What 375 H & H rifle would you Purchase and Why

[Foxi]

I am with Foxi on this one - Blaser R8. Mine sports a Leica. They are extraordinary rifles. Wearing its .375 barrel, I have taken everything from cape buffalo to Suni with mine - with shots from nearly 300 meters to 30. They are also perfect right out of the box.

Blaser R8 w/Classic Sporter stock

• Red Leg
• Jun 7, 2018
• 1

Red Leg,
you got a nice gun there, one that's got everything right.
The wood is almost too noble for the wild, but scars adorn the warrior
I wish the wood some scars, that may remind you of exciting adventures.
Memories are the only paradise from which no one can be driven.
Regards and a lot of fun with this bride.
Foxi

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

Mauser M98 in 375H&H because it is 100% reliable.

 

[Red Leg]

Red Leg,
you got a nice gun there, one that's got everything right.
The wood is almost too noble for the wild, but scars adorn the warrior
I wish the wood some scars, that may remind you of exciting adventures.
Memories are the only paradise from which no one can be driven.
Regards and a lot of fun with this bride.
Foxi

You are so right my friend - and a nice turn of phrase. Every mark on that stock was acquired where the wild things roam; some from the back of a cruiser in Mozambique, some from the thorn in Namibia, a couple of new ones climbing down through a spring fed canyon in the Waterberg. They trigger memories just like good photos and a mount on the wall. And as I think about it, I also have a few that I have acquired over the years as well.

But to the original post, I really do believe that the Blaser R8 is one of the best investments a hunter who enjoys Africa can possibly make. No, it is not the cheapest rifle one can buy, but if a hunter can put together the funds to hunt Africa, he can put together the cost of a basic R8 like the Pro model. Just a quick look shows Kevin's selling the pro for under 4K https://www.gunsinternational.com/g.../r8-professional-375-h-h.cfm?gun_id=101034917 The rifle breaks down for easy transport in a case half the size of a traditional airline case. It reassembles with typical Teutonic efficiency to put the first bullet exactly where it was when you left home. Heck, you can take a second scoped barrel in say .300 WM in the same small case (and it will put it's first shot as unerringly accurately as the other). Mine has been utterly reliable whether hunting through dust or swamp, and can follow-up with a second, third, or fourth shot blindingly quickly. And as I noted earlier, you don't have to put another $800-$1500 work into some "bargain."

 

[Foxi]

Mauser M98 in 375H&H because it is 100% reliable.

Witold,
basicly you are right .A system like M 98 ,over 100 years old,proofed on two terrible world wars.
But sometimes you can't deny yourself modernity.
Foxi

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

Hi Foxi.
You are right, but in this case I am a conservative.
Witold

 

[Jumare Jaeger]

I am an old man now. I have learnt many, many hard lessons.

Please permit me to share what I know is a One Great Universal Truth: you get what you pay for.

 

[Hoss Delgado]

My Only Large caliber rifle is a pre war Winchester Model 70 chambered in .375 HH Magnum . It is a great rifle. My granddad used it to take a Bull elephant in Kenya in 1968 by using a shoulder shot. I use the rifle ever since he gifted it to me in 2006. I have used it on everything from roe deer to Grizzly bear and Australian Water Buffalo. That said , the gun is not perfect. The stock split sometime in the 1940s and has been repaired with ( what l believe to be ) plus minus epoxy and stove bolts. Also the feed ramp needed to be modified to reliably feed soft nose 300 grainers .
And the gun fires a 3 inch group at 100 yards , which limited.me to lung shots on my water buffalo.
If l could choose the perfect .375 HH Magnum , it would have to be an original BRNO ZKK-602 . Those boys have a six round capacity and are built like tanks

 

[colorado]

I think in 375 H&H it's really hard to get better for anything under $5000 than a Win Model 70. We have a LH M70 Classic (CRF) in 416 Remington (my older son's) it's a nice rifle. For anything from 450 Rigby up to 500 Jeffery I would go with the CZ 550. The action is massive and incredibly strong (mine is very smooth as well, yet no wiggle in the bolt), they are very accurate, and the size / weight of the rifle is perfect for the larger calibers.

 

[Dr Ray]

I suggest Winchester - control feed + price + reliability

Talking w someone from AH whose friend had Sako and every case extracted had dents.
I really “love” my Sakos but in the largest calibers I prefer the Winchester. I also have a 416 Remington in Winchester.
Hope this helps.

 

[fourfive8]

Winchester M70 CRF post-64 to pre-FN

And Why?
Smoothest action, most reliable trigger ever designed, Win M70 3 position safety that everyone copies, accurate, good stock design...........

 

[BigSteve57]

I am an old man now. I have learnt many, many hard lessons.

Please permit me to share what I know is a One Great Universal Truth: you get what you pay for.

Well I'd agree that's usually the case.

Everyone here knows I'm a Blaser fan so I'll put a plug in for Blaser which was my first .375 H&H and is my biggest caliber so far. I have since gotten a 300 WM barrel. They aren't cheap, I know.

That's the what - now here's the why:

Blaser -- What is all the excitement about?
https://www.africahunting.com/threads/blaser-what-is-all-the-excitement-about.50352/

 

[Ed Lally]

Have to agree with those who love their Blazers. Like many, over the years I have acquired, hunted with and loved a variety of rifles including Remingtons, Winchesters both bolt and the hybrid lever/bolt model 88, Brownings - both bolt and single shot, Steyr Manlichers, Weatherbys and a few custom one-offs. Then I purchased a Blaser Professional. I like the engineering, the safety, the quality and the consistent accuracy. I just purchased my third barrel in .375 H&H with a matching magazine insert. This barrel was ordered with open sights and I mounted a Leupold VX5HD 2-10X42 in a Blaser QD low saddle mount. The Blaser stock fits me perfectly so a with a new barrel I have the same exact length of pull, same grip, same cheek weld, same trigger feel and release, same action and lightning fast reload, same eye relief, same accuracy, same everything except recoil. And the rifle has the smooth consistent function and accuracy without regard to the caliber. I still love a lot of my other rifles, however, I am slowly weeding then out and purchasing more Blaser parts such as a Safari Stock with recoil reducer, a new bolt and bolt housing, another Blaser QD scope mount with Leupold VX5HD 1-5x24 scope, etc. I will purchase an appropriate barrel once I decide between 416 Rem Mag and 458 Lott (I think the .500 Jeffrey may be a bit of overkill). Will probably end up with the 416 as the 458 is too close to my other new love, my Krieghoff 470NE. The Blaser might be expensive at first, but you get a lot of value and utility for your money and additional quality rifles can be had for the cost of a barrel as you can move one scope from rifle to rifle. Additional, your heirs will live you.

 

[BenKK]

Hey, Ed and Steve: What are the iron sights like on the Blaser? Is the pip too big like on the Sakos, covering a buffalo chest at fifty metres? Or are they more precise, able to make an accurate shot at 100m or 120m on a buffalo?

 

[Opposite Pole]

Hey, Ed and Steve: What are the iron sights like on the Blaser? Is the pip too big like on the Sakos, covering a buffalo chest at fifty metres? Or are they more precise, able to make an accurate shot at 100m or 120m on a buffalo?

There are three types of sights on Blaser barrels. The optional HIVIZ fibre optic ones are pretty good, standard ones not so great. The third type that comes standard on safari barrels I’ve not used.

 

[IvW]

BRNO ZKK 602 old faithful....

 

[AZDAVE]

Well I will go with what I have already spent money on and two that I would like to have.
1. BRNO ZZK 602
2. PRE 64 model 70 (although my was opened to a 375 weatherby)

Would like to have one day.
1. Double rifle
2 Blazer R8 (@Red Leg and a couple others recommendation)

 

[Ed Lally]

Forget #1 & #2. Go straight for the Blaser. For the double I recommend a Krieghoff 470 NE. The sights on my standard (17mm) 375 H&H Blaser barrel are quite simple without a bead. Out of town. Will post photos when I get a chance.

 

[BenKK]

Thank you, Ed.

 

[leslie hetrick]

i just bought a 35 whelen built on a 98 mauser action by J.W. van patten a pa.usa gunsmith. I put a new follower the keeps the bolt open after the last shot and a new extractor that must be fed from the magazine with a new trigger on the way. the stock on it will also be replaced with walnut or syn. as is it shoots my reloads of 225gr bullets at 2600 fps and 250 gr bullets at 2500 fps(24"barrel) into less than 1.5" three shot groups at 100 yards. I used a 9.3x62 on a cow buffalo in aftrica and killed it with no problems in a older MS rifle and I think the whelen would have done the same thing. the whelen will be my bear rifle. I have two 375 H&H rifles, a 700 Remington and a cz 550 , but I wanted a lighter bear rifle than the 375,s with close the power.

 

[AZDAVE]

@Ed Lally understand where you are coming from, but I already own 1&2 and they are shooters. My first choice of a rifle to hunt with is a double, and have the larger doubles covered, and my 9.3x74 is the most accurate double I have ever owned. A 375 double would be kinda redundant in the mid bore power range but still on the radar. Have shot many of the older straight pulls but not a modern one so the Blazer is on my one day list, but would like one in 9.3x62 when I get it.