I'm in the early stages of planning a trip to Africa within the next two years and need advice on a rifle and caliber. I looked at the CZ American in 375 H&H and a Ruger #1 in the same caliber. I've been reading about the Ruger Hawkeye in 375 Ruger and everything I see is good except for problems with the stock cracking.I have a .338 Win mag that would be fine for plains game but since it would be my first and possibly only trip to Africa I just want a safari rifle. Is there a big difference between the 375 H&H and the Ruger? Thanks for the help and I fear this is the first of many questions that I'll need help with. PaLuke

Luke, you don't need a .375 unless you are going after dangerous game. For plains game, your .338 will be perfect.

If you are planning to hunt buffalo, however, then you will definitely want at least a .375, and giving you advice on what to choose is easy.

Just pick up a good .375 H&H Mag. bolt action rifle. If budget is a concern, a CZ 550 or a late model Win. Model 70 can be had for a fairly good price these days.

Then send the rifle to a good gunsmith for a going over, i.e., for glass bedding, smoothing up the action and ensuring reliable function and feeding, and mounting a good, low powered, variable scope.

The Ruger version of the .375, IMHO, adds nothing significant to the H&H and I would not bother with it.

I could manage to be happy for the rest of my big game hunting life if I could have just a .375 H&H Mag. of the kind described above.

Thanks for the reply. Your opinion on the 375 H&H is well taken. My next questions will be posted on the African hunting forum. Thanks again for the info.......Luke

What game will you be hunting, and where (what sort of terrain)?

George

buy a CZ in 416 Rigby or 458 Lott and be prepared for anything on the earth.

Rich
DRSS
Knowledge not shared is knowledge lost...

quote:

Originally posted by mrlexma:
Luke, you don't need a .375 unless you are going after dangerous game. For plains game, your .338 will be perfect.

If you are planning to hunt buffalo, however, then you will definitely want at least a .375, and giving you advice on what to choose is easy.

Just pick up a good .375 H&H Mag. bolt action rifle. If budget is a concern, a CZ 550 or a late model Win. Model 70 can be had for a fairly good price these days.

Then send the rifle to a good gunsmith for a going over, i.e., for glass bedding, smoothing up the action and ensuring reliable function and feeding, and mounting a good, low powered, variable scope.

The Ruger version of the .375, IMHO, adds nothing significant to the H&H and I would not bother with it.

I could manage to be happy for the rest of my big game hunting life if I could have just a .375 H&H Mag. of the kind described above.

Why not Ruger?
Because it's made in America?
Because it outperforms the HH?
Because it's less expensive?
Because you don't have one?

If you haven't been around a .375 Ruger and shot it a lot, you can't just write it off out of hand. That is being misinformed and myopic.

Just my 2 cents.

Trophyman

you probably have more 375R ammunition in your reloading room than all of Africa is why! With the ammunition cost and legal hassles in Africa, most all PH's welcome the gift of remaining ammunition when your safari is complete.

Rich
DRSS
Knowledge not shared is knowledge lost...

[QUOTE]Originally posted by GeorgeS:
What game will you be hunting, and where (what sort of terrain)?

I'm just starting to look into different packages.What I would like is a cape buffalo hunt over a multiple plains game hunt. What sort of prices could I expect to pay for a buffalo hunt? I guess the best scenario would be a buffalo and kudu hunt. Thank you for the reply.........Luke

Luke,

Expect to pay over $10k for even a short buff hunt. Then there is airfare, trophy fees for other game, gratuities (if warranted), dipping & packing fees (if you want the trophies shipped home), transfer fees (for the trophies), documentation fee, freight, etc.

George

quote:

Originally posted by GeorgeS:
Luke,

Expect to pay over $10k for even a short buff hunt. Then there is airfare, trophy fees for other game, gratuities (if warranted), dipping & packing fees (if you want the trophies shipped home), transfer fees (for the trophies), documentation fee, freight, etc.

George

Sounds like $25,000 to me....

Thanks for the replies. I never thought 10K for a buff hunt but I guess it doesn't really suprise me. I'm 51 years old and hunt as much as I can here in Pa. and have been out west maybe 8 times and just want or need to go to Africa. I grew up reading about it and about 2 weeks ago I went to a new friends house to see his African trophies and was truly impressed. I'll never have a trophy room like his but I got to go hunt and see at least part of the continent. I mean a plains game hunt isn't a bad thing and I'm sure it will fulfill a new desire.Is joining SCI a good place to start to look for hunts? Should I be posting these questions in African hunting? Thanks for the replies......Luke

PaLuke,
Joining SCI will not really help or hurt in your efforts to learn about hunting in Africa. There are 5000+ safari companies in South Africa alone, Namibia is likely at about 500 or more by now. Zimbabwe is a crazy place but is economically and has great areas and tradition. Zambia and Tanzania are really not the places for a first timer due to cost and being dangerous game destinations. Botswana is expensive but is safe and offers great hunting. Mozambique is open again and offers some great hunts as well.

First thing to do is read all you can and search the African Hunting Forum for answers to questions. I doubt you can think of a question that has not been asked numerous times here.

Next, go to one of the hunting exhibitions if you can - Harrisburg, PA hosts a good one, Dallas Safari Club and the Houston chapter of SCI host good/great shows, then there is the big one in Reno that SCI hosts. There are hundreds of safari companies and agents at those events.

If there is an agent in your area, try him or contact one of the several good agents on this forum for help. It costs nothing and the really bad agents were run off this board long ago.

For starters, think about what you want to hunt and how much money you have to spent. Count on a minimum of $10,000 for a basic trip to South Africa or Namibia (airfare, 5 to 7 animals, shipping of trophies, minimal taxidermy work). Costs go up from there. The good news is that you need no special clothing and you will be treated like royalty far exceeding anything you have experienced in the US or Canada.

Enjoy the research!!!!

Thanks for the replies. I live fairly close to Harrisburg,Pa and go to the outdoor show just about every year, only this year I'll be stopping at the Safari exibits with a purpose. 10,000$ is a very lot of money but I'm not getting any younger. I guess it's my mid-life crisis and I chose Africa to quiet it. Thanks again for the replies and God willing,I'm going to Africa. Just one more thing, I decided on a 375 H&H in either a CZ 550 or a Ruger # 1 Tropical. Thanks again..

quote:

Originally posted by PaLuke:
I guess it's my mid-life crisis and I chose Africa to quiet it.

Once you go to Africa you will find yourself wanting to go back

Actually, for Plains Game, a .30-06 is all that you need, BUT, if you decide to go for dangerous game, by all means go to the .375 H&H. I love a .338, but when I can get by with a .30-06, I will.

LLS

The Ruger in the .416 or 375 is you best bet..Don't worry about the stock cracking because any bolt action rifle in a big bore caliber should be glass bedded and cross bolted, not a major expense and the best insurance around..

The combo of your .338 and a .416 is pretty hard to beat and you can hunt anything on this planet with that combo..It has been my number one choice for many years...

The CZ in 416 Rigby is not a bad way to go, IMHO

If you are planning a plainsgame hunt and money is an issue, than pass on the 375. I know that an African hunt is a good excuse to add to your gun collection, we've all done it, but the $1,000, or more, that you save by passing on the 375 will buy you a couple of additional trophies. Your 338 is more than enough for plainsgame, hell a 30-06 is plenty.
If you do spring for the 375 I would opt for the H&H simply because or tradition, but I'm sure that the Ruger would work just as well.

I was looking at the new Browning X bolt on their website and was wondering what your thoughts were on the Brownings. The one I was looking at was the X-Bolt medallion in 375 H&H. Checking out the different posts it seems like everyone has or had a problem with the Hawkweye or the CZ. Thanks for the replies.PaLuke

quote:

Originally posted by sierra2:
Actually, for Plains Game, a .30-06 is all that you need, BUT, if you decide to go for dangerous game, by all means go to the .375 H&H. I love a .338, but when I can get by with a .30-06, I will.

LLS

The 7mm Remington mag works well, also, excluding eland and giraffe. A .375 with 270 or 300 grain A Frames will kill anything you might be hunting and the 270 grain load just about duplicates the '06 180 grain load, ballistically speaking.