I have never shot a big bore or a 375 for that matter from the bench, I see alot of guys are using the weighted rests, I don't use one of those, I can handle the recoil of a 300 mag with no troubles, I am just wondering how bad the recoil is from a 375H&H on a typical varmint benchrest with a rabbit ear bag in the rear.

I found it to be a long slow shove opposed to 300 magnum which is a fast sharp kick.If you can shoot a Remmy 870 With 3 inch slugs you'll have no problem with the 375.

I would rather shoot a 375 off the bench than a 300 Weatherby. Like 7 STW said a heavy push compared to the faster sharper 300 Mag. I used a borrowed Past shooting pad with my new 375 Ruger it helps too, just got a Limbsaver shooting pad for myself haven't had time to try it out yet.

Not too bad. As suggested use a Limbsaver or Past shoulder pad, or just hang a folded up towel over your shoulder. After twenty shots with a 9lb rifle though I have enough.

Anonymoust a/k/a Vigillinus

I don't think the recoil of a 375 H&H should bother you off of the bench, but it's a step up from a 300 H&H, don't know about the 300 Weatherby as I've never had the pleasure of shooting one (but I think I want one!). A 375 was my first big bore and I had no issue shooting 40 rounds from the bench the 2nd time I took it out. Your Limbsaver shoulder pad is a great idea.

Chuck

The .375 is not nearly as bad off the bench as something like a .300 RUM. A big shove compared to the fast whiplash like action of the giant cased .30 calibers

Of course,once the rifle is sighted in there should be no reason to shoot from the bench!

Exactly, I only shoot from the bench for load development and sighting in. I then verify sight in shooting from offhand, kneeling and sitting ... Then we just go blow stuff up (water jugs, cheap soda cans (which we recycle) etc)) at 50 yards, oh I mean practice offhand shooting, while we're waiting for hunting season to roll around ...



Chuck

just pad up good when bench shooting....a thick gun case draped over your shoulder , a sandbag , or the like . A 375 won't really hurt you from field posistions.....maybe excluding prone .

cummins cowboy,
They feel like a 10 gauge shotgun. A big push, I suggest you build a shooting rest that can be fired standing up. We have a bench at the gun club that is the right height for shooting standing resting off a sandbag. It is good for shotgun slugs and big bore rifles, muzzleloaders etc.
An 83 Subaru Station wagon of mine had a 458 Win mag shot off the roof many times. After about 6 rds I called it quits because the groups got bigger and bigger.
whelennut

I've found that your position on the bench can make a big difference. If your stool is too high and you lean way forward, the rifle butt will be against the top of your shoulder, which can be quite unpleasant. If you are in a verticle position, your body will move with the recoil and it won't be nearly as bad. Unfortunately, most of the people that I see at the range are in an uncomfortable, bent over position.

I've found that if the gun is put together in what I'd call an intelligent manner then they're not the end of the world to do some work with.

The more you work with them the easier they are to deal with.

I find that if the barrel is in the .65" at the mzl to .7" at the mzl that really helps a lot. Also if they're in the 8.25 lb plus range that helps a lot as well.

To me, a 375 is a joy to hunt and to shoot.

Dober

Shoot standing at the bench.

Take your bench stool, and place it on top of your bench. Place your sand bags on top of the stool. Rest your rifle on the sandbags. The standing postion will allow the recoil to move your entire body, instead of hammering your shoulder. That is the ONLY way I shoot NE Doubles anymore.

I've had a few 375s and except for a POS Browning Medallion, all were pleasant from the bench, pleasant being in the eye of the beholder of course. I can shoot mine with full blown 300gr Swifts all day from the bench with no issues. It's a stock Model 70. jorge

Shooting 300gr Swifts all day from the bench sounds expensive.

I personally find the .375 to be far less uncomfortable than a souped up .300 Mag off of the bench.

I've shot two from the bench a lot for load development. No problems with a good pad. Make sure to hold the forearm down as it will tend to jump quite a bit.

It is, but when you have 25grand on the line for a 16 day safari, it's chump change. jorge

As posted previously I find it about like a Magnum shotgun load. I would rather shoot my H&H any day rather than shoot 3.5" Turkey loads off a bench to test patterns.

Yeah, like a pump 12 gage with a magnun load. Maybe not quite that bad even. If you were shooting skeet with the 375 I think you really wouldn't feel the kick in a bad way - for a while anyway.

I wish I was a good enough shot to do skeet with the 375.

It does have a cumulative effect - 10 shots on the range I feel for a few days afterwards.

It's a maiden's caress, at least it feels like that since rebarreled my 375 to 500 Jeffrey lol ...




Chuck

The muzzle jump is what I find to be the biggest issue with any caliber above .308 (wsm, win mag, etc.). Shooting from the tripod front rest and bunny ear rear bag is not the best for me - I don't yet know what is best, but definitely not that set-up. Just bought one of the longer bull bags - hope to try that soon to see if it's any better.

Melvin Forbes makes a rest, the name escapes me right now but it's supposed to help out with recoil and mzl jump a bit if I recall right.

I tend to hold a rifle quite lightly so for this reason I am a fan of magnaporting.

Dober

I wish I knew someone with a Magnaported rifle that I could shoot and hear shot - have a feeling it would definitely help my accuracy with my .338WM and .375H&H as I tend to hold rather lightly myself.

Those aviators must make a whole lot more in the US than they do up here!

If you are handloading for it mix up a batch of speer 235s and off max a little then you can work into nice and easy. The last thing you will want to do is load up some 300 gr. full house loads the first time you take it out. There is a huge difference in recoil from the two loads. My T/C Encore is a shade over 7lbs with scope and it is not bad at all. I would much rather shoot my 375 with 270gr than a 300 wby "hopped up" pushing 180s or 200s.
By the way the 235s from a .375 H&H are really close to 180s from a 300 mag as far as velocity goes.
You will be pleasantly suprised when you shoot it.

It can be kinda fun.Much prefer it to a 300RUM myself. But it will get to you,and it's best to stop before you reach that point. You'll know when enough is enough.

Most folks first reaction is that it is not bad at all.

Hey start with the lighter bullets, I started with 235 gr TSX's but something like hornady or speer lightweights would be a good way to go. I'm shooting a lightweight remington 700 btw and it was my first big rifle. Now when I go to the 300 grainers I shoot less of them, maybe ten or so. Speaking of I need to get out and shoot mine off the bench. Its sighted in now, load work is pretty much done. These bigger rifles shoot good, easy load work.

I've had a few 375s and except for a POS Browning Medallion, all were pleasant from the bench, pleasant being in the eye of the beholder of course. I can shoot mine with full blown 300gr Swifts all day from the bench with no issues. It's a stock Model 70. jorge

If I may ask, what did you find about the Browning that you didn't like?

I am wondering if you have never shot a big bore,what is your plans for one? Are you going to Africa? I find the 416 Rigby a gun of choice that a lot of friends take to Africa,but the 375 H&H packs just as well,some say its the best medium bore cartridge in the world, its too much gun for me,I own the 45/70.

A lot depends on how well the gun fits. My last two .375s were a Remington 700 XCR and a Ruger #1. Scoped, the Remington weighed 7-1/2 pounds. Scoped (same scope), the Ruger was ounces under 10 pounds. The Ruger beat up on me, no two ways about it. 30-40 rounds and I'd have a raspberry and a bruise, and a stiff shoulder for a day or two afterwards. On the other hand, though it was 2-1/2 pounds lighter, I put 110 rounds through the Remington one day with no ill effects other than burning my thumb 'cause the barrel heat snuck up on me. All of those were from the bench.

I don't use a varmint bench rest, I use a big caldwell bag up front and one of their bench-top bunny-ear bags out back, but the idea is the same.

I don't generally find .375 H&H to be as offensive as the .300 mags and 7mm STW. It got a "bigger" recoil, but it's slow, so it pushes me and I go along for the ride rather than trying to kick "through me."

Tom

Barrel too long
detachable magazine
over-complicated bolt design & thin, flat, "throat lozenge" type bolt handle
flimsy, push feed extractor
cheap, pot metal bottom metal

There are hundreds of posts out there on the inherent issues with the A Bolts, suffice to say they are not for me in a serious hunting rifle anyway. Now I do LOVE my micro-Medallion 22 Hornet. Like all A Bolts, VERY ACCURATE, an important component to be sure, but in a 375, it falls way short of the mark. jorge

Every time I look at an ABolt, I think "Tonka Toys"....

Helps if your wife is a model.

I reckon so... jorge

PS: And Jeff she says "flattery will get you everywhere"

Thanks for the response and even though I have one of these I agree. For myself, I doubt I will ever get the opportunity to hunt dangerous game and this rifle is more a fun gun. If I were to go chasing the dangerous ones this would not be the gun I would take. But, all in all it is fun to bust a whitetail with it every now and then and dream big dreams.