Monish is right on target with the prince of rifle chamberings for the world!
The old 1912 375 H&H is one of the mysteries of the ballistics world. It is the only chambering, I’m aware of, that just seems to do everything right. The chambering is very versatile for everything from whitetail deer to elephant with proper loads and conditions. The 375 H&H rifle seems to be able to print most bullet weights in the same group, so that one can carry heavy solids and softs of the same weight for the big boys, and carry a few rounds with light bullets for smaller game like Dik Dik, or clipspringer if one chooses.
However, there really is no need for anything but the 300 gr softs, and solids for everything. That is what I do with my 375 H&H rifles, and in fact all my rifles of any chambering. I use only the heaviest bullet available for whatever caliber I use and use it for everything I hunt with that chambering. This way there is not guessing as to which cartridge you are using at any given time for a long shot. Not only that but you become used to the recoil and never notice it in the field, and even on the bench after some use. There is an old saying that I find to be very true ; ie “Beware the man who has only one rifle, and uses only one load, for he likely knows how to use it!”
As recommended by many , get off that bench as soon as you are sighted in, and do your practice stump shooting. Walk through the woods, or open hills, and shoot at targets of opportunity of unknown range. Things like rocks the size of the vital zone on what you intend hunting. A cape buffalo is easy for a half blind man to hit, but that 8 –10 inch kills zone is another matter. This stump shooting will teach you to judge the hold over for the range you are shooting in the field. I recommend a slightly different schedule for learning the rifle. The sticks come later, because you need to be able to shoot the rifle off hand, standing, sitting, or kneeling with no rest other than your own body. Shooting walked up running jackrabbits, teaches instinctive shooting where leading a running animal is the target.
With these rabbit targets you don’t have to hit them, but as long as you hit very close, and hit one out of ten running jacks out to 100 yards, you will never miss the kill zone on a Buffalo or lion. Once you get to hitting most of the stump shooting targets, then start with the sticks, and resting your forearm against a tree trunk without letting the rifle touch anything but your hands, face and shoulder. By this time you will be deadly with this rifle on what ever you hunt with it. Let me say right here that I DO NOT recommend the use of a lead sled for any rifle, but especially a rifle that has a two pieces stock, like a double rifle.
On the rifle it’s self, you need to practice shooting a full magazine without taking the rifle down from your shoulder, then re-load the magazine while walking without taking your eyes of the target you just shot at. This does two things. # 1 is: once you fire on a dangerous animal you never take your eyes off him, and # 2 is: you need to know that the rifle operates properly from the round in the chamber to the last round in the magazine. This is also because once you fire on an animal that doesn’t go straight down you don’t stop shooting till he is down or out of sight, and if you run dry, you need to re-load the magazine without having to look at the rifle. Practicing these things teaches muscle memory, so the subconscious takes over in the field when you need every advantage you can get to stay alive, and finish the job at hand.
The 375H&H is not a heavy kicker, even with the 300 gr loads for DGR shooting. I find things like the hot 300 magnums in their lighter rifle to have a very sharp recoil that hurts much worse, and the 375H&H is easier to learn to shoot well than most of those .300, or .338 chamberings! The 375H&H is a rifle that is legal for the big five in all but a couple of places for Buffalo, and elephant. It is minimum in all but a couple countries for any of the top four Lion, Buffalo, Rhino, and elephant. The Leopard is the exception where much smaller chamberings are allowed. The 375 H&H is a better choice for the leopard anyway IMO. No matter if you ammo makes it to camp with your rifle tha ammo for a 375 H&H is almost surely to be in just about every camp you get to, and is available over the counter in about every country where hunting of big game is legal.
One rifle for the world will always be chambered for the old 1912 375 H&H !
