There can only be one king. One leader. One ruler of them all.
He must be versatile. Must be able to handle all situations in a pinch. Must be able to do the work of a bigger man, and have the finesse to do a lesser man's job as well. He will often have to defend his title against newcomers, but his confidence will not allow him to bow to any man or any thing. He is the ruler of the roost, and has been since 1912. His thrown is secure. He will not be unseated anytime soon.
While my opening lines may seem of a human nature, what we are really discussing here is THE tool of the trade. THE rifle for most anything, anytime, anywhere in Africa, and much of the world. Not perfect for every endeavor, but quite capable for most, if not all things that need a healthy dose of lead.
All hail the KING! I present you, the 375 Holland and Holland Magnum.
Once upon a time there were real men. Real men that hunted large, dangerous game, in a land filled with Ebony and Ivory. Black death around every corner, with the constitution to make a puddle of flesh out of any puny human.
For years the playing field was surprisingly even. Men walked in fear for their lives in these wild lands. Fear of being trampled, gored, bitten or mauled, lurked in the minds of every man. Until one day.....a wonderful thing came into existence. Gunpowder was to be the great equalizer. For it would not only even the playing field between men themselves, it would also allow us our assent to the top of the food chain.
Black powder was the father, and smokeless was the son. A son that by all measures would change the world forever. Would allow men to create weapons capable of amazing range, power and penetration.
What was once known as small bore rifles had now become large bore, due to the advancement of full patch ammo, that was capable of penetrating the skull of a bull Elephant at any angle. With this development, the old 2 Bore and 4 Bore rifles were made obsolete.
Years passed, and men were still slaying the largest of beasts with 45 and 50 caliber rifles. Some double and some magazine fed. But there were times when a more all around approach was needed. A time when a man needed meat for the pot, yet had to wade by a host of unfriendly things to get there. The medium rifle was the answer.
Several attempts at perfection were attempted, until one day the KING was born. For that one day in 1912 was to be an event that would forever change the world of big game hunting. The KING could make quick work of a 300 yard Impala, and could fend off an angry Rhino on the way back to camp. And all of this was accomplished with the very questionable bullets of the time. Solids were the name of the game for large beasts, and soft nosed bullets handled the rest. Even in it's humble beginnings, the KING was praised.
More years passed, and hunting took a turn for the worse, while hunting equipment took the opposite turn. Modern gun powder became temperature insensitive. Soft nosed bullets became quite capable of penetration never known before. And like the smokless powder cartridges from the turn of the century eclipsed the black powder dragons of the past, modern ammo made the medium bores behave much like their big brothers had before. All the while, being capable of covering vast expanses of land to bag a distant Springbuck in Africa or Antelope in the USA. In a sense, at least for the visiting hunter, the KING became the yardstick that all others would aspire to. THE do it all, anytime, anywhere cartridge.
With 235 or 250 grain bullets, it can be made to behave much like a 300 Win Mag. A nearly perfect Elk or Kudu rifle.
Move on to 270 grain TSX or Swift bullets, and now you begin to enter the dual purpose aspect of the KING. While these lighter bullets may not be the perfect answer for larger dangerous game, they will offer comfort in Lion country, while tracking your Gemsbuck on the open plains of the Kalahari. They will offer good ranging capabilities, and enough muscle to kill a Cape Buffalo or Eland in a pinch.
Now we enter the true domain of the KING. After all....the 300 grain bullet is what made the KING..... The KING.
Swift A Frame, Barnes TSX, Northfork and a few others are built for speed AND penetration. Now we enter the realm of true buffalo performance. Now we are holding a rifle fully capable of tackling an enraged bull Hippo at spitting distance, or a heart shot on a 12,000 lb Elephant. A load that will penetrate the boss of the biggest bull Cape Buffalo, while only blasting a reasonably small hole in your Dik Dik on the way back to camp.
Moving on up to 340 to 380 Grain projectiles, we move the KING into 400 caliber territory. We abandon some of it's versatility in trade for raw power. Now we are truly holding a Danger Game Rifle. Not a one trick pony, but a much more specialized tool. A tool that will seldom need to be bested by a larger caliber arm.
Although there are better tools for many hunting jobs, there are few jobs that can't be handled by The KING.
A PH may need more power in certain situations. Certainly a stopping rifle needs to begin with a 4 and work up from there. But for pure versatility, and usefulness on animals large and small... the 375 H&H is still KING.
LONG LIVE THE KING.
