I had the chance to shoot a 375 H & H that is for sale. It is a Ruger with a walnut stock and has an older 2x7 Leopold scope on it. Off the bench it does thump pretty good. My question is what can be done to lessen the recoil and I do not want a muzzle brake or Magna port this as the noise factor concerns me.

Paul C

send it to me ill shoot it for you

Unless you plan on using it for benchrest matches, try it as you would use it when hunting, offhand, off of sticks, sitting, etc., before you do anything more that replace the recoil pad (probably needed). You will probably find you don't need to do anything.

For bench shooting as in, sighting in, load development and such, purchase a Caldwell Lead Sled for this type of shooting. The sled is perfect for this type of shooting with any rifle you have a felt recoil problem with. As others have said, shooting from sticks, off hand, and sitting should be no real problem, and of course while hunting you will never notice the recoil.

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

If you reduce your loads to the 2300 - 2400 fps range for the 300 gr bullets the recoil would be significantly less - even more so when you use the 260 g bullets.

Start using the reduced loads until you become comfortable with the rifle and then you can start working your loads up to full potential - if you want to go that way. I've settled on 2400 fps.

There are several things you can do:

1. For all shooting except actual hunting (and sighting in the rifle with the ammo you will use just before you hunt), shoot reduced loads. The newest Speer reloading manual lists reduced loads for their 235 grain .375 bullets.

2. Have a decelerator deviced installed in the rifle's buttstock. This dampens the recoil into more of a long push rather than a sharp jolt.

3. For range practice, purchase a recoil pad or shield, such as those made by Past and sold by Midway USA, that you can wear on your shoulder. I've found these to really take the sting out of heavy recoil.

4. Remember that when you are hunting you will not be shooting from a bench, but instead most probably standing or sitting. Try shooting that way with sticks. It is actually more realistic practice, and your body mass will not be directly behind the rifle.

Hope this helps.

A mercury tube or tungsten bead recoil arrestor fitted into the stock makes an immense difference.

if it is just shooting from the bench that bothers you, just throw a sandbag between your shoulder and the gun

As has been previously said, use the 235gr bullet for practice. I shoot the 235gr speer Hot Core in my Ruger 375 for practice and it does not kick any harder than a typical 12ga with a 3" shell. Also try different powders, I find that Varget feels like it kicks less violently than R15 for example.

matt

It is probably the stock more then anything. My 375 is a pleasure to shoot off the bench or any position. The key is weight and making sure it fits you. My 375 weighs in just under 9 pounds without scope or ammo.

I have a buddy with a ruger in 338 WM and just handling it you can tell it is going to hurt. For me the LOP is too short, the stock is thin and the Ruger recoil pad is like a rock.

Get it set up right and it is no problem to shoot.

Add a pound of lead to the stock. Three quarters pound in a hole drilled in the butt under the recoil pad and one quarter pound in the barrel channel.

The only thing I've found that will substantially cut your recoil without increasing the noise level is a brake made by BP-Technology. In addition, it will eliminate your muzzle rise. I have it on one gun and it works like a charm. When last in Africa my PH loved it and was amazed at how it did not increase the noise level.

Here is a very simple solution. Go find a .458 Lott. Fire 10 to 15 rounds from the bench.

Wait one hour and fire the .375H&H it'll feel like a pop gun. Problem solved.

At the SCI Reno convention I ordered a new 375 H&H from Mark Brown at Brown Precision. A friend was looking at one in a 416 and the subject of how to shoot big bores enough to become comfortable came up. Mark said he reduces the load and shoots like that until just before the hunt, then steps up to hunting loads, re-sights and doesn't shoot too many like that.
I've never been recoil shy and I shoot my 375 quite a bit without recoil reducing methods, however my son gave me a lead sled for Christmas and even though I hadn't used it yet I was intending to try it with my 458's and 416's. Mark said right away, please DON'T do that. He has seen numerous rifles destroy scopes and even bust the stocks at the pistol grips due to lack of rear ward motion. He stated that rifles and scopes are designed with the flex of a person when the recoil occurs and to use a sled with a bag of shot on will prevent that motion and can damage the rifle in just a few shots.
This made sense to me.
Get a good recoil pad and also pad your shoulder. Shoot standing up and / or reduce your loads. Practice with a lighter recoiling rifle. Do all these things but think twices before you use a weighted sled.

Simply get off the bench, and go stump shooting, from your hind legs! The 375 H&H doesn't have much recoil, and is easy to learn to shoot properly! Just shoot from hunting positions after your scope is zeroed. There are no benches in the Bush, so shoot it like you would if hunting, and I think is a couple boxes of full load 300 gr ammo you will be shooting it like a pro!

quote:

Originally posted by MacD37:
Simply get off the bench, and go stump shooting, from your hind legs! The 375 H&H doesn't have much recoil, and is easy to learn to shoot properly! Just shoot from hunting positions after your scope is zeroed. There are no benches in the Bush, so shoot it like you would if hunting, and I think is a couple boxes of full load 300 gr ammo you will be shooting it like a pro!

+1 Mac nailed it, practice. The 375 is a pussy cat.

Keith

if the ruger is smacking you good----I suggest that it is how you are holding the rifle.

do as the above posts suggest, good pad etc.


but the real problem is likely your holding/shooting positions. The Ruger is a fairly heavy rifle and not to bad on recoil.

Try this: assuming your shooting right handed--use your right hand to pull the rifle tight into your shoulder. Use your left hand to push the gun away ( don't acctually push away, just add resistance in that method). Your left elbow should be mildly bent.

second, your feet should be apart slightly wider than the width of your shoulders, standing forward, left foot forward and the right foot turned forward or at a slight angle. Do not have your right foot at a full 180 degree angle from your left foot.
Standing this way, allows you to slightly lean into you rifle, giving you a solid mass behind the gun.

summary, left elbow bent and left arm pushing away, right arm pulling gun into your shoulder snuggly, forward stance with feet wider than shoulder width, with feet turned forward and lean into your gun-

the above will reduce felt recoild a great deal. Many shooters that routinely shoot low power/low recoil rifles develop poor shooting positions- wich is not much of an issue on low recoil, but on bigger bores, such poor grips, shoulder and posture control will allow the gun to kick your ass (shoulder)

note: some shooters perfer to switch the push pull direction, left pulls and the right pushes --both work equally, just try both methods do what fits you best.

Not speaking about our ruger 375, ruger stocks kick the crap out of me. For me they are for too straight back. There is no real solution if that's the issue, just thinking.

I agree with Riaan- dropping from 2550 fps to 2400 fps can make all the difference in the world on your shoulder, and no difference on the animal.

Paul,
The short answer is you get used to it. Follow the advice above and you will get used to the H&H. The only time my 375 bothered me is when I was working up 350gr loads. Other than that, it's just an overgrown 06.

I am breaking a nephew using a 375 Browning A-bolt stainless model. I cast bullets and started him off learning to cast a good bullet. I have an NEI 310gr gas-checked mould and he is currently up to 2200fps with it. He shoots offhand and off the bench, twenty off the bench in 5-shot groups, and thirty in 5-shot groups off of the sticks. By time he can afford to go to Africa with me he will be shooting full power loads and inured to recoil. Actually, he will be at fullbore in another month, then we can go Rockchuck shooting. Learn to cast, then you can shoot for 1/20th the cost of jacketed loads.

Rich
Buff Killer

Tamed

MacD37, Surestrike and Blacktailer: +3 The .375 is a pussycat.

great looking rifle Ann!

I had a CZ550 in 458 lott and it was brutal at the range. I had my gunsmith fit it with a mercury recoil reducer and a good recoil pad and it made a HUGE difference. The sharpness and vibration during recoil was gone.

quote:

Originally posted by surestrike:
Here is a very simple solution. Go find a .458 Lott. Fire 10 to 15 rounds from the bench.

Wait one hour and fire the .375H&H it'll feel like a pop gun. Problem solved.

The .375 is not a hard kicker. I have a .300 RUM that is worse.

I shoot mine off the bench to zero or check zero and then shoot it offhand almost exclusively. I just ran 66 rounds through my 9.5 lb. Model 70 over the weekend. I'm 66 and weigh 175. No problem.

quote:

Tamed

Is that all we get Ann.

Enquiring minds want to know

Sims Vibration Recoil Pad

Are you sitting up straight at the bench or hunched over? You need to set up straight. I hog all the sand bags around and it make a big difference, even w/a .243.

I am surprised not to see mentioned the PAST recoil shield. Many years ago at an SCI convention's silent auction the wife scored on those and frankly it makes shooting the bigger bores a pleasure with normal full power loads. They were available built into clothing or as a strap on...

Oh God! What a bore

What model Ruger was it? Was it a bolt or a Number 1? I hear the Number 1's tend to be bit more punishing everything being equal. In a reasonable weight rifle, with a stock that is close to fitting you, recoil should be ok. My stock's LOP was about 3/4" too short, but because mine is definitely on the heavy side, recoil was mild. Since I'm going up in caliber, I'm fixing the LOP issue with a thicker (XLT) recoil pad. The PAST pad is a good aid off the bench as well (even though some folks give them different names lol)

Good luck,


Chuck

I bought a VRS rest at the recent DSC convention. The rest is mounted on an adjustable tripod and holds the rifles in two solid rests. This rest allows you to shoot from a standing position while still allowing for bench rest accuracy

This product is manufactured by Lone Star field products and while a little pricey, its a top notch piece of equipment.

Will be trying it out as soon as the weather permits.

I agree with some of the other folks, the 375 H&H is not that bad.

I have set thru 20 rounds or more straight with my 375, where with the 340 Weatherby I had, 10 rounds was enough for a site in session.

I have a really bad case of flinchitis with any of my rifles off the bench.

When shooting at hair it is a completely different story.

I own a .375 H&H Winchester pre 64, I put a mercury recoil reducer in the stock and a Kick Ezz recoil pad, and the perceived recoil change noticeable.

Also try reduced loads, if you read about the .375 H&H in the book "Perfect shoot placement" you will find that full loads in this caliber are not always the best.

quote:

Originally posted by surestrike:
Here is a very simple solution. Go find a .458 Lott. Fire 10 to 15 rounds from the bench.

Wait one hour and fire the .375H&H it'll feel like a pop gun. Problem solved.

This is the best advice I have seen on this thread yet, Surestrike hit it on the head!!

quote:

my son gave me a lead sled for Christmas and even though I hadn't used it yet I was intending to try it with my 458's and 416's. Mark said right away, please DON'T do that. He has seen numerous rifles destroy scopes and even bust the stocks at the pistol grips due to lack of rear ward motion.

I shoot all my rifles including a .375 H&H and .458 WM both in Win M70 off a lead-sled all the time. They all have Leupold scops on them and I have not had any trouble yet.

Has anyone actually had a bad occurence with a Lead-Sled???

Not me and I shoot my 375 and 30-06 off a lead sled as well!!!

A lead sled is a good investment.

It happens when people put too much lead on the sled. If you keep it too 50lbs instead of 100 lbs, (like in the commercial) it shouldn't be a problem.....

quote:

It happens when people put too much lead on the sled. If you keep it too 50lbs instead of 100 lbs, (like in the commercial) it shouldn't be a problem.....

But have you experienced it personally or seen it with your own eyes??? I shoot on mine with 100 lbs and have not had a problem.

I am trying to sort the "wives-tales" from the fact.