Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting how many have used a 375 H&H on elk hunts?

btw I was shocked and amazed to find the 375 H&H manlicher carbine from sako has a 2 piece stock, what happened was that the recoil caused the front section thats abut 8"-11" long (the joints under the front barrel band) and the metal cap to move forward, I removed the stock, inspected it closely then took a router and cut twin parallel 17/64 grooves about 6" long under the barrel channel, in both the forward and main stock pieces ,then carefully measured and dropped 2 11" long sections of threaded 1/4" steel rod into the grooves and test assembled the stock with a piece of duct tape holding the thread rods in the grooves, when I found it didn,t bind and there was sufficient clearance as I expected I removed the stock,from the action and used bedding compound to epoxy the thread rod in place, and a layer of plastic wrap in the barrel to allow the stock modified with epoxy, to not glue to the barreled action, after reassembly, so the stock stabilizing re-enforcing rods would be cured and hardened in the proper position , once that was hard, (I let it set up two days) I carefully dis-assembled and cleaned up the epoxy and used a dremel tool to clean every trace of epoxy that was close to touching the barrel.
I found the mod helped to give a bit better accuracy and it also prevented the front stock section from moving forward under recoil.
I then went back and gave the rifle action a traditional bedding job with brass pillar bedding and the result of both mods was that the rifle holds about a 1.1" 5 shot group off the bench rest at 100 yards and occasionally a 3/4" 5 shot group

Recoil is relative. A lot of hunters think a 30-06 has pretty good recoil. A .375 has almost twice the recoil of a 30-06. It also has more than a .338 mag.

Anybody who says it's not bad is not the norm. I think most hunters will start flinching in time shooting a .375.

gunner maybe Dober can posta pic for me....I'll send him one.

10-4 Bob, I'll be watchin'

I too have a electrical technological disability

Gunner

My primary is a .338 Win Mag. My plan "B" is a CZ 550 375 H&H zeroed at 300 yards. Currently shooting 270 TSX's at 2600. With Barnes new 250 TTSX, I'd like to get the speed to 2800 or so and make it a 450-500 yard rifle. I'm also kicking around the idea of rechambering it to an AI or Weatherby of some flavor in the 375 caliber. Both rifles wear brakes, so recoil is mitgated. But it is a beast to carry. I will stipulate to that argument. My Mcmillan Outdoorsman in .338 Win Mag is a featherlight compared to the CZ. When I carry the CZ at alitude its in a J107 back pack.

Lee, RL-15 will safely get your 250's to 2900 if you wanna

Gunner

Bob, I had this one built several years ago and loosley based it on the pictures I had seen in print of Mule Deer's .338, which looked to me like a solid hunting rifle. FN commercial action, M70-style safety, Bansner and light 22" barrel.

I took a couple of big Colorado bulls with a .375 H&H using 260 ABs at little over 2,650 fps. One stood around long enough to take a second shot, but he was already dead and just didn't know it.

Now that is an elk rig!

Dober

In the last year or so I've become a very big fan of the 375 H&H. I got a chance to spend an afternoon shooting a friends unscoped Remington 798. Guy is right it is very much a big push and not a sharp kick. I found it much more pleasant to shoot than a lightweight 30-06. I was shooting factory loaded 270gr soft points.

The more I've studied ballistics I've come to the oppinion that for me if I am going to go anywhere over the 30-06 I might as well go 375 H&H. A 260gr Accubond at about 2700fps is not a punisher on the shoulder yet flies very flat out to 300 yds. Say 2" high at 100, zero at 200 and 8 or 9 inchest low at 300. Anybody find those numbers familar? Yup about like an average 3006, 308, 270 and so on big game load. Only difference is that 260gr Accubond will be carring about 2683ftlbs at 300yds that my friends is a HAMMER!

I hope to do a build on a pre 64 or Winnie Classic action for my personal 375 H&H. I'm thinking around 8lbs all up should be sweet. Thinking McMillian stock (mcwoody) 22" barrel and a nice 2x7 or 2.5x8 Leupold Ya that thing has elk gun written all over it!

DMD: I thought it was a M70 from here....FN is good, too!

Yes that's a good formula.Mine is on a pre 64 H&H action and started out with an Atkinson barrel but now has a Krieger 410 SS tube at 24",and a Brown Precision stock.

I had the barrel turned down to a lighter contour. For a big rifle, it is very handy and just lightweight enough.I put ut together back in the mid 80's.It shoots everything good but I mostly feed it 77-RL15- and 250 Sierra or BBC for a bit over 2900 fps.

I took a calf elk with the 270 gr Hornady. Calf was down & dead before I ever recovered from recoil.

I have also used it for deer & antelope. Love the cartridge.

"Felt" recoil is relative.. to a lot of things... Worst head ache I ever got shooting a rifle was a Rem semi auto .270Win. My current .375H&H with 235gr TSX at 2850fps is not uncomfortable at all. And it took it's first Mule Deer this year when I couldn't find an elk...

What do you think the reason the .375 is not bad for felt recoil? It's a big bullet with lots of powder behind it. Do you use slow powders?

I used to own a .458 mag, and the recoil was brutal.

I hunted elk a little with a 375, but I like a lighter rifle these days. For the most part, I will go elk hunting today with my 7mm RM or If I have a mind to my old sako 75 in 338. I like the 375 and at one time I had 4. Elk hunt to your heart contents with one if you like. Seem to me in a Republic such as ours, they choice is yours and yours alone. Thou I been thinking a lot about a 375 Ruger African of late. So many rifles so little time to hunt. Dam the 21 century is fast becoming the pits. Oh and the 375 H+H is turning 100 this year I think. Happy birthday, and mine is on the first of Feb.

I have a Whitworth express that has been re-stocked with a full length mannlicher style stock and has two magna-ports cut in the top of the barrel. It also has a good quality recoil pad on it. It is quite comfortable to shoot. My hunting pard borrowed it to kill his first elk and was so impressed that he went right out and bought a Winchester Safari Express. After shooting the Winchester a few times he decided the recoil was too much and he sold it. We went out to the range and ran about 30 to 40 rounds through my rifle and it didn't bother him. He has been trying to get me to sell him my 375 for a couple of years now. I promised him that if I decide to sell he will have first crack at it, but I also told him not to hold his breath.

Bart

WyoJoe: me, too!

Disclaimer: Only my opinion. No scientific research on my part:

For me, it is about having a good stock fit. Both .375's I have owned have "fit me" well. The .270Win mentioned above, did not, it slapped my cheek bone every time I pulled the trigger. 9 rounds was the max I could do with it in a day. My 9lb Sako sporter in .375 I could go 20 rounds in an afternoon before it became uncomfortable. My current custom .375 weighs in at 11 lbs (target was 10lbs, missed) I could shoot all afternoon as long as I take time not to let the barrel get hot.

A good scope with plenty of eye relief (4" to 5")so the shooter does not worry about "scope bite" is very important. Getting the scope down low on the rifle so the shooter can keep their head/cheek down on the stock and still maintain good sight picture. A good recoil pad.

Plenty of practice. With smaller rifles to get good form. With the rifle in question to become accustomed to that rifle. Start off with hand loads if necessary, work up to the full power stuff.

During practice, take a page from the guys who sight in the factory TRUE HEAVY rifles (460's, 470's, 500's) for a living. Do your sighting in from a standing rested position. I do not have a factory set up for a standing rest. But, a 5 foot diameter round bale of hay works pretty well for me. With a solid round bale to lean against and rest my arms on, and with a sling wrapped around my forearm, I have printed multiple 2" groups at 292 yards with my .375. Not benchrest accuracy. But definitely Minute Of Elk, and probably more realistic than shooting from a bench. After sighting in from the top of the bale, walk around the front and practice from the sitting position leaning back against the bale. And then short range off hand practice.

One of the interesting things that I learned from shooting off the top of the round bale was that I tended to wrap my fingers too far around the fore end of the stock. Even tho I have small hands, my finger tips were occasionally touching/pressing against the barrel. Even with a .375 bullet, and a #5 barrel, and a very solid HS Precision stock, my finger tips touching the barrel would pull the shot. One of my mental preparation things now is to ensure my fingers are on the stock, not on the barrel.

Just my $0.02. YMMV....

Here's a 375 H&H bull. It may be a bit overkill but it generally does way less meat damage than more modest rounds (IME) and the recoil, like others have said, is not what most make it out to be.

I do, often.