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

many years ago I saw a nice detailed picture in an add in the back of the shotgun news for this model sako 375 H&H carbine that looked something similar like this,picture posted, but with far darker, almost black walnut wood in the stock,and I decided I (NEEDED IT) badly, the cost was much higher than reason, would suggest be spent, but once a 4x Leopold scope was installed, and it was sighted in, it served very well for many years as my second ELK rifle, loaded with 300 grain hornady bullets, over a stiff charge of WW760 powder (77 grains) and a federal 215 primer, its never failed to kill ELK VERY effectively.
this is probably not a cost effective combo , as the rifles expensive and you need to hand-load to afford the ammo,but its certainly very dependable, and kills ELK like THORS HAMMER in the thick timber at ranges under 200-250 yards, (most of the shots/KILLS Ive had were WELL UNDER THAT RANGE)so IVE always loved hunting with it in the dark timber or snowy days, and the carbines been used as the camp back up some years and its also killed several mule deer.
its 20" barrel makes it really handy in the conifers and aspens but limits the 300 grain bullets to about 2450fps but the ELK don,t seem to see the limitations that poses,Ive had a couple ELK looking at me in thick lodge pole timber and shots to the central chest, or shoulder as they spin to run, seem to do a good job, its just a pleasure to hunt with.
If I remember correctly one of the gun rag writers had a similar carbine in 30/06 sprg. (wooters maybe) and his worked really well also
Mike got invited on an ELK hunt in Montana, a a fiends ranch last year, he had been using a 308 win carbine for the last few years to hunt ELK in Colorado and he had done rather well in that all but one year he had located and shot a legal ELK. he had never expressed any complaints as to his rifles effectiveness. but last year he had sent his rifle out to get a new barrel and trigger installed, and as the date to leave got closer it became obvious that he was not likely to get the rifle back in time to hunt with.
I suggested he borrow one of my ELK rifles and he rather reluctantly selected my 375H&H sako, carbine,

I gave him several dozen cartridges and he sighted in the rifle (really just confirmed it hit where ID set it to hit 3.3" high at 100 yards) with the hornady 270 grain bullets and kept it in case his rifle didn,t show up.
well he took the trip with the sako and got a decent 4x4 elk on the last day of the hunt at a range of about 300 yards, he knew he was sighted dead on at 225 yards so he put the horizontal cross hair on the ELKS spine just behind the front leg and fired figuring the bullet would hit some place in the chest cavity, he was correct! it hit just a bit over the heart or about 9" lower than the cross hairs , but what he said amazed him was he both heard the bullet slap home and saw it kick up dirt beyond the bull, at first he thought he shot low, but the ELK just stood there, took a step and crumbled.

he said hes rarely seen an elk or deer not run once hit with his 308 win.
hes now trying to talk me into selling my 375 H&H carbine, so I guess hes seen and now recognizes the effect of the heavier calibers, I know he was impressed with the pass thru and internal damage

if you want a much lower recoil load..??
Ive used several,HAND LOADS, but NEVER FACTORY LOADS,I doubt youll go wrong with this
72 grains of WW760, 215 primer and 270 ,grain Speer boat tail
its NOT a hot load but its very accurate in my SAKO carbine, and several guys in my elk camp have borrowed that SAKO carbine and killed ELK and wanted to buy the carbine after seeing it did so well in the timber, shots out to about 300 yards have worked great, but I can,t say much further as every ones killed elk under that range.
keep in mind when your throwing a 270 grain bullet at about 2570fps its going to expand but frequently punch clear thru an elks chest
http://www.handloads.org/loaddata/d...;type=Rifle&Order=Powder&Source=

http://www.realguns.com/loads/375.htm

http://www.loaddata.com/members/sea...;header=.37%20Caliber%20Reloading%20Data

how many guys even change rifles for different conditions
the group of guys I hunt with has been very successful basically hunting drainage's as a team effort, one or two guys stationed in likely escape routes and one or two guys still hunting drainage's which effectively makes them move game around.
I know I change rifles depending on what ILL be doing! if IM likely to get longer range shots, sitting watching escape routes I generally use my 340 wby with its 3.5x10X scope and its bi-pod but that rifles far from ideal sneaking thru the aspen or dark timber so I generally swap to the 375 H&H sako above or to my 35 whelen slide action, like I said depends on the terrain and if I intend to be moving and jump shooting and still hunting where ranges tend to be under 150 yards or blocking escape routes, where i might be looking across a canyon at the far slope and need the ability to reach out to 300 yards or longer yardage.
both conditions basically require a different rifle to match conditions, and while I could and have used both types of rifles under less than what might be considered their ideal applications , I feel that each rifle has advantages best used under conditions it functions best at, the 340 is excellent when you can basically play sniper but its not as handy as the whelen slide action or sako carbine sneaking thru tight cover.

heres some actual pictures of the canyons I generally hunt

Outstanding!

I'm late in the game to the .375 H&H. Picked mine up used a couple of years ago. Ruger Number One. Great gun, accurate, easy to carry. Have only taken one bear with it so far. Used a 260 gr Nosler Accubond loaded to 2620 fps, sighted in at 200 yards. Bear was at 306 yards, held about 9" above where I wanted to hit, sent the bullet downrange. Could clearly hear the slap of the bullet, and the bear tumbled down. I was impressed.

I've carried it elk hunting since, but haven't yet taken a shot at elk with it. Looking forward to that day.

Managed to accumulate quite a supply of 260, 270 and 300 gr Noslers, as well as quite a few Hornady bullets in 270 & 300 grains, along with some others. Must have about 900 bullets for the .375 now. I've been very impressed with the accuracy and the surprisingly modest recoil.





Regards, Guy

Modest recoil?

Modest in comparison to what I was expecting perhaps. It really is more like a big push than the sharp whack I've gotten with smaller bore magnums. Heck, I even enjoy shooting it prone from the 300 yard line:

I have used the 375 H&H only one time on an cow elk assist, the load was the old 250 gn Barnes X runnin' 2900 fps from a Browning Belgium Medallion.

Hit her at around 80 yds on a hard quarter as she was rounding a point headed towards a helluva canyon, bullet entered last rib and exited right shoulder, thank God...DRT

Gunner

Of all of the cartridges I have used on elk the 375 if my favorite it just hammers them.

The only elk I've seen shot with a 375 was a cow, the hornady 270 took her at the last rib, quartering away at 219 yds, and exited the off side shoulder. She humped up stood there for a bit then walked off in the middle of the herd, went about 200 yds before she dropped. Not a drop of blood on the outside of the hide. Had she not of stayed in the clear , she may not of been recovered in thick timber as there was no blood trail.

I have shot 5 bull elk with a 375 260gr accubond @ 2850 fps. Only had one go 20 yards and that one was shoot behind the shoulder the rest where high shoulder shots and DRT, all had good exit wounds. No bullets where recovered.

The dude on the right is my pard and his bull fell to the .375..




Mine got the 7x57 treatment....

I forgot to say. Nice bear.

I have, had the 375 Wby on them as well. Heckola, I even had the same Sako full stocked 375 for a short while.

My biggest witch with most 375's is that they're heavier than I prefer to carry.

Dober

If worried about weight, you could build a .375 like this. 7.6 pounds as pictured and balances perfectly. I need to elk hunt this one some time.

340mag,

I moved to Wy. in 1985,and a .375 is the only cal. I've used for all of my big game hunting. Although in '89 I went to a semi-custom .375 AI. I am completely satisfied and would not consider anything else!
My load in my Win.Model 70 is similar to yours, except that I pushed my Win. 760 to 82.0 grains. Super groups, but the load is bordering on "warm"! memtb

I have taken two bulls with a Rem Mountain KS 375. Nice handy rifle I have since traded away (minus the stock ). I used a mild load with the 260 gr Partition at 2650 fps.

A .375 would be perfecto for lots of my elk hunting. Sigh.

I failed to mention in my earlier post, that my wife from a sitting position ran several 300 grainers through my old Win. Model 70 and said the recoil wasn't bad at all. memtb

Damn DMD, yours and mine could be twins!Mine is 8 pounds as we see it there.

"Mine got the 7x57 treatment...."

Ingwe - yours looks like the bigger bull. That can't be. The 7x57 cannot shoot as big an elk as a .375 can. Either you two got mixed up about who shot which bull, OR the .375 simply blew a lot of antler tines off the other fellows bull...

Yes, there's a lot of bull in this post. I'm tired.

Bob and DMD, those are very nice rifles, and perfect for western high country hunting.

Gunner