375 H&H Suitability

Curt6

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I am wanting to purchase my first rifle chambered in 375 H&H. I was curious if anyone here has expeirence with the CZ 550, or Ruger M77. Or anyother that might be recommended. I was also wondering how the cartridge might fare at 250-300m.
 
One of my friends owns a Ruger M77 in 375H&H. I've shot it several times at the range and love it! Very accurate and the kick is less than I was expecting. He's taken it on a few African trips and harvested several animals with it. If you are wanting to take it on a dangerous game hunt, the 375 is, from what I've read and watched, the minimum gun you would need.
 
Curt,

Not sure what you want a 375 for, but I have had a couple over the years. Both were Winchester Model 70's, controlled round feed guns from different eras. My first was setup for Africa, weighed about 10.5 lbs with scope, accurized by Hill Country Rifles. I never quite got to Africa, but I did hunt feral goats with it. It was a great killer, very little bloodshot meat. I was pretty impressed, but it was a heavy gun.
I sold it when I moved out of country, but when I returned, I decided to build another with the idea of having a 'one gun for everything' rifle. I thought I wanted it lighter, so I got one of Winchester's Alaskans....they are much lighter, the particular specimen I got weighed just at 9 pounds or slightly under with scope and rings. Barrel was quite thin.
I loaded up 260 accubonds and 250 TTSX's to max speed I could get. Recoil off the bench was pretty ferocious to me, anyway. I never could get it shooting to the level I wanted it to...probably wanted to shoot 300's out of it, and I wanted something to shoot flatter. Anyway, I thought better of the concept and moved on.
All that is to say, it is 100 percent capable of shots well out past the 300 you are discussing as long as you know the range, and it carries a lot of horsepower with it, and makes a big hole.
That said, obviously, it's not a long range cartridge as generally defined as 'long range', especially on this board. And if you push the loads to max to get more distance, there is a price to pay in terms of recoil. Of course, you could brake it, but I am not a fan of brakes personally.
Unless you have a need for the power of this round...DG in Africa, big bears, that sort of thing, it is definitely not necessary and has it's limitations and penalties.

That said, it's a hoot to shoot, and kills without making a mess very efficiently.
Lots of people make 375's....if you are not tied to controlled round feed, you might check out the Weatherby Vanguard line...they have a couple with guaranteed accuracy and are fairly reasonable price wise.

For controlled round feed, without going to nosebleed cost levels, the two you mentioned are there, as well as Winchesters, though I don't know what their current quality levels are like these days, stopped paying attention to them when I moved on to something else.
 
Yes it will get you 300 meters. More good bullets in the "lighter" weights these days.
The 250's will get you 2800 readily, an odd duck might get 2900.
The Hammer 250 grain bullets would work on everything to 300 meters. Mine has a 20" barrel, and 2800 fps wasn't hard to beat.
Pay attention to magazine lengths, the .375 Ruger can be a better choice.
 
I plan on using it for an all around game rifle. As well as occasional bear protection. I'm trying to streamline my gun collection.
 
I can't comment on the rifles you specified, but, have used a .375 exclusively since 1982 or '83 ( an AI since '90). Many shots made in the 300 to 400 (yard) distances. Animals from coyote size to moose.

My AI weighs in around 9 lbs. 5 oz. (scoped, loaded, slung), presently shooting Barnes TTSX's at 3130 fps. Most recent big game kill, a Pronghorn Antelope at 430 yards, off of shooting sticks. In the AI version...it's easily a 500 yard cartridge.

If you consider the Barnes Bullets, they now offer a 270 LRX.... a slightly better bullet for longer ranges, than the 250 TTSX. A little better BC and SD. memtb
 
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Lousy picture of a picture, but a Kudu I took over a few decades ago with an Interarms 375H&H Whitworth Express Rifle. It was my first African game animal taken at 300 yards with a 270gr Winchester Power Point...DRT. I still have the perfectly mushroomed bullet removed from under the hide on the opposite shoulder. With the detachable Leupold 4X removed, the open Express sights were set up to shoot the 270 PP's or 300gr solids to the same POI. Well used, I still own this great shooting/looking Mauser actioned rifle and have taken game from Impala to Cape Buffalo on trips to Africa back in the 80's-90's. It was a far cry from the set-ups I use today, but was capable of sub MOA accuracy with factory ammo....better with hand loads. With no brake, and weighing under 10#, after a bit of use, it felt like a 30-06 back then..
 

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I had the ruger in 416 rigby. All up and loaded was 11.5# This was throwing 400grainers at 2300ish(never choreographed it) Kicked straight didn't hit you in the face like some stocks do. I tried a Rem in 416 rem when shopping and that was a pain stick in comparison. It was also 2# lighter in the fiberglass stock. I've watched a brno cz in 411kdf being shot. It was in a kevlar stock stupid light 8ish# all up n loaded. It had the kdf muzzle brake which did nothing but make it unbearably load. One of the very first times in my life I decided that I didn't have to prove I was dumb that day. That rifle took the skin off the back of his trigger finger on the second shot:eek:
 
I have the 375H&H in the Ruger MK Safari rifle. Great rifle, accurate, and easy to shoot. With the standard 270 grain bullets the trajectory is about the same as 30-06. Lots of bullet weights to work with if you want to reload. I don't shoot it much any more and could part with it if you are interested...
 
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