Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa 7x57 or 375 holland and holland for plains game?

which one and why? would have to do double duty as a North Amercian deer rifle

You will get LOTS of help with this one. I like calibers like I like boobs, the bigger the better and especially if eland is on the menu. That said and all kidding aside, a 7X57, especially with today's modern bullets is perfectly suited to the task. I just like Christina Hendricks...

For plainsgame? Depends on where I am hunting. If I am in an area with dangerous game the 375 H&H would be my choice.

If I was hunting an area without DG the 7 by 57 is a fine choice, especially if you want it for deer hunting also.

Not on your list, but nothing to sneeze at: 9.3 x 62. Almost the thump of a .375, not quite the long-range reach, but it will certainly do the trick on most things that walk in North America, and it has a lot of history behind it in Africa.

7x57

I've done a safari with only the 375 that included plains game (don't they all?) I've done a safari with the 375 when the Mrs brought her 308. It is nice to be able to grab the 308 for the smaller stuff like wartys or impala and Mrs Blacktailer has used it on animals up to zebra which are tough critters.
OTOH I have used the 375 on deer, pigs and varmints in NA and it is not unpleasant and gets the job done.
The 375 will take care of anything on either continent, the 7x57 will take care of anything on either continent also but is not legal in most areas for DG and is certainly on the light side for big bears.
Pick whichever you are most comfortable with.

The question real boils down to how many safaris will you be going on in your life time? My guess you will be shooting more White Tail sized game in your life time than anything else and with the costs of hunting in Africa and in general, buying a second rifle is not a major expense. Buy a good 30-06 or 7mm RM and yea it will be a little to much for some and a little light for others but it will get the job done, the 7 x 57 is a good one, but its pretty much a hand loaders deal these days, as for brown bear and such, that too is maybe once in a life time for most!

Brian,

You didn't state if these were your only choices, or something you already have access to, etc.

I have used the 7x57, the .300 Wby, and the .375 Ruger (little speedier than the H&H) in Africa, all on plains game. All worked.
On bigger stuff, the .375 kills with a certain degree of authority, provided you can handle recoil and place your shots well. The 7x57 works well, as it has for many decades in Africa, and as JorgeI points out, there are great bullets available nowadays.
My favorite, for game up to and including Zebra, was the .300 Weatherby. Flat, fast, plenty of punch for the largest game, and with good bullets like the Barnes TSX and Swift A-Frame, a certain killer. Again, if you can handle recoil.

Now that I believe I am about done with African safaris, I seriously wonder of the .375 will ever see use again- certainly not here in NA for deer. And, the 7x57 is not my first choice as an ideal deer cartridge, at least for me, as big mulies in open Western country is my favorite pursuit. Faster, flatter cartridges, like the .257 Wby, .270 WSM, and yes, the .300 Wby, get most of the work.

Unless you are firmly committed to one or the other, IMO a .30 cal., from .06 to one of the fast .30 magnums, would make a better all-around choice. Read up on some of JJ Hack's comments on rifles for African plains game, and Craig Boddington's Safari Rifles II is a great read on just this subject.

This is about the silliest schitt Ive seen on the 'fire in a long time�.


The obvious answer is BOTH!

7x57




.375 H&H

Both.
and
just cause they're cool,
and you can!

I just used the 7x57 for the first time in the Limpopo Province of South Africa and it sure was good to me!

I can't say enough good about the 7x57 Mauser, here's more stuff this old 104 year old rifle took down for me.







In a week I will pick up the 375 and go after my first Cape buffalo... I can hardly wait!

7/57, 270, 280, 308, 30-06. With the very best bullets=no appreciable difference.
Forget the 375 for general plains game use.

Fly swatter or sledge hammer?

Both will kill flies just as dead.

Don't need a .375 for deer. (You've already chosen.)

I've taken 7/57, 270, and 308 with TSX or Interloct heavy bullets. Everyone worked great. It's all about bullet placement. 9.3x62 worked great on buffalo.

30-06 with 180 grain partition or a-frame bullets. 7-08 instead of 7x57. Rent a 375 from your PH when the time comes...

Either will work both in Africa and America. I've shot plains game with both and never had a problem.

Impala shot with a Ruger #1 in 7x57


Western Roan for with a Rem Model 700 Classic in 375 H&H


Personally, I have a soft spot for the 375 because if you ever decide to hunt dangerous game it is normally the minimum legal caliber you can take. Like the old saying goes, beware the man that only shoots one gun.

I use a 375 H&H for just about everything anymore for that very reason. I know where it hits and I know what it can do. Remember a gun that will kill an elephant will also kill a deer but the reverse isn't always true. And before anyone goes off about WDM Bell and all the elephants he shot with a 7x57 it has to be pointed out that was a different era and doing such a thing isn't legal anymore.

Great post, Pirate AND regarding Bell, not to mention the number he admitedly says he LOST because of the 7X57.

On my one hunt to Namibia, A PG hunt, I had an '06 and a 375 an meant to chose one or the other each morning on a whim-or-whatever. I started with the 375; I liked it and it performed superbly.

About half way through I mentioned to my PH I was going to switch to the '06 and he said, "why?" Stay with what is working so well. I came away with a great affection for this classic cartridge which, as I've said before, is The Great Cartridge--a blend of great power with a more than adequate trajectory, and very tolerable recoil.

As a PH I want every client that can shoot 30 caliber or bigger to use it.

Finding game is exponentially easier the bigger the holes are.

With this stated, if you cannot shoot a larger caliber well, it's a useless choice for any purpose.

The 375 also gives you the any angle every option capability on plains game. No need to wait on everything being perfect. .