OK, this will stir up some responses I suppose.

Title says it all.

Jack O'Conner said it was the Queen of the medium bores.

Many authors refer to it as the best all round caliber for African hunting.

So, is it the King or the Queen of African cartridges?

I've taken more animals in Africa with my 375 H&H (13), except for my 338WM (22), than any other cartridge (9 different cartridges).

Me? I'd have to lean to the King's way of thinking. It can successfully take everything in Africa. Not the best choice for the biggest of the big five, nor the best choice for the smaller PG either, but it will do it all, comfortably. Proven by hunters of many thousands of Elephants, and on down the animal list.

Queen? I think not. King!

( Before I get burned at the stake from all the big bore fans, I will admit I like 40+ calibers for the big DG, and so far my favorites are the 404 Jeffery and the 458 Lott. But I have taken a couple of Buffalo with my 375 H&H, one shot each except for unnecessary, but intelligent, insurance shots, and watched other clients take Elephant with their 375 H&H. And then, of course, there's Saeed...)

So, what say you?

Don't be shy...

One rifle, one planet, Holland's 375.

.375 Ruger what a modern 375 rifle should be.

Definitely the queen. Just like the chess piece, she can do anything.

The 375 caliber IS king of the field.

The 375 H&H is fantastic.

But, due to the belt, I prefer one without.

That is exactly why I designed my own, the 375/404.

It does everything the old Queen does, just better.

quote:

Originally posted by surefire7:

Queen? I think not. King!

So, what say you?

Don't be shy...

Agreed.

Hail to the King!

The 375 CALIBER is KING!

The 375 H&H is the QUEEN.

My 375/404 is PRINCE CHARMING

Ah! But the 375 WBY has no flies on it either. A 300 gr bullet at 2750 fps of a 270 at 2900+ fps pretty much does it all and shoots a little flatter than the the great old 375 H & H.

Mark

I have 4 375s: 3 375 Rugers and a 375 HH Winchester Alaskan 2012.

Love them all.

Short of the nostalgia, the .375 Ruger is King of the 375s, but you can't over look Nostalgia, its the stuff fame is made of in the gun world..that said Ive moved on and my pick is the 375 Ruger..It bothers me but Im getting over that..The H&H suited me for many years

Actually the King is the 30-06 and always will be the the best all around caliber in history..

Ray, you sure have come full circle in your hunting life to falling back in love with that 30-06! And I would agree with you it's the king,...if we're talking NA.

But for Africa, I'd have to stick with the 375 H&H, and that, mainly due to ammo availability. However, I like the 375 Ruger as much as you: Standard length, no belt, faster round, but MAINLY, the light weight and small lithe stock of the Ruger African rifle. Wow, 7 3/4 lbs. with a small grip and for end. I own (3) of them, all with no brakes and barrel band front swivels.

On the other hand, my Dakota Safari in 375 H&H is so beautiful, accurate, and small gripped as well, that with the ammo issue in Africa, it is all I have taken there in that caliber. Some day, I need to take my 375 Ruger there.

I just can't envision myself hunting Buffalo or Elephant with a 30.06, nor would it be legal, so I can't see that round as the king in Africa. The 375 is not only legal, but effective as well, as I know you already know, for DG. And, I have shot some very small PG animals with my 375. SUCH a versatile round for Africa.

I still believe it rules at the throne!

quote:

Originally posted by JabaliHunter:
Definitely the queen. Just like the chess piece, she can do anything.

Ha! Well said. Good analogy.

Never thought of it that way before.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
The 375 CALIBER is KING!

The 375 H&H is the QUEEN.

My 375/404 is PRINCE CHARMING

I like that Saeed!

The only reason that I still put Holland's 375 as king is ammo availability. And as Ray said, nostalgia. But the biggie to me is the ammo.

I also see your preference for the 404 case with no belt. Myself, not being a reloader, is why the beltless 375 Ruger appeals to me, plus the other characteristics I mentioned above.

Having made my choice for the title of 'King of all Bores', the 375 H&H, I am still in love with the 35 Whelen!

...and the 338-06, 338WM, 9.3x62, 9.3x66....

I just love the medium bores.

I don't know why exactly but for me Africa, and hunting just can't be natural, proper or categorical without the mighty 375 H&H in hand. The cartridge is a great shooter, not overly fussy shooting different bullet weights, a delight to reload with RL15 and probably capable of taking any game Africa offers. Hunting Africa with my 375 H&H and the huge confidence I have in this cartridges' capabilities gives me an enormous dose of warm fuzzies.

Once again that old conversation, "If you could only have one." 375 H+H fits the bill.

quote:

Originally posted by NormanConquest:
Once again that old conversation, "If you could only have one." 375 H+H fits the bill.

True.

To me, comparing the 375 H&H to my own 375/404 is like comparing an adopted son to one you have of your own.

I designed it.

I built it.

I use it.

Both are great.

But one is that much better.

I was adopted and equally loved. You can find equal love in your heart Saeed for the H&H.

I told everyone I was the only and CHOSEN SON of Robert K.

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:
I was adopted and equally loved. You can find equal love in your heart Saeed for the H&H.

I told everyone I was the only and CHOSEN SON of Robert K.

I do.

Got a BRNO 550 in 375 H&H last week.

But it will never be the same as my own creation.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:
I was adopted and equally loved. You can find equal love in your heart Saeed for the H&H.

I told everyone I was the only and CHOSEN SON of Robert K.

I do.

Got a BRNO 550 in 375 H&H last week.

But it will never be the same as my own creation.

now if you got a blaser r8 in 375h&h it would be the son you always wanted

Mike

Practical lacks romance...Is the 400 Karamojo (375hh necked to .411”) is the Prince? 400 G&H? 400 HH?

quote:

The 375 CALIBER is KING!

The 375 H&H is the QUEEN.

My 375/404 is PRINCE CHARMING

I have two 375 H&Hs. Yes, I must disagree with Saeed. I do agree that because of ammo availability the 375 H&H has to be the KING. The others are queens and I must certainly agree that Saeed's own caliber is, well, his very own prince charming.

I built a 375 Weatherby 15 yrs ago with the purpose of a Alaskan Brown bear hunt. Well finally going this Fall.
Started with a stainless mod 70 375 H&H. A lot of mods to the barrel, stock, sights, action work, trigger work. Have shot it quite a bit over the past 3 yrs. Found a very sound load with a 300 TSX at 2830 FPS with H4350. Just shoots cloverleafs. No signs of pressure.
I recently opened up a new can of H4350 powder and thru 3 cartridges together with my old load just to check velocity with the new can; (2920 FPS. WOW) Action open smoothly as ever. Reprimed the cases. Primer pockets snug..
That load printed an inch higher and an inch to the left of my tried and tested load.
I dropped the charge back to 2820-30 FPS.
This rifle amazes me.
There are some loads I have for my 375 H&H that will push a 270 TSX at 2850 FPS. Hard to argue with..
Both great cartridges.
I can shoot and have shot an H&H through my Weatherby.

EZ

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:
I was adopted and equally loved. You can find equal love in your heart Saeed for the H&H.

I told everyone I was the only and CHOSEN SON of Robert K.

I do.

Got a BRNO 550 in 375 H&H last week.

But it will never be the same as my own creation.

now if you got a blaser r8 in 375h&h it would be the son you always wanted

Mike

That son would be as queer as a 3 dollar bill.

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:
I was adopted and equally loved. You can find equal love in your heart Saeed for the H&H.

I told everyone I was the only and CHOSEN SON of Robert K.

I do.

Got a BRNO 550 in 375 H&H last week.

But it will never be the same as my own creation.

now if you got a blaser r8 in 375h&h it would be the son you always wanted

Mike

Mike,

I do have several Blasers, including a 375 H&H.

I got all of them by exchange, because their original owners did not want them.

For me buying and using a Blaser is akin to being a raped virgin and having an unwanted child!

Nothing comes even close to being liked.

Don;t sugarcoat it Saeed; tell us how you really feel. Honestly, I have never owned or shot a Balser; might be the finest thing since sliced bread but I wouldn't know. To me their appearance is very unappealing + I suppose I drew my prejudiced attitude from perusing threw Cabela's "Fine Gun Room" on line + finding page after page of them for sale. IMO, that means that they are not very well liked at all for a possible variety of reasons. I saw no reason to pursue it further, as I said, I don't like the way they look.

A proper bolt action rifle is like Charlton Histone.

A Blaser is Kim Kardashian!

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
A proper bolt action rifle is like Charlton Histone.

A Blaser is Kim Kardashian!

Don’t lie Saeed - we all know you sneak in at night and fondle and shoot the blasers

Mike

fondle


That is all you silly pretenders do with them!

We use ours to KILL with!

I think it is the rifle, rather than the caliber, but most of the special shots I remember from African days were made with my Krieghoff Teck .375 H&H O/U rifle. There was the eland, which was crossing in front of us at about 200 yards in a treeless, desert like area in Northern Kenya. It was too far away for me to shoot standing with confidence, we didn't have a tripod handy, and if I sat or lay down, I couldn't see him, so I ended up lying down on top of a bush and shooting from an improvised prone position. At the first shot he turned away and appeared to be unhurt, so I took the only shot available to me, a "Texas brain shot" and he immediately went down. When we arrived on the scene, he was stone dead as a result of the first shot hitting where aimed, in the heart-lung area. The second shot had hit the hip joint and demolished the ball part of the ball and socket. The bullet was still lying in the socket.

The kudu bull as one of a small herd otherwise made up of cows, we encountered driving down a trail in Tanzania. The car stopped, I bailed out, my gun bearer handed me the rifle and the car departed, leaving me standing alone. By this time the bull had herded all the cows into the trees about 150 yards away and was facing away from me at an angle. He paused to look back over his right shoulder and I let off the shot. He took one giant leap into the protection of the trees, and that is where we found him, the 300 grain Silvertip having penetrated below the rib cage and ranged upward, through the heart/lungs area.

That same day, I was sitting in a blind with my gunbearer and my PH's gunbearer, waiting for some action over a leopard bait some 80 yards away. I had my back to the front of the blind, not wanting to expose my face through the aperture, and the gun bearers were keeping watch. Finally, one of them whispered "Chui", to which I inquired "Doumi". "N'dio" was the answer: the leopard was a male. I slowly turned and peered out the aperture. I could see something golden in the light of the setting sun, stretched out on the limb above the bait, a wart hog. Peering through the 3X scope, I identified the something as a male leopard in the act of reaching for the bait with his left front paw, thus exposing his back to me. I aimed at the area between the shoulder blades and fired. Nothing happened, the leopard remained frozen in the same pose, so I immediately fired the other barrel. Still no reaction. "Bas", said one of the gunbearers, "Piga", "Kufa". "it's over. You hit him. He's dead."

Still very cautious, we all exited the blind, I with my rifle, the other two with buckshot loaded double barreled shotguns, and started toward the tree, when suddenly the leopard's hind quarters gave way and fell, leaving the lifeless body hanging over a smaller branch. Inspection showed that the first shot had hit the spine, and the second shot was about 1" away from it.

Finally, on that same hunt, we drove toward a single tree in an otherwise treeless plain where we had hung a bait the day before. We were rewarded with the sight of a pride of lions, with a large male and several females and cubs. As we approached, the lionesses and cubs disappeared into the tall grass, but the male stood his ground. Again, I dismounted, took my rifle and waited alone while the car moved away. One shot at about 75 yards and the lion was down for good. It was almost an anticlimax. The rest of the pride remained hidden.

A total of six shots, two of them standing, unsupported, had resulted in four memorable trophies. All were made with the same Winchester factory load.

xausa,
Thanks for posting,always enjoy reading of your adventures,a couple of questions on the Krieghoff,is the regulation adjustable on the 375 barrel set? how does it shoot for groups past 100 yrds,say 200? thanks.

If I could have only one rifle for world-wide hunting, it would be my stainless M-70 Classic CRF in 375 H&H, with the barrel cut to 22" and back-up irons installed under the 1.75-6 VX7.

It's taken everything from African porcupine to Alaska Brown Bear, and always goes bang.

Dave Manson

quote:

Originally posted by Bill73:
A couple of questions on the Krieghoff,is the regulation adjustable on the 375 barrel set? how does it shoot for groups past 100 yrds,say 200? thanks.

The barrels are theoretically adjustable, but I have never attempted to adjust them and have never targeted it past 100 yards. It is part of a three barrel set I ordered in 1970, while living in Germany, calibers .458 WM, .375 H&H and 20 gauge 3" shot barrels. It has made all my African trips with me, but the .375 barrels have seen the most use.

My God, Xausa, good show!

Now THAT'S a 'Red Letter' day!!

Good grief. A Lion, Leopard, Kudu & Eland in one day.

And all with a 375 H&H...

I too really enjoy your stories and photos. Thank you.

From my reading and understanding, a Kudu in Kenya was quite a rare prize back then. And, he had full curls and the tips look parallel or nearly so. Outstanding. It HAD to have been the best hunting day in your life! It would have been for me by a long shot (pun intended).

Not a lot of hunters can say they've hunted Kenya. Hats off to you. More stories and photos please...

Oh sorry. I reread your story to enjoy it again, and I see the last three were taken in Tanzania. Still had to be the best hunting day in your life.

It's an excellent round .. in an excellent caliber.
the 375 ruger is a better tool

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
A proper bolt action rifle is like Charlton Histone.

A Blaser is Kim Kardashian!

Don’t lie Saeed - we all know you sneak in at night and fondle and shoot the blasers

Mike

A proper bolt action is like Elizabeth Taylor!

A Blaser is like Catylin Jenner!

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
A proper bolt action rifle is like Charlton Histone.

A Blaser is Kim Kardashian!

Don’t lie Saeed - we all know you sneak in at night and fondle and shoot the blasers

Mike

A proper bolt action is like Elizabeth Taylor!

A Blaser is like Catylin Jenner!

quote:

LHeym500
posted 23 April 2021 06:05 quote:

A proper bolt action is like Elizabeth Taylor!

A Blaser is like Catylin Jenner!

Joshua,
Fair enough if you don't like Blasers but the analogy to Caitlyn Jenner is beyond harsh. Blasers are possibly a little alien in conventional rifle terms, and I own two or three, but who the hell can figure out or explain where Caitlyn Jenner fits into the grand scheme of things. Just an abominable being if you ask me.

Saeed, I get your analogy. One was a talented actor who played Moses + others of historical persona while the other was a no talent slut whose biggest claim to fame was marrying a black dude. A different way to pass judgement on rifle styles but you may be onto something.

quote:

Originally posted by 30.06king:
[QUOTE]LHeym500
posted 23 April 2021 06:05 quote:

A proper bolt action is like Elizabeth Taylor!

A Blaser is like Catylin Jenner!

Joshua,
Fair enough if you don't like Blasers but the analogy to Caitlyn Jenner is beyond harsh. Blasers are possibly a little alien in conventional rifle terms, and I own two or three, but who the hell can figure out or explain where Caitlyn Jenner fits into the grand scheme of things. Just an abominable being if you ask me.[/QUOTE


They are both engineering contraptions which are visually unpleasing.

In all honesty, I do not judge. Shoot what you want. Folks can go to bed with whoever they want (consenting adults of course). A little chin music all in good fun.

In my house all rifles are female and shotguns are male.