Bolt action or Double 375 H&H

[Captain Munro]

Scheels sporting goods in Fargo ND has. Like new used Winchester mod 70 Safari Express in stock. A call to them and a credit card can have it shipped to a Scheels near you.

No Scheels down here in ththe Dirty South. Louisiana that is.

 

[BeeMaa]

I wouldnt mind the dakota but it is a bit out of my range...

Guns, gear, animals, excursions and taxidermy all come at an unexpected price sometimes. Relax, take it in stride and do your best to stay on budget...with wiggle room.

 

[Foxi]

a little story about it:
a friend stalked in the wheat a bunch of pigs an with his double.They fled away from him one he shot, it went head over (8x57 IR).
Then another pig came as a straggler directly, this he shot with the left barrel--soft.
She attacked him fiercely and fortunately he was able to fend off the little cutie, 40 KG live weight about, with his boots until he could reload.
With a big one it would have been his death.
Bolt.

 

[358 Norma]

No Scheels down here in ththe Dirty South. Louisiana that is.

Yeah I think the closest to you is in Texas.

 

[Professor Mawla]

I would highly recommend a bolt action rifle in .375 Holland & Holland Magnum . Especially for novice hunters . A double rifle is a fairly specialized tool . And most beginners are ( as a general rule ) able to achieve far more accurate results with bolt action rifles than double rifles ( due to the single sighting plane which provides convenience in aiming ) . For this reason , you will see that most double rifles are regulated to 50 yards .

And among currently manufactured .375 Holland & Holland Magnums , I honestly do not find a most practical choice than the Winchester Model 70 Safari Express . I am also quite partial to the Kimber Caprivi . However , I have seen one specimen which experienced some feeding issues .

 

[degoins]

Double if money is no object. As far as the bullet weight thing goes, I've owned 3 doubles (still have 2) and I've been able to get all of them to regulate with different bullet weights.

 

[Norden-hunt]

Thank you all for your answers and thoughts, experiences regarding this.
I'll think about this and then order a rifle.

 

[Bert the Turtle]

375 is a versatile cartridge best used in a versatile gun, ie a scoped bolt rifle. A double is a specialized gun best used in a specialized (i.e. heavy) cartridge.

 

[degoins]

A double can be scoped and you have the best of both worlds.

 

[Red Leg]

A double can be scoped and you have the best of both worlds.

Some can be. Even among those that can be scoped effectively, most are regulated at 50 meters these days. Groups at 100 can problematic without the expense (significant) of reregulation. Typically, the cheaper the double, the more problematic the regulation. That said, I have a S2 Blaser that is accurate to 250+ with it's .375 (or 30-06) barrels in place, but it was designed with the expectation it would be used with a dismountable scope and regulated accordingly. The 30-06 barrels can actually be adjusted.

I love my doubles, but I would never advise someone looking for their first DG rifle to opt for one. The easiest transition from deer rifle to rifle that can be used for DG is a scoped .375 bolt action. Moreover, it will remain far and away the most versatile rifle anyone can take to Africa regardless how many times he has made the trip or how many other calibers in whatever form he may add to his gun room.

Three of my four buffalo were taken with a scoped bolt action .375 (custom Mauser and R8) for a reason despite having several other options in the gun room.

 

[IvW]

Blaser S2 or a Heym(parallel regulation) would make a very good medium bore double, 9.3x74R or 375 Flanged Magnum...

 

[IvW]

As has been said, for a first DG rifle nothing beats a qd scoped 375 H&H on the right platform....

 

[Tanks]

Some can be. Even among those that can be scoped effectively, most are regulated at 50 meters these days. Groups at 100 can problematic without the expense (significant) of reregulation. ...

I love my doubles, but I would never advise someone looking for their first DG rifle to opt for one. ...

For longer shots one is turning his double basically into a single shot rifle when scoped. Not to mention the cost is astronomically higher for a double compared to a bolt action.

As stated above, especially for a first medium bore caliber, get a scoped bolt action and call it a day. You would not have wasted money as cost of a bolt action rifle is a rounding error compared to the cost of a German/French double let alone a British one, e.g. claw scope mounts alone on a double cost more than a rifle in most cases.

 

[Red Leg]

For longer shots one is turning his double basically into a single shot rifle when scoped. Not to mention the cost is astronomically higher for a double compared to a bolt action.

As stated above, especially for a first medium bore caliber, get a scoped bolt action and call it a day. You would not have wasted money as cost of a bolt action rifle is a rounding error compared to the cost of a German/French double let alone a British one, e.g. claw scope mounts alone on a double cost more than a rifle in most cases.

Exactly. I sight in on the right barrel. Moreover, because of the quality of the regulation of the S2 the second shot is a sub 2-MOA difference giving me an immediate second shot capability to 200 meters on most critters. Depending upon how your Heym is regulated, I suspect you will find similar capability.

 

[Ed Lally]

Agree with all who stated a bolt action .375 is the best choice for you at this time and agree with all the reasons stated. A properly scoped bolt action .375 is extremely flexible and is IMO the best configuration in so many Africa situations, while a double is really a specialized tool. Get a quality bolt action with a good scope and book a safari for the cost of an decent double. Then, when spending the money, purchase a double in .450 or larger (.470 NE is my favorite) and use it as originally intended.

 

[IvW]

Exactly. I sight in on the right barrel. Moreover, because of the quality of the regulation of the S2 the second shot is a sub 2-MOA difference giving me an immediate second shot capability to 200 meters on most critters. Depending upon how your Heym is regulated, I suspect you will find similar capability.

Personally I think some folks get caught up in the moa issue too often when it comes to hunting rifles especially ones to be used in Africa....most of us could not keep the exact aiming spot on a target at 100m especially when using 1-6 magnification on 375 H&H or similar.
You can either shoot and the shot is on target or not.

I prefer somebody to take a shot at a mark on a tree for example instead of shooting at a target off a bench...if it is way off then we refert back to target and bench....

 

[Norden-hunt]

Thanks again for everyone's tips, experiences and ideas!
Of course I would like to buy many different types and calibers of rifles but there are some things that prevent this, the biggest reason is that, where I live so usually you can only have 6 hunting weapons and then it becomes difficult if you want a revolver, pistol, ARs or another hunting weapon. So in other words, you are limited. DB of fine quality is, as you write, perhaps not the first thing you buy if you look at a 375 h & h. I think as you write is that you want one in very good quality. You want that in a bolt rifle too, but I found that!

 

[Jarrah]

Clearly the only way out of this dilemma is to get both.

 

[rookhawk]

Hello all hunters! A weapons issue for you. I am thinking of buying a rifle with a caliber of 375 h & h. The question is whether it should be a Bolt action or Double rifle? Pros and cons besides the obvious fact that you have three or four cartridges in a Bolt. Have no experience hunting with a Double. Thanks!

The costs of 375HH double rifels, or more appropriately a 375HH Flanged (rimmed) is going to cost nearly what a large bore double rifle will cost. So the value is limited and you're not getting best use of your dollars. If you have plenty of dollars and want one, by all means, more guns is better, always! But for someone getting safari rifles, you want a 375 bolt gun as your first rifle and a large bore double as your aspirational second gun, whether in 450-400, 470, or 500.

 

[Norden-hunt]

The costs of 375HH double rifels, or more appropriately a 375HH Flanged (rimmed) is going to cost nearly what a large bore double rifle will cost. So the value is limited and you're not getting best use of your dollars. If you have plenty of dollars and want one, by all means, more guns is better, always! But for someone getting safari rifles, you want a 375 bolt gun as your first rifle and a large bore double as your aspirational second gun, whether in 450-400, 470, or 500.

What you write sounds very reasonable and good. What do you think about this combo, 9.3x62 and 404 jeffrey or any other larger caliber, but want to be able to use the larger one for wild boar, bear or similar. 500 or in that size is probably not needed.