I just built a 280 AI this summer,and it's quite a rifle.168 grain bullets at 2,975 fps.It looks like it's going to be a great deer round,and it does great on steel at 1,000 yards.The one word of caution I would give is if you don't reload,ammo can be pricey.I used a Magpul Hunter 700LA stock and box magazine setup on mine and it holds 6 in the mag plus one in the chamber.7 rounds on board is plenty of capacity.I can take an extra magazine with me and have 13 rounds,which is plenty for a day hunt.
My 35 Whelen shoots 225 grain Sierras at nearly 2700 fps.It's a very potent hunting round,capable of taking on any critter in North America.At 7 pounds,it's a hard kicker to say the least,and doesn't come near the 280AI for long range shooting.
The 280 I built weighs 12 pounds fully loaded,so recoil is very tolerable,even with the 160+ bullets I shoot in it.140's are even more pleasant to shoot,but I like the heavier bullets because of how they perform at extended range.
The Whelen would be close to your 375 and the 280 will be lighter and do better for longer shots.I would for sure take into consideration the cost of feeding the 280 with ammo prices exceeding $2 a shot for store bought ammo,and that's not for the premium stuff.
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