The big, bad 375... isn't?

[CBH Australia]

Congratulations,
I sold my .458wm to pay for the .375H&H.
The only regret is that I don't have both now.
Being a lefty you will have to hunt for rifles so be patient and something will come up.

 

[Cleathorn]

I (now) have 2 375's, a 9.3x74 Merkel double, a 450-400, 458 Lott bolt action, a 470ne and a 500ne. As others have described, its a march up, and the 40's recoil a bit more than the 375's but they also tend to be higher end guns that are built on frames specially designed for the size, weight and balance required for the bigger bores. They are all very shootable.

I took my 2 sons to RSA, Zimbabwe and Mozambique last year. My 12 year old shot a lion with the 375H&H and my 14 year shot a lion and elephant with their 375H&H, and when a situation presented itself, grabbed my hunting buddies 375 Ruger and took a great hippo. They shot the 375H&H a few hundred times getting ready for the trip, and recoil was never an issue. My 12 year old weighs 109 lbs and his brother weighs about 140. They did not have any recoil issues mostly because they did not know that it was supposed to be an issue.

These kids have tic-tok and Instagram, so they did not spend years reading every article written in the many hunting magazines in the 1980's, 1990's and 2000's about every imaginable iteration of the 25 - 30 caliber cartridge's that are now available. I believe that writers spent an inordinate amount of time discussing the various recoil characteristics of the small bore guns (25 - 30 caliber) that are all virtually the same, that they created the perception the mid-bore (the 35 - 375) and big bores (40's +) are "monsters" as you describe. Most never actually said that, but the perception was created none-the-less. It's not really true. The venerable 375H&H been around a long time and its not that hard to shoot. It is however very effective on everything from African wildcat (admittedly a little much for the wildcat...) up to the elephant with well placed shots.

 

[Puddle]

@Hall
As much as weight matters, rifle fit is just as critical as caliber goes up.

So very true. I didn't like how the very nice wood stock on the H&H fit and how it managed the recoil.
I had it swapped out for a Bansner stock and with the barrel full length bedded. While weight went down by more than 1/2 lb, recoil became much easier to manage and it's now a sweet shooting rifle.

 

[BeeMaa]

So very true. I didn't like how the very nice wood stock on the H&H fit and how it managed the recoil.
I had it swapped out for a Bansner stock and with the barrel full length bedded. While weight went down by more than 1/2 lb, recoil became much easier to manage and it's now a sweet shooting rifle.

My CZ550 was comfortable to shoot right out of the box but the trigger was rubbish, making precise, accurate shots nearly impossible. A quick trip to AHR with a #2 upgrade sorted it out.

 

[crs]

I began centerfire with a .308 and then entered the Big Bore rifle range by starting with a .405 WCF and then adding a .458 ( .45-90 - handloaded to .458 Win mag power).
Never fooled with the mid thirties. Still wonder at all the fuss about them.

 

[Hall]

These kids have tic-tok and Instagram, so they did not spend years reading every article written in the many hunting magazines in the 1980's, 1990's and 2000's about every imaginable iteration of the 25 - 30 caliber cartridge's that are now available. I believe that writers spent an inordinate amount of time discussing the various recoil characteristics of the small bore guns (25 - 30 caliber) that are all virtually the same, that they created the perception the mid-bore (the 35 - 375) and big bores (40's +) are "monsters" as you describe. Most never actually said that, but the perception was created none-the-less. It's not really true.

I have a tic tok lol. I'm hoping to one day own a larger rifle but for now I'm content with the 375. I read a fair bit about the recoil and had some concerns but it's very tame. I prefer it to my friends 300wm AND I get to snootily call most rifles "small bores" now that I have a medium bore. I'd like to own a rigby in the future, but I'll need a bigger piggy bank first.

 

[CBH Australia]

I (now) have 2 375's, a 9.3x74 Merkel double, a 450-400, 458 Lott bolt action, a 470ne and a 500ne. As others have described, its a march up, and the 40's recoil a bit more than the 375's but they also tend to be higher end guns that are built on frames specially designed for the size, weight and balance required for the bigger bores. They are all very shootable.

I took my 2 sons to RSA, Zimbabwe and Mozambique last year. My 12 year old shot a lion with the 375H&H and my 14 year shot a lion and elephant with their 375H&H, and when a situation presented itself, grabbed my hunting buddies 375 Ruger and took a great hippo. They shot the 375H&H a few hundred times getting ready for the trip, and recoil was never an issue

Your Kids hunted Lion and Elephant,
Are you interested in adopting? Asking for a friend, who will tag along on hunts as required.

 

[krish]

Truth. I bought a Model 70 in 375 H&H and now I have a 458 Lott...Need more!

That is easy.
Krish

 

[Hall]

That is easy.
Krish

If only that Krish guy would stop buying them all haha

 

[EXECUTIVE HUNT AFRICA]

A couple week ago I bought my very first big (to me) bore rifle. A 375 h&h. I've been hearing from friends and coworkers about what a monster it would be, that that it was going to be way too much recoil. This got in my head a bit. I finally made it to the range and all the standing shooting lanes were taken. So with much trepidation, I take a bench rest shooting bay. I uncase my rifle, bore sight on my 50 yard target, and then squeeze off my first round... And much to my surprise, the rifle recoiled a little bit more than my .270! I shot 30 rounds (that's all I had on hard) and figured I'd wait until morning to post to see if I developed and bruising or soreness. None at all. I'm in love and wondering just how big the step up into the 40 cal rifles would be.

View attachment 509793

.375 is not "really" a big bore, but if you handled him well the .40 wouldn't be a problem for you. I like to hear which .40 you try first it's addictive, beware!

 

[Forrest Halley]

If only that Krish guy would stop buying them all haha

You don't need anything more at this point. Shoot the heck out of the .375. It's a great caliber and so very effective on all things of the North American variety. You literally can walk anywhere except maybe downtown Detroit without a care.

 

[Hall]

You don't need anything more at this point. Shoot the heck out of the .375.

That's the plan for now.

 

[Silvine]

I have owned a couple of 375 H&H's and sold them. I am not recoil sensative, but I also don't like getting my teeth rattled for recreation either.

 

[BeeMaa]

I am not recoil sensative, but I also don't like getting my teeth rattled for recreation either.

I'm not trying to be mean but if a 375 is rattling your teeth, you may very well be recoil sensitive. Or perhaps the rifles you were shooting didn't fit you properly. A poor fitting rifle can be a horrible experience when shooting.

 

[MBaugh]

I love the 375 H&H. It’s versatility is outstanding and most rifles are very accurate if I do my job. Owning 2 Winchester model 70’s both are a gem to shoot. Then I stepping up to a 416 REM Mag which does have more recoil but is still fun to shoot and hunt with. And then came the Dakota 76 with 375 and 400 H&H barrels. Yes it is addictive but so much pleasure.

 

[BloodyKnuckles]

I was at the range with my CZ 375 this morning.
I love it!

 

[CBH Australia]

I was at the range with my CZ 375 this morning.
I love it!

I need to blow the dust out of mine.
It's fun to shoot and I get a kick out of it but I mostly get more use from my smaller calibres. Generally they have been suited to what I'm doing.

 

[Nevada Mike]

Between my 404 Jeff and my 375 H&H i find the 404 has more recoil, but it is quite manageable. Fear not. You just need to shoot these rifles to master them.

 

[Woodcarver]

A couple week ago I bought my very first big (to me) bore rifle. A 375 h&h. I've been hearing from friends and coworkers about what a monster it would be, that that it was going to be way too much recoil. This got in my head a bit. I finally made it to the range and all the standing shooting lanes were taken. So with much trepidation, I take a bench rest shooting bay. I uncase my rifle, bore sight on my 50 yard target, and then squeeze off my first round... And much to my surprise, the rifle recoiled a little bit more than my .270! I shot 30 rounds (that's all I had on hard) and figured I'd wait until morning to post to see if I developed and bruising or soreness. None at all. I'm in love and wondering just how big the step up into the 40 cal rifles would be.

View attachment 509793

Within months of the 1st 375 following me home, another 2 snuck into the safe somehow. One of those is now being rebarreled to a 458 Lott. The other will probably hang around to keep the first company. All three like the same food, so that makes it easy to play with all of them. The one getting rebarreled was a little fatter than the other 2, so it seemed appropriate to set it up for bigger meals, more proportionate to it's size.
You might have noticed by now there are a lot of enablers around this joint, I am not one of them. But there are usually some pretty good deals to be found in the Classifieds for a variety of 40+ caliber rifles, for very reasonable prices typically, from a number of upstanding gentlemen that will be happy to help you find the next rifle you are obviously in need of. Oh, and there's usually a good selection of optics for these rifles available on that forum as well. Just trying to be helpful. Have fun!

 

[Capt_Oscar]

Always felt my 375H&H was far less abusive then my 7mm Rem Mag, definitely less then my 300Wby. The 375 is more of a shove while the 7mm RM and 300Wby are a sharp smack. I used my 375 H&H for whitetail hunting for years. Far less meat damage because the bullets are heavy jacket, controlled expansion. You can barrel roll a big buck at 300yds and not lose both shoulders like I would with the 300Wby.