I posted in Medium Bore about having a 338RUM action and waht to turn it into. First case that comes to mind (for me anyway) is the 375RUM.

I may never make it to Africa but just in case I ever do....I wanted to ask you guys in the know:

What are the downfalls of the 375RUM in Africa? I would assume it would be difficult and costly to obtain 375RUM loaded ammo. Any other issues?

Hey there, what kind of action is it?

If I had a Winchester action in .338 RUM there would be only one choice: .404 Jeffery.

Biscut - IMO, there's no downfall to the .375 RUM in Africa. Its really the only gun I use now for DG, including several elephants, 8-9 buffalo, multiple lions, etc. It can handle the biggest game, and shoots well out to 300 plus yards for long shots on plains game.

My ammo is loaded by John Lasala in N.Y. I use 270 grain barnes x/solids at 2900 fps at the muzzle.

Plus I use it for Bears & moose in AK/Canada as well. Personally, I love it!

I have an HS Precision, and have used it on brown bear, buffalo, and plains game. The only downfall is the not surprising recoil and muzzle blast. Other than that, you need to consider the possibility of over penetration when shooting in a herd.
Brass is available, but it may be a dying cartridge commercially.
I've been loading 300gr Triple Shocks.

I won one at a SCI chapter dinner many years ago. They had only been on the market a couple years and mine came with a tapered barrel that I believe was too thin for the cartridge. It shot the first and second round very close together but always seemed to have the third round impact a few inches from the 1st & 2nd. Not a flyer really but I tried everything, including sending it back to Remington twice, changing the stock, having custom loads developed, etc. to get it to group all three rounds together. I felt this was imperative on a DG rifle (I already had a couple .416Rem and .458Lott that all shot very well). I spent more money trying to get that .375RUM to shoot than I would have had I bought the rifle. Finally used it on a Nilgai down in Texas and then sold it.

I had communicated to Remington that it was my belief that the barrel was overheating from the first two rounds, thereby causing the third shot to deviate. These are very hot loads, even in factory ammo. Don't know if REMINGTON ever went to a bull barrel on the .375Rum or not, but I certainly think that was the problem. A DG rifle should be able to empty the magazine as quickly as possible and still shoot to POA. Other than that, I liked the round. It is loud and recoil is substantial over the H&H.

I think I still have some .375Rum ammo around in my bunker.

It would kill them too dead for my taste! It wouldn't be my first though for elephant, but other thant that I don't know what more you could want......maybe a little less on just a plains game hunt.

Brett

Ya, it does have huge recoil! But my ex-girlfriend shot numerous animals with mine in Africa and she never had a problem with it, so you likely won't either. Besides an elephant can only be "SO DEAD", and mine has shot at least 5 of them, all without the need for a 2nd shot, but of course we did!

AN-

What make is yours and what is the barrel profile?

Lionhunter - Remington model 700, straight off the rack for $700.00. I believe I got it the 1st year they came out, but don't hold me to that. I have never made any additions to it other than reducing the trigger pull, that's it.

Sometime when you have a chance, email me a picture of your lion. globalhunts@aol.com
I would like to see a good, close-up pic.

Aaron: That's why she became your ex-girlfriend! By the way, I would also endorse John LaSala of Safari Arms for custom ammunition. John's a great guy!

AN-

Check your email. I use Larry Barnett of Superior Ammunition.

We have been hunting with the 375 RUM predecessor, the 375/404, for many years.

Our two identical rifles have accounted for several hundred game animals. Including at least 12 elephants, several lions and well over 100 buffalo.

The furthest I have shot an animals with it was over 500 yards.

Some people do complain of the recoil, but once you're used to it you never notice in the field.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
We have been hunting with the 375 RUM predecessor, the 375/404, for many years.

Our two identical rifles have accounted for several hundred game animals. Including at least 12 elephants, several lions and well over 100 buffalo.

The furthest I have shot an animals with it was over 500 yards.

Some people do complain of the recoil, but once you're used to it you never notice in the field.

Hard to argue with those results!!

UEG - I am sure there was way more to it than that, but it probably go it started

Lionhunter: I have also used Larry Barnett of Superior Ammunition, and he too, is good. Saeed: So that's what's wrong with Walter! He's had his brains shook loose by the recoil!

Saeed, does your 375/404 use the original 404 case head size? Remington used the common belted mag case head for their Ultra mag cartridges to ease mass production.

Yes, ours use the standard 404 case. We use both 404 and Dakota 416 brass.

Both work great.

Regarding Saeed's
.375/404 Jeffery U.A.E.
aka ".375/404 JUAE"
aka ".375 United Arab Express":

The exact specs of this cartridge are "Cosmic Top Secret," known only to Saeed.

It has been gleaned from Saeed's postings,
that the .375/404 JUAE using Norma 404 Jeffery brass
is one grain less in gross water capacity than the .375 RUM brass made by Remington.

Of course the predecessor .375/404 JUAE is a much more perfectly designed cartridge than the "me-too" that followed ... slightly longer neck, no rebate, etc. ...

Cosmic Top Secret still on the exact specs, however ...

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
We have been hunting with the 375 RUM predecessor, the 375/404, for many years.

Our two identical rifles have accounted for several hundred game animals. Including at least 12 elephants, several lions and well over 100 buffalo.

The furthest I have shot an animals with it was over 500 yards.

Some people do complain of the recoil, but once you're used to it you never notice in the field.

Saeed with such limited experience on actual game you really shouldn't make claims such as these. We all know the .375 caliber rifles are inadequate for dangerous game hunting.

A lot of information to soak in. Thanks for all the input. 404J certainly seems to come up often. Now why the 404J over the 416J? Isn't there a better selection of bullets and more available brass for the 416 than the 404?

Thanks again....Certainly a long way from deer, Elk, and black bear!!!!!

I am confused!!--- this is an African Hunting forum -- right??-------I thought the lowly push feeds from Big Green had been banned as not being capable of properly killing an African critter ????

.375 RUM is an ideal caliber, so long as proper bullets are used. It shoots flat, hits very hard. Penetrated a very nice buffalo from under the chin, thru the spine, and out the back end. Be careful of overpenetration with solids. Rifle is a Fred Wells using the GMA action.

Aaron, you've got that 270g bullet moving REALLY fast. This comment is from a fellow who considers a 300 gr at 2400 from a 375H&H the absolute comfortable max, so use however grains of salt you think appropriate.

Good hunting.

quote:

Remington used the common belted mag case head for their Ultra mag cartridges to ease mass production.

?????
As specified in my Barnes Manual #4:
.404J rim dia = .5429" case body = .5449"
.375 RUM rim dia = .534" case body = .550"
.300 Wby rim/belt dia = .5315"
7mm RM rim/belt dia = .532"

As to the .375 RUM in Africa, I've took mine to Africa twice. I love it! Like brevex wrote, "It shoots flat, hits very hard."

The two loads that I've used are 300 gr TSX handloads at 3800 fps//5222 fpe and 270 gr TSX handloads at 3043 fps//5551 fpe. Both shoot 3 shot MOA at 200 yds.

My .375 RUM is a Rem 700 stainless with a factory 26" barrel. I fitted it in a laminated stock that fits me, and it is pillar and glass bedded. To tame the recoil, I had a KDF muzzle brake installed on it and I put a mechanical recoil reducer in the stock. It is not uncomfortable to shoot from the prone position.

The biggest downfall that I see in the .375 RUM, is the low availability of ammo.

Let's assume, for purposes of this discussion, that we're talking about hunting truly big and tough, including thick-skinned, game animals at ranges of up to 300 yards, but generally at much closer ranges, as is typical.

Let's also assume that better results are desired, in .375 caliber, than 2,500 fps can provide in that caliber.

Then, IMHO, it's more effective to move up to a larger caliber bullet (say, a .416 or .423 caliber bullet), at the same 2,500 fps or even a bit less than that, than to stay with the .375 caliber bullet and drive it to more than 2,500 fps.***

The same holds true as you proceed up from the forty caliber bullets to the .458s and from them to the .474s and from them to the fifties.

I have climbed this ladder a few times, and seen others climb it, from .375 all the way up to .510 caliber - and, again, this is MHO.

For that reason, in .375 caliber, I prefer the H&H to all others.

***Assuming that recoil continues to be manageable for the shooter in question, of course.

what is the difference between a 375 Wby and a 375 RUM?

quote:

Originally posted by Aaron Neilson:
Lionhunter - Remington model 700, straight off the rack for $700.00. I believe I got it the 1st year they came out, but don't hold me to that. I have never made any additions to it other than reducing the trigger pull, that's it.

Sometime when you have a chance, email me a picture of your lion. globalhunts@aol.com
I would like to see a good, close-up pic.

jeez Aaron, don't you feel inadequate using a push feed to kill all that stuff?

quote:

Originally posted by mrlexma:
Let's assume, for purposes of this discussion, that we're talking about hunting truly big and tough, including thick-skinned, game animals at ranges of up to 300 yards, but generally at much closer ranges, as is typical.

Let's also assume that better results are desired, in .375 caliber, than 2,500 fps can provide in that caliber.

Then, IMHO, it's more effective to move up to a larger caliber bullet (say, a .416 or .423 caliber bullet), at the same 2,500 fps or even a bit less than that, than to stay with the .375 caliber bullet and drive it to more than 2,500 fps.***

The same holds true as you proceed up from the forty caliber bullets to the .458s and from them to the .474s and from them to the fifties.

I have climbed this ladder a few times, and seen others climb it, from .375 all the way up to .510 caliber - and, again, this is MHO.

For that reason, in .375 caliber, I prefer the H&H to all others.

***Assuming that recoil continues to be manageable for the shooter in question, of course.

I can find nothing whatever to disagree with the above post, because they runn the same road as my own opinion!

However, this is a free country, at least for now, and folks may use what ever they choose as long as their choice is legal for the purpose, and place they will be used. That freedom doesn't,however, mean that the choice is the best line to take. Still, if it kills effeciently, and the shooter is satisfied let-er fly!

.................