The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Rifles Big Bores 375 H&H for everything?Go | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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Hi all. While most of you don't know me, I had, as in past tense a bunch of big bores. An unplanned career change and losing almost everything made me sell all but a couple of guns. Now I am able to afford ONE rifle. I can buy a 270 Win. Tikka, a 30-06, a 338 Win Mag Ruger or a 375 H&H Browning A Bolt. Having had a couple of 375's, the recoil is not really a big issue. I sure would love to shoot one at everything between deer and bear or ??? I have a love for big bores All your opinions would be helpful. Hi Rich (Idaho Sharpshooter),if you are out there. Dana CZ 458 Lott, 416 Rigby 375 H&H Remington C shop 50/2.5 BPC | ||
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Find a Winchester Model 70 Safari Express in .375 H&H. If you can only afford one rifle, that is the one to buy. When I realized I was going to go Africa it's what I bought and I still have it. If money is not a real issue then the choice of gunsmith will become one. Others here have experience in the choice of a custom riflemaker. _________________________________ AR, where the hopeless, hysterical hypochondriacs of history become the nattering nabobs of negativisim. | |||
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If you can only afford one rifle, you are not likely going hunting in AK or Africa. Get what you LIKE best for hunting where you are now. If it is a 375, that is fine. But don't buy something awkward for present hunting because you might someday go somewhere you'll need it. And, in a few months, you can afford another rifle anyway. :-) Bruce | |||
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Understand the situation, hang in there. As to your question if I understand your post, you still have a "big bore"? If this is the case I would consider something in the 300 Win Mag class. Works well on anything in the states and does a good job on PG in Africa. Jim "Bwana Umfundi" NRA | |||
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I agree with BCP I'd get one that is good for Idaho. Since I love my .30-06 and .338, I choose those or one of those. If I could only have one of my guns I would have my .338 Win Mag "Let me start off with two words: Made in America" | |||
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If you reload the 375 will do just about anything the others will. But don't listen to me, I use mine on blacktail deer and coyotes   Have gun- Will travel The value of a trophy is computed directly in terms of personal investment in its acquisition. Robert Ruark | |||
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Hellyeah, get a 375. I've used the 375 for everything and don't even have a 30 cal anymore. The 375 has a trajectory that closely matches the 06 and that ain't no slouch either. Used to be 475Guy add about 2000 more posts | |||
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338 win 160 to 300 gr and plenty of speed or weight does it all for north america VERITAS ODIUM PARIT | |||
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I'd have no problem having a one-gun battery of a 375H&H. The round matches '06 180gr. trajectory with a 270gr. bullet. The recoil is a little stouter than a 300 Win. Mag., but from my experience, no more or possibly less than a .338. You can then load it down to at least as light as 210gr. for the smaller stuff and up to 380gr. if desired for the big guys. I think the 375 is overlooked by many because they simply think it's too big. But they simply don't study the round and it's possibilities. If you reload, go with a 375. If weight may be an issue, I'd have no problem at all with the .375 Ruger. It's lighter by a pound or more than your typical H&H. And the Ruger is a very affordable padkage. I'd much rather the Hawkeye in .375 Ruger than an A-bolt in H&H. If you can afford a Win. in H&H, that's the route I would and did take. Good luck finding what you want. I also understand the sudden change in occupation. It takes time to recover, but keep your head down and keep plowing. David Walker | |||
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You won't go wrong choosing a .375. I have shot foxes with mine and brown bear and a lot of game in between including deer and black bear. works great and that big heavy bullet just punches through a fox without expantion so it leaves just a little hole. Having said that I'll say the same thing for a .338 win or .300 win I guess thats why I have two .375's, two .300's and three .338's. DRSS NRA life AK Master Guide 124 | |||
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Go with the 375H&H, it's the real man's 30-06.  **************** NRA Life Benefactor Member | |||
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Versatile and will kill anything. | |||
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I am the wrong guy to answer the question. I use mine on deer & antelope with a few prairie dogs thrown in for good measure. The load I use is the Speer 270 gr BTSP over 70 grains of IMR 4064 in Winchester cases. I took deer and antelope with it this year & I got a 2X3 muley buck at about 300 - 350 yards with one shot. So it will handle the longer ranges. If I was limited to one rifle this would be it because I don't think there is a better round than the .375 H&H. ****************************** There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor polite, nor popular -- but one must ask, "Is it right?" Martin Luther King, Jr. | |||
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Like Wink, if I were you I'd hold out for a Winchester Model 70. I'd go for the .338 Win. Mag. or the .375 H&H Mag. I'd only go for the latter if hunting in Africa were a possibility. Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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I've shot steinbok and duiker with .375H&H as well as javelina, deer, and feral hogs on the small end of the scale. Bit overkill but it works ok. It's a good gun to have if you aren't hunting for a "specific" thing. Some idiots have told me you should only hunt deer when you are deer hunting, etc, but I say "What if I see a nice yummy version of something else?" With the .375 along I'm set, with a .2xx I'm not. | |||
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I think there's a great difference between being able to afford only one and having only one by choice. If you can afford only one then I would suggest the .30-06. The rifle and ammunition would be half that of a .338 and one-quarter of what .375 rifles and ammo go for. If, by choice, you want only one then I would go for the .338 or the .375, depending on which you can handle best and if you plan on hunting anything bigger than elk. I hope your fortunes will make an eventual and substantial rebound. I went through that 20 years ago when all I had to my name was a Colt Python. Namibiahunter  . | |||
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I'd say go w. a 375 Ruger -- the recoils not bad, and the factory ammo isn't really much more than any other ammo -- I wouldn't use it in Africa, but it'd good enough for anything in the North America. The price is pretty reasonable, and about all it needs is a simple trigger job -- my 'smith spend about 20 minutes on it, and it now has a crisp, 2.5# trigger -- the rings actually work quite well also. For double the money, a modern CRF Winchester might be OK, and a pre-64's great, but 4 times the money (almost.) And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor. | |||
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Aglifter, You wouldn't use a 375 ruger in africa? becuase there is something different about a 300 grn .375 cal projectile st 2550 fps when it comes out of a 375hh versus a 375 ruger? 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. | |||
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Sourcing ammo would be a problem. | |||
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Grab that A-Bolt .375 and never look back. I realize that that some would have the alloy components fly apart at will and the bolt jam with a molecule of mud. Oh yeah.........it ain't CRF either, so it's not a DG gun. But I'll bet you this Friday's paycheck that Browning will shoot tighter groups than the 70. Load 'er down for the little stuff and up for the big stuff. Have fun with it.  Founder....the OTPG | |||
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I think Aglifter was saying he would want different ammo for Africa than the current factory loadings, but I could be wrong. ------------------------------- Some Pictures from Namibia Some Pictures from Zimbabwe An Elephant Story | |||
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Could be but sourcing ammo of any kind would also be problematic. There are a lot of cartridges you can wager on finding in any gun shop in Africa. Ruger calibers wouldn't be on that list at the moment. | |||
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If I ever manage to get my schedule worked out, I plan on taking my 375 ruger to Africa -- I'm quite ecstatic w. the gun and the caliber, just not w. the Hornady bullets And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor. | |||
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I'll take that bet...Mod70 target jorge USN (ret) DRSS Verney-Carron 450NE Cogswell & Harrison 375 Fl NE Sabatti Big Five 375 FL Magnum NE DSC Life Member NRA Life Member | |||
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Jorge, I guess the group speaks for itself. I personally would select the M70 over the other production firearms. Focus on the leading edge! | |||
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For production rifles the M70 is hard to beat. "An individual with experience is never at the mercies of an individual with an argument" | |||
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I'll tell ya what, were I going to pick one rifle for the face of this earth, it'd be a 375 H&H. It doesn't really matter what kind of rifle, preferably one you shoot well. I don't really see the difference in being able to afford one rifle, as opposed to only wanting to own one rifle. My dad taught me an old saying - "Beware the man with one gun; he likely knows how to use it." _____________________________________________________ No safe queens! | |||
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Buehler?, Buehler?, Buehler? jorge USN (ret) DRSS Verney-Carron 450NE Cogswell & Harrison 375 Fl NE Sabatti Big Five 375 FL Magnum NE DSC Life Member NRA Life Member | |||
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Not too shabby jorge, looks like you might be onto something.  | |||
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Thanks! I just want to collect on my bet  jorge USN (ret) DRSS Verney-Carron 450NE Cogswell & Harrison 375 Fl NE Sabatti Big Five 375 FL Magnum NE DSC Life Member NRA Life Member | |||
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Jorge, I have to say I'm with you on this one. My Super Express was extremely accurate before any work. Roger Ferrell is doing his magic as we speak, so I really look forward to wringing her out after the trip to the spa. I've heard stories of some of the later models having issues, but these .375's seem to be the exception. Maybe they put a little more time into them, I don't know, but they damn sure shoot. David | |||
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Nice lookin' target, Jorge!! Those are the kind I keep and take pictures of, too. But I've been around long enough to draw my own conclusions and I'm sticking by my assertion. In my experience, the A-Bolts will consistently out-group the 70's right out of the box. I currently own a couple of both (and have had others in the past) and won't be parting with any of them soon. But the A-Bolts get the win. FWIW.......my daughter's Howaby .308 shoots better (out of the box) than any 70 or A-Bolt I ever owned.Founder....the OTPG | |||
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Win mod 70 in a 375 H&H, or a win mod 70 458 win mag converted to a Lott. You can load it down to 45/70 or 416 ballistics, which would be good for all big game both small and large. But, the 375 really gives you more versatility with the smaller stuff. "Sometimes nothing can be a pretty cool hand." 470 Heym; 9.3x74r Chapuis, Heym 450/400 on it's way | |||
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Thanks, Strut, no need to send your paycheck  Seriously, I've always had superb accuracy from my 70s both pre64s and the new Classics. I owned one A Bolt for a short time (a very short time) and I just couldn't handle materials they used for the bottom meatal & trigger guard and that bolt was a nightmare to even consider taking apart for cleaning. You are right htough it was accurate. Cheers, jorge USN (ret) DRSS Verney-Carron 450NE Cogswell & Harrison 375 Fl NE Sabatti Big Five 375 FL Magnum NE DSC Life Member NRA Life Member | |||
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Big Cabin, For Idaho I would probably opt for a .338, but i love the .375 also, so either would suit me.. I have some big bores for sale in those calibers and I live in Filer, so your real close if your interested.. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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Hey Dana, did you get my PM? We are going out to shoot the 550 Gibbs if you can get loose for a couple hours in the morning. Come up some Saturday and shoot my CZ 375, six rounds with one in the chamber. Rich DRSS Knowledge not shared is knowledge lost... | |||
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