Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only Your Pick .375 Ruger, .375 H&H, .338 Win Mag, .416 Ruger For A Big Game Rifle?

I wrote the above post before reading Phil Shoemaker's posts. I concede to all his points based on his vastly superior experience.

A good hunter who is familiar with their rifle and chooses any of today's outstanding bullets can prettty well get by using anything they like

Maybe Phil will remember this.

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Just a few thoughts ... If your looking at using this rifle purely in colder environments, there is nothing wrong with the 375R, I hunted south Africa for over 20 years and seen my fare share of cartridges that are just not comfortable in hot humid environments when loaded max. One of those was the 375R. Personally compact magnums are just not for me, although I have to agree that the 375R is an excellent calibre otherwise. Don't understand the lock up thing.... Assuming it's referring to pressure?

It's only once you have shot a well set up 375 HH, that you will understand why this calibre is so well loved. The recoil push is an authorative experience, but so satisfying in the right set up. I shot a friend's well used HH and I was never the same again.The Ruger has all the numbers, but also a fast and punishing snap. A cartridge is not just about raw power, many factors contribute to a rifle becoming a beloved favourite and this honour has been bestowed n the HH many a time in that many hunters , including my friend, hunt almost exclusively with this cartridge almost everything they persue ... Within reason and common sense.

You will be doing yourself a great injustice by not at least experiencing a well tuned HH before you make your choice

To my knowledge the Ruger version is not loaded to any higher pressure levels than the H&H version and in fact, because it has a slightly larger case capacity, it can be loaded to the same velocity as the H&H with lower pressure .

Porker: "... seen my fare share of cartridges that are just not comfortable in hot humid environments when loaded max. One of those was the 375R."
ANSI/SAAMI Standards Z299-4 shows the Maximum Average Pressure in psi for the 375 Ruger and 375 H&H is the same at 62,000 psi.

Perhaps the 375R's having pressure issues in hot climates is strictly due to the powder used. I know that the chrono loves max loads of RL17 in my 375R but it's also very temperature sensitive. The factory loads or other hand loaded ammo might be using similarly sensitive powder in it much more often than the powders that have been found to run well in the H&H. But I am not worried about this in AK.

For the game mentioned and as a hunter not a guide a 35 Whelen or 338 Win Mag would suffice nicely. As a guide with expected encounters with brown bear a 375 of some persuasion would be a good choice, but bigger is not out of the question either. All 375s move 350 grain bullets quite nicely at around 2,350 fps when a bit more close up punch is needed.

One of each, thank you