What do I buy?

[Wyfox]

Whichever one has the most readily available ammo and components. Kinda splitting hairs between those choices. If all are readily available pick the rifle that suits you best.

 

[CZDiesel]

338 WinMag

 

[Andrew62]

I'd look to buy a very lightweight .308 rifle, makes for easy carrying.

 

[steve white]

500 Jeffery

Was it Elmer Keith who once said, "the 375 H&H makes a nice little deer rifle"...so you would be moving it to medium bore and 500 Jeff to the biggie!

 

[sgt_zim]

A 286 gr 9.3 bullet fired at 2450 will have a near identical ballistic arc as a 180 gr 308 Win. That'll easily get you to 300 yards with very little to no holdover adjustment on larger species like gemsbok and wildebeest and still pack quite a thump when it gets there. Hornady SPRP is a great bullet for that kind of shooting.

If you measure the chamber on just about any 9.3x62, you'll find the SAAMI spec COAL of 3.291" laughable. You'll likely find you can go to 3.32 or even 3.34'.

Not familiar with somchem powders, but I'm sure they have one similar to big game or 2000MR, where 62 - 64 gr of powder will get you 2400-2500 fps with no pressure signs. That's 375 energy in a standard size rifle

 

[Tra3]

.300 win mag. It is well above the .25/06 and not too much below the .375. And ammo is common. And suppressors will be easier to come by.

I love the 9.3x62, it is traveling with me to Namibia in 2 weeks. But it is so close to your .375 that a flat shooting .300wm makes more sense to me.

The real deciding factor will be a rifle that comes available and happens to be in one of the calibers that you like.

Final thought: If you put the best scope on it (in relation to your other rifles) you will normally pick up the rifle with the best glass for hunting.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

If you want to put a suppressor on it, I would stay at .30 caliber or smaller just because the can gets so big and heavy over that. So why not go back to the venerable 30-06? Or a 308 if you wish but the 30-06 is so much more flexible and so close to a magnum.

This makes the most sense to me for a few reasons, particularly if you go with the .30-06. A bit more killing power than the .25-06 and 7x57 to start with. I'm not sure what the 9.3's or .338 offers you that the 375 Ruger does not cover. And I would NOT sell the 375 Ruger if DG hunting is on your horizon. You'll be legal anywhere you go with that caliber.

With the ability to handle 180gr or 200gr projectiles, the .30-06 seems the best choice given your list. If I were could add another consideration it would be the .300WM.

 

[FlyGuy]

8x68 does best with a longer barrel.
Adding a suppressor will make it unwieldy for carrying.
9.3x62 does well with a shorter barrel.
30-06 with a 22” barrel will always be a good choice in Namibia.
Ammo is available from Keetmans to Katima.