Into to large caliber rifles

[uplander01]

I’d go with 375 hh, however I would say it’s a safe bet that the ruger calibers are here to stay.

 

[Deepfork]

Bergara and Christensen Arms also make good quality rifles in .375 H&H that are reasonably priced. Neither offers a hardwood stock though. My mind won't let me consider a rifle a keeper unless there is wood, even if its a Blaser lol!

 

[93marlin]

I second what @BeeMaa said.

+1

 

[mdwest]

I’ve been looking into a safari rifle, Ive used the 300wsm round but looking for something larger to get a custom to for a safari trip down the road and a good caliber

Unless you’re just wanting to exercise your wallet, a custom isn’t necessary… there are plenty of solid options in 375 (H&H and Ruger) and in 416 (Remington and Rigby)… ranging from low cost mossbergs to blaser R8s… there’s pretty much something out there for every budget and every preference…

As many others have stated, 375 is IMO the best entry point into DG calibers.. they are legal for all of the big 5 everywhere.. they are readily available.. ammo is easy to come by.. reloading components are easy to come by.. they are much more recoil friendly than other options.. and they are very versatile.. a 375 makes a stellar PG rifle out to 300 yards in addition to being a suitable DG rifle… the same can’t be said for many of the larger calibers…

Ultimately I landed on a 416 as my preferred DG caliber… but that was after carrying a 375 for several years, then having both the 375 and the 416 for a bit..

I’m very glad I didn’t start any larger than 375… it was a perfect entry point for me..

 

[Dublinpiper90]

As a client hunter myself, I've been enjoying the greatest success with the .375 Holland & Holland Magnum caliber ever since my first African safari to Kenya in 1974. Penetration is immense. Trajectory is extremely flat. Recoil is very very manageable. I have been successfully using it to take multiple heads of 4 members of the African Big over the years (barring rhinoceros which I have not yet had the good fortune to hunt). The only department where it falls short is for body shots on bull elephant.

It is also increbibly versatile. You can use it to hunt African plains game. You can use it to hunt the great bears, elk, moose & caribou in America & Canada. You can use it to hunt Sambar, scrub bulls, banteng & water buffalo in Australia. You can use it to hunt the antelopes of Central Asia. It's the Swiss army knife of rifle calibers. It's not over-gunned for any game on the planet and under-gunned for only 1 (and ever so slightly in that department). For a one-rifle safari to Africa, you can't pick a better choice.

I have been using .375 Holland & Holland Magnum rifles loaned to me by my white hunters throughout most of my African hunting life, but in recent years... I started using my son-in-law's Remington Model 700 Custom with an M-16 extractor fitted and a Timney trigger installed. It is serving us incredibly well. But amongst currently manufactured rifles in this caliber, the Winchester Model 70 Safari Express is very decent value for the money. On the second hand market, keep your eyes peeled for a BRNO ZKK-602 (preferably a pre 1974 variant with the little pop-up peep sight in the receiver).

Ballistically speaking, the .375 Ruger can do whatever the .375 Holland & Holland Magnum can do. In Africa, the ammunition for the Holland & Holland Magnum will be relatively easier to source than that of the Ruger.

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I have hunted African dangerous game with other calibers too, over the years.

Such as .404 Jeffery
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.458 Winchester Magnum
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And .600 Nitro Express
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But none match a .375 Holland & Holland Magnum in terms of versatility & practicality.

Thanks for you help, I enjoy the photos pf your trophies as well

 

[uplander01]

Here is a whole bunch of everything you'd ever need:

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1025481167

 

[John1989]

I said better availability of the Ruger offering, 100% different from what you quoted me as saying. Let me explain availability.

I Just logged into largest whole sale house in the US and checked on 375 Ruger and 375 H&H ammo. The are only five loadings listed for the 375 Ruger and three of those are in stock, I could push a button and order cases for the store. As far as the 375 H&H goes there are 19 different choices and Zero (0) are available.

It’s available to order for a store because no one orders is… the h&h is out of stock because those 19 offerings are in stores as we speak……

 

[John1989]

Here is a whole bunch of everything you'd ever need:

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1025481167

That price is laughable too

 

[Dublinpiper90]

I came across a nice scoped Ruger no1 in a .416 rem for a good price, thoughts would be to remove the scope but Im unsure on stepping into that large a caliber with my feet dry on these DG rounds, I want to be comfortable and confident and accurate on firing the rifle

 

[uplander01]

Or if you want a 375:

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1013031043

 

[ChrisG]

I came across a nice scoped Ruger no1 in a .416 rem for a good price, thoughts would be to remove the scope but Im unsure on stepping into that large a caliber with my feet dry on these DG rounds, I want to be comfortable and confident and accurate on firing the rifle

I would advise against a no.1 in .416 or bigger until you're used to the heavier hitters. The No. 1s are awesome rifles, but they are pretty light for a gun that is slinging 400 grains at 2400fps, and the stocks are not really designed to be comfortable at that level of recoil. My guess is your cheekbone is gonna hurt after a few of those! The drop at the comb pushes the rifle into your face on recoil, and they dont have a raised cheekpiece.

 

[D.M.V]

As a client hunter myself, I've been enjoying the greatest success with the .375 Holland & Holland Magnum caliber ever since my first African safari to Kenya in 1974. Penetration is immense. Trajectory is extremely flat. Recoil is very very manageable. I have been successfully using it to take multiple heads of 4 members of the African Big over the years (barring rhinoceros which I have not yet had the good fortune to hunt). The only department where it falls short is for body shots on bull elephant.

It is also increbibly versatile. You can use it to hunt African plains game. You can use it to hunt the great bears, elk, moose & caribou in America & Canada. You can use it to hunt Sambar, scrub bulls, banteng & water buffalo in Australia. You can use it to hunt the antelopes of Central Asia. It's the Swiss army knife of rifle calibers. It's not over-gunned for any game on the planet and under-gunned for only 1 (and ever so slightly in that department). For a one-rifle safari to Africa, you can't pick a better choice.

I have been using .375 Holland & Holland Magnum rifles loaned to me by my white hunters throughout most of my African hunting life, but in recent years... I started using my son-in-law's Remington Model 700 Custom with an M-16 extractor fitted and a Timney trigger installed. It is serving us incredibly well. But amongst currently manufactured rifles in this caliber, the Winchester Model 70 Safari Express is very decent value for the money. On the second hand market, keep your eyes peeled for a BRNO ZKK-602 (preferably a pre 1974 variant with the little pop-up peep sight in the receiver).

Ballistically speaking, the .375 Ruger can do whatever the .375 Holland & Holland Magnum can do. In Africa, the ammunition for the Holland & Holland Magnum will be relatively easier to source than that of the Ruger.

View attachment 575404
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View attachment 575416
View attachment 575415
View attachment 575414
View attachment 575413
View attachment 575412
View attachment 575411
View attachment 575410
View attachment 575409
View attachment 575408
View attachment 575407
View attachment 575406
View attachment 575405
View attachment 575403
View attachment 575402

I have hunted African dangerous game with other calibers too, over the years.

Such as .404 Jeffery
View attachment 575444
View attachment 575445
.458 Winchester Magnum
View attachment 575443
And .600 Nitro Express
View attachment 575446
But none match a .375 Holland & Holland Magnum in terms of versatility & practicality.

These are some great photos. Thanks for sharing them.

 

[ChrisG]

Also, I think the OP was not referring to a custom rifle but was saying "accustomed to." I see a couple of people have talked about not buying a custom rifle.

 

[ChrisG]

I was thinking it would probably be easier to get rid of if it don’t work out however I’ve looked into the winchester model 70 or the cz 550

Both of those are solid choices. And you will never be in want of someone to buy a .375 H&H. Ruger sells a lot more American Rifles than probably all 375H&Hs combined. But .375 H&Hs don't languish on shelves like Ruger Americans do. They're gone in a heartbeat.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I don’t recommend a custom rifle for various reasons. Believe it or not I’ve seen more problems than I care to mention on safari. Seriously look into a Blaser R8. Then you can switch calibers easily. Of course starting with .375. I know it is very different to the person who has not shot one but it is the best platform. We just had this long discussion on DG scopes and I was hearing many complain of trouble mounting scopes due to the bolt being in the way on various models. This won’t happen with an R8!
Your custom rifle will cost as much or more than an R8. Keep that in mind.

We have certainly seen enough problems with new factory guns posted on here (e.g. CZ in 500 Jeffery not feeding). I think it is easier for a factory to manufacture a dud line of guns and get away with it than a custom gun maker who sends one dud out the door. The big company has the money to conceal its problems with clever advertising. The custom gun maker relies more on word of mouth to stay in business.

R8 is apparently functional plus some but I just don't care for the looks of them. And there was that debate re safety issue (slightly more real than imagined it turns out). I certainly don't care for their price tag!

I think the OP could order a good "working" custom gun for about the same money or less than a new factory rifle. When I say working gun I mean no frills or at least a minimum. Fancy AAA walnut won't make the rifle shoot better. Synthetic stock (yuch!) actually might but for a 200 yard gun it won't make enough difference to matter. Minute of buffalo is about what's needed to hit a pie plate. I never understood the fascination with the three-leaves express rear sights. Those things are a dysfunctional dinosaur. Purely cosmetic (and expensive!). Same with the barrel band sling swivel and wrap around hooded front sight. No one needs those on a hunting rifle. Ordinary front sight and stock mounted sling swivel will do the job just as well and at a fraction of the cost. Ebony fore end and grip cap are unnecessary and totally useless. Order a stock without them and save hundreds of dollars. The utility of checkering is debatable. I have spent a lifetime hunting with guns that have no checkering and done just fine. However, I typically hunt in temperate conditions (I once hunted moose in near -30 conditions). And I'm by nature almost sweat free. The 404 I just finished building isn't checkered and it handled fine hunting buffalo in August.

Bottom line: I think if the OP wants a custom gun he can hunt with, he could have one made for around $3K. It might not be a work of art ... just a gun that works. And it will be a gun made for HIM not the unwashed masses. Use the money left over for a couple more trips to Africa. I guarantee after he's made that first trip, he will have to come back.

 

[Velo Dog]

Not really in the US from a dealer perspective. In .375 Ruger right now I can get you rifles made by Ruger, Savage or Mossberg. Nothing in stock at the big wholesalers in .375 H&H. Better availability of the Ruger offering on the ammo side too.

Cool used rifles is a different story, I get that!

Not sure why there is a glut of the newer Ruger version rifles and ammunition in wholesale inventory while conversely, there’s nothing in wholesale stock for the original H&H version of rifles and ammunition.

I suspect John1989’s thoughts on this are as likely the reason as any I can think of.

In furtherance of this, here in Alaska where I live, rifles in the H&H caliber are more common in use and ammunition for them is definitely easier to find on dealer shelves these days.

In defense of Ruger’s reinventing the wheel .375 cartridge, rifles for it are cheap to buy, including the ones made of stainless steel and plastic.

On that thought, for coastal Alaska - Canada, stainless & plastic, .375 H&H caliber rifles are very useful (rain, snow & salty sea spray) but, they’re sadly near impossible to find now.

But, the stainless steel, plastic stocked .375 Ruger caliber rifles are sporadically available.

I think stainless steel & plastic rifles are an eye sore however, if Winchester re-introduces their Model 70 stainless & plastic, in caliber .375 H&H, I will be sorely tempted to have one.

I have zero interest in ever owning the Ruger version, because it really doesn’t do anything different than what the original H&H version has been doing for well over 100 years now.

Also, I think the OP was not referring to a custom rifle but was saying "accustomed to." I see a couple of people have talked about not buying a custom rifle.

+1

 

[Hunting Hitman]

Not sure of the difficulty in finding 375 H&H ammunition. Seems to plenty of it.

.375 H&H Mag Ammo

In-stock best prices for 375 H&H Mag Ammo | Bulk 375 H&H Mag Ammunition - AmmoSeek.com

ammoseek.com

HH

 

[Safari Dave]

Just get a .375 H&H, as the next step.

 

[CoElkHunter]

I would advise against a no.1 in .416 or bigger until you're used to the heavier hitters. The No. 1s are awesome rifles, but they are pretty light for a gun that is slinging 400 grains at 2400fps, and the stocks are not really designed to be comfortable at that level of recoil. My guess is your cheekbone is gonna hurt after a few of those! The drop at the comb pushes the rifle into your face on recoil, and they dont have a raised cheekpiece.

+1. My CZ .416 Rigby gets my attention EVERYTIME I shoot it. So does my Lott. I started with a .375 HOLLAND and HOLLAND MAGNUM and would STRONGLY recommend buying a rifle in that cartridge and learn to master that recoil before moving up? I've shot a .338 WINCHESTER MAGNUM for years and the recoil is very similar to the .375. Just my 2 centavos.

 

[Philip Glass]

We have certainly seen enough problems with new factory guns posted on here (e.g. CZ in 500 Jeffery not feeding). I think it is easier for a factory to manufacture a dud line of guns and get away with it than a custom gun maker who sends one dud out the door. The big company has the money to conceal its problems with clever advertising. The custom gun maker relies more on word of mouth to stay in business.

R8 is apparently functional plus some but I just don't care for the looks of them. And there was that debate re safety issue (slightly more real than imagined it turns out). I certainly don't care for their price tag!

I think the OP could order a good "working" custom gun for about the same money or less than a new factory rifle. When I say working gun I mean no frills or at least a minimum. Fancy AAA walnut won't make the rifle shoot better. Synthetic stock (yuch!) actually might but for a 200 yard gun it won't make enough difference to matter. Minute of buffalo is about what's needed to hit a pie plate. I never understood the fascination with the three-leaves express rear sights. Those things are a dysfunctional dinosaur. Purely cosmetic (and expensive!). Same with the barrel band sling swivel and wrap around hooded front sight. No one needs those on a hunting rifle. Ordinary front sight and stock mounted sling swivel will do the job just as well and at a fraction of the cost. Ebony fore end and grip cap are unnecessary and totally useless. Order a stock without them and save hundreds of dollars. The utility of checkering is debatable. I have spent a lifetime hunting with guns that have no checkering and done just fine. However, I typically hunt in temperate conditions (I once hunted moose in near -30 conditions). And I'm by nature almost sweat free. The 404 I just finished building isn't checkered and it handled fine hunting buffalo in August.

Bottom line: I think if the OP wants a custom gun he can hunt with, he could have one made for around $3K. It might not be a work of art ... just a gun that works. And it will be a gun made for HIM not the unwashed masses. Use the money left over for a couple more trips to Africa. I guarantee after he's made that first trip, he will have to come back.

I am relating personal experience. I domy know why yall can’t get this through your heads! I have no axe to grind! I know it is counter intuitive as you point out but facts on the ground on an actual safari are what matters to me. Two different custom guns had major issues on two of my safaris this year.
No sir the R8 has not had any safety issues. This is an often repeated lie and dates back to the R98 and some suspicious things that evidently happened. It makes me mad when people lie about the R8. Don’t like it? I could care less but don’t keep the old legends alive!
Most indecisive people would actually save money by going with the R8 due to its modularity.