.375 or .416 for Cape buffalo?

[Missourihunter]

I am looking at buying a rifle for Cape buffalo and possibly hippo. I am stuck between the .375 H&H and a .416 rigby or Remington Magnum. I am leaning towards the .375 due to the lighter recoil and that transition between the .308 that I normally shoot won’t be as great. but Would greatly appreciate any input more experienced hunters may have.

 

[KiwiHunter]

375 H&H

 

[RudiB]

The one you feel most comfortable with and can shoot the best. The 375h&h is a great choice with 300gr A frames. I let my clients use my 375 h&h and its magic

 

[DLSJR]

I own both, and am taking both to Tanzania in 2 weeks. They’re both excellent. The 375 is very comfortable to shoot well and the 416 hits harder, on both ends. Having shot buffalo with both cartridges, I would not hesitate to use a 375 H&H for buffalo, But the 416 really shines as a superb buffalo caliber. On this trip, I’ll carry the 416 when looking for hippo but will probably shoot more game with the 375 than the bigger gun.

You really can’t go wrong with either chambering.

 

[BeeMaa]

I owned both for a while and found the 416RM to be at the top of my recoil tolerance. For the number of times I'm likely to hunt DG, a 375H&H (or RUGER, WBY...etc) is just fine for me. It allows me to to carry a much lighter rifle and be ready for anything. If you handload, there are some options for putting a 350 grain or 380 grain bullet into the 375H&H to raise the sectional density even further and approach the lethality of the 416's. A 375 with premium softs (Barnes TSX, Federal TBBC, Norma Oryx or Swift A-Frame) is capable of a one-gun safari when coupled with solids (Woodleigh Hydro, CEB Safari Solid or Nosler Solid) for elephant and the T10.

If I were to be hunting DG on a more regular basis, I'd most likely get a 404J or 458LOTT to truly step up in power. However it would require a significant increase in the amount of range time so I could maintain proficiency with such a large caliber. It also represents a step up in ammo cost, even if you reload.

In the end I sold my 416RM to another AH member and kept the lightweight 375H&H. It weighs 7.75 lbs as a bare rifle and just over 10 lbs with a scope, sling and 4 cartridges. IMO - perfect Africa stalking rifle that I wouldn't hesitate to take to Alaska for brown bear and moose.

 

[raytraps]

I just returned from a 24 day hunt in the Caprivi. I took my Kimber "Caprivi" 375 H&H and my 65 prc. My 375 has almost no recoil and I took a very nice buffalo and hippo with one shot each. I used barnes tsx loads and they performed very well. Recovered both bullets and they weighed 278 grains each. Started out at 300 grains. Both were perfect mushrooms.

 

[375Fox]

Go with 375 H&H. It’s an easy cartridge to learn to shoot and there are many more rifle and factory ammo choices. It’s also much better for a one gun safari because it’s relatively flat shooting but still kills buffalo extremely effectively.

 

[375Fox]

Here is a good article to read. To me it really shows a client’s job is a good first shot. A scoped 375 that’s easy to shoot well does that better than a larger caliber for most.

Is Bigger Always Better?

I thought this group may enjoy this article I wrote in the latest African Gazette. A link to that particular issue (of which Divan Labuschagne, one of our great PHs, also took the cover picture): Let me know your thoughts....

www.africahunting.com

 

[BeeMaa]

Here is a good article to read. To me it really shows a client’s job is a good first shot. A scoped 375 that’s easy to shoot well does that better than a larger caliber for most.

Is Bigger Always Better?

I thought this group may enjoy this article I wrote in the latest African Gazette. A link to that particular issue (of which Divan Labuschagne, one of our great PHs, also took the cover picture): Let me know your thoughts....

www.africahunting.com

Combine the scope with a set of top quality QD rings/mount in case your scope goes screwy or you need to take it off for up-close instinctive shooting.

There are several threads about proper DG scopes and mounts to consider.

 

[Red Leg]

It doesn't matter from the game animal's perspective. Put a 300 gr .375 or 400 gr .416 in exactly the right spot, and everyone goes beck to camp to celebrate a great bull. Miss that spot with either and everyone has a very long day. The easiest transition from scoped deer rifle to buffalo rifle is a scoped .375. As suggested above, equip it with quality detachable mounts and you are ready for anything from suni to elephant.

Another characteristic that I find as important as "shootability" is ease of carry. Most buffalo hunts require hours of tracking. All of my .375 bolt actions carry like a 30-06. Rifles in the .416/.404 class get heavy much more quickly.

 

[Andrew62]

7 cape buffalo and 3 elephants later, I'm still using my Kimber Talkettna .375H&H. As much as I'd love to hunt with a 416 Rigby for the cool factor, the reality is, I cannot handle the recoil, it's massively more than a .375H&H.

 

[Philip Glass]

Bigger is always better provided you can shoot it. The .416's can pack some serious recoil. You can get used to it with practice. If you have not had a .375 or bigger yet it would be nice to go shoot with someone who does before making your decision.
Philip

 

[Philip Glass]

7 cape buffalo and 3 elephants later, I'm still using my Kimber Talkettna .375H&H. As much as I'd love to hunt with a 416 Rigby for the cool factor, the reality is, I cannot handle the recoil, it's massively more than a .375H&H.

I agree.

 

[Green Chile]

With your description, the 375 seems to be perfect. I just went last month on a one rifle safari and used the 375 and 300 TSX perfectly on buffalo, croc, sable and even a honey badger (acted more like a solid without blowing up the little guy). I did make comments during the hunt in the thick thorn brush that I would have preferred a 416 or 458 in the tight stuff. However, the 375 is perfect and covers all of Africa's choices. Sure it's a compromise BUT it's the best of compromises. You will get more done with a scoped 375 than with any other combination.

 

[chashardy]

I have both--I've taken my 375H&H double and my 416 Rigby Big Game on my last two safaris. Used the Rigby on buffalo, roan and a golden wildebeest and the double on everything else. A bolt action, scoped 375 is probably the better choice for a one gun safari, but the 416 with 400gr A frames is a great buffalo gun. Red Leg's post above is the key. Placing the first shot with either rifle is more important than which one you choose to shoot.

 

[Philip Glass]

Combine the scope with a set of top quality QD rings/mount in case your scope goes screwy or you need to take it off for up-close instinctive shooting.

There are several threads about proper DG scopes and mounts to consider.

I have yet to hear an account of needing to take the scope off. I lost confidence in my QD mounts after them getting off on several trips. I think they are over rated and over thought. (Blaser is a totally different story and they work well.)
Believe me I was there at one time!

 

[Green Chile]

Recoil is always an interesting subject. We all feel it differently but proper gun fit AND proper gun weight for caliber is important. By the numbers, a 10 pound 375 with factory 300 grain loads has 35 ft lbs of recoil energy. A 10 lb 416 Rigby with factory 400 grain loads has 63 ft lbs of recoil energy...close to double the recoil energy. Numerous factors can lessen the gap but it's there.

 

[WAB]

I have taken buffalo with the .375 H&H and .458 Lott. I have not had a problem with recoil so the Lott has been very effective (I just love the way it hammers a buffalo!).

However, I purchased a 9.3x62 for my wife’s buffalo hunt. She made a stellar one shot kill with the 9.3, actually knocking that bull clean off its feet before it recovered enough to run 100 yards before tipping over. It was every bit as effective as a .375.

Bottom line, the .375 is a fine round for anything you will need other than stopping. If you become addicted to buffalo, as I did, you may want something bigger in the future.

Also, don’t think that you will never be required to stop something if you play in the bush long enough. Unprovoked charges happen and your PH may or may not be in a position to intervene when the brown stuff hits the fan. Read @cbvanb’s experience in my hunt report from 2017 if you want an example.

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

Every serious hunter should own a .375 H&H! Why? It is like the massive big brother to the versatile .30-06. As others have posted, 375 provides:

• Moderate recoil
• 5000 ft lbs of energy, enough for elephant with proper shot placement
• Flat trajectory for relatively long plains game shots
• Easy availability of ammunition most everywhere in the world
• Legendary cartridge...

I am a firearms aficionado (gun nxt) and own several rifles in each caliber .375, .416, and .458. Of those the .375 H&H in a scoped bolt action rifle is the one I'd keep if I had to give up all others.

PS: Top off a rifle with a great quality 1-4, 5 or 6x illuminated reticle scope and you will be good to go from 10 to well past 300 yards. I love quick release Tally mounts but unless my scope broke bouncing off a rock, I can't see taking if off. At 1x, today's scopes are as good or better that a red dot reflex sight. And those reflex sights provide a single sighting plane for faster target acquisition than iron sights!

 

[Andrew62]

I have yet to hear an account of needing to take the scope off. I lost confidence in my QD mounts after them getting off on several trips. I think they are over rated and over thought. (Blaser is a totally different story and they work well.)
Believe me I was there at one time!

For those who like the option of removing the scope in thick situations, they should have that option. For me, I love hunting the thick stuff with a 1.5 x 5 power scope, it really helps me see the site picture. When I shot my bongo at 7 steps, in the most incredibility thick cover, the low power scope actually really helped me see where I was aiming.