Decided to go for the extra thump. I need some education here. "Humble"

Whats better and even whats the difference, 375 Weatherby vs the AI???? What one is the better, I also want to be able to shoot standard 375 H&H ammo if necessary? Thanks for the help..
Marc

I went with the Weatherby...mostly for the properly headstamped brass.

Great one gun battery. I used it in Tanzania this year on everything from buff down to impala.

A caseful of H4350 and a 300 TSX gets 2750-ish fps and sub-inch groups.

Do a search...lots of info here.

Can't comment about the AI but you can shoot 375h&h out of a 375 weatherby. My brother used to hunt with a very light 375 Wby. It recoiled so heavily that his PH, Clive Eaton, would hide the weather by ammo so that David had to use H&H rounds. I'm planning to take the rifle on my next African hunt, but I am getting it restocked with a heavier stock.

Wouldn't that be the 375H&H, 375H&H AI and the 357Wby. A 375 Wby is pretty much the same as a 375H&H AI except for the shoulders.

This question was just asked a month or two ago so you might want to do a search.

http://forums.accuratereloadin...451037531#1451037531

my buddy has a 375 improved and it works like a champ. I personally would go with the 375 weatherby because you can find headstamped brass and factory ammo. I was considering the same thing but decided to go all out and go 375 RUM.

I'd go ultramag too. I don't like weatherby's shoulders, just the look throws me, the remington ultramag should give cheaper brass I would think. I have an AI cartridge, and have had others, I don't think they are worth the hassle of fireforming, I don't think the net benefit, loaded to the same pressure, warrants it.

Red

I like the AI, probably because I have one. I always have trouble setting up the reloading dies for Wby cartridges. It's a trim nine pound rifle, plus the scope.

Rich

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
I like the AI, probably because I have one. I always have trouble setting up the reloading dies for Wby cartridges. It's a trim nine pound rifle, plus the scope.

Rich

just like a 375 ruger, on longer! heh

The 375 Wea factory ammo is only available with 300 NPT's however it is a improve NPT with the partition moved forward. Expect +80% weight retention. It also moved that bullet out of my gun (24" pipe) at 2800 FPS. It is a fine long range rig with some get your attention impact. I think it is an outstanding Alaskan bear cartridge.
It does "pop" what it impacts! I have this gun and a few H&H's. You can control the difference in recoil by adding 1/2 lb to the gun if it bothers you.

I have the 375 H&H Ack Imp. and love it. The barrel is stamped 375 H&H AI after the chambering job.
Fire forming is easy with 375 H&H brass. Never
had a "headstamp" problem with this cartridge.
All previous airport inspections went fine,
I can anticipate a problem with FireFormed 375
H&H brass in a 375 Weatherby. The head stamp won't match what is on the barrel. If you go with the Weatherby, you will need to get Weatherby headstamped brass if you are going into Africa. Every country is different and they can change the rules almost at the whimm of the inspector at the airport. Both cartridges are great and the loading data is
virtually interchangable. If you go with a Weatherby it may have more free bore and you could seat bullets a little longer. Check magazine length of course. Always practice safe reloading. Good shooting and good hunting.

Tetonka
DRSS
Big Bore Bolt Trash
Band of Bubbas

Why bother???

Do you think there is a big difference in a 375/300gr going 2550 og 2750 f/s?
The animal wouldn't notice.

The only one would be you, having to cope with a sharper recoil and muzzle blast.
All bullets I've tried do better from H&H velocity than the AI/Weatherby. Better penetration and retained weight. Your rifle feeds better with the H&H, the value holds up, easier to sell(if necessary..) etc...
If you have to do a 30 meter shot, the lower vel is better for the bullet. Don't even think about 300m shots, too risky with either the H&H or the AI...

m

quote:

Originally posted by metric:
Why bother???

Do you think there is a big difference in a 375/300gr going 2550 og 2750 f/s?
The animal wouldn't notice.

The only one would be you, having to cope with a sharper recoil and muzzle blast.
All bullets I've tried do better from H&H velocity than the AI/Weatherby. Better penetration and retained weight. Your rifle feeds better with the H&H, the value holds up, easier to sell(if necessary..) etc...
If you have to do a 30 meter shot, the lower vel is better for the bullet. Don't even think about 300m shots, too risky with either the H&H or the AI...

m

Couldn't agree more. If you just have to go bigger, I'd go with the AI.

MADDOG; Those shoulders on the Weatherby and AI turn into great big speed bumps when chambering rounds.

I have a 375 H&H Ackley Improved, which is essentially the 375 Weatherby, but with a sharp angled shoulder. I fireform from 375 H&H, which it shoots quite nicely. Dies are available from Redding and reamers are out there for the "smiths" to use as needed. I suggest not having freebore, mine doesn't. Freebore has no useful purpose so far as I can tell.

It rapid chambers the second round perfectly, but rarely do you need a second round.

IMO the 375 H&H AI is the single best all around African cartridge - one that does it all. I just returned form Aftrica. Got 9 critters from Cape buffalo to Eland to kudu and springbok at long range. This gun did it all, and with a one-shot kills including the buffalo - frontal shot, thru the brisket, into the heart, bullet recoved in the stomach with perfect bullet performance of a 300 gr. Failsafe fired at ~2900 fps. If you want deep penetration, use a first-rate bullet! Don't worry about the velocity; more velocity means flatter shooting when hunting baboons peaking over a rock at 450 yds or antelope at 350 yds.

Using a 26.5" barrel and 94 grs. of Norma MRP I'm getting 2900 fps at the muzzle (~5600 ft#) with 300 gr. SGK. I'm getting similar velocities with 300 gr Failsafe bullets and 89 grs of Normal 204.

Not bad, but it kicks like a MULE!! It should when generating ~5600 ft# of energy at the muzzle. All I can handle, and indeed, IMO at the limit of what a human being can be expected to handle with accuracy. One tends not to feel the kick, when facing a cape buffalo at 50 yds.

It is is accurate as well. Hard to imagine you need more for anything on the Planet Earth. Regards, AIU

quote:

Originally posted by Ackley Improved User:

IMO the 375 H&H AI is the single best all around African cartridge

A whole lot of folks think the same thing about the plain vanilla 375.

I've owned several standard 375 H&Hs and a couple of the Weatherby version. If the extra 200fps matters to you I can recommend the Weatherby w/o hesitation. Factory brass with proper headstamp is made by Norma, loading is easy and feeding has never presented a problem in either of my two M70s. The debate about the extra speed being useful or not has raged for 50yrs and will likely never end. I like mine, try one and decide for yourself.

quote:

Originally posted by John S:
I've owned several standard 375 H&Hs and a couple of the Weatherby version. If the extra 200fps matters to you I can recommend the Weatherby w/o hesitation. Factory brass with proper headstamp is made by Norma, loading is easy and feeding has never presented a problem in either of my two M70s. The debate about the extra speed being useful or not has raged for 50yrs and will likely never end. I like mine, try one and decide for yourself.

I agree 100%.
having had 375's of almost every flavor (no 375 Ruger yet) including a 378WBY, here are my observations:

375H&H, AI and WBY all have about the same recoil for a given rifle weight and similar stock design. The 375RUM is more and the 378 is substantially more.

As far as chambering WBY rounds - never had a problem in any WBY caliber (including 30-378 which, if this were true would be most likely caliber to have one) and know of no one who has had such a problem.

No question that any creature hit with any one of these won't be able to tell the difference BUT if you go to the small-bore forum, people still argue about the difference in efficacy of a .243Win vs. 6mmRem and in medium bore its still 308 vs. 30-06.

Me? I'd go with teh 375WBY simply because it is a standard caliber with readily available, properly headstamped brass and I like the look of the "double-radius" shoulder

quote:

Originally posted by MADDOG:
Decided to go for the extra thump. I need some education here. "Humble"

Whats better and even whats the difference, 375 Weatherby vs the AI???? What one is the better, I also want to be able to shoot standard 375 H&H ammo if necessary? Thanks for the help..
Marc

Marc,

I, too, like the extra "thump". Whether it will make a difference on game will be a matter for all types of debate as you can already begin resd.

Here's my take:

1) Just a reminder - Don't confuse the 375 Wby wih the 378 Why they are not the same.

2) A rifle chambered for either the 375H&H AI or the 375 Wby will chamber and shoot the regular 375H&H round safely.

3) Shooting the std 375H&H in either will loose some velocity compared to shooting the std 375H&H a rifle chamber to 375H&H.

Good Luck and keep us updated.

CCM-
I too have owned most of the Weatherby chamberings and have never, ever had a single problem with feeding/functioning. This is in both Weatherby actioned rifles as well as in ones made up on M70s and M700s. The old myth about only a long, slope shouldered case being the best and easiest feeding is so much BS, IMO. Any gunsmith worth being called that can make a gun feed properly...if they can't one needs to find another gunsmith!

10-4; So much about belts; no belts, taper, All can be made to function properly. I have never experienced an issue with a "magnum belt" causing a feeding problem. I would suggest focusing on a target velocity with a specific weight projectile and see what is readily available.

EZ

quote:

Originally posted by John S:
CCM-
I too have owned most of the Weatherby chamberings and have never, ever had a single problem with feeding/functioning. This is in both Weatherby actioned rifles as well as in ones made up on M70s and M700s. The old myth about only a long, slope shouldered case being the best and easiest feeding is so much BS, IMO. Any gunsmith worth being called that can make a gun feed properly...if they can't one needs to find another gunsmith!

Thanks to all. I still haven't made up my mind. BUT where would one send a gun for the work?? And what would the cost be? Please keep in mind I'm in California 1/2 of the time (winter). So the closer the better. Thanks Marc

Never had an AI. Can't see where there's any real worl difference between it and my .375 Wby other than buying brass for the Wby as opposed to forming brass for the AI.

Recoil on my 8 1/2 lb. Wby is somewhere near the limit of what most would call "fun". But not at all hateful if you have good form and a good recoil pad.

My smith has thw Wby reamer and, I'm sure, would be happy to do the job for you. But he is in PA. So that may be a deal-breaker for you.

I'm interested in these 300 gr. FailSafe loads at 2900 fps. I've messed around almost exclusively with 250's and am guessing 3100-ish would be tops for them (26" barrel). I thought 2800 was about max for the 300's??

Maybe Saeed is the best endorsement of the 375 Wby. He has his 375/404 loaded to about 2750 with 300 grainers. He has also tested them down to 2600 and up through to 3100, the latter being the 375 Lazzeroni.

Form memory he has used the 2750 load for the last few years. Thus the person who shoots more game in Africa by than any other forum member is basically using the 375 Wby and using it plains game and buffalo and in big numbers.

quote:

Maybe Saeed is the best endorsement of the 375 Wby. He has his 375/404 loaded to about 2750 with 300 grainers.

I believe Saeed"s .375/404 more closely resembles the .375 Rem Ultra Mag which has a slight edge over the .375 Wby.

About 6 years ago, I was contemplating converting my .375 H&H to an AI. I ended up selling the H&H and buying a RUM. I've only taken it to Africa twice, but I feel it's a great African cartridge.

I'm pushing 300 gr TSX's at 2800+ fps and 270 gr TSX's at 3040 fps. Both shoot MOA to 200 yds.

quote:

Originally posted by buffybr:
I believe Saeed"s .375/404 more closely resembles the .375 Rem Ultra Mag which has a slight edge over the .375 Wby.

His 375/404 is virtually a 375 RUM without the rebated rim. However, his loads duplicate 375 Wby velocities. In other words it is loaded back a little bit.

I have a 375 Weatherby reamer that you can borrow if you decide to go that route.