Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only I survived the .375!

So... Apparently healed well, I sucked it up, and somewhat timidly took the .375 H&H to the range as well. Hadn't fired it in, well maybe a year? Since before neck surgery. Decided it was time to see if the most powerful rifle I own would snap my neck!

Approaching this test cautiously, I dipped into a box of ammo loaded some time back, with the 300 gr Sierra at about 2600 fps. Nothing like starting with a max load!





The .375 roared three times, muffled a bit in the snow. Three 3/8" holes appeared in the target. The paper plate obediently died, suitably perforated. My head stayed attached. There was NO PAIN whatsoever. Looks like the surgeon's baling wire and duct tape held. All is well, and I'm back in the medium-bore shooting business.

I like that.

This has become one of my favorite rifles. Again!

Guy

Congrats Guy! They always said the 375 delivers more punishment on one end than it does on the other.Glad you are back in business!

Good deal! I have the 375 Ruger and love it. I have the Ruger Guide Gun with the 20" barrel. I have been using 300 Accubonds and 350gr. Woodleigh PP bullets in mine with good results.

I love the .375. I actually think the recoil is pretty mild and more shotgun-like than rifle-like if that makes any sense.

Actually I completely agree - but after neck surgery I've been reluctant to shoot anything with much power. First time I tried the .30-06 after surgery, I thought I'd made a mistake, but healed up just fine. It might have been a little early when I tried the .30-06, and I hunted (as usual) with my .25-06 again this past season.

Finally couldn't resist the urge to try my biggest rifle, the .375, and I'm awfully glad to have shot it again. I love shooting that thing, and bear hunting with it!

Regards, Guy

Glad you have recovered from your surgery. I completely understand your reluctance, I have back and shoulder problems that keep me from shooting anything larger than a .22 from time to time.

You did very well you not only survived shooting .375H&H but shooting Ruger single shot in that caliber. Those things have reputation for brutal recoil in for Africa calibers.

[quote=Slavek]You did very well you not only survived shooting .375H&H but shooting Ruger single shot in that caliber. Those things have reputation for brutal recoil in for Africa calibers. [/quote) I seen one in a 458win the other day at a local gun shop. Barrel was large. I see no other purpose for me anyways going larger in caliber then the 375. It will do for all my hunting that I will occur. Alaska to Africa.

Huh. I've had this rifle for several years now and have put a few hundred rounds through it. Love it!

Just didn't shoot it much while my neck was a mess...

This one does have a nice Pachmayer pad on it.

Regards, Guy

My 1-H is set up similarly to yours, although it looks like you've got a Leupy and mine has an illuminated 1.25-4x Bushnell. Glad everything worked out.

Yup, mine has the 1.5-5x Leupold.

Nice scope! I could see a 3x Leupold on it instead. That might work well. The 2.5x I tried (one of my favorites) is a little short to work well for me, on the Number One.

Guy

Guy,
Is the 1.5x5x20mm Leupold have a duplex or heavy duplex reticle?

I like the #1 better than the much heavier RMR; that one never stops moving!

heard someone call it the 375 ouch and ouch!

Ed

I have a .375 #1 as well; not only is it well balanced but also packs a big punch. My .475 Turnbull has a C weight barrel, the same contour as the .375. It weighs less

So far I've gotten 500 Woodleighs up to 2000 fps. They aren't horrible to shoot

Mine has the heavy duplex. It's proven to be a good scope. On one spot and stalk hunt I dialed it up to 5x and smacked a black bear at 320 yards.

Another time, following a wounded bear into the brush, I dialed it down to 1.5x, and shot that bear at about 10 or 15 feet.

Almost paused to take the scope off when I went into that thick brush after the bear...

Guy

Thanks Guy,
I have the Leupold VX3 2.5x-8x36mm with the standard duplex on my 375 Ruger and was wondering how the heavy duplex was and if it would cover the target too much at longer distances.

Well, not enough to keep me from slamming a bear in the shoulder at 320 yards...

Not what I'd choose for a varmint scope, but for big game, it works well.

I did shoot one rockchuck with a 300 gr Sierra SPBT at about 100 yards using that scope. Everything worked just fine...

Regards, Guy

You're not the only one to make that observation about the .375 H&H. There's been a lot of speculation, pseudo-scientific tomfoolery, and general bullshititude propagated to explain it, but not much of it really makes any sense except to say that the 375 H&H (and its ballistic twin, the 375 Ruger)is a big pussycat. Provided you shoot it in a rifle that fits you, etc, etc.

I think the perception of recoil is as much about the energy curve/spike and recoil velocity as it is about total recoil KE.

It's how that KE is delivered to the shoulder that makes the difference.

DF