I have just gotten my first big bore rifle.I have a Brownming in 375 H&H magnum.I am planning in 2008 for a 10 day hunt in Africa.Wont be going for any of the big5 right off with the first hunt.My question is should i have the rifle equipped with a scope or should i learn to shoot a dinner plate at 80 to 100 yards? Any and all advice and experience greatly appreciated

Robert rob883@yahoo.com

Why not both? I have a 1x4 Leupold on my 375 with Talley quick detachable mounts and my iron sights work when the scopes off.

Robert,

Learn to shoot the plate at 80 yards with the open sights and don't even think of going without a scope if your after plains game. Use the open sights as a back up to the scope(I would also take a spare scope along too) and sight the scope in dead on at 100 yards, also knowing where the bullet impact is at 200 and 300 yards. The most important item...practice shooting the rifle in all manner of positions at various yardages to get to know the rifle inside-out. There is so much advice to be had here your head will spin. The best thing you could do to get things straight is ask "specific" questions that you need answers/advice for.

Woody

Yep, i agree with Frank. Get a set of bases and rings that are easily removeable (there are several types of Quick release) and then if scope goes bust, you can remove easily and use iron sights.

Put a set of Talley detachable rings and a Leupold 1.5x5 on it and you're good to go. This is the set-up I have on my 375's and 300 yard shots are no problem at all. If you reload the Barnes 270 TSX are a good choice.

I agree with the others - get a set of quality QR rings and the best variable scope you can afford. I use a 1-6 on my 375 in qr rings and won't be changing this combination in a hurry. This set up serves me well and covers all situations I'm ever likely to encounter in Africa or here in Australia.

Robert, Welcome to the forums. I think you would do well to shoot both style sights, but for plainsgame the scope would undoubtedly be prefered. Issues like this are often best discussed with the outfitter/professional hunter you will be hunting with. The reason is they will know the area and normal situation which they offer far better than we can guess. Generalizations are just that, go with what you are most comfortable with. Personally, I would also recomend a low powered variable in quality QD mounts. Have a great hunt, and welcome once again.

Just got back from my first safari. Swore I wouldn't shoot more than 150 yards (130 meters). Didn't know where my rifle hit at 200 or 300 yards and didn't practice.

Anyway my first shot was at 220 yards. It was successful.

Next time I go I will practice for further 200 yards and know where my rifle hits. I took some shots at baboons at 350 yards, so I would practice at 300 and 400 as well.

You can say you won't shoot that far, but when the shot presents itself, it will be hard not to pull the trigger.

The advice to use both scope and Irons, is good! Both my 375 H&H bolt rifles are zeroed dead on at "200yds" this has the rifle being dead on at 25 yds as well, and only two inches high at 100 yds,and only 4" low at 250 yds with 300 gr Nosler Partitions, or swift A-frames. This zero gives you a dead center in the kill zone out to 250 yds. Just place the cross hair and squeeze! The Irons are dead on a 100yds!

Your practice should be away from the bench, once you scope, and irons are zeroed, shooting from hunting positions, at rocks and stumps, at unknown distances. You need to always shoot from a full magazine, and learn to work your bolt without takeing the rifle down from your shoulder, and make sure your rifle feeds all the way to the bottom of the magazine, every time! Running into a big Cape Buffalo while stalking a Kudu, is not the time to find out your rifle will not feed properly from the bottom of the magazine!

Have fun, that's what it's all about!

Put a low power scope on it.

pokerguy, follow Macs' advice. Very seldom is he off the mark. I have a question for you, why did you buy the minimum cal. when you could have bought a big bore for about the same money if you shopped around?? No implications here i honestly just wonder why some think a .375 is a cannon. Hope you make out well on your hunt. Charlie.

A 375 with a 270gr will shoot out to 400yds with out a problem..It will drive a bullet thru any animal shot from chest to butt..

Mike

Good advice here. Yes, learn to use your iron sights and get that bead down in the vee! For practice shooting try balloons at distances up to 100 yards. You don't keep moving your eyeball from paper bullseye back and forth to front sight, and they give satisfying evidence of a hit. Use a balloon about the size of a big antelope's vitals.

Scope capability is a must both for longer shots and sometimes in bush to be able to thread a bullet through branches.
Regards, Tim

My 375 wears a 1x-4x detachable Leupold. Perfect setup.