Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only Big Bore 94-375win

Will my 375 handle all North America big game?

Better question is...Will you handle all North American big game decisively and safely? Generally speaking, rifles work better than we do, unless we do the work to prepare.

I think the .375 Win is limited in distance and bullet weight, but within reason and care could be used to hunt and guard against anything. By no means the best choice, but workable.

If I were going to own only one rifle, I would find a better choice. If I just wanted to hunt with a M94 in .375, I wouldn't hesitate -- with good bullets loaded in good ammo.

Dennis

The 375 in the WIN 94 would be hard to beat in the woods for any game from deer to elk. Good set of receiver sights and you should be covered out to 150 yards for anything in the Lower 48.

Personally, I am quite fond of the 375 Win, and the 94 BB platform. The 375 is actually pretty versatile, handling both cast and jacketed bullets. If you decide you must break the 2,000 fps ceiling, then you will want to restrict your choices to 200-220 grain range for jacketed bullets, and 240 or less range for cast.
Heavy bullets do offer more of a curve in trajectory, but they also hit very hard. The biggest bullets are cast, especially the still available Lyman 375449, which weighs in at over 264 grains from most alloys with lube and GC.
Barnes still offers their 255 original, and Hawk bullets offers a 250.
As far as I am aware, only Winchester continues to load the 375, and this is with the lighter, 200 grain bullet. The 200 is fine for all types of situations where penetration is not primary. In my opinion, if you need penetration, then you must handload. Handloaded velocities with heavy bullets can clear 1900 fps for cast, and usually range somewhere in the mid 1800's for jacketed.
It is possible to drive jacketed bullets to 1900 with todays powders, but at woods ranges, the extra 50 fps is hardly worth the extra pressure and gun wear.
Keep your shots within 200 yards, as recommended when Winchester first released the 375, and of course, learn the trajectory and characteristics of your chosen load. The 375/94 is a good combination of lightweight and handy platform, powerful cartridge, tolerable recoil, and moderate muzzle blast.

CutNShoot, I would not classify the .375 Winchester as one that covers all the bases. My brother in law once had one of those Winchester .375's and got rid of it later for a .444 Marlin, which will handle the bears better.

I personally want something with more power, when you include dangerous types of game animals. There I want my .416 Rem mag, as it does cover all the bases and then some.

Tonk - +1 I got rid of mine and went to a 45/70. For deer or black bears the .375 win is a good cartridge.

It is simply a 38-55 nothing more, nothing less. It is a good enough deer cartridge IMO..It will certainly kill an elk or bear if you do your part up to about 150 or so yards..but you may have to pass up some shots that you could take with a 30-06 or 300 Win. for instance.

FWIW, John Haviland has an article on the .375 Winchester in the May 2010 Rifle magazine.

- Tom

The way I see it, the .375-Winchester had it's chance to prove out way back in the 70's and didn't cut the mustard simply put. Many who followed the rants of the "gun-rags" soon found out they should have never traded in their plan jane 30-30 for killing deer in the woods.
It doesn't kill deer any better than the .35-Remington and surely not as versatile as the .444 Marlin and can not match it's power either. I imagine you would have to load your own ammo, as I sure haven't seen much in the way of .375-Winchester on the shelfs where I do business.

Make a fine deer or black bear cartridge, but a little lacking for anything much larger, just the same I've always wanted one myself.

For what its worth, I owned a Ruger #3, 375 Win. Using the Hornady 220 grain bullet, I shot two deer and one bull elk. The first deer was shot through the lungs at about 95 steps, exit hole was about 1/2" diameter. It ran 90 yards before dying. My second deer was a buck. It was hit at 60 yards directly on the near shoulder ball joint. It ran out of sight in heavy woods. When found and opened, it was discovered that the bullet completely shattered. Lead "shot" and small bone fragments were driven into the near lung. The elk was hit in the neck, the bullet broke a neck vertibra, and then stopped.
I rechambered this rifle for the .375 by 74R cartridge, which drives a 270 gr Swift to 2450 fps. It kills all with authority!
I do not consider the 375 Win any better than the 30-30.
WYLD

I tote mine on occassion. I've killed a few deer and a truck load of armadillos (spring fun). Performance has been on par. I shoot the Sierra 200's. Which brings me to another observation. Of all the flat point bullets for lever guns, the Sierra Power Jacket has been the most reliable and accurate. I use a bunch of different brands, but when it comes to FP bullets I go to Sierra if they have the weight I need.

Joseph

I loaded the Sierra 200 gr FN to 2200 fps and fired it out of a 375 H&H magnum rifle to take three deer last year. All three were bangflops! Recoil was very mild and the killing power left nothing to be desired. I would say it is perfect for deer based on three kills so far.
whelennut