quote:

and higher chamber pressure which is barely ever mentioned can lead to higher probability of case stickings at the worst of time.

If you were talking about the 338 Win Mag vs. the 375 H&H I would listen to the argument because a person might be tempted to overload the 338 to reach 375 energies. But you were apparently thinking about the 375 Ruger. The Ruger has a larger capacity than the H&H so when other things are equal (barrel length, velocity, case brand, primer, poweder) the Ruger
has LESS pressure than the H&H. Yes, the extra 5.5 grain capacity of the Ruger allows it to do whatever the H&H does and to do it with LESS pressure.

The 375H&H is a great cartridge but the 375 Ruger is a great design and it is not fair to accuse it of some of the pitfalls of the 'short margnum (300 WSM, etc)' rounds, where they try to duplicate the ballistics of rounds with greater capacities. In this case it is the H&H with less capacity and the Ruger with the greater. Just keeping apples and oranges in their correct columns.

by the way you don't need to overload a 338WMG.... whatever... A Magnum is a Magnum.... the cartridge and the shell by themself are designed to operate at higher pressure than a standard cartridge to "speak"... You don't need to overload but no needs of underload like most ammo manufacturers did and do....

the ruger is definitely a better designed cartridge than H&H; it's not a shame to agree with that... Technology hopefully brings sometime improvements.... If the WSM family is a marketing freak trend... the Ruger Family is a real step forward....

I've had several .338 Win Mags and .375 H&H's. But my .340 Wby would "beat" them both.

However, my favorite medium today is a 9.3 X 62. And Ray, I disagree that the .375 H&H will shoot "flatter". That is IF we compare "apples to apples".

A 9.3mm 286 NP at an MV of 2550 fps (easy with today's rifles and best powder-- RL-17) shoots flatter than the "upstart" .375 H&H firing the 300gr NP at 2550 fps due to a comparison of their respective BCs: .482 for the 9.3 and only .398 for the .375. And, it will penetrate just as well, or better, when it gets "there", as they have identical SD's.

Bob

www.bigbores.ca

No argument from me Bob, other than I can drive the 300 gr. Nosler at 2650 FPS in a 375 H&H as opposed to my 9.3x62 with a 286 gr. Nosler at 2553 FPS, and that was my reference, not enough to matter IMO but the cross section of bullet is a huge consideration IMO on stopping rifles, and yes, that has been argued but I never understood why!

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Originally posted by luv2safari:

quote:

Originally posted by Dogleg:
I find the .375 to kick less than the .338 as well. Is less abrupt somehow, no matter what the numbers say.

I've shot plenty of both, and I'll get behind a 375 before I will a 338. The 375 pushes the hell out of you; the 338 jabs the hell out of you.

I'll toss my like of the 9.3X62 into this, also. But, for your purposes, a 338 Win is about perfect, IMO.
They are accurate and easy to come by, as is ammo for them, and the variety of truly great bullets for the 338 make it one of the great medium bores of all time.

As Ray mentioned somewhere above, the kick versus shove between the .338WM and .375H&H depends on stock design among other things. The average out of the box .375H&H is heavier than the average out of the box .338WM, and this added weight helps tame recoil. But in reality the .375H&H produces more recoil than the .338WM.

As some have mentioned, for hunting in the US, specially in Alaska, it's hard to beat the .338WM for the following reasons:

a. Ammo. While readily available ammo for both, the .338WM ammo is cheaper than ammo for the .375. Now, these days ammo for either one is quite expensive, but if a box of .225-grain TSXP Barnes costs $70.00 at Walmart, can you imagine how much you would have to pay for the standard factory load with 300 grainers in .375-caliber?

b. While a lot of bear hunting takes place at closer ranges, most moose and caribou hunts require a lot of walking on soft tundra, specially in the interior of Alaska. In this case, even a .338WM rifle feels quite heavy, but still lighter than the average .375H&H.

c. At least in the interior of Alaska, longer shots than usual are required. This is not always the case, but from my own experiences relating to moose hunting, about 50% of the time I had to take longer shots than usual (lots of wide open areas in the interior).

Mark T., I'm always learning too. Most of us are.

Setting the .223 aside as a trainer/poodle-shooter, your .270 would seem to start a serious three-rifle battery for hunting. In North America, next I might think of a .300 Magnum, and then that would lead me to the .375H&H as the final member of the trio. Since I am not a .270 man I might prefer another combination, but you indicate you prefer the .270 and there is nothing wrong with that. Fun to think about this stuff, right?

I have shot quite a few factory .375s and .338s over the years. The .338s always seemed like kickers while the .375s seemed more like "shovers." As one poster said, your choice is probably more about the particular rifle you select than about the caliber.

No brainer answer. Winchester Model 70 in 375 H&H. Speaking from actual experience, I've shot scores of animals with it(including African elephant down to the small African Livingstone Suni, Genet Cat, etc.) and many others all over the world. I also own and shoot three 338's and have killed many animals with that caliber. However, go try to find ammo for the 338s, the 416s or one of the Weatherbys when in need somewhere around the globe, and you'll see why that is one major reason to pick the 375 H&H to buy. The 375 H&H is one of the greatest and most useful calibers ever created for hunting the world. By the way, the huge Leopard in my pic was also killed with the 375 H&H and a Nosler Partition.

In a typical factory rifle the 338 will be a lighter rifle due to the barrel contour.
If I was climbing hills, I would take a 338 all day long for anything in North America.
If you are on flat ground just draw straws or which ever you shoot best.

EZ

Years ago I had a Savage 110E in 338WinMag. It was a sharp smack every time I tapped the trigger. That not withstanding it was an accurate rifle with off the shelf Federal Premium 210gr and or 250gr Nosler Partitions. Sold it to buy who knows what at the time....

Fast forward about ten years to a New Haven Safari Express in 375 H&H. I love this rifle. I used lots of factory ammo before I started handloading this ctg. It never ceased to amaze me how well it shot with just about any brand and/or weight of ammo I fed it.

I now handload for my 375 and use almost exclusively the CEB 235gr Tipped ER Raptor.

I would not feel undergunned for any animal in North America out to about 400yds.

The more I shoot my 375 the more other caliber rifles stay in the safe.

If you can afford it, buy both and see for yourself. Your experiences may differ from those offered here.

I will admit when I found a NIB Remington Sendero in 338RUM I jumped on it, its still in the safe too.

Enjoy shooting whichever you choose.