The 375HH may not be "ALL THAT" for African Plains Game

[JG26Irish_2]

What do you think about the 375HH for use on Plains Game? Share your opinion. I have been hunting with the 375HH for about three years now and honestly, for use on plains game in Africa and North America, I have not been all that impressed. To put that into context, with the exception of a poorly placed first shot on my Kudu this year, all of my first shots with the 375 have been well placed. My rifle shoots exceptionally well and I shoot it well. I am not particularly recoil sensitive and enjoy shooting full power 500g loads in the 458wm. Not that the recoil of the 375 is all that different. Some but not much.

So, why am I making such a blasphemous claim? Don't get me wrong. Every animal I have shot with the 375 has died, but...

With the exception of a whitetail deer that I shot in WV a few years ago as an ammo experiment, none of them were one shot kills. They all required one or more follow up shots. And the inspection of the internal damage on the deer indicated that the bullet did less damage than a 270win would (my usual deer rifle). I think that the usual bullets loaded into a 375 are built tough for killing large tough game and as such they expand more slowly and penetrate deeply and dump energy more gradually. While it might be necessary for Buffalo, it is not helpful on smaller, lighter game. I have used 250g Trophy Bonded Bearclaw, Barnes 300g TSX, and Swift A-Frame. All performed more or less the same.

The most impressive kill on game with a 375HH that I have made was a Blue Wildebeest. It was a world record class Alpha herd bull that stood his ground and faced us at 160y. I made a perfectly placed slightly quartering frontal shot that took out the right lung, the plumbing at the top of the heart and just nicked the left lung. Penetrated almost 36" and lodged in the paunch. That 300g TSX bullet expanded to 1.9x or 2.0x as I recall. The bull ran 60y and fell. A 2nd shot at 60y to the neck was a pass thru and the last shot at 10y was to finish the beast hit the chest and lodged on the opposite side and expanded to 2.2x. The first shot killed it but it still took two more. WB's are tough. I often wonder what a 30-06 or 300wm would have done on the same bull?

I have killed five African PG animals with the 308 and over a dozen deer and ALL were one shot kills except one deer and that was traced to a poorly constructed bullet that did not expand at all and functioned like a solid. Even in that case I killed the deer after several shots. I have used the 270 on at least a dozen deer and ALL were one shot kills and most dropped in their tracks. I have taken five or six with the 44mag in a rifle and ALL dropped in their tracks DRT. I have used the 7mm Mag and the 7mm/08 on PG and both worked effectively, even when some shots were not placed perfectly.

So, why is the 375 not the cat's meow? Slower MV with controlled expansion bullets is part of the issue. Even with the 180g heavy for caliber ammo in the 308, at 200y the 308 hits at speeds roughly 10% faster than the larger 375. Using 180g federal fusions the 308 expands to 2.4x and still penetrates well. The 375 with a 300g TSX is going to expand to about 1.9x at the same distance (200y). So, if both bullets expand to about the same 0.7 inch diameter and both penetrate enough to reach the vitals, will the one hitting faster do the most damage? I don't know but the empirical evidence would favor the smaller, faster, option.

Now, we are not advocating the use of a 308 or 270 to hunt Cape Buffalo. That is a different animal. Thick hide, large tough bones and a supernatural will to live and trample whomever pissed it off. Just sayin.

All, I am saying is that from what I have seen so far, the 375 while adequate for PG hunting, is not a magic bullet. A 30-06, 308, 7mm Mag or 300wm all might be a better choice. Lighter rifle, less recoil, and just as effective if not more so, on the typical PG prey.

None of us mere hunters are going to ever get enough personal experience to solve this question. We just do not have the time or funds to gain that kind of expertise. I would ask that our PH's who hunt hundreds of days each season and take hundreds of animals every year weigh in and share your opinions. I would ask that our older, more experienced hunters also share your experiences and opinions. Have you used the 375 on plains game or witnessed its use? How did it do? What was the internal damage when compared to other typical PG rifle choices? How often was the animal downed with one shot? and how often did it drop in its tracks? (central nervous system shots do not count).

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I've shot quite a few PG animals now with my .375HH. My last few trips the .375 is been taken along with my double .470 as a backup for buffalo and the primary PG rifle. The results have included many bang-flops, some that ran a small distance but still just a one shot kill, and a few that ran a bit more and required follow up shots.

The difference between the ban-flops and the others was shot placement. The bang-flops were well placed on the shoulder shots, the others were due to less than perfect placement. The old saying about hitting an animal poorly with a bigger caliber is less desirable than a perfectly placed smaller caliber applies still.

So I will continue to hunt PG confidently with my .375HH and expect great results when I do my part. I will say however if the shots start getting beyond 200 yards, a lighter smaller caliber with a faster bullet is sometimes a better choice.

 

[Russ16]

Bullet choice is a big issue. If you’re using a .375 on light game like whitetail I would use a more fragile bullet like the interlock or maybe accubond. A bullet designed for Buffalo isn’t going to be ideal.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

I have shot alot of PG and Hogs with 375. No complaints here all one shot kills with little tracking. Shot placement and bullet selection are key. I use nothing but Federal 300gr Swift Aframes for everything

 

[Red Leg]

Then shoot more accurately? I have killed dozens of PG animals with a .375 ranging from Suni through eland over many hunts in several African countries. Not one of them has required a second shot. The vast majority (including two huge eland bulls) were dead where they were standing. All were shot with either a 300 gr TSX, A Frame, or Hydro solid. It is all about the bullet and where it is placed.

I have used a lot of other chamberings on PG over the years including .275, .300, .270, 30-06, and .338. The only rifle that left me having to employ follow-ups was the .275, and then it was because the first shots were not well placed. Do I think the ideal PG rifle is a .375? Actually I do not. I think that title should probably go to the .338 Win Mag or .300 Win Mag. But nothing beats a .375 on a one rifle hunt where buffalo are also on the dance card.

 

[Dinsdale]

Well over 100 plains game with my 375 and 300 a frames.

I shot a warthog twice, poor first shot, flinch on my end.

Shot an eland 4 times, first two broke the front legs. At that point I put one in the heart and the forth not really necessary but bullets are cheap.

Everything else from duiker to cape buffalo all within 50yds of shot. Most we'll under that distance.

This rash of anti 375 threads is stupid.

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

our client rifles are mainly 30-06 and 375 HH
we hunt around 400 animals a year from steenbuck to giraffe(buff included)
i would have to say 375 HH, definately outperforms the 30-06
the 30-06 and similar calibres kill plains game very readily and with great results
the 375 just does it better and does bigger game too

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

If Plainsgame animals shot with a .375 H&H; using the bullets you named, are requiring follow-up shots you’re either very rapidly machine gunning another round into them when unneeded (not saying shooting until they stop moving is wrong), or it’s your shot placement. You’re shooting premium bullets and shouldn’t have any issues. I like the 250’s over the 300’s myself, except on the bigger stuff.

If I had to guess, I’ve shot well over 100 animals with a 375 H&H in Africa using 250gr & 300gr Bear Claws, or 300gr A-Frames and Hydro Solids. I’ve never experienced more bangflops than with this rifle. Nearly everything has been 1 shot kills including multiple Buffalo. Aside from Big 5 anima where insurance is typically paid, the only animals I recall needing a follow-up are an exceptionally large Livingstone Eland. I take 100% responsibility in making a poor first shot on. A Gemsbok bull, where the distance was misjudged on an already long shot resulting in a lower than ideal frontal impact but a quick follow-up, and a Zebra that was quartering slightly more than I realized resulting in 1 broken leg and a single lung hit which would’ve been fatal but i wanted to end quickly.

Conversely barring a marginal shot or miss on my end from the other calibers I’ve used in Africa (.308, 300 H&H, .275 Rigby, 30-06, 300WM, and 260) they too have been mostly 1 shot kills, but there have been a couple of additional follow-ups required.

 

[JG26Irish_2]

Bullet choice is a big issue. If you’re using a .375 on light game like whitetail I would use a more fragile bullet like the interlock or maybe accubond. A bullet designed for Buffalo isn’t going to be ideal.

Point well taken. I recently acquired two boxes of 375HH ammo loaded with AccuBond bullets for use on large antelope. I have not shot any of it yet but unless I change my mind I will be fielding the 338wm for that hunt. For Africa, I have tried to follow the KISS approach and only use one load the TSX with a few exceptions mostly because it shot well in my rifle and I had about 10 boxes of it. While the AB's should work better for light skinned game, it has been my opinion that most bullets loaded in the 375 are still much tougher than those typically found in some of the smaller cartridges.

 

[JG26Irish_2]

Then shoot more accurately? I have killed dozens of PG animals with a .375 ranging from Suni through eland over many hunts in several African countries. Not one of them has required a second shot. The vast majority (including two huge eland bulls) were dead where they were standing. All were shot with either a 300 gr TSX, A Frame, or Hydro solid. It is all about the bullet and where it is placed.

Do I think the ideal PG rifle is a .375? Actually I do not. I think that title should probably go to the .338 Win Mag or .300 Win Mag. But nothing beats a .375 on a one rifle hunt where buffalo are also on the dance card.

Thx for the input Sir. Truly, my 375 is one of the most accurate rifles I own. It is a custom ER Shaw built Enfield P14 and it shoots so well that it is not natural. Typically sub-moa at 100y and usually closer to 1/2-moa when measured c-c. Below is a 3-sh group shot from a bench with 300g TSX ammo at 400y with a 6x Kahles scope. It measured <2.0". Will it do that all the time? I doubt it but then, I never tried as it seemed like a waste of ammo since I would never shoot game at those distances. I just happened to be verifying dope at various ranges prior to a hunt and decided to throw a few downrange at the long gong. I aimed at the upper right of the tgt because I had another group in the middle with my 30-06 that I did not want to spoil until I had time to drive down and look at it. Shooting accurately has not generally been an issue at the range or in the field. )

I do appreciate your experiences as intuitively, one would expect that the larger bullet would be more effective all things being equal and I have wondered if my limited experiences with the 375 were simply a cluster of less impressive results that would get lost in the noise if I continue to use it on game. Let's face it, outside of Africa and Alaska and a few limited other places, the 375 is mostly overkill. I will keep using the 375 where the fit is good.

375HH Shaw Custom​

3sh at 400y w/375HH
​

3sh at 400y w/30-06 Husqvarna​

 

[sgt_zim]

The Africa Hunting Gazette had a GREAT article on "energy dumping" 2 or 3 years ago, there's a link to it on a thread here somewhere.

Energy dumping is not a thing. The KE of a bullet does 2 things: part flesh and produce heat, and doesn't do much of the latter. It takes something north of 10,000 J to heat a gallon of water by 1º C.

If a bullet doesn't make an exit wound, it's because it lacked the energy to part flesh that deeply due to a couple factors

• a tough animal
• a bullet that was moving too slowly (like a 200 yard shot with a 30-30) or expanded too rapidly, too early (like a 50 yard shot with a 150 gr 300 WM and hunter was using cup-and-core)

A lack of complete penetration isn't the end of the world, as anyone who's hunted cape buffalo can attest. But in those cases, the bullet didn't "dump" its energy, it ran out of energy to continue doing what it was designed to do: destroy vital tissue.

A 375 H&H 270 gr Interlock fired at 2450 or 2500 fps will behave similarly to a 180 gr 308 Interlock fired at 2450 or 2500. Premium DG bullets need to meet more resistance to initiate expansion than cup-and-core.

 

[Olivier]

Agree, I would not trust monolithics or hard-bonded bullets (AF/TBBC/DGX) expansion under 2100fps. These are wonderful bullets for 0-100m range but the efficiency vannish with the distance.
For plain games I would stick with real soft points: Interlock, Power-Shok...for the biggest ones (Eland and Girafe) OK with A-frame/TBBC/TSX but keep the shot close!

 

[SRvet]

I have had exactly the opposite experience to the OP.
The first animal I shot with my .375 H&H dropped to the shot. It was a Cape Buffalo. We paid the insurance but it was down and out. We have since shot Kudu, warthog, impala, mountain reedbuck and zebra, all with one deadly shot. The bullets were the 300g TSX @ 2550fps and the 250g TTSX @ 2800fps. Not all dropped on the spot but not all were perfect shots either

 

[Olivier]

Also agree, if the velocity of the bullet at the impact is superior to 2100fps, TSX is one of the best

 

[AZDAVE]

I think bullet selection is where you aren't getting the bang flop you are looking for. The Aframes barnes level bullets are designed for much tougher game. Wildebeest, Zebra, Gemsbok, and giraffe will make use of these tougher bullets. On lighter animals the Nosler Partitions or Accubonds are a better choice. On the non conventional thought process you might also look at the light CEB and Hammer options.

 

[Uncontrolled_round_feed]

If I had to choose to get shot by something so that I didn’t suffer, 270 grain power shock in 375 H&H would be up there. Near fist sized exits are the norm.

 

[Altitude sickness]

I think we all agree. It’s more of the bullet design and speed for each individual size and species.

A small frame of reference. Last year while hunting bait animals for my wife’s leopard. She relagated me to bait man

I either had her model 70 375 H&H or her .308 in hand. If we were hunting Buffalo and she was carrying her rifle, and it was a convenient location I would shoot bait with it.

If on the truck and Impala were spotted the .308 was pulled out.

I shot two Impala with the .375 and 300 grain TSX one frontal and one at some form of broadside. They each did the typical 50 to 60 yard dash and died. Very effective.


The .308 with 100 grain flat based CEB Raptors was obviously more devastating to their CNS and cardio vascular systems. 7 of them dropped immediately from just about any angle. And the 8th Impala with the Raptor was a twofer.

As you know when you line up and get on the sticks, they are always staring at you and have you pegged. They’re pretty Wiley with all the predators.


So this particular impala as I’m settling on the sticks , I told the pH there is another Impala directly behind it. We had already seen that these Raptors blow cleanly through an Impala so he said shoot, we need bait.

It dropped the first one and the second one behind it made it about 10 yards. These were not spine shots. But that 100 Grain Raptor at 3200 fps must shock the CNS as it’s blowing up the heart lung area.

But as we also know you do not want to hit any meat with those bullets because they do a lot of damage at those speeds.

So I wouldn’t say the .375 with 300 gr TSX didn’t work. it worked as a normal rifle and bullet is expected to work. Dead animals in under 100 yards

 

[Mauser78]

For the last 5 years i am using a 375 exclusively for plains game, and even the farm owner let other hunters use my gun when there is difficult shots. But i use 230gr bullets, Peregrine 230gr, and it works. Not one animal needed a follow up shot, and there was a few shots at kudu that was not 100% ideal.
Bwb, Gemsbuck and kudu.

 

[Hunt anything]

Last week someone wanted to ban the .375 for buffalo and this week it’s not adequate for plains game! I guess we should sell all of our .375’s to squirrel hunters.
I’ve shot enough plains game, and game here at home with a .375 to know it’s effective on all, the only animal I’ve had to shoot more than once was a Cape buffalo that took 2 shots.
This was a .375 Ruger using 300gr Hornady DGX and DGS.

 

[Altitude sickness]

I should’ve added into my post above. one critical point. The 375 with a 300 grain TSX worked perfectly on Impala, but the larger point is we are carrying one rifle to kill a buffalo and it worked great on bait animals.

Also, the 308 obviously cannot play a dual role.