.375 H&H for deer

[Grumulkin]

You don't need to load down. It would be just fine to use regular 270 or 300 grain bullets. I've used a 375 H&H Magnum to take an African Wildcat, a Jackal, a Blesbok and an Impala among other things. If you use the heavier bullets, meat damage will be minimal and it will kill just fine...really.

 

[usmc1371]

I just shot two mule deer this year with my 375 HnH and let me tell you it works just fine. I was shooting factory 260 grain nosler acubonds, shot a small meat buck in the back of the head at apx 30 feet and well I would not recomend this shot if you are even thinking about saving the horns. They didn't point up so much after the shot but not an ounce of meat was wasted.

Shot a nice big doe at 310 yards in the neck, no tracking was needed and no saw needed to take the head off just a small pocket knife.

Got a coyote with the 375 and man does it stop them in a hurry! The exit hole was a bit extreme but hey I don't save them anyways.

I think the acubond is maybe the LEAST tough bullet you can get for the 375 and meat dammage would be less on body shots with the stronger bullets, atleast I would think anyways.

 

[45crittergitter]

I've used a .416 Remington with standard-class loaded 350 grain Speer Mag-Tips and they worked fine on smallish deer. No big mess unless you hit bones, which in turn make a mess.

 

[eddism]

Back in 1982 I bought a Marlin 375 repeater new from a helicopter technical advisor at New Rivers Airstation. I shot around 50 shots through it. It was lousy accuracy using the iron-sights. I never put a scope on it or used it to hunt. As I was disheartened by its terrible performance. I sold it a few years later at a show and took a $30 loss. The one thing I liked about it was the honk'en huge bullet. And the kick was awesome. I still get heartburn thinking about what it could have been.

 

[H&Hhunter]

Back in 1982 I bought a Marlin 375 repeater new from a helicopter technical advisor at New Rivers Airstation. I shot around 50 shots through it. It was lousy accuracy using the iron-sights. I never put a scope on it or used it to hunt.

That there was most certainly a .375 Winchester which is an entirely different animal. But I sure would like to have one in a Marlin that's a neat little pig popper.

 

[257WM_CDL-SF]

I am seriously thinking if my 257 Roy messes up alot of meat this year trading it for probably a 338 win mag.I agree I dont think the large rifle damage as much meat

 

[H&Hhunter]

I agree I dont think the large rifle damage as much meat

It really has very little to do with the diameter of the round. Meat damage has more to do with velocity, bullet construction and shot placement. A hyper sonic soft point conventional bullet is going to come apart explosively and cause major blood shocking ad some hit bone into the mix and you've got a recipe for deer soup.

Take the same diameter only in a .257 Roberts and you've got yourself a very gentlemanly little round that doesn't have near the potential for destroying tissue like the Roy does. The advantage to a heavier larger diameter is that you get all sorts of kill due to penetration minus the blood shot meat and that is hwere a .375H&h or a .338 really shines.

 

[eddism]

It was a Marlin. Spent cartridges ejected out the side. I gave $200 and yes it was advertised a swell pig-popper. Its problems was shooting wide and to the right. The point of impact was around 18" off the mark right at around 50 yds. It even missed from 20' away. However, it was dead on if you can account for the innate windage. I found Rolaids helped.

 

[H&Hhunter]

Edd,

The rifle was a Marlin the caliber was a .375 Winchester not a .375H&H. As far as I know there has never been a nor could there be a Marlin style lever gun built in .375H&H.

It sounds like you got one of the crooked Marlins with the barrel mated up to the receiver out of kilter. Unfortunately this isn't horribly uncommon in a Marlin lever gun.

 

[TehK1w1]

A scaled-up version of the savage 99 in 375 H&H would be pretty cool. I bet it would sell, too.

 

[qajaq59]

If the .375 H&H is what you have and you can shoot it well, then I'd say, use it. The deer wont know the difference.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Its problems was shooting wide and to the right. The point of impact was around 18" off the mark right at around 50 yds. It even missed from 20' away. However, it was dead on if you can account for the innate windage. I found Rolaids helped.

All you needed to do was zero it.

 

[Art Eatman]

Let's play "Let's pretend", in that you only have one rifle and you're going after Bambi.

If it's a .375 or other non-explosive-type bullet, all the usual caveats apply: No, it won't hurt any meat if you don't go to shooting into eating-meat. It's the same deal for shot placement as for a .30-30 or '06 or any cartridge in between.

If it's a .257 Weatherby, odds are that even with a proper heart/lung shot you can send bone and bullet fragments from hitting a rib into the backstraps or shoulders. So, common sense says that "proper shot placement" is more logically in the neck. Or, the head if it's just an eating-meat doe.

 

[Pony Express]

the phrase "there's no such thing as overkill" comes to mind

 

[Arkel23]

the phrase "there's no such thing as overkill" comes to mind

That's always in my mind!