If you had both a 375 and a 416

[Newboomer]

You betchum, Red Ryder!! Now that I've got my 404J in the works, I'm booked with Huntershill for April 2021. Buf to blood the rifle and Greg promised me a warthog (been trying for three years now). Also, we'll see what else I can't live without once I get there.

 

[Frederik]

So months ago you worthless jerks didn't talk me out of purchasing a 416 so of course I'm weak-willed and I have one on the way. A Kimber Caprivi 416 Rem Mag to be precise. Let's not re-litigate the veracity of a Rem Mag vs a Rigby vs a Ruger...

But if you have both a 375 and a 416, would it change how they are set up? My 416 will be my buff rifle at this point.

Currently have a VX6HD 1-6x24 on the 375 zeroed at 100 but thinking I'll replace that with a 2.5-12.5x42 Trijicon and put the 1-6x24 on the 416. May even drop down from 300 grainers in the 375 to 260/270 grainers and zero it out a bit longer.

I'm definitely going heavy on the 416: 400 grain A-Frames is what I'm thinking.

Thoughts?

You have both rifles at the moment and I like your thinking of changing scopes and maybe lighten up the load on the 375 H&H.

This is what I would do if I was you.

375H&H put on the 2.5-12.5x42 Trijicon load it up with 270gr TSX at around 2600fps if you can. Sight it in at 200 yards and your set to go and hunt anything excpet for elephants which need solids. So if you are out looking for plainsgame and bump into a dagga boy you will be shooting 2" high or so at 100 but that won't make a huge difference on the buffalo kill zone. The 270gr TSX has enough energy and penetration to sort out the buff.

416 Rem top it with the 1-6 x 24 and QD's. Ammo, if you buy factory ammo great but if you reload you will struggle to get to over 2300fps with longer bullets maybe rather opt for Woodleigh bonded bullets in 400gr and the solid and soft should be able to hit very close together opting for backup and elephant without too much hassle by only swapping ammo.

Why Woodleigh you ask well this is my reasoning with Barnes, and Swift you need some speed to get the bullet the open up nicely and do their thing. Woodleigh can do it at slower speed but doesn't like too much speed and with the 416Rem that would be ideal. Norma has a factory load in 450gr with Woodleigh and if a company like Norma trust in it why not?

 

[gizmo]

So I have a 375, 416, and a 9.3x74r. I see nothing wrong with what you got going and believe you made a good choice purchasing the extra caliber. Guns get lonely and need buddies of similar make. You wouldn’t want your 375 to get picked on by the other rifles because it’s a bit larger in the belt area. I personally want to find a 458 Lott to play with my others as well as a 470 NE and 505 Gibs or possibly a 500 Jeffery

 

[Aussie_Hunter]

Sounds like a decent plan to me!

 

[Dr Ray]

I have used the Swift A Frames 400 grains in my 416 Rem.
I have just sold my 375 H&H because after having the 416 I don’t think I’ll ever use it. Pheroze asked whether I should keep the 375 to give me more flexibility, but I have a 338 Winchester magnum.

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

i have a 416RM
use 400gr remington, work well 400gr bear claw, work very well
hornady solids 400 gr
federal 400gr fed fusion, also work very well
all these shoot almost in same place and have had no penetration issues with softs

 

[Dr Ray]

i have a 416RM
use 400gr remington, work well 400gr bear claw, work very well
hornady solids 400 gr
federal 400gr fed fusion, also work very well
all these shoot almost in same place and have had no penetration issues with softs

There are many great Bullets that are excellent. I also think that the shooter’s perception of the billet is close to 100% of their opinion of the bullet’s performance. Note: perception!

 

[Pheroze]

I used my 375 with 270 grain bullets on a PG hunt in RSA, and on several moose hunts. But it doesn't carry like my 30 cal, and I probably wouldn't do that again if given the choice.

I think of the 375 and 416 as serving the same purpose. Whichever you prefer will work for a mixed PG & DG hunt. And, the 1-6 x scope is perfect for both IMO. I am not sure you will find the 2.5-12x on the 375 H&H to be that desirable, as I doubt you will use that kind of magnification with it.

BTW, of the 416s , the slimmer belted version is better than the corpulent old man, good choice.

 

[ActionBob]

I have both in M70's. Love em both for what they are good at and what each can do

I like your plan on the scopes and think you should do that

In my 416 Remington Premium A Frames in factory ammo and Federal Premium Woodliegh Hydro solids regulate very closely and are both great options for buffalo and elephant respectively. Federal Premium with Trophy Bonded will likely regulate closely as well. Zero as perfect as you can with the solids as you want the best accuracy for a chance little critters and brain shot on elephant. If the sifts are a tad off, not as likely to be an issue as you should have a bigger kill zone on the animals you'd likely shoot with those.

I love the idea of 260 to 270 grain TSX for the 375.

 

[autofire]

Somewhere I heard "two is one and one is none". So just in case Mr. Murphy decides to visit me while I am on an African adventure. I always take two rifles. Yes, I did have Mr. Murphy show up 7 days before I left on my last trip, but lucky since I was still here I took it in to my local special problem guy and he got it back to me the next day..

 

[Boomstick!]

I basically have the same plan for my 375. A 2 scope plan a 1-4 Trijicon red post and a 3-9 Trijicon green mildot. When i get my 416 I will already have a 1-4 for it. The 3-9 will then live on the 375.

 

[Boomstick!]

I basically have the same plan for my 375. A 2 scope plan a 1-4 Trijicon red post and a 3-9 Trijicon green mildot. When i get my 416 I will already have a 1-4 for it. The 3-9 will then live on the 375.

 

[Bruce]

So months ago you worthless jerks didn't talk me out of purchasing a 416 so of course I'm weak-willed and I have one on the way. A Kimber Caprivi 416 Rem Mag to be precise. Let's not re-litigate the veracity of a Rem Mag vs a Rigby vs a Ruger...

But if you have both a 375 and a 416, would it change how they are set up? My 416 will be my buff rifle at this point.

Currently have a VX6HD 1-6x24 on the 375 zeroed at 100 but thinking I'll replace that with a 2.5-12.5x42 Trijicon and put the 1-6x24 on the 416. May even drop down from 300 grainers in the 375 to 260/270 grainers and zero it out a bit longer.

I'm definitely going heavy on the 416: 400 grain A-Frames is what I'm thinking.

Thoughts?

Fully agree with your thought plan... Go heavy with the 416, put a bigger scope on the 375 and zero it out for longer plains game shots.
I have 2x 375 H&H' s and have dressed them similarly... One for denser bush, short range shots with a 1-5 x 20 Swarofsky and the other with a plains game scope.
I still load up with 300g for both, but toying with going lighter for the plains game.

 

[Major Khan]

Using Indian dangerous game as an example , l would use the .375 Holland & Holland magnum calibre rifle for royal Bengal tigers . I would use the .416 Remington magnum calibre rifle for gaur bison .
For your African game , l would suppose that the .375 Holland & Holland magnum calibre rifle would make a lovely lion rifle and plains game rifle , with the capacity to be used on cape buffalo in a pinch ( provided you use the right ammunition . ) The .416 Remington magnum calibre rifle would make a lovely cape buffalo rifle , with the capacity to be used on African elephant in a pinch ( provided that you use non expanding bullets , of course ) .
Congratulations on the fine purchase .
Your choices of telescopic sights are highly commendable .
For the .416 Remington magnum calibre rifle , l would highly recommend open iron sights with a wide V back sight and a bead fore sight for follow up work on dangerous game , where quick shooting is required .
Your choice of using 400 grain bullets in the .416 Remington magnum calibre rifle is also an extremely sensible idea . I generally do not recommend lighter bullets in large bore calibre rifles , because they have poor sectional density , ergo poor penetration.

 

[Red Leg]

Using Indian dangerous game as an example , l would use the .375 Holland & Holland magnum calibre rifle for royal Bengal tigers . I would use the .416 Remington magnum calibre rifle for gaur bison .
For your African game , l would suppose that the .375 Holland & Holland magnum calibre rifle would make a lovely lion rifle and plains game rifle , with the capacity to be used on cape buffalo in a pinch ( provided you use the right ammunition . ) The .416 Remington magnum calibre rifle would make a lovely cape buffalo rifle , with the capacity to be used on African elephant in a pinch ( provided that you use non expanding bullets , of course ) .
Congratulations on the fine purchase .
Your choices of telescopic sights are highly commendable .
For the .416 Remington magnum calibre rifle , l would highly recommend open iron sights with a wide V back sight and a bead fore sight for follow up work on dangerous game , where quick shooting is required .
Your choice of using 400 grain bullets in the .416 Remington magnum calibre rifle is also an extremely sensible idea . I generally do not recommend lighter bullets in large bore calibre rifles , because they have poor sectional density , ergo poor penetration.

The .375 with modern ammunition makes a magnificent rifle for cape buffalo - and for almost any other thing in Africa. Hardly a rifle I would or do use "in a pinch".

 

[Major Khan]

The .375 with modern ammunition makes a magnificent rifle for cape buffalo - and for almost any other thing in Africa. Hardly a rifle I would or do use "in a pinch".

I am sorry , sir. My use of the word " in a pinch " was inappropriate . I meant to say that it can be used as a cape buffalo rifle , but not something which l would pick as a dedicated cape buffalo rifle ( since the original poster has a heavier calibre rifle for this task ) . During a previous survey , l had conducted , l learnt that roughly 85 % of our forum members use a .375 Holland & Holland magnum calibre rifle to take their buffalo in Africa. The choices of ammunition are invariably the Barnes TSX or the Swift A frame controlled expansion bullet in 300 grain weight .

 

[Red Leg]

I am sorry , sir. My use of the word " in a pinch " was inappropriate . I meant to say that it can be used as a cape buffalo rifle , but not something which l would pick as a dedicated cape buffalo rifle ( since the original poster has a heavier calibre rifle for this task ) . During a previous survey , l had conducted , l learnt that roughly 85 % of our forum members use a .375 Holland & Holland magnum calibre rifle to take their buffalo in Africa. The choices of ammunition are invariably the Barnes TSX or the Swift A frame controlled expansion bullet in 300 grain weight .

The nice thing about a .375 is that it makes a superb "dedicated" cape buffalo rifle while also serving so admirably as a dedicated rifle for everything else. The .416 is, of course, a great caliber. I have it's double rifle equivalent in a 500-416 and a .404J. To date, I have been unable to come up with a reason to bring one of them and a .375 on the same hunt. My .404 would be "almost" as versatile, but over the last several trips, I have handily made shots with the .375 that I would not have attempted comfortably with the .404 - much less a double. Therefore, unless I am on a nostalgia safari with my .470, I am not leaving the .375 at home. And if it is going with me, then I can come up with no good reason to go through the extra bag drag of bringing either of the forties.

Were I going to spend a month in Tanzania, I likely would bring the double (either the S2 or the .470) and the .375 (the S2 has 30-06 barrels as well). But for one of our short safaris that 90% of those of us on this forum will take, I just don't see the advantage of taking a .375 and lugging something heavier - particularly in a bolt action rifle.

What does make sense to me is an experienced DG game hunter bringing a non- telescopic sighted double and a .375. That way on day 9 of a tough hunt, when a 42" bull offers a shot at eighty yards through a narrow window, the client can hand off the double and use his .375 to successfully conclude the hunt.

What a gun owner might "want" to do is another thing entirely. If one owns a .375 and a .416 and wants drag two essentially redundantly capable calibers to the continent, have at it. I just don't see any advantage.

 

[BeeMaa]

I agree with @Red Leg, that a 375 and 416 is very close to being redundant for one hunter.
However my wife and I may be going to Africa with that very combination.
Albeit a his (416) and hers (375) hunt, as long she shoot the 375 well...it could be the case.

Being that we are taking R8's, I may just throw in a 300WM barrel for baboon and jackal pest control.

 

[Red Leg]

I agree with @Red Leg, that a 375 and 416 is very close to being redundant for one hunter.
However my wife and I may be going to Africa with that very combination.
Albeit a his (416) and hers (375) hunt, as long she shoot the 375 well...it could be the case.

Being that we are taking R8's, I may just throw in a 300WM barrel for baboon and jackal pest control.

And that is a situation that makes absolutely good sense - two different people and two different choices of primary rifle.

 

[Ridgewalker]

The two seem redundant IMO, but to each his own. I really like my 375 H&H. I’ve mentioned many times, I have taken from duiker to Cape buffalo. As long as I do my part (like any cartridge) the old 375 H&H does its part.

That said, if my funds were substantially more, I’d have several different 416s, 404s, 458s, 500s, etc. Of course then I’d be like Toby458 and couldn’t decide what to take, or what to use for the day in Africa! Just teasing Toby!

My life is pretty simple. When I go to Africa, I carry my 375 H&H what ever I’m hunting.