Improving the 375 H&H

[Ray B]

available bullets are all designed to perform at their best at h&h velocities.
bruce.

Several cartridges have gone from new to obsolete in short order for that very reason- notably the 8mm Rem Mag. However there are enough tough bullets available in the 375 H&H that careful handloading should prevent the problem. shoot the H&H bullets for target and familiarization work, load the premiums for game- best of both worlds.

 

[TOBY458]

Also, no one mentions the fact that a tapered case is much less likely to stick in the chamber if for some reason pressures are too high, or rust is present. That in itself was a major concern when designing the H&H case with so much taper. Probably more so than the smoother feeding aspect.

 

[Forrest Halley]

Let's try putting a high BC bullet into it and shooting something God awful far away just to show the .300 and .338 who their Daddy is. Then we can leave the chamber bloody well alone.

Some of the posters on here sound like the 10mm "enthusiasts". Hey I have an idea, let's load a great cartridge to nuclear levels and then declare it greater than the next level up. Let's not. Let's load it to it's full potential and embrace it for what it is.

These hotrodded sharebore wildcats are silliness. I make exceptions for the interchangeables, but unless they corrected an original design flaw like the Lott, they are superfluous.

Several have correctly stated that the optimum velocity envelope is the way to go and to exceed that is to marginalize your projectile in its performance.

All this said I would very much like to stoke up a .450 Nitro and chase those belted wonders back to the barn as the trees and landscape shook in awe.

 

[Newboomer]

"Improve" the 375HH? How in hell can you improve perfection? The 375HH has proven itself innumerable times. With the array of bullets and loads available it can be tailored for anything and everything that walks the planet in a perfect package.

 

[Ray B]

I see!!

 

[Alexandro Faria]

I have often thought about this myself.
it makes a lot of sense in many ways.
however I come back to the same thoughts.
the std case has about as much recoil as I want.
the ballistics are such that another cartridge might be better than the improved.
a 416 rem if you want more power, and a 340 weatherby if you want flatter trajectory.
then the std h&h case is designed to feed better than a straighter case.
bruce.

Or one could just go with the 375 AI and have the option of both, based on your needs...

SA has a lot of good options bullet wise: Claw, kriek, stewart, rhino, peregrine, GS (if you can get hold of them)... Even Titans. Seeing as the OP is South African, I don't think he's too worried in that sense.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

Or one could just go with the 375 AI and have the option of both, based on your needs...

SA has a lot of good options bullet wise: Claw, kriek, stewart, rhino, peregrine, GS (if you can get hold of them)... Even Titans. Seeing as the OP is South African, I don't think he's too worried in that sense.

I wish we could get some of those bullets here in the U.S. I’d love to try some 340 rhinos.

 

[Ray B]

I wish we could get some of those bullets here in the U.S. I’d love to try some 340 rhinos.

I'm not familiar with some of those, but I have no complaints about the performance of those that are/were available in the US: Woodleigh, NorthFork, Swift and my stash of HT and BBCs.

 

[IvW]

I wish we could get some of those bullets here in the U.S. I’d love to try some 340 rhinos.

Excellent bullet available in solid brass meplat and controlled expander

 

[colorado]

"Improve" the 375HH? How in hell can you improve perfection? The 375HH has proven itself innumerable times. With the array of bullets and loads available it can be tailored for anything and everything that walks the planet in a perfect package.

I only "improved" my 375 H&H to a 375 Weatherby due to a brand new Rem XCR II having issues out of the box including a rough chamber. That being said, I have no regrets. In a 7 1/2 lb rifle it shoots 300g A-Frames at 2800 fps eclipsing the need for a 338 Mag, and shoots factory 375 H&H ammo (I got my brown bear with Remington 300g A-Frame factory ammo). Cases are easy to come by since I just use fireformed 375 H&H cases. Shoots as flat as a 338, hits almost as hard as a 416. What's not to like?

 

[bruce moulds]

that would give it to you bigtime.
bruce.

 

[1dirthawker]

IVW,

my 2 cents, if you want to "improve" the 375, i say do it. you WILL get more case capacity, which WILL allow a bit more velocity and should allow that with the heavier bullets. I think it would be a fairly simple and fun project. i think it is a fairly practical reason you are after as well. how much velocity you will get, especially with heavier slugs, remains to be seen, but it should be!

I am in the process of "improving" a 9.3x74r, so, i would not worry about the "sacred cow" that the 375 h&h might seem. ream it, fire form it and find out for yourself says I. i hope it works out as well as you hope. even if you decide on the 300 grain offerings at the same velocity, pressure will go down as all the old gunsmiths found out long ago by increasing case capacity. like the 450 nitro vs 450 nitro #2.

I don't know if the improved version will feed as slick as the original tho. tell us all how it is progressing as you do it.

 

[2400]

Also, no one mentions the fact that a tapered case is much less likely to stick in the chamber if for some reason pressures are too high, or rust is present. That in itself was a major concern when designing the H&H case with so much taper. Probably more so than the smoother feeding aspect.

Don't forget one of the big reasons for the long, slim, taped case was because they used Cordite at the time. Cordite looks like spaghetti, long and thin not like the powder we use now, it was very heat sensitive too.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Screw it and DO IT!!! They're your guns so if you want an Improved 375, get the chamber cut to 375 Improved.

Welcome to the world of customizing guns. It's not always about the performance; sometimes it's just having something personalized and unique.

If you're not happy with the Improved version, then you can always rebarrel to another caliber; heck, even if you are satisfied, you may decided to rebarrel something else into something else!

Your $$; your rifle; your fantasy/obsession - Do it.

Wildcats live on!

 

[Tanks]

As a few others have mentioned if you are looking to use heavier .375 bullets at a decent velocity why not .375 RUM. On paper it looks like a formidable cartridge.

 

[CoElkHunter]

As a few others have mentioned if you are looking to use heavier .375 bullets at a decent velocity why not .375 RUM. On paper it looks like a formidable cartridge.

But then you have to find the RUM cases at a REASONABLE cost? H and H cases are found EVERYWHERE for a reasonable cost. I’m just a cheap sob!

 

[bruce moulds]

c.e.h.
just get a 9.3x64 brenneke, some h4350, and some 286 and 300 gn swifts and be done with it.
bruce.

 

[Tanks]

But then you have to find the RUM cases at a REASONABLE cost? H and H cases are found EVERYWHERE for a reasonable cost. I’m just a cheap sob!

Actually, .375 brass ($ 1.40/ea Norma) is more expensive than the .300 RUM brass ($1.15/ea Norma). I just bought 150 cases of .300 RUM from Midwest shooter supply. Was here in two days.

Though I go the other way, the .300 RUM cases get cut down and trimmed to 2.240 inches for my .416 & .458 B&M wildcats.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Actually, .375 brass ($ 1.40/ea Norma) is more expensive than the .300 RUM brass ($1.15/ea Norma). I just bought 150 cases of .300 RUM from Midwest shooter supply. Was here in two days.

Well your right, kind of. I just bought some .375 Remington H and H brass from Midway for $0.87 with shipping. But, when I read this I was thinking of those hunters in other countries with fewer reloading supplier options? Maybe I’m wrong (again)?

 

[CoElkHunter]

c.e.h.
just get a 9.3x64 brenneke, some h4350, and some 286 and 300 gn swifts and be done with it.
bruce.

SOLD! If I knew what a 9.3x64 Brenneke was! Ha! Ha!