Heath
Member
Wat do you guys think about using 375 HH MAG for deer hunting. That what
my 15 year old brother wants to use. But my dad says its to big for deer.
my 15 year old brother wants to use. But my dad says its to big for deer.
What do think about 375 HH Mag
- Thread starter Heath
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Phantom Warrior
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.375 H&H MAG????? I'm never fired one but I have seen the brass and that is a BIG round. I don't know if it's too big for a deer (it might mess up the meat on a little white tail though) but it might be too big for your brother. And honestly, why bother? Using a .375 H&H for deer is like buying one of those mining dump trucks that as are big as a house to tow your boat. I think a much better choice would be a something in the .270, .308, .30-06 range. I started off with a .308 and it has served me quite well.
Kingcreek
Member
Wat do you guys think about using 375 HH MAG for deer hunting.
adequate.
adequate.
SLCDave
Member
Be Careful....
You might get more than one!
You might get more than one!
If you reload I would load it down to reasonable velocities for deer maybe around 1700fps instead of 2800 for a full power round. The 235gr or larger bullet will do nicely for deer out to a couple hundred yards.
We are only allowed shotguns with slugs for deer around here or pistols and muzzleloaders. Our 1oz lugs are going about 1500fps or more. There is alot of meat damage with a shotgun slug.
It's all relative. It will certainly take a deer down right now if you hit it right. If not it will probably go less distance with a bad shot than from a smaller gun. Use the right bullet to limit meat damage.
I took a 90# springbok in S. Africa with a .375 Weatherby Magnum ( just a little bit more power than an H&H). It punched through it's chest cavity without doing very much damage in the way of meat. About a 1.5" exit hole.
If your brother is comfortable shooting the H&H, let him do it. If he gets real flinchy, get him a smaller gun.
We are only allowed shotguns with slugs for deer around here or pistols and muzzleloaders. Our 1oz lugs are going about 1500fps or more. There is alot of meat damage with a shotgun slug.
It's all relative. It will certainly take a deer down right now if you hit it right. If not it will probably go less distance with a bad shot than from a smaller gun. Use the right bullet to limit meat damage.
I took a 90# springbok in S. Africa with a .375 Weatherby Magnum ( just a little bit more power than an H&H). It punched through it's chest cavity without doing very much damage in the way of meat. About a 1.5" exit hole.
If your brother is comfortable shooting the H&H, let him do it. If he gets real flinchy, get him a smaller gun.
ARGarrison
Member
Kudu has it right. The .375 H&H handloaded is a good round. In the early part of the last century the .375 H&H was a do everything rifle in African. Loaded heavy it can take Dangerous Game and loaded light it can take thin skined game.
A fully loaded 300gr Soild is not what you want to use on a whitetail deer, though. More pratical rounds are plentiful and should be looked at.
A fully loaded 300gr Soild is not what you want to use on a whitetail deer, though. More pratical rounds are plentiful and should be looked at.
nico
Member
why?
I'm sure it could be loaded to work just fine, but I don't see any advantage to using it over a more conventional deer cartridge (.270, .308, 30-06). The ammunition is much more expensive, has more recoil, and (iirc) has less long range accuracy than the other three. How big is your brother? I don't have firsthand experience with it, but from what I've read about it, .370H&H would be a lot of gun for the average 15 year old.
I'm sure it could be loaded to work just fine, but I don't see any advantage to using it over a more conventional deer cartridge (.270, .308, 30-06). The ammunition is much more expensive, has more recoil, and (iirc) has less long range accuracy than the other three. How big is your brother? I don't have firsthand experience with it, but from what I've read about it, .370H&H would be a lot of gun for the average 15 year old.
Sunray
Member
Dad's right. However, if there's a .375 H&H in the house, I'd let your brother shoot it on a range. Have him prove he can hit a 9" pie plate, off hand, every time at 100 yards, before he's allowed to hunt with it. Have him shoot say 5 rounds in two minutes. Mind you, I bet he's just yanking dad's chain.
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I've fired thousands of rounds in .375H&H's. They are quite mangable as far a recoil goes. I've killed many animals with a .375 as well every thing from the biggest stuff to the smallest stuff. I've killed deer, impala, springbok, coyotes, rabbits, and a varity of other small game with the ole H&H.
Myth number one debunked,,
A .375H&H will not "tear up" a deer as a matter of fact a 270gr or 300gr round out of the ole H&H even when loaded to the hilt will do less meat damage than your average .25-06. Velocity does meat damage not bullet diameter and weight. One of the shinning attributs of the .375 is that you can eat right up to the hole I've not seen a time when the .375 caused excessive bruising.
Myth number two,
The .375 is not flat shooting enough to use in open country. Bull the .375 H&H is every but as flat shooting as a .338 a .30-06 or any other comparable round. It's probably the best "cross canyon" elk round on the planet and that goes for deer as well.
While it is not "needed" to kill a deer it does a fantastic job on deer sized critters. And there is no such thing as too dead. It puts deer down with authority and does not tear up meat like a high velocity "magnum" tends to do.
If the kid wants to shoot a .375H&h for deer all the more power. The .375H&h is a romantic, functional, and extremely user friendly round.
It kind of makes me misty eyed to know that there is some kid out there who is obviously bound to become a rifle of extreme taste and class. Let the boy shoot his H&H don't rob him the experience!!
Myth number one debunked,,
A .375H&H will not "tear up" a deer as a matter of fact a 270gr or 300gr round out of the ole H&H even when loaded to the hilt will do less meat damage than your average .25-06. Velocity does meat damage not bullet diameter and weight. One of the shinning attributs of the .375 is that you can eat right up to the hole I've not seen a time when the .375 caused excessive bruising.
Myth number two,
The .375 is not flat shooting enough to use in open country. Bull the .375 H&H is every but as flat shooting as a .338 a .30-06 or any other comparable round. It's probably the best "cross canyon" elk round on the planet and that goes for deer as well.
While it is not "needed" to kill a deer it does a fantastic job on deer sized critters. And there is no such thing as too dead. It puts deer down with authority and does not tear up meat like a high velocity "magnum" tends to do.
If the kid wants to shoot a .375H&h for deer all the more power. The .375H&h is a romantic, functional, and extremely user friendly round.
It kind of makes me misty eyed to know that there is some kid out there who is obviously bound to become a rifle of extreme taste and class. Let the boy shoot his H&H don't rob him the experience!!
Dear H&Hhunter,
thanks a lot for sharing your experience and your very interesting posts about your hunts in the past. I am also deeply interested in dangerous game calibers and hunting on the dark continent from a more "academic" point of view (I am not a hunter, maybe someday in the future...).
I have only shot rifles up to and including the .30-06 Springfield. Like Heath and his brother, I am thinking of getting a DG rifle as well. I don't know my personal threshold of recoil tolerance (.30-06 is not a big deal). As far as caliber goes I am undecided between the .375 H&H Mag. and .416 Rigby. Is there a lot of difference in actual felt recoil between the two rounds? How does recoil compare to the heavy .45-cal. DG calibers (.458 Win. Mag., .458 Lott, .450 Dakota)? Any advise would be most welcome.
Regards!
thanks a lot for sharing your experience and your very interesting posts about your hunts in the past. I am also deeply interested in dangerous game calibers and hunting on the dark continent from a more "academic" point of view (I am not a hunter, maybe someday in the future...).
I have only shot rifles up to and including the .30-06 Springfield. Like Heath and his brother, I am thinking of getting a DG rifle as well. I don't know my personal threshold of recoil tolerance (.30-06 is not a big deal). As far as caliber goes I am undecided between the .375 H&H Mag. and .416 Rigby. Is there a lot of difference in actual felt recoil between the two rounds? How does recoil compare to the heavy .45-cal. DG calibers (.458 Win. Mag., .458 Lott, .450 Dakota)? Any advise would be most welcome.
Regards!
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I would recomend the .375H&H as a godd starter DG rifle as the recoil is very managable. The other reason is it FAR more economical to reload and practice with than a .416 Rigby. The other economical DG rifle is the .458 Lott.
I own three DG DG rifles A .375H&H a .458Lott and a .470NE double gun. here's my take on the recoil issue.
They are all quite managable if the rifle fits you the stock shape is correct and they are fitted with a quality recoil pad. After you buy your .375H&H don't pass go just have a recoil pad installed before you shoot it. This will help trmendously.
As far as a .416 Rigby Vs a .375H&H yes there is a noticable upgrade in recoil between the two. I find a hot loaded Rigby to be very simular in recoil level to a .458Lott. However with that being said a well fit rifle is very managble. Think of recoil in terms of reality. You will take a much harder ding on the shoulder in your average football game than when shooting any rifle. recoil will not harm you it's all mental and can be overcome.
Goodluck and if you need any advice on which rifle to buy I'd be more than happy to help.
H&Hhunter.
I own three DG DG rifles A .375H&H a .458Lott and a .470NE double gun. here's my take on the recoil issue.
They are all quite managable if the rifle fits you the stock shape is correct and they are fitted with a quality recoil pad. After you buy your .375H&H don't pass go just have a recoil pad installed before you shoot it. This will help trmendously.
As far as a .416 Rigby Vs a .375H&H yes there is a noticable upgrade in recoil between the two. I find a hot loaded Rigby to be very simular in recoil level to a .458Lott. However with that being said a well fit rifle is very managble. Think of recoil in terms of reality. You will take a much harder ding on the shoulder in your average football game than when shooting any rifle. recoil will not harm you it's all mental and can be overcome.
Goodluck and if you need any advice on which rifle to buy I'd be more than happy to help.
H&Hhunter.
Heath
Member
My brother is 6 foot 4 and weighs 272
Dear H&Hhunter,
thanks for your valuable comments so far. Regarding rifles I thought about getting either a Winchester 70 Super Grade, Ruger M77 Magnum Express or No. 1, as all of them seem to be well-made and comparable affordable.
Of course, the bolt rifle of my dream would be Dakota 76 (model "Safari" or "African") based on a slightly modified pre-'64 M70-type action or a good custom M98 magnum-action rifle, but they're very expensive. Hmmm, any comments.
Dear Heath - please excuse my hi-jacking this thread. It just happened that I had the same interest as you and your brother. I hope, the questions I've asked and the responses of H&Hhunter are valuable to you and your brother, too. They certainly are for me...
thanks for your valuable comments so far. Regarding rifles I thought about getting either a Winchester 70 Super Grade, Ruger M77 Magnum Express or No. 1, as all of them seem to be well-made and comparable affordable.
Of course, the bolt rifle of my dream would be Dakota 76 (model "Safari" or "African") based on a slightly modified pre-'64 M70-type action or a good custom M98 magnum-action rifle, but they're very expensive. Hmmm, any comments.
Dear Heath - please excuse my hi-jacking this thread. It just happened that I had the same interest as you and your brother. I hope, the questions I've asked and the responses of H&Hhunter are valuable to you and your brother, too. They certainly are for me...
Zackmeister
Member
My dad has one and I wouldn't want to try lugging that thing around at 5:00 am. Not to mention if you use an enclosed stand it would be incredibly loud.
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Zackmeister said:
Zack,
My .375H&H weighs 8Lbs. About the same weight if not slightly lighter than your average hunting rifle. I've hauled it all over the world up mountains, down canyons, across jungles and burning deserts. Never bothered me at any time of the day or night.
As far as being incredibly loud. Well it's not any louder than any other rifle and it's definatly not as obnoxious as most of your modern zipper magnums.
Guys the .375H&H is fairly tame round, it is not an eargasplittin thunder magnum by any means. This round is so famous as an african game getter that people tend to place many mythical qualities upon it.
It does not kick that hard.
It does not need to be built on a 12Lb rifle as some true "heavies do". Standard weight is just fine thank you.
It does not tear up meat or "blow things up".
It does not throw 12 feet of flame and fury out the front end.
The muzzle blast is not nearly as concussive as your average modern high velocity magnum.
What it is, is a fine old gentleman of a rifle that will kill anything on this planet when in the hands of a rifleman. It is not to much for anything or to little either. It's a fantasticly useable caliber that is at home anywhere on the planet.
Al Thompson
Moderator Emeritus
Strongly agree with H&H and the rest. I've killed everything from ducks to Buff with one and a M70 Stainless Classic is in the safe as I write.
I really like the round and it is pretty tame with a properly fit stock . I shot a Sako with a piss poor stock (factory) for several years and it still wasn't too bad.
Lots of folks find shooting a 12 ga with slugs or buck to be challenging, but doable. IMHO (and several converts) a .375 is actually less of a challenge.
I really like the round and it is pretty tame with a properly fit stock . I shot a Sako with a piss poor stock (factory) for several years and it still wasn't too bad.
Lots of folks find shooting a 12 ga with slugs or buck to be challenging, but doable. IMHO (and several converts) a .375 is actually less of a challenge.
Zackmeister
Member
H&Hhunter said:
I know it isn't some mega magnum. I have shot my dad's. I just talked to him and he says it is built on an Enfield P14 receiver with a medium barrel and custom stock. He thought it weighed around 9 pounds. I guess I thought it was heavier than it was. It sure seems loud at the range, but it is an indoor.
So I guess this is a long winded way of saying you are right!
Dogstail
Member
The 375H&H Mag all-around cartridge
Hello, I'm a new member. I bought my Rem.700 Safari Grade 375HH in Alaska 5 yrs ago still having my Mod.7-, 270Win of 30yrs. The 375 is fantastic & I love it. One shot for a 60in. moose, knocked flat. At >60 yrs of age & 150 lb. I can shoot it all day without discomfort -- a BIG "push" rather than the sharp teeth shaking Jab of the 300 mags. I shot a 338 in a Browning A-bolt that was painful. With the 270grBT bullet the 375 is the best long range elk cartridge you can find -- I load down to 75% when I'll be shooting elk at under 200yds. The Speer 270grBT has a very good Bal.Coef. of 0.429. If you're after Cape Buffalo or AL Brown bears you can load up to 5,000 lb-ft. muz.energy. It was THE rifle of choice in Alaska; the '06s, etc just aren't enough for the Great Bears (the Alaska Brown or Polar). The rifle is a bit heavy & I shoulder-shift it some during the day's hunt. If you're going to buy only one gun for everything from whitetails to elephant, the 375 is it ! I'll give you a few commentaries: (ask for more if you wish)
"The .375 H&H after alost 90 years, stands virtually alone as a cartridge suited for hunting abything that walks anywhere that it's found."
Craig, Editor of Petersons Hunting Magazine.
" ... still remains the one outstanding choice for the hunter who wants a rifle that works well on everything from little Gazelles to five-ton elephants."
Aagaard's Africa, Nat'l Rifle Assoc, 1991, p.80.
"...the most broadly effective cartridge in the entire history of sporting firearms. If internationally experienced hunters were asked to vote on one cartridge for all-around use, the 375 H&H Mag. would win by a landslide."
Sitton."Reloads:The .375H&H Mag.."Peterson's Big Book of Cartridges",Vol.1
"...if I could have just one cartridge to hunt the world over, my only answer is the .375." Classic Hunting Cartridges.Peterson's Hunting. June 1995.
"One of the world's most useful and widely distributed cartridges, and probably the best all-around cartridge ever devised."
The Complete Book of Rifles and Shotguns. Outdoor Life, 1961.
"The beauty of the 375H&H is simple. You can take every animal on earth with the caliber..
Safari:The Last Adventure, St.Martin's Press (1984).
"...the 375H&H Mag can safely be taken against any animal in Africa. There is no other weapon in existance of which so much can be said -- it is so far ahead of any of its contemporaries."
Taylor.Big Game and Big Game Rifles, Safari Press, 1993.
"[for world-wide hunting] ..the only sensible answer is the .375H&H Mag, just like it has been since 1912."
"Brown Bear: The .375H&H is THE Rifle, Period."
Big Game Rifles, Peterson's Hunting, April 1998.
There are more - if you need more to convince you. Seriously, it's one very fine cartridge & rifle. Don't worry about the recoil (it's okay), but don't get a light weight rifle. If you hear the gun go "bang" when you shoot at game -- you have a problem. Actually, you then shouldn't notice the recoil either. It'll damage less meat than your 270 Win. or 25-06, okay to shoot that whitetail. If you'd like more comment(s); commentaries as those above, send me a email. [email protected]
Hello, I'm a new member. I bought my Rem.700 Safari Grade 375HH in Alaska 5 yrs ago still having my Mod.7-, 270Win of 30yrs. The 375 is fantastic & I love it. One shot for a 60in. moose, knocked flat. At >60 yrs of age & 150 lb. I can shoot it all day without discomfort -- a BIG "push" rather than the sharp teeth shaking Jab of the 300 mags. I shot a 338 in a Browning A-bolt that was painful. With the 270grBT bullet the 375 is the best long range elk cartridge you can find -- I load down to 75% when I'll be shooting elk at under 200yds. The Speer 270grBT has a very good Bal.Coef. of 0.429. If you're after Cape Buffalo or AL Brown bears you can load up to 5,000 lb-ft. muz.energy. It was THE rifle of choice in Alaska; the '06s, etc just aren't enough for the Great Bears (the Alaska Brown or Polar). The rifle is a bit heavy & I shoulder-shift it some during the day's hunt. If you're going to buy only one gun for everything from whitetails to elephant, the 375 is it ! I'll give you a few commentaries: (ask for more if you wish)
"The .375 H&H after alost 90 years, stands virtually alone as a cartridge suited for hunting abything that walks anywhere that it's found."
Craig, Editor of Petersons Hunting Magazine.
" ... still remains the one outstanding choice for the hunter who wants a rifle that works well on everything from little Gazelles to five-ton elephants."
Aagaard's Africa, Nat'l Rifle Assoc, 1991, p.80.
"...the most broadly effective cartridge in the entire history of sporting firearms. If internationally experienced hunters were asked to vote on one cartridge for all-around use, the 375 H&H Mag. would win by a landslide."
Sitton."Reloads:The .375H&H Mag.."Peterson's Big Book of Cartridges",Vol.1
"...if I could have just one cartridge to hunt the world over, my only answer is the .375." Classic Hunting Cartridges.Peterson's Hunting. June 1995.
"One of the world's most useful and widely distributed cartridges, and probably the best all-around cartridge ever devised."
The Complete Book of Rifles and Shotguns. Outdoor Life, 1961.
"The beauty of the 375H&H is simple. You can take every animal on earth with the caliber..
Safari:The Last Adventure, St.Martin's Press (1984).
"...the 375H&H Mag can safely be taken against any animal in Africa. There is no other weapon in existance of which so much can be said -- it is so far ahead of any of its contemporaries."
Taylor.Big Game and Big Game Rifles, Safari Press, 1993.
"[for world-wide hunting] ..the only sensible answer is the .375H&H Mag, just like it has been since 1912."
"Brown Bear: The .375H&H is THE Rifle, Period."
Big Game Rifles, Peterson's Hunting, April 1998.
There are more - if you need more to convince you. Seriously, it's one very fine cartridge & rifle. Don't worry about the recoil (it's okay), but don't get a light weight rifle. If you hear the gun go "bang" when you shoot at game -- you have a problem. Actually, you then shouldn't notice the recoil either. It'll damage less meat than your 270 Win. or 25-06, okay to shoot that whitetail. If you'd like more comment(s); commentaries as those above, send me a email. [email protected]
Zackmeister
Member
I know you won't hear it when you shoot. I was thinking more about hearing damage that happens whether you hear it or not. The .270 Winchester I used this year left my ears ringing pretty good. But once a year shouldn't be a problem.
Moparmike
Member
I think its wholly inadequate. I hunt deer with nothing less than a .577 Tyrannosaur double rifle, and shoot both barrels to make sure that sucker dies. 
Dear H&Hhunter:
from your posts in the past I know that your personal .375 H&H is a Winchester 70 SS featuring CRF. Do you have any suggestions on an appropriate rifle, especially on the rifle stock that makes the recoil endurable?
Thanks a lot.
from your posts in the past I know that your personal .375 H&H is a Winchester 70 SS featuring CRF. Do you have any suggestions on an appropriate rifle, especially on the rifle stock that makes the recoil endurable?
Thanks a lot.
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