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New rifle between 270 Win and 375 H&H

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27 November 2009, 22:48
Barend
New rifle between 270 Win and 375 H&H
This is my first post, although I am a regular visitor to the website, and have gained quite a lot of experience by only “observing” Today, I need some advice on a “go-to” rifle between the 270 win and the 375 H&H. The obvious answer will most probably be the 300 win mag or the 300 H&H, but I want something different. I am considering the 300 Weatherby or the 340 Weatherby, both in Accumark.

I think I must mention that I reload my own ammo and I stay in South Africa and the gun will mainly be used in the Karoo and Kalahari for Gemsbok and mountain dwelling kudu where longer shots are the norm.

Any advice would be appreciated.
27 November 2009, 22:54
fredj338
IF you are looking for a long range rig, one of the 30mags is tough to beat. A 340wby would also do well, pretty flat shooting w/ 210grNP, but probably more recoil than needed for PG.


LIFE IS NOT A SPECTATOR'S SPORT!
27 November 2009, 23:15
cobra
A .340 Weatherby is hard to beat for versatility. Mine is a Fibermark and is wonderfully accurate and the best action on the market in my opinion. I was a longtime fan of the .338 WM until I got this one. Count me a convert. Big Grin Big Grin


27 November 2009, 23:53
duckboat
Since neither your 270 or 375 are appropriate for kudu Smiler , I'd go for a 30-06.
28 November 2009, 00:44
Jonathan Tomlinson
Barend

Welcome to the forum, you should get a broad range of responses to your question with a host of experience behind the answers.

Calibre choice is a very subjective matter, and all the calibres mentioned in the replies so far received would be hard to go wrong with.

African travel can at times throw up unforeseen problems, a favourite being missing ammo in transit. Dependent upon where you intend to travel / hunt you may wish to consider a calibre with a "guaranteed" supply of off the shelf ammo, such as .300 Win / 7 rem Mag or .375, the latter may be larger than you wish for but does make sense for the larger antelope, the 7 mag with 160 accubonds or a TSX or the 300 mag with a 165 -180 grain bullet would be good long range numbers. .270 would be good for most antelope but maybe on the light side for a big Kudu bull and Eland.
28 November 2009, 00:47
Dr. Lou
Didn't Jack O'Connor say that he could hunt the world with a 270 and 375 H&H?

Since you already have a 375 H&H, I'd go with a 300 mag. My preference is the 300 WBY. Lou


****************
NRA Life Benefactor Member
28 November 2009, 01:18
raybass
30/06, 7MM STW, 7MM RUM, 8MM/06, 8MM Remington Mag, 8X57, 338 Win.Mag,358 Winchester, 35 Whelen,358 Norma, 35 Newton, 358 STA or 9.3 X62. Doing a lightweight 06 would be cool.


Straight shootin to ya
28 November 2009, 01:23
enfieldspares
quote:
I think I must mention that I reload my own ammo and I stay in South Africa and the gun will mainly be used in the Karoo and Kalahari for gemsbok and mountain dwelling kudu where longer shots are the norm.


Simple! 300 Winchester Magnum or 300 H & H depends on whether you are practical or traditional. It'll do all that you require short of the 375 H & H!

Plus military FMJ bullets for cheap practice...a real bonus as I guess we all like to say money.
28 November 2009, 01:33
TEANCUM
I'd go with the 300 Win mag. They have a great reputation with the long distance shooters for accuracy.
28 November 2009, 02:03
LWD
My immediate reaction is you need nothing in between. If the .270 isn't enough, then use the .375H&H. On the other hand, as others have suggested, a slightly bigger than the 270 with long range potential would be a good choice too. I second the 340 Wby and 8mm Rem Mag suggestions.

LWD
28 November 2009, 02:10
Mike_Dettorre
If you insist on getting a new rifle...get a 338 win mag.

More common than the 340 weatherby and will be plenty flat with 210 grn bullets.

If it was me though...I would save the $1000 on a rifle and scope,

as the other poster said...if the 270 is questionable grab the 375hh


Mike

Legistine actu quod scripsi?

Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.



What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.
28 November 2009, 04:29
Winchester 69
I'll vote for the 8mm Rem because it is a magnum length cartridge, important if your heavy is magnum length.


________________________
"Every country has the government it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre
28 November 2009, 10:21
Barend
Morning all (at least it is morning here in SA).

Thanks for the replies, Mike, I quite liked your reply, it makes one think. To give you some background, an Accumark will set you back between R35 000 and R40 000 (current exchange rate $1 =R7.5). The outcome will most probably be (for the interim- read long gun licensing process) to use 270gr TSX in the 375 as the long range rifle for the bigger animals.
28 November 2009, 10:27
Karoo
I bought a rifle specifically for Karoo kudu and gemsbuck and chose the 338 Win and use it successfully with 225gr bullets.
If I had to do it again, though, I think I would go for a 300 H&H as the 338 Win is a little heavy and powerful.
Accuracy is more important and a highly accurate 338-06 with 210 grain bullets is better than either of the others with indifferent accuracy, I reckon, and can be built light enough to carry in the mountains all day.
28 November 2009, 10:43
RREESE
Like most here, I have lots of rifles including flat shooters with lots of punch like my .338 RUM. I also have a .375 H&H I've used on many plains game species plus a few whitetails. IMO, if you have an accurate .375 H&H (aren't they all? - mine is a real nail driver) you don't need anything else. You are already well armed my friend.


NRA Endowment Member
28 November 2009, 14:18
Johanv
There's nothing that you won't beable to take with a .338wm. Mine has taken impala, kudu and gemsbok at 150-230yards. Great accuracy with 250gr Remnington core-lokts, if you load 250gr Woodleigh PP work perfect. Mine is a cheap Weatherby Vangaurd, trigger needed a little polishing but it shoots great. For the price, very little would beat it.

Cheers
Johan
28 November 2009, 16:54
Homebrew
.338 WM all the way.
28 November 2009, 19:42
buckeyeshooter
Another 338wm fan here also.
28 November 2009, 19:53
MileHighShooter
I am impressed with my 300wby, as well as my old 300wsm and my bros 300Win. But, since you narrowed it down a bit, between the 300 and 340....id say the 300. The 340 is great, but its an awful lot of gun for what you need. A 338win is also a good choice, as some have suggested. Too bad your 270 is likely a 22" barrel, if it was 24" or even longer by some strange chance id pick neither the 300 or 340, and rechamber the 270 win to 270 Wby Mag. Super flat, plenty of power and the smith work may be cheaper then a new rifle, possibly.

Still, my votes goes to 300 Wby.


If you think every possible niche has been filled already, thank a wildcatter!
28 November 2009, 20:41
Pegleg
Another for the 338 WinMag


The only easy day is yesterday!
29 November 2009, 01:44
ar corey
338 Win. Mag.
29 November 2009, 07:33
Buliwyf
.338 RUM or 338/378 Weatherby.
29 November 2009, 08:24
Bent Fossdal
.338/340 is getting very close to the .375.
A hot .300 is what you need, and if the Accumark is what you want, their .300 Weatherby is an easy choise.


Bent Fossdal
Reiso
5685 Uggdal
Norway

29 November 2009, 19:17
Johanv
You don't want more velocity than what you can get from the .338WM. Flat enough and enough energy for anything you are going to take in RSA. Ammo becomes a big issue on any of the other montioned Cal.s Even if you reload. We are quite limited as far as Brass, powder and bullets are concerned. Factory ammo even more so .338WM still not to bad. But the "hot" 300 and other 338's quite a problem!!!

Johan
30 November 2009, 02:55
Big Bore Boar Hunter
338 win mag, argubally the best of the mid bore mags for versatility and knock down power. A 338-06 would also be a good choice, though not as prevalent as the 338WM, it has almost all the knock down, w/o the recoil. Third choice would be a 35 whelen.

John
30 November 2009, 03:40
Blacktailer
Barend,
If you lived in the US I would say it is unAmerican to not own a 30-06 and advise you to rectify that situation ASAP. However, since you are not a Yank, you can be forgiven for not having an 06. To get back to your question, if you REALLY must have another rifle, my vote would be to split the difference caliberwise and get something in the 338 to 35 range. A 338WM is the first thought but the 338-06 or 35Whelen make a lot of sense also. All of that being said, I see no practical reason to own anything between the 270 and 375. As Mike and others have already said, if the 270 won't do it, load some lighter 375 bullets or just go with whatever you have.


Have gun- Will travel
The value of a trophy is computed directly in terms of personal investment in its acquisition. Robert Ruark
30 November 2009, 03:49
Fish30114
I like the 330 range to fill your gap as well, the 339 Win is probably hard to beat!
30 November 2009, 21:54
nordrseta
Any of the 300s you mention would do nicely, as should an 8x68S, if that cartridge can be efficiently supported in the RSA. Since hunting in Karoo and Kalahari is a wide out in the open sort of affair I'd choose nothing shorter than a 26 inch barrel.
30 November 2009, 22:43
mmaggi
Since you are in S. Africa, I would opt for the .375. But the .300 mags are great choice. If you can handle the recoil, the .340 Wby is a fine choice too. Have you considered the .338-06 or .35 Whelen? If you want a little more velocity, how about the .338 WinMag? The .270 will do the job although it's on the light side.

It's all good.
01 December 2009, 03:30
CZ
I am not a huge fan of the modern magnums so my advice is to go with the proven 300H&H or 8mm-06.
I have a German friend, who uses .330 Dakota regularly on his African trips and he swears by it.
01 December 2009, 05:03
rolltop
quote:
Originally posted by duckboat:
Since neither your 270 or 375 are appropriate for kudu Smiler , I'd go for a 30-06.

or a .338-06
03 December 2009, 04:40
wolfhunter 2
The 330 dakota with 210 or 225 will impress you 210 on elk 225 on griz my montana budy has 340 wby same outcome.250gr on buffalo how about a new upgraded 375hh I realy like that cal.how many kudu have you taken.
03 December 2009, 05:06
N E 450 No2
You have 2 very excellent hunting calibres.

The 270 is powerful, and flat shooting enough for all game below elk in size.

The 375 is great for all game elk and up.

So what you need is something that will complement the 2 excellent choices you already have.

So basically you need "something' that will work for elk and up, at longer distance, than the 270 and the 375 H&H.

So wnat you seek is something with the trajectory of the 270 at longer ranges, and more energy at a distance, than the 375 H&H.

Only a few calibres can fill this need.

They start with the 300 Win Mag, the 300 Weatherby, 300 RUM, 340 Weatherby, and the 338 RUM.

Any one of them will work.

A 300 Mag with a 180 to 200gr bullet is a hard choice to beat.

It seems like the perfect middle ground between a 270 and a 375 H&H.


DOUBLE RIFLE SHOOTERS SOCIETY
03 December 2009, 07:03
Alberta Canuck
I keep changing my mind on this one.

If it was strictly for me, and IF I could reliably get bullets for it, as a handloader I'd probably go the old fashioned, classic African rifle route and build or buy a .318 WR...those 250 grain .330" diameter bullets are marvelous.

I no longer own a .318, or I'd even offer to sell you one of mine...would be nice to see it go "home" to work again.

Given modern cartridges and your political and market circumstances, I would select a .300 Winchester. I don't really like the round as much as some other .300s or the 8mm rem Mag, but it will do the work marvelously, and should be available almost everywhere.

And it will bve easy to trade/sell if you find something else later that you want more.
03 December 2009, 10:24
Barend
Thanks for the advice, with all these replies, I have now book a short trip from the 16 to 20 December for 2 Gemsbok (a friend's farm near Kimberley). I am taking to guys with: one with a 338 and the other with 8x68. I will do the shooting and see which one is working for me. I know this approach is not really scientific, but at least is is an excuse to hunt.

Once again thanks for the replies
03 December 2009, 18:53
kayaker
.300win, .300H&H, .338Win. All ammo and brass is easily available in SA (the former 2 made by PMP)

Can you find .300 or .340 WBY brass?

If you go exotic I would choose the 8x68S!


http://orionmind.blogspot.com/
03 December 2009, 19:31
accit
I have a .300 win mag, Gemsbok at 300m can be done. I load 180gr TTSX. Ammo is readily available.
30/06 is also not bad, ammo is fairly cheap and available almost anywhere.
If you like the 338 and can handle the recoil you have a winner!!
Good luck.
I'm off to Alldays 13-20 Dec. Eland/Kudu
03 December 2009, 22:16
Remington720
9.3X62