Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting .375 H&H as a deer rifle

I used the 250gr Sierra's out of my .375-.358STA for 8 years or so with a MV of 3080fps. I've shot 7 or 8 elk, about that many deer, and 5 African animals (warthog to Kudu in size). Only 1 elk and the Kudu required more than one shot with ranges out 513yds on the Kudu.

Lee,

Use your 375 as if you were on "safari". Load it up and hunt. You might want to look at the Nosler 260 gr PT or AB bullets.
They will work fime on the smaller safari game.
I've used my 338 RUM with 250 gr PT on WT deer, works fine. Bang Flop. No such thing as over kill.

Regards,

JD338

Doesn't anyone else think it's funny that not more than a few weeks ago there was a huge pissing match over whether the 243 was sufficient for deer, and now the the 375 H&H is being questioned as sufficient?

Chriminy sakes, I need to start hunting deer in another part of the country because there are no deer anywhere I've been that could stand up to a 375.

FWIW, if a freaking cape buffalo can be taken cleanly with a solid from a 375 (with NO expansion), then I'm reasonably certain that just about any bullet you could ever hope to fling out of a 375 will handle any deer that's ever walked the earth. Of course, I'm funny in that I tend to look at things logically.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Actually if you don't place the bullet correctly and if the bullet doesn't expand then you might not think it was " big enough".
I know someone who used Barnes X bullets a few years back
and the bullet didn't expand. He had quite a tracking job. I guess that would hold true with solids or any bullet with to thick of a jacket or poor design for the game hunted.
FWIW <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
GWN

I for one have used the 375 on deer. I loaded the Speer 235 gr to right at 2600 and it performed flawlessly at 175 yds. I shot a doe broadside just behind the shoulder. She bounced she went down so fast. I can't speak to expansion as the bullet exited the offside with a very nice hole. It looked like a laser beam had gone through her. I would not hesitate to do it again.

Pmc

Shooting a deer in the ass with a 50 BMG wouldn't make the 50 BMG any less capable a deer round. Short of an RPG, it does take some skill to cleanly take game, chambering can't compensate for the inability to hit a barn from inside it.

I think what Cas is saying is that the 375 puts a big enough hole in them even without expansion that deer will die right quick. If he is not then I am.. Besides the through and through hole you are guarenteed with any 375 bullet/load while that bullet is whistling through the deer like a piece of paper any bone that it hits will splinter and do some nasty damage on its own. As long as your shooting at a velocity over 2000 fps and figure 200 yards is your further limit trajectory is a non issue as well.

I don't believe anyone questioned the 375 as being enough gun. It will go end to end through an elk.

All I'm saying is a 3/8" hole through both lungs with no other skeletal damge makes for a long day as there is minimal bleeding and it takes a deer a long time to drown. Same as hitting one with armor piercing ammo.

We have killed several Deer with my .375 Ruger # 1 Tropical using the 220 Hornaday FP and 39 gr. SR 4759 (IMR). This load gives 2175 fps and shoots 1/2" groups at fifty yards. This is a deadly load!

I have killed one doe with a Lyman .375248 which weighs 248 grs. cast from lynotype. Powder was 13 grs. Red Dot for about 1300 fps. The doe was at about 50 yards and ran downhill about 50 yards bfore dropping. The bullet was not recovered.

For longer range I use the 235 gr. Speer with 64 grs. IMR 3031 for 2700 fps. This is enough for a 300 yard shot but I have not taken any deer with it as yet.

Good luck with your H&H. I know you will enjoy it!

Thanks Kywindage, for some more real load and field experience. This is my 5th .375, a keeper, and I want to get more trigger time on it, but I don't want to risk wounding a deer by playing with the wrong load.

I am probably going to buy a matching Model 70 in .257 Roberts and modify it to the same sights as this Express. I'll try some of these lever-gun clone loads as well as some of the 2700 fps lighter bullets and get back on what works for my rifle. Keep the suggestions coming!

Simple then, don't shoot them in the guts or the ass. It has nothing to do with the load.

CAS, I know better than to shoot a deer with a FMJ .30-06 or a .375 H&H with a 300-gr Swift A-Frame. I was soliciting comments of those with EXPERIENCE using the .375 on deer.

I use the .375" 225 grain Hornady Spire Point in my .375 H&H for deer, black bear and hogs. Loaded over 70 grains of H4895 in Remington brass primed with a CCI250 it shoots with the trajectory of a 150 grain 308 Winchester and hits like a .338 Winchester Magnum. The 225 grain Hornady is a great deer bullet pushed 2400-3000 fps.

And you got it. Don't shoot them in the ass or the guts and you'll be fine with whatever you fling at them. If you think that a 300gr .375 A-Frame won't kill a deer cleanly then clearly YOU are the one with no experience.

Let me repeat in case you missed it:

Don't shoot them in the ass or the guts with a 375, 30-06, 243, 223, 25-06, 6.5x55, 270, 7 mag, 300 mag, 8mm mag, 338 Mag, 35 Whelen, 9.3x62, 416, 404, 458, 470, 500, 550, 600, or 700 and you will be fine. Punch a hole in the right spot, and you'll have a dead deer. (I'm sure I left out some calibers, so go ahead and flame away)

Chambering (nor bullet selection) won't compensate for crappy shooting.

Good post, CAS....

What's the big deal? You put your crosshairs on him and pull the trigger.

He dies.

People in Alaska do it all the time....

That one was killed, by the way, with a 270gr SAF at about 2800fps.....

David, see your experience doesn't count because you used a 270gr A-Frame, not a 300gr A-Frame. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

BTW, that is a DARN nice sitka.

Yeah, I was concerned about the 300gr SAF pencil-holing.....<grin>