Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only Shot my .375 H&H for the first time today!...woohoo!

A couple years ago I became a poor man and had to re-think how to continue my rifle loonyism.

I had to make a hard decision, how to keep trying different calibers on the cheap or just live with what I had at the time. I chose the former.

I bought a TC Encore. wasn't the rifle of my dreams but it is versatile and I've been able to get new barrels periodically without breaking the non-existent bank!

Got a Pro Hunter .375 H&H barrel a week or so ago along with dies, brass etc. and finally got out to shoot it today! What a kick in the pants! Loved it! I have wanted a thumper with some reach for a while now and an "African" caliber since I was a kid. A dream come true for me!

I can feel a little soreness in the old shoulder as I type this and Damn it feels good!

I'll just use it for deer, black bear and maybe elk but I can't wait for next season!

Kicks less than my old slug gun and now I know what the .375 push is. Recoil doesn't slap ya it pushes! Anyway I am elated and had to share it with someone! (wife just doesn't get it...lol)

I am glad you posted I am picking up a Number 1 in 375 next week I am quite excited.
I get the push, my friend got me interested in 350 Rem mag and I LOVE shooting it the energy is a strong push back it is very comfortable. That being said I limit it to 12 rounds a day at the range.
I really hope the 375 is similar.In one way I cant wait to shoot it but like bigger boomers I have shot in the past the first round makes you think. I bought some Core loc to start and "plink with"

My Vangaurd in 300 Win Mag is just ugly to shoot. I have not shot it for a long time I was thinking I was going to shoot it soon and if it is as violent as I remember its time to go.

What ammo did you shoot in your 375?
Hank

Good for you, in spades!
I got a new Ruger 77RSM Magnum in .375 H&H a couple a weeks ago but the weather will probably make me wait until March to try it out.
Like you, I wanted one since I was a kid and now, at 75, I did it!
I have no dreams of Africa, did my Elk thing. Paper, large rocks or maybe Buffalo are the probable adversaries.
I guess dreams do come true.
God Speed.
V

Yes dreams can come true!... even as older gents.

Boatboy- split the difference between min and max with Hodgdon data and some Varget I had sittin around, 67.5 grains and 235 speer. Didn't take the chrony as it was raining and I just wanted to burn some powder and launch some lead with it instead of sittin at home playin with it! Probably 2800 fps or so with the 28" pro hunter barrel.

I was a little apprehensive before I pulled the trigger on the first shot but as soon as I did I just had to do it again! you'll love it!

1sgLunde- thx! My brother has an older Ruger 77RSM in .458 win and those are nice rifles! congrats! You know your holding a serious rifle when ya got one of those in your hands!

Felt like a little boy in a candy store when I touched it off. I think giddy would be a good word for it!

Enjoy Gents

Well congratulations! The .375 H&H is a lot of fun to shoot. It can be remarkably accurate and is of course very useful afield.

I've had a lot of fun at the range with mine over the past year and a half, and used it to take a black bear in September.

If you're a handloader, you can tailor some very accurate loads that won't beat you up either.

Regards, Guy

boatboy, if you are picking it up next week, I'd suggest putting a pachmyer decelerator recoil pad on it. I have a 375 no. 1, and that's the 1st thing I did. The ruger pads are a POS.

You will love the gun. As Guy said, you can taylor some handloads that won't jar yer fillings, that are very accurate. However I'm shooting the jar/fillings loads, because my son and I are heading to Africa with a pair of them, next July.


maddog

Hey Maddog

Thanks I am buying the guy from a Very Reputable gun smith Dick Williams in Saginaw MI. They could put a pad on no problem.
I will do just that.
I buy guns from a lot of different sources I like buying from gun smiths the nice stuff and that can do stuff like that.
I bought my SX2 from Williams gun site in Davison MI and wanted a center bead they did it while I waited.Thats when I reolized the value of the servicing dealers. Ironically it didnt matter I cant hit anything with a shot gun anyway.

Thank You for the Idea.

Hank

Your killing me with the 375 story! I needed cash and decided to sell mine a while back - a Ruger #1. Logic got in the way and the H&H went down the road. What a feeling though knowing that with an accurate 375 H&H in the safe sighted in and ready to go, it didn't matter what my other rifles were doing at the time, I was set for whatever. If my #1 in 30/06 was a 1968 4-digit, or my 7x57 #1RSI didn't have the awesome wood that it does, that .375 might still be around. Good luck next season.

99lover,
If you check out the Sierra Loading Manual there are some reduced loads for the 200 gr fn that are low recoil and plenty of whallop for whitetail deer! I used IMR 4759 @ 2200 fps and took three deer so far, all bang flops! It was hard to put it down long enough to hunt with the 35 Whelen this year.
whelennut

"What a feeling though knowing that with an accurate 375 H&H in the safe sighted in and ready to go, it didn't matter what my other rifles were doing at the time, I was set for whatever."

You're right it is a good feeling! Between the .375 and my .30-06 I really don't need anything else.

Truly hoping my wife doesn't read this post...

mine should be home from the smith by mid next week.....I have been loving mine too. I would suggest giving rl 15 at about 74ish grains under a 260ab a poke.

High Country -
That was exactly the load I was thinking I would try.
Thanx,
V

99Lover: Good for you! Enjoy your 375H&H...good stuff!

Thanks to all of you guys!

GuyM- I lurk here a lot and have seen the pics of that nice bear you took with yours! 300 plus yards and went 6 feet! That's the kind of performance I'm lookin for!

AZ Southpaw- sorry to here of your loss Logic does get in the way sometimes, maybe you'll get another...

whelennut- I will check out the reduced loads. One of the things I want to do is shoot low velocity inexpensive cast bullet loads, hell Hodgdon even has Trail Boss loads that are subsonic. Be good for small game. Thx for the heads up on where to look!

high country- I do have some RL-15 stuck away somewhere and I understand it is one of the best powders for the .375, so I'll definitely be tryin that out!

BobinNH- As I said I lurk here a lot and know you are a fan of the .375 and I will certainly be enjoying it! Hell I might just have to take it out for some yote hunting just to blood it!

The .375 H&H is a cartridge I really have wanted since I was a kid! Love it when a plan finally comes together! Even if it took over 40 years...

Thanks again folks...

99lover,
The Hornady loading manual has some reduced loads for the 220 gr fp and a 225 gr spitzer also.
I haven't had a chance to try them yet. I use IMR4759 and it works very well for reduced loads. I was 55 years young when I bought mine, I had wanted one for years but never NEEDED it.
Now I wish I had bought one a long time ago.
whelennut

Enjoy your 375 as it is a great cartridge that can be used for just about anything.

I've used my M70 375 from time to time to even take out coyote and needless to say they don't go far when hit with a 'full power' 270gr 375 bullet...

99lover, enjoy your new .375.I love the .375 H&H, Its one of the few rifles that seems to have alot more power than the recoil would leave you to believe. And like whelennut said you can shoot those 200,220,& 225s with reduced loads and it feels like a .243.

I have loaded 200's to 3200fps for woodchucks, and 235 Speer Hot Cores loaded down a little for deer and coyote. My rifle also likes the 260 Nosler Accubonds and they really leave a mark!

You are going to love it. And yes RL-15 is a premier powder for the .375 H&H. Mine likes the Sierra 250 gr BTSP over a healthy dose of it. I won't publish the load because it is slightly over the book but safe in my rifle. Sierra calls for a maximum of 72.2 grains of RL-15 & their 250 grainer. As you know start lower & work up.

Here is a picture of my first confirmed kill with it. It was a prairie dog that I hit @ about 60 yards with a 270 gr Speer BTSP.

I'm glad to hear you like the bigger round.

I would much rather shoot my 375s than my 338 Win or 325 WSM. I can handle the 375 push, but not those sharp jabs.

The old slug gun I referred to in my OP kicks pretty violently with that charge of fast powder and 550 grain slug. Firing my brothers .338 Win belted me pretty good, not like his 458 (which left marks!... ) but a fast recoil pulse regardless. The 375 just feels powerful but not painful, gotta love that!

I don't see a need to run the loads hot as the game I'll pursue with it just don't need that much killin! I'll stick with medium loads and the reduced and cast loads I have seen. I want to use it for just about everything I can. I like that the trajectory basically matches the 30-06 too as I'm fairly familar with that. Lovin this cartridge!

Thx Again folks!