375 h&h
 

What are the merits of this cartridge?

Why are so many folks after it?

Thanks

Tom

Accurate, Big, Kills anything you shoot it at although they do say you want good shot placement on an Elephant. and really cool to say you own one!!

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ron about said it all,the reason most clients in africa bring the 375 is like ron said recoil.lots of guys will say recoil does not bother them on big bores .but once in the field you will see a much different story.i have seen some very good shooters at the range with some pretty big rifles take a step back with a unsuspected dry fire from a big bore.the 375 can take medium game at upwards of 300yds and the biggest game at 100 ,not many other rifles have proven that .plus the 375 has 100 yrs of nostalgia.when hunting dangerous game shot placement is critical. though the 375 would not be top dog of stopping guns it is on the top of almost any list out there . shot placement is key and being able to honestly shoot your rifle in ANY situation that comes at you. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHbFfDXQSAY The survey of PH's in Craig Boddington's new book states the following PH recommendations for all thick skinned game in any circumstance:

Caliber..................................# Respondents

.470NE ............................... 20
.416 Rem., Rigby, Wby........ 16
.458 Lott ............................14
.458 Win Mag ......................10
.375 H&H, Wby, Ruger..........10
.500 Jeffrey...........................8
.500-3" NE...........................8
.450 3 1/4" NE ...................5
.505 Gibbs ........................ 4
.450 Dakota ........................2
.475 #2 J ............................1
.450 Rigby.............................1
.450 Ackely .........................1
.450 #2 ..............................1
.425 WR ..............................1

Boddington would rather spout about whatever Ruger is paying him to shoot. Want the real truth, ask Harry Selby. He is one of the true African PH's. His quote "I've just seen it do amazing things"

That Ruger 375 may have some numbers similar to the real deal, but unless is says "H&H" you're just a poser...There is only one.

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Lets just say vicariously through those in the know.

So removing Africa from the equation, are there any merits as a North American game gun?

Would the benefits be moot at this point?

TT

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I would say this. You can hunt what ever you want with it. However, its place is typically for close shots at dangerous game generally with open sights or scoped at 1 to 2X. Like a lot of hunting cartridges used for American game, its substantially over powered for something that doesn't need to be stopped by a head shot.

Plus, unless you have a gun bearer with you, you're not going to enjoy carrying it.

sure statjunk,its a great big bear gun, many guides for the biggest of bears choose the 375 as there stopping rifle,many think its overkill.many think its very good on moose,elk caribou and any other thing you are comfortable shooting.its just a great all around meaty caliber.i think too many people get caught up in the which caliber is best THING.there is NO best ,only opinions .the 375 is like a old 65 mustang or vette...it its a great old classic, is it the best? no but lots just want to have one.... the ruger and other 375s are just as good if not better in there fields but as a 2009 mustang(which my wife has) is not a 65 mustang,some will say any other 375 is not a h&h....its just one of those things..

I just wonder how many folks are buying 375 H&H for hunting white tails. My understanding of this cartridge is pretty much what others have posted here.

I guess I shouldn't talk since I hunt white tails with a .300 WM.

Tom

LOL i have used the 300 for whitetails for years,it is one of my favorite rifles. wheeew im not the only one !!! i dont think many buy the h&h for deer,but once you buy your first big game rifle 270 and up, all the rest you buy cause you want to ,not because you need to. same with fishing ,you cant catch bass with a walleye pole?.....everyone knows that ...right???:confused0024:

:hail:

This is correct and yes it is an awesome Whitetail round I have used in KY for several years. And yes I own a beautiful Ruger # 1 in this cartridge and It is as a great cartridge here in the North American country and Africa and anywhere else.
Very versiable cartridge PERIOD!!!:happy0001:

Perhaps it helps fill the fantasy some have to hunt brown bears, or dangerous game in africa, or some plan to at some point, but for now they want to test it out on whitetails.

I read that a .375H&H will cause less meat damage on a whitetail than a .270win will, and I suspect less than a .300win.mag would as well.

I have read some elk articles with mention of people using them with 270gr bullets, or even lighter bullets nowadays like 250 or 260gr etc...

Once a guy has a .223, .270, .300win.mag, sounds like a logical next step up as well...

Yeah I could see that with the fantasy. Though the costs are so high most folks just can't afford it.

I need to check a reloading manual. Just don't see how that much lead would cause less meat damage. Any chance you have any articles/forum discussion etc.. that talk about this.

Your post prompted my post, but not for any reason but to learn. I've seen 375 H&H rifles listed for sale and they seem to go fast. Recently on longrangehunting they had a Winchester and it went in a few days.

Tom

I have an old Heym double in 375 H&H that was left to me with an abundence of cartridges. I mean thousands.

It does a good job on the local squirrels, rabbits and crows. Although some of the larger, tougher squirrels require a second shot.

The reason is that the bullets are typically very tough and do not violently explode, sending shrapnel every where, on a white tail deer like a ballistic tip (or similar) from a .270 will. They barely expand at all but with a bullet with that large a diameter it doesn't need to expand to turn the insides to jello.

While I do not own a .375 (hopefully soon) I do own a 338RUM and used it to take a whitetail doe at about 75 yards. I was using 250 grain Swift A-Frames and the meat damage was very minimal because the bullet simply punched straight through with out expanding much if any at all. There was a very small hole going in and a hole about the size of a quarter coming out.

I thought a 270 was overkill for whitetails, 375 H&H is just plain stupid. You're not gaining a single thing. Zero, zilch, nada.....might as well use FMJ's in whatever your hunting now, cause all the H&H is going to do is poke a hole in them..

Why is what someone else uses to hunt deer with stupid? Are they going to kill them too dead?

here ya go....

http://www.reloadersnest.com/frontpage.asp?CaliberID=82

I once read another article on basically how any dream hunt was not out of reach....sure this economy isn't helping, but basically it just stated such things like, are you willing to drive an old truck vs. the brand new 150? etc...?

I have heard about quite a few "cheap" south african hunts, high fence of course...

Also btw I believe you can buy .375H&H ammo anywhere, african, US....etc...vs. some other big game ammo etc...

Will a 375 kill them deader then a 30-30?

You can use a sledge hammer to crack open a walnut, but there are better tools for the job. Get it?

Plus one really needs 3,500 foot pounds of energy for whitetail deer. They might make a charge.

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OK then..........."a bit silly"

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yup we can all have different opinions on things ,doesn't mean the next guy is any better or worse? i also have an extensive firearms collection and have many people ask me what should i use for this,whats better for this? i tell them you are getting my opinion...it may be different then what you have heard from someone else.but you should respect other opinions.i also get questions that to me (my opinion) are so foolish its hard to answer without laughing..for example i often get whats better for deer the 308,or the 3006 or the 270??? to me that is a foolish question , like asking whats better for holding ice cream a blue bowl ,red bowl or a white bowl but i respectfully give my opinions on the rounds. is the 375 overkill? probably but in that theory the 30/06 is overkill also?as a matter of fact anything over a 243 or 25/06 would be.last year i walked the woods here in northern NY with a cz 550 chambered in the 458lott, only one day.was it overkill hell yes was it fun...kinda. couple of the guys at the hunting camp asked why i said there was reports of spikes charging LOL

My motto is: "Buy whatcha want, use whatcha want". To heck with everybody else's opinion!

good motto!!

I believe the young lad was wondering about advantages for deer hunting, which there are none. Suggesting that if you are looking for a new deer rifle, there are better choices than a 375 H&H. Now, if one owns this rifle and hunts with it as a way to prepare for a trip to Africa or whatever, then fine. Or if you just want to hunt with it for the fun of it (?) fine. But to suggest the one should run out and buy one for whitetail deer is pushing it.

Once again, some fear a contrary opinion to anything gun.

The 375 H&H has its place, and it's not for whitetail deer and crows. Kinda like some of the PH opinions when told the 375 Ruger "does the same thing as the 375 H&H".

"So what?"

So one can shoot deer with a 375 H&H......so what?

I could see some guys testing out some big bores in prep for alaska/africa, I mean aside from the range, what else are you going to test one of these big boys out on before a trip like that?

Aside from that I'd probably not have a .375, 458 as my goto deer rifle...course I'd take a .375 here in IL anyday over a slug.....but we're stuck with slugs...

my cousin, who's been to africa etc...., the 375 was the gun he bought for his safari, fell in love with that particular rifle, and now uses it on just about everything, used it on a mtn.lion! He says how well the gun fits etc....so if the gun fits? haha. He's also lost a giant black bear with a good shot from a .300WSM he said, after that he's kinda fine with overkill.

Im thinkin bout buying a 375 to rabbit hunt with.whats everybody else think?

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i would recommend the 577 NE in a double, right barrel with a soft nose and left barrel a solid in case of a charge or a rear end shot.or maybe the 600 overkill? the 585 Nyati could be used on smaller desert hare.

If you're into reloading you can make some squib loads for the .375 that would be just fine for small game.I'd just use a rimfire myself but this just shows the incredible range of versatility loading your own provides along with the savings,etc.

When my grandfather got to where he wasn't as mobile but still wanted to hunt he decided he wanted a gun that would quickly anchor a deer, he didn't want to nor had the ability too chase an animal down. He bought a 375 H&H. That rifle went to my father when gramps passed on. Dad hunted deer with it, mostly because it was the only rifle he had. It latter was sold to my uncle when dad found himself with a work related disability. My uncle hunted with it as did other family members. The rifle became very well liked with those who used it, not because it was easy to carry but because it was a solid performer. I re-aquired the rifle last year and am looking forward to taking it afield. The rifle is a classic, a pre 64 Winchester M 70.

Back to the origial question, does it have any advantage over other cartidges? Well yes it does. As already mentioned amunition is availible world wide. It can and has taken every animal on the earth. On whitetail deer it is capable of fully penatrating a deer from any angle. Accurate. Flat shooting. Versitile.

The 375 is trully one caliber that can do it all.