Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa 375 musings....

Allen,
Great post and I agree 100% with it...except about everyone's need to have one. I truly don't feel it is useful for everyone, myself included. And I somehow get the feeling you can do quite well w/o one too. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

allenday,

I certainly agree with you when hunting plains game in RSA, but what about when hunting where either an antelope or a dangerous animal like a buffalo might turn up? Or is the likelihood of that overblown?

And what about eland with a .300 magnum? BTW, I spent several exciting hours trying to get a shot at a bull eland with my .300 magnum but never got the shot.

I think the prospect of a buffalo showing when you have a 300 in your hands is way overblown, and if that might be the case, really and truly, it's time to carry the 416.

Eland with a 300 are no problem whatsoever. I've taken several eland bulls with the 300 Winchester over the years, and they all had one thing in common: Each took a bullet through the lungs (from 100 to 275 yds. out), and each of them ran for about fifty yards and fell over dead, with no muss or fuss.

I don't see them as any tougher than elk -- if they are as tough -- and I've shot a great many elk over the years.

AD

Well gents, this is one of the great things about these forums when guys with LOTS of experience can cut through all the armchair BS and present facts based on their experiences.

It's truly an eye opener for me regarding the 300-338-375's efficacy on an eland. Hell, If SEEN Allen drop a buff with one shot with a 300 Win mag and I've seen lots of John55's pictures to know thay know what they are saying is flat accurate.

But I have to be honest, given the choice, no way I'd choose a 30 over a 33 for an eland. As far as the 375 H&H goes, were it not for the fact I have an absolutely tack-driving-reliable feeding-sweet looking Model 70, that 450 Dakota that I'm going to order would be a 375 H&H. Yep, I like it that much. jorge

allenday,

Thanks. that's exactly what I thought.

This is an interesting exchange. Some, many?, are in the camp of two more specialized rifles and happy with that, some, including me, are in the camp of two rifles, at least one of which is an all rounder. Third camp wants a light rifle and think the 416 is a good all rounder.

Can't disagree since really everyone is right.

But my take is that if DG are the quarry, with PG as a bonus, as is typical, I would want to travel with two DG capable rifles. That all but certainly includes the 375H&H, imo.

JPK

JPK, to the point and well put....

I for one will not travel without two rifles, fully capable and legal, to take all the game animals on the trip. I do not want to depend on a "camp rifle" or someone elses equipment, etc.

I have seen several animals (more than a dozen) taken with a 375 H&H from Buffalo to Impala.....all but one fell to a single well placed shot.

The 375 H&H is a versitile and capable cartridge and teamed with a bigger bore for Africa it is just about perfect for my use...It can be very accurate, moderate recoil, and loaded with North Forks, Barnes TSXs, etc it is an effective killer....

When I head to Alaska for Brown Bear you can bet a 375H&H will be along as well...

There are many good choices out there..................

What we must remember is that not all safaris are dominated by the desire to take buffalo or other large and dangerous game. They might well be on the trophy list/license, but are not the exclusive reason for the safari.
As an example...a typical 21 day safari to Tanzania. Here one can shoot several animals that are available nowhere else. Things like lesser kudu, gerenuk, 3 varieties of gazelle, east African Impala, fringed ear Oryx, east African greater Kudu come to mind. For some hunters, myself included, these are really primo trophies to have, and rank just as high or higher than buffalo or leopard, which are available almost anywhere and at a much cheaper safari cost. The typical 21 day Tanzania safari is not a cheap affair, most good operations will charge $40k+ just for the daily rate. Add in the gov't levies and air fare and the cost can hit $80k rather quickly once everything is paid. And, you can't shoot any of their primo plains game on less than a 21 day hunt! Now, for this type hunt I'm not about to take a light rifle that isn't perfectly suited for the taking of these type species and the shots needed to collect them. For me, the light rifle MUST be a very accurate, flat shooting rig that I'm 400yd capable with...that isn't a 375. I know it because I tried it, and midway through that safari I quickly decided that a 375 plus the big bore wasn't good for me and what I like to hunt.

John55,

I am "fortunate" in that I will never have your problem since I just can't shoot that far! I'm an East Coaster and grew up thinking 100yds was from here to forever. And it was back then, restricted to shotguns and before good blackpowder or rifled sotgun alternatives. Even today, 250yds is a LONG shot for me, and I don't find the 375H&H a handicap.

What do you prefer for your second rifle? How 'bout you heavy rifle?

JPK

No disagreement at all.

My past and planned trips to Africa have been and are motivated primarily to hunt DG, the PG are only targets of opportunity for me. I much prefer to chase after big Whitetails and Muley's, at this stage, and use very flat shooting calibers as shots can be long...

So I guess the logic of caliber choice should be dictated by game hunted, field conditions, ranges, shooter's ability, etc....as it always should be....

The 375 H&H is a fine round.....

I learned to shoot a rifle hunting groundhogs in my area. We took any kind of shot we were offered and sometimes that meant a 300 or 400yd attempt across a soybean field. We practiced a good bit in the off season too, so longer range shooting at big game just came naturally to me in the later years. I still would much prefer a 150yd shot, and will do all that's possible to get close...but that isn't always possible. So I spend a lot of time practicing at various ranges...
For rifles, my preferred rifle for 90% of my hunting, both here and in Africa, is a 300mag. Have a Wby and a Winnie and love them both. Loaded with TSXs, partitions or NFs they just get the job done, regardless of the range or the specie being hunted. Big guns...you name it and I've used it, owned it or tried it! Tried double rifles, didn't care for the iron sights as I'm a scope user, so went back to bolt rifles. Settled on the 450 bore about '95 and have never used anything else since. 458, 458 Lott, 460 G&A and now the best of the bunch...450 Dakota.

I love to chase those deer myself! With an occasional elk and beer thrown in, I really love the NA hunting. I enjoy the dangerous game in Africa too...especially the cats!

John, agree with everything you've stated here 100%........

I've found that any good elk round is absolutely ideal for all African plainsgame thru eland, and as you know so very well yourself, the bullets don't exactly bounce off.

I'm amazed at how many guys are convinced than anything less than a bullet from a 375 H&H just sort of blows up, "fails", and won't kill much of anything bigger than a Thompson's gazelle in Africa. "They're a whole lot tougher than any of your North American animals, don't you know old chap?"

I've heard something like that last contrived statement time and again, and often by guys who've shot absolutely NO North American game for themselves, or have never scuffed their boots on a real western elk hunt in their lives. That concept is an absolute crock full of boy-cow..........

The 375s a great cartridge, but I really don't like it, on a personal level at least, and maybe that sentiment has something to do with my personal conviction (call it a prejudice if you like) that many of the old British rifles and cartridges are somewhat (and often greatly) overrated, and the romance of things British, in terms of African hunting, is largely lost on me.

The 375's an icon, and most icons either die hard, or are invincible altogether -- sort of like tired old notion that there's "NOTHING for versatile(!)" than the old, iconic 30-06.

I guess I'm a poor sport on that idea, as well, since I can think of a host of cartridges more versatile than the 30-06 is............. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

AD

John, Allen,

I understand your rifle selections from the untility point of view for PG.

Maybe its because I'm a lefty, but I fear having my primary DG rifle go tits up and being stuck with trying to use, at best, and unfamiliar rifle for DG and probably a wrong handed one at that.

I know you killed a buff with a 300mag Allen, and I'd do it too, under the right circumstances, but no way in God's Kingdom would I use anything less than a 375H&H (or 9,3x62) for an elephant and I really and truely would like to avoid the unfamiliar rifle for that situation.

I think I'd be worried to distraction if I only had one DG rifle with me.

JPK