quote:

Originally posted by JeffreyPhD:

So, how widely available is 375 Ruger ammo at this point in the US, and in Africa?

Neither are very widely available. Normally in US a Cabelas or Bass Pro and Gander Mountain or a good gun shop (one that stocks real hunting rifles) will have a few boxes of each.

Africa 375H&H is king and will always be. The place I hunt in Save Zim - a concession lower in the conservancy has a 375 ruger owner so worst case - I can find some.

The issue is the quality of ammo. Normally the 375 H&H is Remington/Hornady and 375 Ruger is Hornady. Neither is top notch african ammo in bullet choice - wont get a-frames or barnes tsx.

So for me I have just started stock piling factory ammo. If people do it for 22lr - I will do it for hunting rifles.

I have gotten enough 375 ruger custom loaded for barnes tsx. I will get 375 ruger custom loaded for a-frames. Cost around $100 for a box of 20. Inline with factory is around 85-90 for same bullets in 375 H&H.

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by 416Tanzan:
Yes, the 375 Weatherby is a great calibre and cartridge.

quote:

Playing with QL I couldn't better the performance with a 375 RUM with our domestic powders.

I would bet that you could find a powder that would use the extra 12 grains capacity of the 375RUM and turn it into increased velocity. That doesn't take away from the 375Weatherby, but the 375RUM has its niche, too.

One would certainly think so and QL is certainly not the be and end all of these things, but it really doesn't look as though the 375 RUM can better the 375 Wby by much with our propellants. I wanted to rechamber a CZ550 to 375 RUM and may still do it, but it really wasn't much more than a Wby if QL was to be believed.

Well, your response would say , No, QLoad can't be trusted in this case.
Other sources can be unreliable, too. I like to check a source for loads for the 375H&H and the 375Ruger. If the H&H is listed for more fps than the Ruger with the same bullets or powder, then I know that apples are being compared with oranges. The Ruger needs to be either the same, or more. That's simple physics, and loads should reflect averages, not a special barrel.

Try Ammoguide.com.
Or hodgdon.com. H4350 and IMR4350 are probably close to Somchem365 to put you in the ballpark.

quote:

Originally posted by AFRICAN LEADWOOD:

quote:

Originally posted by 416Tanzan:
Yes, the 375 Weatherby is a great calibre and cartridge.

quote:

Playing with QL I couldn't better the performance with a 375 RUM with our domestic powders.

I would bet that you could find a powder that would use the extra 12 grains capacity of the 375RUM and turn it into increased velocity. That doesn't take away from the 375Weatherby, but the 375RUM has its niche, too.

One would certainly think so and QL is certainly not the be and end all of these things, but it really doesn't look as though the 375 RUM can better the 375 Wby by much with our propellants. I wanted to rechamber a CZ550 to 375 RUM and may still do it, but it really wasn't much more than a Wby if QL was to be believed.

I went for a 375 AI (ie., 375 Weatherby), because I can shoot 375 H&H ammo in it with little loss of performance. All outfitters I've encountered have always had some 375 H&H ammo on hand.

This seemed practical since I've been separated from my ammo in Africa before - lost baggage.

You can easily achieve ~200 fps increase in performance with the 375 AI over the standand 375 H&H.

Using Re17 and 26" barrel, I'm getting 2875 fps with 300 gr TBBCs and 2900 fps with 300 gr GSVs, 3140 fps with 250 gr TTSXs. All with good case life.

Been on 4 African safaris with this 375 AI, and the last buffalo I shot had 3 complete path-throughs with the 300 TBBC load. The first buffalo I shot with it was a one-shot kill. Also, killed an elephant - frontal brain shot with a 300 gr failsafe.

This cartridge will do it all - dangerous game at 10 yds or an antelope at 500 yds.

quote:

You can easily achieve ~200 fps increase in performance with the 375 AI over the standand 375 H&H.

We have an 'apples and oranges' problem here.

Yes, the 375 AI and the 375 Weatherby are basically identical in capacity. But 9 grains of capacity increase does not equate to an 'easy 200fps'.
Fast barrel? freebore? High pressure load vs mid/low pressure? Very high pressure in good brass? Comparing long barrel with a short barrel? Fast powder (slower muzzle fps) with a slow powder (=faster muzzle fps)? Special powder versus regular powder? Etc. etc.
There are many reasons why one rifle and load may shoot faster than another.
But the Weatherby's 9 grains are not worth 200 fps. I would give it about 75fps on average.

Factory 375 Weatherby ammo using 300 gr Nosler reports 2800 fps - that's ~200 fps more than the standard H&H.

Here's a quote from the Weatherby webpage...

"This cartridge is the result of giving the "Weatherby treatment" to the legendary 375 H&H. By enlarging the case to hold more powder, Roy Weatherby was able to achieve 200 more fps than the respected Holland & Holland version. After many years out of production, the 375 was reintroduced in 2001."

I shot this ammo in my 375 AI and got 2930 fps, but with PSI signs.

416T...do you have a 375 AI or Weatherby? Do you accept Roy Weatherby as an expert? If not, please explain.

I believe in showing respect to my superiors, but some people don't have superiors or, at least, they think they don't have superiors.

I have an H&H and a Weatherby.
My H&H is a Kimber 89 with a 24" barrel. Most factory fodder is 2500 FPS through a Oehler 35. About the best I can do with a 300 TSX is 2560 FPS. I can go a little faster but accuracy goes to pot.
My Weatherby is a stainless mod 70 (previously a H&H) with barrel bobbed to 24".
375 Wea Factory ammo (300 gr Nosler) go through my sky screen between 2810 and 2790 FPS @ 65F.
My TSX hand load is about 2770 across the Oehler.
I am not exactly touting one over the other but my experience demonstrates the Weatherby is +200 FPS faster and that is not reading from books, formulas, assumptions or hearsay on the the internet..Facts based on my firearms.

EZ

quote:

Originally posted by eezridr:
I have an H&H and a Weatherby.
My H&H is a Kimber 89 with a 24" barrel. Most factory fodder is 2500 FPS through a Oehler 35. About the best I can do with a 300 TSX is 2560 FPS. I can go a little faster but accuracy goes to pot.
My Weatherby is a stainless mod 70 (previously a H&H) with barrel bobbed to 24".
375 Wea Factory ammo (300 gr Nosler) go through my sky screen between 2810 and 2790 FPS @ 65F.
My TSX hand load is about 2770 across the Oehler.
I am not exactly touting one over the other but my experience demonstrates the Weatherby is +200 FPS faster and that is not reading from books, formulas, assumptions or hearsay on the the internet..Facts based on my firearms.

EZ

This is my experience with the 375 AI (i.e., essentially 375 Weatherby with slight increase in case capacity)...107 grs H20 capacity or 12 grs more H20 than the standard H&H.

But, this capacity increase allows going to larger charge of a slower burning powder and still achieve proper operating pressures, which translates into significant velocity increases.

Roy Weatherby discovered this long before I did, and Roy Weatherby is not a member of the JV team. His resume gets my respect.

For all of you saying "I have a Weatherby", do you mean "I have a RECHAMBERED .375 Weatherby that used to be something else", or are you saying "I have an ORIGINAL Weatherby rifle, chambered in .375 Weatherby"? LOL

I'm just curious how many of you had a .375 H&H (or something else) rechambered to .375 Weatherby and how many have an actual, honest to goodness, original Weatherby rifle that left Southgate chambered in .375 Weatherby. And do you want to sell it.

quote:

Originally posted by jlabreck7316:
For all of you saying "I have a Weatherby", do you mean "I have a RECHAMBERED .375 Weatherby that used to be something else", or are you saying "I have an ORIGINAL Weatherby rifle, chambered in .375 Weatherby"? LOL

I'm just curious how many of you had a .375 H&H (or something else) rechambered to .375 Weatherby and how many have an actual, honest to goodness, original Weatherby rifle that left Southgate chambered in .375 Weatherby. And do you want to sell it.

Don't know what is so special about that...they will make you one today...

My brother ordered a DGR from them 2 years ago...

Ed

If interested, I can put you in touch with a gunsmith who has a 375 AI reamer and can convert your 7 MM Mag, 300 WM, 375 H&H, etc. to a 375 AI at very reasonable cost.

This gunsmith is a well-known bench rest rifle gunsmith who has (or had) world records guns to his credit.

He's built my rifles as well as others posting here on AR, who have become strong advocates for the 375 AI.

He's extraordinary.

quote:

Originally posted by 505ED:
Don't know what is so special about that...they will make you one today...

If you're a collector, the 65+ year old rifle built in Roy's Southgate store would be preferable to one built in Paso Robles today.

If I were going to buy a .300 H&H, it would be an original pre-64 Winchester, not a new rifle rebarreled or rechambered to .300 H&H. You can't build character or history into a new rifle.

quote:

a gunsmith who has a 375 AI reamer and can convert your 7 MM Mag, 300 WM, 375 H&H, etc. to a 375 AI

This should only be recommended if the magazine handles 3.6" cartridges or longer. Standard actions like Ruger Hawkeye or Tikka should not be re-barreled to a RUM or H&H based round, but to a Ruger-based case or AccRel case or some round whose COL is 3.4" or less.

quote:

Originally posted by jlabreck7316:
For all of you saying "I have a Weatherby", do you mean "I have a RECHAMBERED .375 Weatherby that used to be something else", or are you saying "I have an ORIGINAL Weatherby rifle, chambered in .375 Weatherby"? LOL

I'm just curious how many of you had a .375 H&H (or something else) rechambered to .375 Weatherby and how many have an actual, honest to goodness, original Weatherby rifle that left Southgate chambered in .375 Weatherby. And do you want to sell it.

You can certainly get one today and I think it is one of the best choices in the line up... right after the very best, the 340 Wby

Mine is a 1950's Southgate built on an FN Mauser Action. I must still licence the rifle, so I have yet to shoot it as it is not in my possession. Unfortunately it does appear that the metalwork has had a reblue, but the woodwork seems original and is very nice. I know that some of these rifles had chrome lined bores (or so I see). I will borescope it when i get it and see how it looks. I've only been able to eyeball it thusfar and that is pretty limited as we know.

quote:

Originally posted by 416Tanzan:
Well, your response would say , No, QLoad can't be trusted in this case.
Other sources can be unreliable, too. I like to check a source for loads for the 375H&H and the 375Ruger. If the H&H is listed for more fps than the Ruger with the same bullets or powder, then I know that apples are being compared with oranges. The Ruger needs to be either the same, or more. That's simple physics, and loads should reflect averages, not a special barrel.

Try Ammoguide.com.
Or hodgdon.com. H4350 and IMR4350 are probably close to Somchem365 to put you in the ballpark.

Thanks 416T, yes S365 is pretty close to IMR4350. I may still build the 375 RUM because it is proably just easier, but if I really enjoy the Weatherby rifle the chances are it will see little use. I have a CZ550 that I had planned to rechamber to the RUM, because I like the idea of the 25" barrel and the large action and long mag box will provide some flexibility. Let's see. There needs to be money and time for all these things... (and time is money so it's a double problem).