Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting 375 H&H for elk thoughts....

I have a Remington 798 in 375 H&H I’m thinking of setting up for elk. I’m thinking a 260 grain Accubond. Straight 4 or 6 power scope.
Thoughts on sighting in. If I sight in at 2” high at 100 yds, dead on at 200. What would be my hold for a 300 yard shot?
Only other question would you use a straight power scope or a low power variable?
Thanks

You need more gun.

I would put a straight 4x on the .375 H&H.

Sight it in for 200 yards and take it out to 300 yards to see how much drop it has at that range.

When I was prepping for my first hunt in Namibia, among other things, I worked up a very accurate load with 260-grain AccuBonds for my Weatherby Mk V in .375 H&H. I used that rifle and load to take two fairly large bull elk in Colorado. They were somewhere around 140 and 160 yards.

I sight my rifles in at "maximum point-blank range" and run a "cheat sheet" with drop tables that I tape to the butt stock. Among other things, I shot an impala in Namibia at 300 meters (about 330 yards) with the same rifle and load, holding the horizontal cross-hair resting on the top of it's back. The bullet entered his body about 1/3 of the way up from the bottom of his chest. The scope was a Leupold VX-III 1.75-6 X 32.

Hope this helps...

My “only” elk hunting caliber (hell, my “only” caliber since 1982) since 1986! Your bullet choice should be good, though I would prefer a Barnes 250 grain TTSX. Can’t help you on the zero, as I went to a .375 AI in 1989. We used a Leupold 2.5-8 until a few years ago, when we stepped up to the Leupold 3.5-10. The 2.5-8, would be great for all around general use! memtb

Thanks guys ! I appreciate the input.

I've shot a couple of black bear with the 260 gr Accubond. First one was at 306 yards, easy one-shot kill, with the rifle zeroed at 200 yards.

Essentially the trajectory is about the same as a 180 gr 30-06 load. Really doesn't drop all that much at 300 yards and still packs quite a punch. The 260 Accubond is a good bullet. Got the best accuracy with 69 - 70 grains of RL-15 and a Federal 215 primer.

I've used a 2-7x, a 3x and a 1.5-5x on my 375 H&H Ruger Number One. They all worked well.

Best of luck, Guy

Sounds like a great choice to me. The only thing I’ve ever shot with accubonds were deer with a 308 and 150’s. My 375 ultra wears a 1.5-5 leupold. I think it just looks cool. Seems to me like when nosler was testing that bullet they shot Cape buffalo with them.... can’t imagine it wouldn’t really hammer elk.

See how it shoots 235’s

DF

Don't overthink the trajectory at 300 with a sight in of 200. Put it on his back line at 300 and flail away.

Years ago I shot a cow elk with a Ruger No. 1 375 H&H and it worked just fine (270 Speer and 1.5-5 Leupold). My preference is low power variables on No. 1's - same rifle today wears a 1-4 Nikon.

The 375H&H is a lot more gun then you need for elk, but so what?
It works SUPER well for them.

I have used one for many many years mostly because a lot of the places I hunt elk are full of grizzlies too. So far I have never had a problem with a grizzly, but so far I have never been in a bad car wreck either. I still wear a seat belt, and I still often carry my 375H&H, because if I ever have a need for such power on an elk hunt I like to have it ready.
Anyway, I have never used the Accubond. I have used 235 Speer, 270 grain Hornady's in both round nose and spitzer, 270 grain Winchester Power Points, 300 grain Nosler Partitions and Round Nose Hornadys, 300 grain Sierra and also a few 300 grain Hornady solids.
Of the lot, the 3 that were "the worst" were still VERY effective, being the spire point 270 grain Hornady the 300 grain Sierra and the 235 grain Speers. That's the thing I love about the 375. In it's worst performing cases it's still very good and in the best ones it's outstanding.
So I am going to say you are probably over thinking this. It's a 375. It's going to be fine

Scope?
I have a 1X to 4X Leupold on mine. It's been there since I got the rifle when I was a very young man. I was 21 then. I am 64 now. That rifle has been shot enough to need a 2nd barrel. I shot the throat out of the 1st one. The low power Leupold is the only scope it's ever had. I killed a moose with it at over 800 yards, and have killed several deer with it over 650 and I even used to practice with the rifle shooting rock-chucks and many were killed over 500 with some killed over 600. With 270 grain bullets the trajectory is about the same as a 30-08 with a 180 grain load and with the 300 grain loads it's about like a 308 (7.62 NATO Lake City Match load.)
So yes a 4X scope is all the scope you'd ever need on a 375 even for jack-rabbit coyotes and rock chucks. Elk are large and not hard to hit for anyone who has some degree of marksmanship abilities. Use the scope you hunt big game with for all you small game too. that's how you become a "wizard" with your 375. Use it..... a LOT and get really good with it. In the hands of a skilled marksman the 375 is like magic in the game fields.

My CZ with a 2600 fps 270 grain TSX had a five inch high POI from POA for a 300 yard zero.

I got home from Vietnam in 1970. I still had almost a year left on my enlistment, so the Army sent me to Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. I used to spent a lot of off duty time at the Post rifle range, and one evening two guys at the bench next to me were shooting a .375 H&H. I had never seen a rifle that large so I went over and talked to them. One of them had drawn a Wichita Mountains elk tag, and they were told that they needed that rifle to kill an elk. I thought that was huge cartridge for elk hunting and at that time I had only killed one elk (a 5x5 bull with a .30-40 Krag) so I just wished them luck. Now, 34 elk later, I still think a .375 H&H is way more rifle than is needed to kill an elk.

Now, I'm as much a rifle looney as most on these forums, and I respect anyone's choice to hunt with whatever rifle that they want to. Fifteen years ago I bought a .375 RUM for a Zimbabwe buffalo hunt, and I have used it on two trips to Africa on a variety of animals from Steenboks to Buffalo and Eland, but it is way down on my list of rifles that I would use for elk.

Just my thoughts...

The only reason I wouldn’t use mine is that it’s too heavy.

Mine was my secondary elk rifle in case my .338 WM went down. Got too heavy for me at altitude. Going to a 270 Winchester this year as the secondary.

Years ago I owned an early Rem 700 KS MR that was extremely accurate and pretty light. I used it on two Colorado bulls loaded with the 260 gr Partition at 2650 fps. Certainly more than needed but I just wanted to swat something with the 375. I kept the stock and "dropped" the action into a wood ADL stock and traded it off when I lived in Calgary.

I ordered a box of 300 grain Accubond blems today to try out. I’m going to see how well they do.

Why not?

You still need more gun........

Something like say,a .460 Wby?

Nah..

Barely enough gun for NM Jackwabbits...



DF

No,the .460 is enough for NM rabbits.

Trust me.

Over penetrates...

DF

Use whatever rifle that you like shooting. At least you have enough gun if some other critter shows up.

If you can pack it and can shoot it then have at it.

I use a .270 for rifle elk hunting. It's perfectly adequate. If I had a 375 H&H I'd use it just because! I know two guys who hunt everything from antelope to moose with 338 WM. Thing is, it kills antelope with a nice clean wound channel that drops them right there and works great on the big boys too.

Plus, if you get into jackalope you can feel confident in not being under gunned.

I had a friend who used a 375 H&H on deer and elk. He said it worked great in thick timber. He didn't have to worry about trees. He could just shoot through them.

Longcruise, The .338 WM is my wife’s “only” hunting rifle. Pronghorns/deer up to moose. It simply works! We considered the .375, but to get it down to a good carry weight, required more money than we had to spend at the time. memtb

That it does.

I use a 375 Ruger Guide Gun 20" barrel with 300gr. Accubonds traveling 2590fps chronographed average. I use a Leupold VX3 2.5-8x36mm with Alaska Arms LLC quick detach rings. Then in thick brush a NECG Ruger Ghost Ring sight. I sighted in scope dead on at 200yds, which is 2.5" high at 100yds. Ghost ring sights dead on at 100yds. I have used this combo on deer and elk.

Id go 6x42. Liked it on my .375 and would be what I would have used had a drawn a Ky elk tag


pic upload

Ky221 I drew a late season cow tag for Kentucky this year.
I normally use my 264 Win Mag for elk out west . This year I got to thinking that I spend more time hunting in and out of the timber than I do in the sage or open fields. All my shots have been 300!yds or less. So I’m going to put the .375 to work.
I got a fourth season rifle elk tag for Colorado next week. Unfortunately I won’t have my 375 up and running before heading out but I will have it in hand when I head to Kentucky.

RMerta, great decision! It’s a shame you won’t get to use it In Kolorado! If you get your .375 down to a comfortable “carry weight”....you may find it will be your “go to” hunting rifle. Unless, the shots will be quite long! memtb

all the suggestions sound great, but i don`t see very well with a lower powered scope anymore,i would buy a larger powered scope like a Nightforce 2-10x50 maybe ?i do like Leupold too ,maybe a larger powered Leupold would work fine too. i like 375 H&H cartridge too. good luck with your choice,Pete53

I used a similar rifle to your Mod 798....the more refined Whitworth Express ( Mark X for all intents, same as 798) for PG with 270x and a 2.5x8 Leupold. In the mountains, I favored the Mod 700 BDL SS .375 H&H with 2.5x8 and later the Mod 700 Classic with 1.5x5 and 300 Nosler

My last bull, circa 2015 up from Leadville, dropped to the shot at 250 yards from a 270 Win Montana and the 140 gr TSX at 2950 fps. As I have written before, this rifle and my "light" stainless fluted Brown stocked 375 H&H would meet every need I see ahead. But what fun is that???

I’ve carried my 375 Imp while elk hunting a bit. It’s only a couple ounces heavier than my 338. No elk with it yet, but I did take a little buck with it during deer season. The 250 TTSXs seem to work just fine there as well.

I have used mine one elk, moose and antelope.. I like it but don’t shoot it a lot.. My pick for a scope is a 3-9.. I took it to Africa about 25 years ago with a low power scope.. It was brushy country and I figured it would be perfect..Killed only one animal with it.. A waterbuck.. I used my .300 the rest of the time because it had a 4-12 and was much better for picking a hole in that brush to shoot through....

Hello,

I used my .375 H&H Winchester 70 pre 64 as my main big Red Deer rifle for years. Most used bullet the 270 grs Win Power Points, 270 grs Hornady Spire point. Both at 2700 p/s. Lately, some Barnes X 250 grs, and Nosler Partition and Accubond 260 grs. All worked great at 2800 f/s.
Some pictures











This previous one with a N. Accubond 260 grs. Recovered under the opposite side skin.

About the scopes, the first one is a Schmidt & Bender 1,25-4x20. The second a Zeiss Victory 1,5-6x42 and the las one a Zeiss Diatal ZA 4x32. All with Nr. 4 Reticules. The last one, the 4x32 is one of my favorites big game scopes!

Best!

PH

Zeiss Victory 1.5-6x42 on this one, chopped and fluted to cut barrel weight.

DF

That’s awesome. I hope you do well. I’ve never put in for cow. Only firearm bull. Report back with how you do when you go.

Don’t ever worry about the 375 h&h doing the job. It is only limited by the shooter’s capability. Made several 300 yd shots in Africa. Shot a 412 BC elk at 432 yds. All with 300 grain swift Aframe. Great bullet, not best bc. I recommend practicing at 400 yds or more. Don’t worry about the mule, load the wagon.

Don't overlook the 250 grain SGK. They are hell for tough.

I guided an elk Hunter from Australia in the Frank Church wilderness one time. He was shooting a 375H andH.. He missed a 5 point bull, and a nice mule deer from solid rests. He was so scared of the recoil, that he had a terrible flinch and couldn't hit anything. I shot his rifle to verify that it was shooting ok. It was, but even at that,I wasn't crazy about the recoil either, as that was the first one that I had shot. He later shot a small bull with my 243 I had in camp. I had a lot of hunters over the years that had magnum rifles and couldn't shoot them very well because of th e recoil flinch they developed. Most of the hunters that shot decent, and there weren't very many of them, shot something that didn't kick as bad. Something in the 270, or 30 06 range. I always liked it when a hunter showed up with something like that. Chances were, they would shoot better.

My first thought is the OP needs to get a ballistic calculator or use one of the free online calculators. And maybe a chronograph as well.

I use the Barnes 235 gr. X boattail bullets in my Model 70 .375 H&H. They don't make them anymore, they're flatbase now. I have plenty of the 235 boattails stockpiled though. My rifle shoots them well. Took several elk, 2 moose and even deer & antelope with it. It's a great shooter. I had a Remington 700 BDL in .375 H&H, biggest POS I ever owned.

Hi Yoder,

Agree!! The SGK 250 grs (and 300 grs by the way) is also one very fine elk and medium game bullet in the .375 H&H.

Best.

PH

With many, the “magnum moniker” alone, scares a lot of people. The 375 H&H, is not much more than a 30-06 (similar trajectories at typical hunting distances) with a larger bore. As “most” .375 H&H’s are fairly heavy....the felt recoil, is pretty tame. About 30 years ago, my wife (girl friend @ the time) ran some 300 grainers through my Win. Model 70. Her comment, “That’s not nearly as bad as I thought it would be”! This from a women that biggest cartridge shot previously was a .264 WM.

Now, if you bring the weight down to a much more practical “hunting carry weight” ( 9 pounds or under - scoped, loaded, and scoped) the recoil will be a bit more. However, nothing that an experienced shooter should fear. Unless the shooter has some injury (shoulder, ect.) that is sensitive to recoil!

A little math comparison: A 9.0 pound 375 H&H, shooting a 270 grain bullet (2700 fps) has a felt recoil of approximately 45 ft/lbs. My wife’s 9.0 pound .338 WM, pushing 225 grainers @ 2950, provides a bit over 39.0 ft/lbs. I don’t think an additional 5 or so ft/lb. felt recoil to be a serious challenge! JMO. memtb

I see these very light 375's and wonder what the thinking is on that. A 7# .375 will rattle yo teeth. And, as you correctly stated a 8.5-9# gun pushes more than slaps, not that unpleasant to shoot. The M-70 I posted, even with the heavy scope is pushing 9#'s. With a 1.5-5x20 Leupold, 8.5#'s or so all up. The big Zeiss sure is nice in dim light, though. I don't want one lighter than that. The basic gun is around 7#, 12 oz or so, balances great after the barrel was chopped and fluted. This gun, IMO, is about ideal. I even like the Tupperware stock. Don't have to worry about scratching it. It's tough and the SS speaks for itself.

DF

Just mounted this 2.5x8 Leupold on my 375 H&H. Weighed it and comes in at 9.2 pounds, unloaded and minus sling.

Dirtfarmer, A very nice rifle! I need another .375, like I need more income taxes. But, given the opportunity to buy a Model 70 SS, I’d keep the barrel at 24”, cut as much weight as is practical, and run an AI reamer in it, and drop a Leupold 2.5-8 or 3.5-10 in Leupold QD base/rings on it. Then, I’d have another rifle that doesn’t get enough use. But, she’d be a beautiful “safe queen”! memtb

Sounds like a plan.

Ha!

DF

I had a regular Mod 700 BDL SS .375 (when they made them) reamed to the 375 Weatherby ( ala Ackley) and shot the 270 Barnes in it. It was a flat shooter!

Depends on the stock and recoil pad. I had a 700 XCR in .375 H&H. If it hadn't had a truly FUBAR chamber, I'd still have it. Mine weighed 6 lb 12 oz .. actual weight, not manufacturer prediction .. bare, no optics. It was not bad at all to shoot, big push. I attribute this to 2 things, first, the R3 recoil pad, and second, a bit of flexibility in the factory stock itself. However, when you take a fired case, turn it a quarter turn, and can't chamber it, something is BAD. When it requires Imperial Sizing Lube, which I reserve for case forming, not regular sizing lube, to get it into a FL die, something is BAD. Given that, the 2-1/2 inch accuracy, which is unacceptable to me, was not a surprised. I had a plain-jane Leupold Vari X II 3-9X40 on it. If not for that FUBAR chamber, it would have been a real useful do-everything rifle.

Tom

I shot 1 elk with 375hh. used 300 nosler pt. down and out very quick. shot 1 cow elk with 45 colt 300 gr wfnl . both died in about same time.

I used the Sierra 300 SBT going 2600 or close. I found it to be a very soft bullet, made 5 inch exit holes. First shot ( 200yds) broadside, mid way up, tight against the shoulder. Boom, she humped up, had a miserable look on her face ( I guess, ha) and just stood there! I did not want ther to run down into a very nearby, God Awful Hole, so hit her top of shoulders. Ruined a lot of meat too, was then pressed for time for South Africa, so just used the then available 270 Failsafe factory load. Good stuff, no more bloodshot/ruined meat either! This was important because we sold the meat to help cover the costs. Contrary to popular belief, we Preachers are not all like Al Sharpton. You guys see that today? $ 1 Mil.

At least you got yours to exit. Back in the ‘80’s, before I started using “real” bullets, I had 3 bullet failures with the Sierra 300 grain SBT. They failed to exit broadside shots on a deer and a black bear.....finding only an empty jacket! Lost my first elk, easy, close range, “steeply angled” shot, thinking that the bullet would easily do it’s job....it was not. Yes, I’m slow to learn. Once going to the Hornady 270 SP’s at H&H velocities.....bullet failures were a thing of the past. Step up the velocity another 2 or 3 hundred fps, and I found the Hornady’s lacking.....but, that’s another story! memtb

Shot my first elk in Colorado with a 375 H-H. in 1997.
That year I shot a Dalls sheep, a moose and a black bear with my 308 Win so I wanted to try out the 375 H-H too.

I have knocked a few bulls down with a 375 H&H using 260 grain Accubonds. My rifle is a left handed Remington KS Mountain Rifle with Leupold 2.5-8x36. Easy rifle to carry and not to bad on the shoulder. All of the shots have been under 200 yards. Have yet to recover a bullet.

Howdy neighbor! I guess that I’m not the only one around here that uses the 3/8” bore!

Oh.......welcome to the “fire”! memtb

I picked up the same rifle last year to go with my left handed KS in 300 H&H. I haven't had a chance to hunt it yet and I'm not likely to get much elk hunting with it up here but it ought to work fine on moose and caribou. I haven't decided on a bullet yet.

Mart, Unless you intend to do some long range work, consider the Hornady 270 SP. I know that it’s a bit “old school”, but, in several .375 H&H’s that I’ve worked with....it’s a “match made in heaven”! The Hornady 270 SP Interlock works great at H&H velocities. If you push them harder (RUM’s, Weatherby’s, AI’s), I don’t think you’ll be quite as happy! memtb

memtb, why do you exclude the old 270 Gr Hornady Spire Point from long shots? In my experience the 270 Spire Point was better at longer ranges then it is at close range. When I used that bullet in Idaho for several elk I found the bullet would do very well putting elk on the ground "right now" but I always found bullet fragments where you can see how it was coming apart. I got exits, but the wounds and the meat on the off-side usually had some lead and copper pieces in it. Not so with the round nose bullet.
I have used both the spire point and the round nose and found the round nose to work better and even be a bit more accurate then it's pointy brother, but the spire point was good for carrying out to longer distances and held together once it got past 200 yards.

As a 375H&H fan I'd love to hear your experiences too.

I don't know how many elk I have killed exactly, but I am betting of that number, about 1/2 were killed with my 375 and the other half were killed with a mix of the following firearms: Four 270s, two 308s, one 300 Savage, two 30-06s, one 8X57, one 7MM Mag, one 7X57, one 300 Win Mag, one 308 Norma Mag, one 30-378 mag, two 300 H&H mags, two 44 Mag hand guns, one 454 Casull, one 416 Taylor, one 58 cal cap-lock Hawken and one 62 cal Flintlock. As I write this those are the ones I can remember off hand but I may have missed one or two also.

From my kills and a whole lot more that I have seen killed as a guide or just hunting with friends, I have come to appreciate a hole that goes clear through and exits, no matter the angle of the elk. What I have learned is that bullet construction becomes more important the faster a bullet is shot, and/or the smaller the bullet is in weight. Once you get to the 375H&H the problems with weird bullet paths and non-exits seemed to vanish completely.

While I do like large rifles, I am 100% convinced that anything from a 243 and up is a good for elk if they have "elk bullets" in them. I have personally seen 5 kills with 243s on elk and 2 were at over 400 yards, in which all 5 left exits. All were shot with Partitions and Barnes X bullets. One moose I saw killed with a Winchester Factory 100 grain 243 was heart shot and died within about 6 seconds. But when I helped my friend dress it out and cut it up for packing we found the bullet lost most of it's weight (38 grains was what we got back) and penetration was only about 14". Sure it killed the moose, but I would not recommend that bullet for such hunting. We used to kill cattle in the slaughter house with a 22 lr, but that doesn't mean a 22 LR would be good for hunting game up to 1600 pounds.

Anyway....like you I found the old Hornady's to be superbly accurate in my 1st barrel, and the RN was about 25% more accurate then the spire point. but both could keep all 4 shots inside a target about the size of a chicken egg at 200 yards without fail.
As I said in my earlier post, the 270- grain Spire Point, the 235 grain Speer and the 300 grain Sierra would all come apart to some degree, and the Sierra's shed their jackets most of the time. (In fact they did every time I used them) In a 270, 7MM or 30 cal the same degree of disintegration by percentage might have given me a problem, but with the 375 it's large and powerful enough that even the "bad bullets" work very well. For elk and anything smaller, I think it would be impossible to find a bullet that was not good enough in a 375H&H. Bad one are good. Good ones are outstanding.

I do not recommend the 375H&H as an elk gun for someone to go buy before they come out here to hunt elk. I tell them to use the rifle they have and shoot the best. The man is 98% of the equation. In hardware, look to bullets far more then you should look to rifles and "calibers".

But if they have a 375H&H already, and can shoot it well, they will never have a complaint about how well it will kill elk................or about any other N. American animal too. From rock-chucks and coyotes to moose and buffalo.

memtb,

I have quite few of the Hornady 270 grain, both SP and RN. I'm pretty well stocked with their 300 grain RN as well. Also have a bunch of Speer 235 grain and found a great deal on a lot of Barnes 350 grain RN. I also bought a bunch of 260 and 300 grain Accubond seconds to try. This is my second 375 H&H. My first was a Montana 99 they built for me back when they did the charter offer.

I've known two gentleman who used nothing but a 375 H&H for big game. One shoots nothing but the Sierra 300 grain and has killed 14 moose with that bullet. Prior to moving to Alaska many years ago he hunted mule deer and elk with the same bullet. The other fellow, long since passed, shot the Speer 235 grain bullet over four decades for everything the northwest had to offer; antelope, deer, elk, moose and black bear as well as a lot of jackrabbits and coyotes. I think both those bullets are somewhat overlooked and perhaps under utilized. I know the gentleman who used the 235 Speers thought they were a great bullet. We discussed it more than once over morning coffee where a local bunch of gun nuts used to meet daily. He thought it worked wonderfully on elk.

Mart - I've only used the 235 gr Speers for practice, but a buddy of mine used them on deer & elk and was very pleased. He called it a "train wreck" when describing the damage they did to the vitals on a mule deer or elk.

I've used only the 260 gr Nosler Accubond on game so far. Three black bear. Worked great.

Guy

szihn, I haven’t taken nearly the amount of game that you have, so comparatively speaking, I’m a novice! The .375 has been my only hunting caliber since 1982. Though, it didn’t draw blood until my moving to Wyoming. Hunting, without belonging to a hunting club, was very difficult where I lived previously!

Prior to moving to Wyoming I developed a load using the Sierra 300 SPBT. It was used during my first fall of hunting and the following spring for bear. Three shoots taken, three dismal failures. Yes, two animals were recovered. But, with broadside shots and no major bone hit.... I got no exit! Which, is what I consider a “bullet failure”.....when a 300 grain bullet fails to exit relatively small big game animals.

When talking to Bob Milek, he highly recommended the Hornady 270 grain SP. I tested the Hornady side by side with the Sierra 300, into a “test medium” @ approx 100 yards. The Sierra’s completely “disintegrated”, while the Hornady’s gave the results shown in magazine advertisements! Not only did I get superb groups with the Hornady, but I was very satisfied with the way it performed on game. Though, admittedly, my kills were limited in the H&H, as I started hunting with my AI, in spring of ‘90. My first elk, a spike bull taken in fall of ‘90, was shot at approximately 80 yards, broadside, behind the shoulder, hitting “only” a rib......failed to exit. The bullet was recovered beneath the offside hide! Again, the recovered bullet was “picture perfect”! But, in my opinion, it opened too quickly and shed too much weight to give reliable exit wounds! I assumed the additional velocity was a bit much for the Hornady.

The gunsmith that built my rifle, did some bullet tests/evaluations with Randy Brooks (Barnes Bullets) using a 6MM Rem. and the then “fairly new” X Bullet. When Jay ( my gunsmith) told me of their results, I tried the X Bullet. My next elk kill, was an end to end shot, breaking heavy bone, giving three hide penetrations.....the bullet was recovered beneath the hide, failing (thankfully) to make the 4th hide penetration. The recovered bullet, had one petal broken off. I had found “my” Holy Grail of hunting bullets. Since then, I’ve taken animals from Fox/coyote, Pronghorn, Elk, and Moose, and have no complaints. In fact, as Barnes technology advanced, my results are also improved.....especially accuracy and velocities!

The “only” reason I suggested that the Hornady 270 grain SP wasn’t a good long range bullet, was “solely” based upon it’s BC....thinking of shots exceeding 500 yards! memtb

Geez, and all I wanted to know was how your wife did with her 338wm on elk this year... Geesh...

Dang Scotty. How heavy is that 338 Alaskan of yours. Mine only weighs 7 pounds bare.. 8 scoped... I wouldn't want to shoot an 8 pound 375...

Oh come on now.. I was really starting to buy into that bs of a typical outfitter guide has concerning people shooting magnums.... Its a known fact that you just can't hit with a magnum rifle of any kind... Just can't happen... Unless its the size of a barn door, it can't be hit with a magnum.... They just aren't accurate. Only less than 1/2 of 1 percent of american macho men and your wife of course, can shoot a magnum properly... Trust me...

bsa1917hunter, We haven’t been yet. We’ve had family issues preventing us from going out. We thought that we’d get a deer of two, but never went. We’re just going for cows, and have until 12/21. So, no pressure......yet! memtb

My 338 is about 8.75 lbs BSA. With the 6x36 on top. The 375 is 9lbs flat with the 6x42 on it but it’s also got the mag fill Legend as well. Both feel super close really.

8-8.5 lbs with a 22-24" barrel is a good place to be for a general hunting rifle IMO. Light weight and short barrels are the enemy of accurate field accuracy IMO.

BWalker, It would be pretty hard to argue with that statement.....though some will! memtb

I liked 250 gr Swift A Frames, 270 Barnes XLC's and 270 TSX's. If I was going to use my 375 for elk today I would use the 250 grain TTSX.

I use the Barnes 270 grain TSX in my 375 Rugers for moose.
I would think the 260 Accubond would also work well. Though being a monolithic bullet user, I would try and have intentions of trying the Barnes 270 grain LRX.
I have 375 H&H and Ruger versions. I have used / use scopes in the 1.1-4x24, 1-6x24, 1.5-6x42, and 1.5-8x42. All of these have ample field of view for near in-my-face type encounters and enough magnification for my distances. I like the 42mm objectives for very low light. My distances are usually 200 yards maximum.
I prefer the straight tubed variables on my M70 375 H&H's. This allows me more scope adjustment for my eye relief with the rings and bases that I use. My son has a 1.5-6x42's on his 375 H&H.
Your sight in, trajectory / hold-over, and Wind Drift will be determined by your bullet ballistic coefficient and velocity.

Shoot and practice as much as possible a 100 and 400 yds and you won’t have many surprises in the field. Bench,sticks, and offhand Even dry firing helps a lot. Don’t know of a bad 375 bullet. Shot a big bull at 430 yds with 300 a frame. Don’t worry about the about the old 375 if you do your part. Practice, practice, practice builds muscle memory and confidence when that big bull is going over the hill. Ain’t rocket science. Happy Hunting

Then, there's the thread here on the Fire, advocating that the 7-08 with 150 NPT is all that's needed for elk. And, there are plenty of dead critter photos as evidence.

I've never killed an elk with a 7-08/150 NPT or a .375 H&H, although I have both. I CAN tell you what a 180 NPT out of a 300 mag will do... Like put meat in the freezer...

Probably more than one way to skin a cat.... Or kill an elk...

DF

The .375 is a completely inadequate Elk cartridge. You should get something much larger like a 6.5 Creed.

A tidbit of wisdom from the far North “It’s the boolit, not the headstamp”.

DF

Part right,don't forget shot placement.

Yep.

Goes without saying....

DF

Except for one 4x4 bull that I took with a .44 Magnum Ruger Super Blackhawk in Colorado years ago, I have never used anything larger than .375 H&H for elk. However, I am thinking that I might take my .404 Jeffery next fall, just for the hell of it.

Instead of sorting through all of the 350-grain softs, I am thinking that the 400-grain TSX might work pretty well.

A .404 Jeffery for elk! Heaven forbid!

Have you shot that pretty one you just bought?

Good jackwabbit round, guess it could kill an elk...

DF

If I knew ranges would be 300 or less, I would be very happy carrying a 375.

Yes,I have shot it.

50 yards with iron sights,74.0 grains of Var-Get,CCI 250 Mag and 400 grain Woodleigh RN.


Shot the above load at 100 yards and it is shooting 4" to the left at 100 yards,so,tomorrow I will be shooting it to get it closer to the center.

Wow. Shoots as good as it looks.

DF

Yup.

I once thought the .416 Taylor/350gr in a 20" barreled Mod 700 would be "perfect" for elk and African PG. Only problem was it needed the brake it had and it was so loud it was painful! I quickly sold that "bad idea", ha. However, I will say that, for me, once I killed some heavy game with heavy rifles, I was hooked! By that, I mean the Medium Bores ( but do include the 300 mags) for elk. I know I can and would if I had a need to, use a smaller caliber rifle on them, but I like to "thump them". It might be only "in my mind" they are "thumping", but that's all part of it...to me! I have used several calibers through the years and smallest I used on a heavy animal was an 85xbt from a 6x47mm, but I had to, I was recovering from a neck surgery and I had the opportunity. Everything was right ( about 90% shot) so I "finessed" an Oryx at 184yds. He was cow elk size. I had it loaded just like a loaded down .243. I would have "preferred" a bigger rifle, but hey. The only problem I ever had using a "big gun" was taking grief from other hunters! ha

Well-said!!

Well stated. Jim! memtb

If most guys took the time to do a little research, they would see what the .375 H&H was designed for...and it wasn't "Elephant/Rhino"! I'm sure some feel the 375 is OK for Buffalo, but I've seen one up close! Those babies are BIG, ha. I liked reading about Hal Waugh's (sp?) reasoning for reaming his .375 H&H out to the .375 Weatherby ( Ackley same same) and using the 270gr bullet. The 270 was also my favorite, though I did use the old 235X, 270TSX, first run Nosler 260PT ( my friend said they came apart on Blue Wildebeast and Eland) and that 300 Sierra. The 270 Failsafe was a good one too. I would think, if one could handle it ( of course) even the 375 RUM would be a good elk round too. The 250 TSX or similar comes to mind for any 375 nowadays. I would have try that one...:)

My Dad (1922-2004) hunted elk nearly every year within the Bear Lodge Mountains of Wyoming. His rifle was a 300 Savage lever gun which has moderate recoil. Dad always shot an elk twice; he could lever a fresh cartridge very quickly. Compare the energy of two 180 grain 300 Savage bullets to just one 375 MAG bullet. No wonder Dad was always so successful!

300 Savage is a keeper!

Sherwood

Impressive!

That rifle/cartridge was sure popular here in Utah for a long time! Culture and traditions are strong in many areas. For example, I didn't use a scope until I was 22 because I grew up in a family of Mod 94 30-30 and 12ga/buckshot users. I heard all my young life by the "Oldtimers" "you can't use a scope in the woods, you can't get on him fast enough"!! This was in the Big Thicket of East Tx...we ran deer with hounds until I was 16 ( Law changed then) Even a bolt action rifle was considered "poor boy" via surplus rifles/sporters ( $25 for a 1917 Enfield at GI Surplus!

If big bears are not a problem a 30-06 with 165 Nosler AB's will work just as good if not better. If you don't already have a load worked up you might have a good case of the "flinch" before you find a load. Daniel

I have found the best way to make the 375 seem tame and manageable is to shoot 470 NE, 458 Lott, 450 Dakota.

A thousand rounds of the big guys and just like that, the 375 feels like an '06 used to.

But to your point, most guys won't do the work needed.