Not so much for the USA crowd, but for the gentlemen in Africa and Australia and other places where their is big game animals.

How common is the 375 H&H, still being used?

Is it used across the board on all game, or just on the larger species?

While I question the need for magnums in most of North America for most game ( not Alaska, or for some of the Big Bear hunters, or even Elk if that is your cup of tea), I feel that the need for a magnum starts with the 375. I have long admired it and the 416 Rigby from both historical interest and its earned proven reputation. Sure bigger cartridges with more powder even do a little better job. But they offer little more performance and a major increase in inefficiency doing it.

But I also own and shoot, a 30/40 Krag, actually enjoy the old 30/30 round and the old 35 Remington!! For European, I love the old 6,5 x55, 7 x57 and 8 x 57. For my English friends, I like the old 303, but do not care for the old Enfields ( sorry chaps).. . It worked in those days and what is so different now??

I've been living and travelling in some 10 African countries, and the .375 is the most common and widespread caliber you'll meet.

As for other calibers of same diameter having better performances, that's a paper ballistics discussion. On game, you won't see any difference between the .375 and any supa-hypa-Mag.

To tell the truth, I couldn't tell the difference on game between the .375 and the slower 9.3x62 either...

It's a wonderful all-round caliber, good for anything except really going after wounded buffalo or elephant in thick bush, and you can get ammo almost everywhere.

You can't go wrong with a .375 H&H in Africa!

seafire

A lot of 375s are used in Australia, especially the BRNO. However, I would say that 99% of the use is for kangaroos, goats, pigs and of course rocks and trees

If these forums are representative then I think American shooters are far more inlclined to use the "appropriate" calibre for the game in question than is the case for Australians. Possibly because our "white tail deer" is the knagaroo, pig and goat and because the numbers are very large there is not so much importance placed on a particular animal.

Mike

Yep,
There can be only one answer here. The .375 H&H is everywhere, and for good reason. I couldn't say it any better than Philip. There will be at least one in nearly every camp, and ammo for the .375 H&H in just about anyplace you will find sporting rifle ammo.

Gunnutt that I am with many choices to nutt around the veld with, I chose two great safari rifles for my Botswana trip. The .375 H&H took six of the seven critters, while the .416 Rigby was used for buffalo only. There was redundancy in that 2-rifle battery.
Either one alone could have done all chores for the visiting hunter.

seafire

Most Aussies who own a large bore tend to buy a .375 H&H first.

For those who shoot more than tin cans and rocks, some people use them as a preference on Sambar deer. Personally I would rather carry a lighter rifle such as an '06 or a .338 in the Victorian Mountains.

A lot of fellows who plan to hunt larger game in Africa buy a .375 H&H and then use it for practice on roos, pigs, goats etc. Great practice if you can hunt a couple hundred roos, pigs and goats before a safari. Then they venture forth to the Far West and hunt larger antelope such as eland, zebra etc and possibly buffalo. That's exactly what I did after my first safari, I went out and bought a .375 for my next trip. Hunted antelope and buffalo with it. After this trip I went out and bought a .450 double, so here's hoping ....

For a very lucky few they get to take some of the other Big Five.

Of course a lot of big bore hunters also travel to the "Top End" to hunt water buffalo.

Even though other calibres have been making inroads in the big bore area my guess would be over 95% of big bore owners would have a .375 H&H and possibly, only a .375.

[ 07-05-2003, 17:31: Message edited by: NitroX ]

NitroX
How is that new double shooting?
Did my powder recommendations make it to you via e-mail?

NitroX

I think there might be a lot more 458 Winchesters out there than you think (as compared to 375). Horsley Park Gun Shop use to sell them in BRNOs by the crate load. Lots of 458s used with cast bullets and of course the 45/70 bullets.

Mike

Seafire,

people like myself who love bigbores shoot all manner of game with them, a few weeks ago I shot a fox with my cz .375 (it worked ) For me it's not so much the shooting as the caliber I am using. The calibre is important for me and I like to shoot game with calibres I like/interested in.

Here is a 375 H&H page. http://webpages.charter.net/375magnum

Back in the 60's I just had to have a 375! It's the history of it. You can work the bolt and dry fire almost anything with it if your imagination is in gear.

I have hunted game in the USA with mine, shot cast bullets and in general still want to own one.

The bottom line is that you must own a .375!

Mike375

I would imagine there is a fair number of 458's around too. As a guess I would say 1x .458 to every 2 or 3 .375's so perhaps my percentage for .375's is out a bit

NE 450 No 2

I received 3 emails from you on loads and other useful stuff. Thanks for sending them. I replied to those emails. I haven't had a chance to shoot it yet.

About the only place I would not be satisfied with a 375 is in the really thick stuff where your elephant is shot within inches of the barrel and probably in the heart..then I want a BIG gun like a 500 or 577 even better....other than that I could hunt the rest of my life with a .375...I have had excellent luck with it and the 9.3x62, not a lot of difference as far as I can tell.....I suspect most PH's own a 375 and many of them use it for backup rifle..I don't think that is a sound choice for backup.

That said, these days I have become very pleased with the little extra I get from the 416 Rem and 404 Jefferys...I prefer the 40 calibers. I will always have a 375 H&H within arms reach around this house.