Dangerous Game rifle, thoughts please?

[Rimfire]

Originally Posted by jwp475

There is nothing at all wrong with a properly loaded 375 H&H. I don't know of any country that will not allow it's use and many even allow the 9.3X62 as well. I personally know people that took thier Cape Buffalos (with one shot each) a 300 Win Mag. Allen Day took 2 with his 300 Win. with one shot each

If you can't kill it cleanly with a 375 H&H then you are either use a very bad bullet or you ain't putting the bullet in the correct location

John
I agree but I would never tell someone to use a smaller gun for DG if they can handlle a big bore. 303 killed as many Elephant as all the rest, but not for me. Like you said many buff fell to a 338 Win allso with good results. It's always the charges that will change your thinking. My friend shoots Leopard with a 7mm rem with a NBT after a Med bore punched through without expanding and nearly got him killed. NBTopen fast and drop em.

[Ian M]

I hunted Cape Buffalo this summer and like my experience with the big brown bears of Alaska, I came away with the feeling that the .375 will do the job but it does not do as well as the bigger bores. John is correct, use the best bullet and place it into a lethal area and most any decently powerful rifle will kill some pretty big beasts. I have used the .416 on a brown bear and a big Alaskan moose, and the .458 Win on one Cape Buff. Not a lot of experience there but doing those hunts let me talk to several great guides and I learned from them as far as calibers go. After a charging brown bear took four .375 Trophy Bonded bullets in the chest one guide said, "That's it, I am going to shoot my .416 Remington from now on."

I am patiently waiting for Winchester to re-introduce the wonderful African rifles, hopefully then a .375 or .416 will find its way to my gun safe. I prefer the .416, in a Rigby if possible but there is something about a good .375 that we should all experience.

My .458 Win. is pretty tough to shoot, particularly from the bench. It is a powerful brute tho, granted there are more powerful and better cartridge designs but the .458 is about all I want to handle.

[blipelt]

Remington makes a 375 H&H special edition(500made). It is blued with a syn. stock and is only $650. Recoil isn't bad at all with the factory loaded 270gr. I sighted the sights for 50 yards and have around 75 rounds through it. Haven't decided on a scope. It's a cheap way to find out if you want one and if not it is a collector. Just my 2 cents


Brent

[sidepass]

I shoot a TC Encore in 375 H&H mag, wanted to try one and a barrell is pretty cheap compared to a whole rifle.Though Winchester, Remington and CZ's are not that expensive. Recoil is not that bad and boy is it a shooter. Will make a great Elk, Big Bear or Moose gun. Would love to add a new Kimber in 375 H&H in my safe. If I ever do my dream trip to the Dark Continent it would go along with a 416 Rigby or Rem.

sidepass

[philny1]

Originally Posted by blipelt

Remington makes a 375 H&H special edition(500made). It is blued with a syn. stock and is only $650. Recoil isn't bad at all with the factory loaded 270gr. I sighted the sights for 50 yards and have around 75 rounds through it. Haven't decided on a scope. It's a cheap way to find out if you want one and if not it is a collector. Just my 2 cents


Brent

Agree with you on the 375H&H. Been aroung all this time for a reson. I have a Sako AV that will just tear a hole in the paper at 100 yds. I've successfully taken game out to 300 yds with it. Loves the 270 gr TSX. No exciting tales to tell, but everything shot with it has tipped over.
Something special about the 375 H&H, just looking at it makes me think of exciting faraway places.
I have two of the Rem special edition 375 H&H. Would be willing to part with one if anyone is interested
Phil.

[J E Custom]

AJ

I agree with the statment that a 338 will kill anything but its not the
killing that's the issue, It's how fast and when things go bad that the big
bores make the difference.

There was a P H named Bell that killed many many Elephant with a 7/57
Mauser (but he had a gun bearer that backed him up with a big double
rifle).

The word "Dangerous" is the clue, this means that they can and will kill you
if given the chance.

If recoil is the issue then reduce it any way you can to make it shootable
even use a break that is removable so when practicing recoil is minimized
and can be removed if the PH wont allow its use when hunting.

Weight is another recoil tamer .

Most PH's consider the 375 h&h to be the minimum for dangerous game because
of there experiences so I would have to go with there thinking that when things
go bad BIG is Better.

I have loaded rifle cartriges down for youths and let them practice and did not
tell them they were reduced loads and when they fired fullhouse loads at game
they never knew the difference.

On my big bores I load lighter bullets for practice and sight in with the hunting loads.

Better to be safe than sorry

Just an opinion
J E CUSTOM

[AJ Peacock]

Originally Posted by J E Custom

AJ

I agree with the statment that a 338 will kill anything but its not the
killing that's the issue, It's how fast and when things go bad that the big
bores make the difference.

There was a P H named Bell that killed many many Elephant with a 7/57
Mauser (but he had a gun bearer that backed him up with a big double
rifle).

The word "Dangerous" is the clue, this means that they can and will kill you
if given the chance.

If recoil is the issue then reduce it any way you can to make it shootable
even use a break that is removable so when practicing recoil is minimized
and can be removed if the PH wont allow its use when hunting.

Weight is another recoil tamer .

Most PH's consider the 375 h&h to be the minimum for dangerous game because
of there experiences so I would have to go with there thinking that when things
go bad BIG is Better.

I have loaded rifle cartriges down for youths and let them practice and did not
tell them they were reduced loads and when they fired fullhouse loads at game
they never knew the difference.

On my big bores I load lighter bullets for practice and sight in with the hunting loads.

Better to be safe than sorry

Just an opinion
J E CUSTOM

Thanks, I've been thinking more and more about this. Since I reload, I could easily download a .458 and practice all I wanted. I'm really not recoil sensitive, but I don't enjoy it!

I wonder how much the larger frontal area has to do with stopping power? Assume a .375 and .458, both loaded to the same KE (4500lbs or so), Same weight bullet. How much difference does the frontal area make?

I saw a .custom .458 Lott for sale locally (Mauser action and low power scope for $1100). Now THATS a lot of KE!

AJ