Mag!

But these kind of results are now expected due to two phenomena: New thechnology in bullets and powders. Bullets have much improved B.C.’s, and improved powders both in how they burn (and resist temp variations) granting higher MVs at safe PSI.

NOSLER’S 200gr AB in .308″ (from the same #9 manual and .30-06 data)

SD = .301

BC = .588

MV = 2688 fps/3208 ft-lbs/ -1.6″(From 58 grs of RL-22) Zero at 250 yds.

100 = 2543 fps/2872 ft-lbs/ +3.16″/ wind deflection = 0.59″ (10 mph cross wind)

200 = 2404 fps/2565 ft-lbs/+2.53″/ w.d. = 2.3″

300 = 2268 fps/2284 ft-lbs/ -4.13″/ w.d. = 5.27″

400 = 2137 fps/2027 ft-lbs/-17.6″/ w.d. = 9.62″

500 = 2010 fps/1794 ft-lbs/ -38.6″/ w.d. = 15.5″

• In Phil Shoemaker’s sig line, he has this to say of the .30-06: “Anyone who claims the .30-06 is not effective has either not used one, or else is unwittingly commenting on their marksmanship.”

• Phil was and is a professional with firearms: handguns and rifles, and has won competitions, plus being a sniper in the US Military. So those facts should be kept in mind. Not everyone is a Phil Shoemaker, and I’m among those who are not. The question then is: If someone can’t fully use it’s potential, then why switch to a more powerful rifle? I’ll attempt an answer to that in the next segment that deals with the .300 Winchester Magnum, and why it’s so popular.

The .300 Winchester Magnum

• Since we’re comparing two popular sub-mediums in .30-caliber using identical Nosler bullets from 24″ test barrels, and since the observation has been made, based on Nosler’s own data, that the .300 Win Mag has a 200 yd advantage over the .30-06, I’ll start with the MV of the .300 WM, then at 300 yds and finally at 500 yds for each in the 180gr AB and 200gr AB in comparison to the above results from the .30-06 at 100 yds and 300 yds. That will demonstrate the 200yd advantage the .300 Win Mag has over the .30-06 when “apples to apples” are compared.

The 180gr Nosler AB (zero at 250 yds)

SD = .271

BC = .507

MV = 3160 fps/3990 ft-lbs/ -1.6″

300 yds = 2625 fps/2754 ft-lbs/ -2.97″/ 5″ wind deflection

500 yds = 2322 fps/2117 ft-lbs/ -28.3″/ 14.5″ w.d.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The 200gr Nosler AB (zero at 250 yds)< The 200gr Nosler AB on the right of a 286gr Nosler Partition in 9.3mm. The .308″ Nosler AB 200gr is longer (and slimer) than the 9.3 (.366-cal) giving it a very high BC of .588. It has a bonded core.

SD = .301

BC = .588

MV = 2989 fps/3969 ft-lbs/ -1.6″

300 yds = 2625 fps/2754 ft-lbs/ -3″/ 5″ wind deflection

500 yds = 2301 fps/2117 ft-lbs/ -28.3″/ 14.5″ w.d.

• Those numbers from the Nosler #9 manual reveal the .300 Win Mag can do at 300 yds what the .30-06 can at 100 yds. And, equally, at 500 yds it basically matches the .30-06 at 300 yds. And at equal distances, it hits with a significantly harder punch than the .30-06 is capable of.

• That’s why I’ve chosen a .300 Win Mag over a .30-06 in a lifetime of hunting.

• That’s comparing “apples to apples” and not “oranges to peaches”!

• If everything in the world worked according to “ideals”, then a .30-06 in the hands of “the Perfect Shooter-Hunter” could no doubt manage 85% of most hunting situations of big game. But, alas, there’s no such thing as a “Perfect-Shooter-Hunter”, and far less than “perfect world hunting conditions”. . . . . . like the wind and weather that seems to have an independant mind without regard for the perfect plans of the perfect hunter. Then, there’s that mirage on hot days that makes the animal move and dance to its own whims when reason says that’s not so! And then there’s the troubling fact as reported by many “perfect hunters” that the animal decided to leave the premises just as the trigger was “squeezed” – I’ve had that one happen and I’m not even “a perfect shooter-hunter”! Then there’s always the possibility of the game being farther away than planned for, and adding a twist to that, it’s at a bad angle facing a steep ravine! And so on. . . . So I’ve chosen rifle cartridges that can beat or reduce some of those odds – the .300 Winchester Magnum being a longtime favorite!

Till the next. . . .

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

Comparing Two African Greats – the .375 H&H and the .458 Winchester Magnum

Over time, I’ve owned three of each. But for reasons known only to The Almighty, I’ve more interest in them today than ever in the past.

My current “collection” is one of each: The Ruger No.1H in .458 and the Zastava M70 in .375 H&H. Both are nice looking with good walnut, well balanced for smooth handling ready to hunt, and heavy at 10.65 lbs for the .458 with 3 cartridges (1 in chamber and 2 in a stock cartridge holder), and 10 lbs exactly for the .375 with 3 in the magazine.

I’ve owned the Ruger No.1H in .458 since 2018 and the Zastava M70 in .375 H&H since late February of last year (2023), soon to be a full year. Both have digested multiple handloads (many more in the .458) and gone hunting. And both have yet to be bloodied.

Since my main big-game hunting over the past few years has been for black bear on somewhat remote Crown Land, in untamed forests, that’s not exactly the same as shooting whitetails on open farmland where a hunter can pick his/her shots among ten or so. And in my case, I’m hunting solo with no guide within miles!

Plus, there’s the issue of my well-being at 88 yrs. So I’m more cautious at this stage and don’t stay on site until lights are out – if you know what is meant by that, and I’m sure you do!

But I have killed bear with a .458 Win Mag – three of ’em if I’m recalling correctly. I’ve yet to kill game with a .375 H&H though it’s not for lack of trying (for both moose and black bear).

With that as a background, I’ll bring you up-to-speed on a few current handloads for each, and suggest what will likely be used this spring season (May 1st to June 15). Yet I much prefer the fall season (Sept 1st to Nov 30th). That’s 3 months vs 1 and 1/2 in the spring. The fall season can be more relaxed with 2x more time to “get-er-done”, with practically no biting bugs. For about a month – middle of May to June 15 – there are swams of the biting black flies, followed by swams of mosquitoes! Then we have those dreaded deer tics in the spring. Haven’t yet seen any in fall hunts.

While African hunting is usually in mind when discussing the .375 H&H and .458 Win Mag, yet both are employed for larger North American species – the .375 being popular in Alaska. Though that’s news print, yet in fact the .458 comes out of the closet far more often than realized or mentioned.

The pros and cons of each for hunting anything from wild hogs to elephant: not that I’ve personal experience with either, but I have developed handloads for each that would suffice. The largest and most dangerous game I’ve hunted with some success is bear and moose. Bear -including blacks – are predators that have killed lots of people including hunters, and maimed others. Moose are still on my list as potentially dangerous, and on average the largest hunted mammal of North America.

I’ve killed each and don’t consider either the .375 H&H or .458 Win Mag ill-suited for such hunts. So the next step is to make an honest comparison of the two: Their strengths and weaknesses (if any).

First up: The .375 H&H (the elder of the two). It dates to 1912 from the famed Holland & Holland Co. out of London, England. Other than that, I’m not about to discuss it’s long history in global game hunting. Short history: It has seen success on all animals from varmints to elephant. Yet factory ammo and bullets for handloaders have tended toward the larger and most dangerous species. But a 235gr soft point with a rounded nose has found favor for smaller cervids, larger cats and canines.

Today, I have a couple boxes of Barnes famed TSX’s in 235gr. I’ve read they’ve been successful on elk. Pushed from my 22″ Zastava at 3050 fps/4855 ft-lbs, they shoot into MOA. But their range is limited for expansion to ~ 400 yds (1850 fps) due to a rather poor BC of .270 – depending on the creature being targeted. Even at 1850 fps impact it may fail to expand on a light-bodied deer, depending on angle and where hit – it may pass through with most of its energy going into dust, gravel, sand, trees, bush or another animal beyond. So if I ever use it for hunting I’d want to make sure of the background.

I once shot a smallish bear using a 350gr TSX from my .458 at 2750 fps. At 100 yds the bear was well hit frontally in the chest but went the farthest of any bear (including much larger ones hit frontally) that was hit lethally – the bullet – a 350 TSX/.458 – impacted at ~2450 fps, never expanded but made exit in front of the right hip. The young bear went 75 yds in a semi-circle, ending up at 40 yds behind the bait. I’ve dropped much larger bears on the spot from .45-70s and .458 using flat-tip SPs. So the “right bullet” matters more than KE alone if the bullet is “too hard” to induce upset at impact. From all evidence, including how far that small bear travelled, where hit and internal evidence, that 350gr TSX/.458″ never expanded in toting over 4600 ft-lbs KE at impact – most of which buried itself in the background. On the same shot, a .30-30 would likely have done better.

So the choice of expanding bullets for particular game and other circumstances (such as regional environment), is the most important choice. They must expand to at least 1.5x, and 2x is better, at whatever the range of impact. Secondly, for adequate penetration regardless of angle, they need to hold onto at least 60% or more of their unfired weight.

Ergo: I recommend testing of bullets in media before testing them in animals. OR, accepting the recommendations of experienced hunters of a variety of game under varying circumstances. But don’t accept, carte blanche, the recommendations of a single person who may have an axe to grind if their focus is mostly big tough game, using big-tough bullets! The TSX bullets are TOUGH, and may fail to expand if their particular weight is ill-suited for an impact velocity essential for creating full expansion on certain game at its range, angle or any other circumstances such as a screen of light brush that may cause a bullet to wobble or tumble at impact with the game.

<These are 350gr TSX bullets in .458″. The one on the right was tested in media at over 2700 fps from about 15 feet. While it passed through the media ( 2 boxes of dry books and dry magazines) it hit the edge of two 2″ softwood planks between the boxes and was lost in the background for a full year until found by a metal detector.

It has been mentioned by several worthy witnesses, that some TSX’s have failed under particular conditions: the wrong application for a particular hunt, or hitting a soft body broadside without hitting hard bone. That’s a major reason why the TTSX was born, and some with wide cavities at the point for slower cartridges. This saying bears merit: “The TSX’s need velocity” for good expansion at impact. It’s a complicated issue: They have poor BCs so to be effective at longer ranges they need higher MVs – and that means a lighter weight than normal for a lead core bullet to have the same impact velocity down range. While they may hold onto most of their weight after impact, will that be more than a premium heavier bonded core bullet that has a better SD and BC, and consequent overall weight retention?

That’s why a cartridge like a .30-30 seems to kill deer above its rank due to the bullets made for it. They work as well or better than more powerful cartridges at woods’ ranges because they expand on impact, yet do not over-expand due to an impact velocity that doesn’t overstress the bullet.

It’s a balancing act of SD, BC, MV and bullet construction.

The same thinking is essential for success from a .375 H&H and the .458 Winchester Magnum. So a variety of projectiles is necessary if they are to be used on small to large and dangerous game. Sure, we can use 300grs in the .375 and 500grs in the .458, for FUN, but more fun comes from reduced loads and/or reduced weight bullets – and there are several for both cartridges.

But, my honest conviction is that the .458 is more versatile than the .375 in selection of appropriate bullets: we shall see! And for this essay, I will select manufactured component bullets, though homemade cast bullets may be made for either.

The .375 H&H

235gr TSX

SD = .239

BC = .270

MV = 3050 fps/4855 ft-lbs/ -1.75″

50 = 2879 fps/4326 ft-lbs/ +1.00″

100= 2717 fps/3853 ft-lbs/ +2.67″

200= 2405 fps/3019 ft-lbs/ +2.34″

300= 2115 fps/2335 ft-lbs/ -4.05″

350= 1978 fps/2042 ft-lbs/ -10″

400= 1847 fps/1780 ft-lbs/ -17″

*NOTES:

• Depending on the animal sighted, if it’s a light-bodied deer this bullet may fail to expand if hit broadside beyond 300 yds, passing through with little damage to vitals. Barnes now makes a TTSX in 235gr that slightly improves downrange ballistics. Otherwise, I’d not hesitate to use it on bl. bear up to 200 yds with good placement. To me, there are better bullets available at 200 yds and beyond for deer-size game (200 – 300 lbs). The issue, again, is enough impact velocity for full expansion. While the 235gr TTSX can be started at impressive speeds, yet that MV deteriorates rather quickly due to poor aerodynamics. Frankly, I think it’s best suited to woods’ hunting.

250gr TTSX – my current all-purpose load, though my initial choice was the 250gr Sierra, but I ran low on them and couldn’t find more. They (Sierras) were very accurate at 3000 fps.

SD = .254

BC = .424

MV = 2900 fps/4668 ft-lbs

50 yds =2795 fps/4337 ft-lbs

100 yds= 2693 fps/4026 ft-lbs

200 yds=2496 fps/3458 ft-lbs

300 yds=2307 fps/2955 ft-lbs

400 yds=2127 fps/2510 ft-lbs

500 yds=1954 fps/2120 ft-lbs

• To me, this is the best all-around .375″ bullet Barnes offers in its TSX line for North American hunting and most of Africa. The 270gr LRX is slightly better for longrange shooting, depending on MVs of each. Some attain 2800 fps for the 270 LRX, and I can get +2900 fps from the 250 TTSX. But the BCs of each are close at .424 for the 250gr TTSX and .449 for the 270gr LRX. The 270 LRX carries about 100 ft-lbs more energy at 500 yds but the 250gr TTSX is 2″ flatter shooting at that range.

300gr Nosler AB

SD = .305

BC = .485

MV = 2700 fps/4857 ft-lbs/ -1.75″ (zero @ 250 yds)

50 yds=2612 fps/4545 ft-lbs/ +1.34″

100 yds =2527 fps/4252 ft-lbs/ +3.15″

200 yds =2360 fps/3709 ft-lbs/ +2.58″

300 yds =2199 fps/3222 ft-lbs/ -4.24″

400 yds =2045 fps/2786 ft-lbs/-18.3″

500 yds =1898 fps/2398 ft-lbs/ -40.6″

NOTES:

• If there is any .375-caliber game bullet made for long-range game shooting, this would be it. Yet there is one other and it’s a Cutting Edge 300gr Maximus. It’s monolithic so will be longer than the Nosler AB. and may not attain the same MV as it will take more space in the cartridge that should be reserved for the best propellant. Nevertheless, I plan to check it out.

The .458 WINCHESTER MAGNUM

As most of my readers are aware by now, mine is a Ruger No.1H chambered for that cartridge, and of the three I’ve owned in .458 Win Mag, it’s my favorite.

• I’ll not go into further details now as to why it’s my favorite, except to say that’s found in recent blogs. And the buttstock isn’t the original but a gift from Doc Ron Berry. The original (had a red rubber buttpad) developed hairline cracks where it meets with the action. That was caused early on from using a Lead Sled for testing loads. Again, a big thanks to Ron for his kindness. I’ve never used the Lead Sled since! Note the Mag-Na-Porting near the end of the barrel. They were already there when I traded for the rifle. I’ve not been disappointed. It’s a great rifle chambered for a great cartridge. If I’d had it earlier in life, I’d never have needed any other big-game rifles as a handloader. Though it does require adequate conditioning both physically and mentally to fully enjoy its character and capabilities.
• My intent is to use it as my main rifle for bear hunting this spring hunt (May 1st to June 15). Not absolutely sure of the load yet, but expect it to be one of the two I’ve loaded for bear in the past: the 250gr MonoFlex (solid gilding metal with hollow point topped with a red rubber pointed tip. In a stiff test in media it held onto 94% of initial weight) at ~2685 fps/4003 ft-lbs. The range to bait is rather short at around 40 – 50 yds. The other load is a 405gr Rem at 2085 fps backed by the 400gr Barnes Buster at 2100 fps – they shoot to the same POI at 100 yds.

• 
• < At 50 yds for three 250gr MonoFlex at 2685 fps. I have two loads for that bullet. Both give about the same MV and are very accurate: 69 grains of H4198 = +2700 fps, and 65 grs of A5744 = almost 2700 fps in my rifle. The A5744 load was suggested by Doc Ron Berry. Those, of course, are far from max, but more MV from that bullet with it’s poor BC would be meaningless.

Recently, I made a statement in my blog writing that the .458 Win Mag would not likely be used as a moose gun beyond about 400 yards. That was not giving due credit! So I’m presenting one load only from my rifle in .458 Win. That load will embarrass many others at 500 yds, including the .375 H&H!

Bullet: 404gr Shock Hammer (And a big thank you to Doc Ron for his labour is designing and finally persuading Hammer Bullets to produce and market this best of the best for the worthy .458 Winchester Magnum!

SD = .275

BC = .419

MV = 2590 fps/6019 ft-lbs - That MV is the same as I got from the original Barnes 400gr X-Bullet in .458″ from my Ruger No.1H, so there’s no reason to think I’d get less from 4 grs more weight! (Recently, I published this same load as 2580 fps. That was from a general recollection of the number written down at the range on June 11/19. It was 2581 – that last diget I couldn’t recall so called it 2580 fps. So this time I looked it up in my notes and with correction to MV it was 2590 exactly.)

50 yds =2490 fps/5560 ft-lbs/ +1.79″

100 yds =2392 fps/5133 ft-lbs/ +3.76″

200 yds =2204 fps/4355 ft-lbs/ +3.01″

300 yds =2023 fps/3672 ft-lbs/ -4.93″

400 yds =1852 fps/3077 ft-lbs/ -21.4″

500 yds =1691 fps/2566 ft-lbs/ -47.8″ (TE = 109- the average of my old formula plus a new one discussed on the 24hr campfire thread on “The great .458 Win Mag. . . ” = 2700 – 2800 lbs of soft-skinned animals – as a guideline only.)

Recoil from my 10.25 lb rifle with scope + 4 cartridges (one in chamber and three in stock cartridge holder) = 10.75 lbs = 49.1 ft-lbs. For that much power and effect, that’s rather mild. . . in part due to the Mag-Na-Porting that reduces it by ~15%. Even at this stage of life, I can manage that (enough for sighting-in, and then practicing a few rounds from offhand).

By comparison, the 300gr/.375 H&H load (2700 fps) from my 10 lb rifle ready to hunt with 3 cartridges in the magazine = 44 ft-lbs. Will 5 ft-lbs less matter enough to choose the .375 H&H over the .458 Win Mag? In my estimation, that wouldn’t score enough points in favor of the .375 H&H to chose it instead of the .458 Win Mag – if it came down to that.

The .458 would use 78 grs of propellant vs 77 grs in the .375. Differences in ready-to-hunt weight would be 3/4s of a pound in favor of the .375.

Overall length is 39.5″ for the .458 vs 43″ for the .375.

The Ruger No.1H in .458 is technically a single-shot (but up to six can be close at hand in the stock cartridge holder), while the .375 H&H is a magazine-repeater that holds three.

There is no doubt that in terms of ultimate ballistics that the .458 holds the upper-hand. A 500gr at 2300 fps has a momentum of 164. The .375 firing a 300gr at ~2700 = 116 mom. Plus the SD of a 500gr/.458″ = .341. A 300gr/.375″ = .305 SD.

The CSA (cross-sectional-area) of a .458″ = .165 sq-in. CSA of a .375″ = .110 sq-in.

All matters considered, a .375 “anything” can never equal a .458 Winchester Magnum in effect when objectively compared.

A sampling of .458-cal bullets I’ve tested in handloads- and some in media. This is not a complete list. Several have taken game from .45-70s and .458s.

Yes, there’s a 350gr Woodleigh available in .375″, but also a 550gr Woodleigh available in .458″, and I have some of those.

The .375 H&H will shoot a 300gr Nosler AB, a 300gr Sierra SBT and a Hornady 300gr SP-RP a bit flatter than a .458 Win will shoot the 404gr Hammer bullet – but when each arrives on live game at 500 yds, the contest is over!

Till the next. . .

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL