375 H&H as my only rifle?

[DC]

Due to an unplanned and life changing career change, I sold almost all my rifles.  I have a few nickles saved and want to buy another deer, elk or what ever rifle.  Having said that, I have owned a couple of .270's, a 375 H & H, 458's etc.  I have the chance to pick up either a Ruger, 338 Win Mag for $450 or a Browning A Bolt in 375 H&H. 
The question is; "Will a 375 work as a hunting rifle for everything from deer on up?"  I know a guy whose son has take a couple of antelope at 300 yards with one so I know it can be done.  If a person could have one rifle, would a 375 H&H be a good choice?

Thanks for your help guys.
Dana

[Buford]

It would be an excellent choice - on deer, it shoots reasonably flat - about like a '06 - and will not ruin much meat.  On larger game, it really comes to life because of the addred bullet weight.  Enjoy!

[Graybeard]

Unless MOST of your hunting is for game MUCH LARGER than deer I'd say it would be a very poor choice. Will it work, sure it will but the recoil level is way up there for deer. Now if most of your hunting will be for much larger game like elk, moose, bears and the like it might be a good compromise round but a .30-06 would be a smarter compromise assuming grizzly/brown bears are not in the equation and with your stated finances I'm sure they are not.

[dave375hh]

It's not so hot as a varmint rifle, but for deer on up It'll work fine. The trajectory is very close to that of a 30-06 with a 180gr. With all the available bullet options you can make it do about anything you want, if you reload.

[Grumulkin]

For anything from varmints to the really big stuff the 375 H&H Mag. will do fine.  Mine will do less than an inch at 100 yards so it is accurate enough to take the occasional groundhog, etc.  The longest shot I've taken with one was a 200 or so yard shot at a zebra; it worked fine there to.  I assume you don't mind the recoil.

For North America, the 30/06 is more "sensible" but what's the fun in being sensible?

[no guns here]

As you probably well know... Lots of rounds will do just about anything you want them to do.  For 95% of the hunting that 95% of hunters do, a .308 is perfectly fine.  A .30-'06 ups that to probably 98% of the hunting that 95% of the hunters do.  I think that a .375 will cover about 98% of 98% of the hunters.  Would work for varmints but you probably wouldn't want (or couldn't afford) to use it as a varmint rifle.  But then again a .204 isn't the cat's meow as a buff gun either.  I just picked up a .376 Steyr (much the same as a .375 H&H) but then picked up a .308 the next day because even though I knew I could use the .376 for everything, I didn't want to shoot it ALL the time AND the ammo is outrageous here in Germany.  If the .375 tickles your fancy and you don't mind the recoil, keeping in mind that you can load it down to very tolerable recoil levels go ahead and buy it.  Worst that happens is you get funny looks at the hunting club...  The deer will die as will the elk, moose, bear, antelope and anything else you manage to hit in the boiler room.  Your call... nobody here will make fun of you for it and if they did do then they probably aren't worth listening to anyway.  Let us know which you go with!


ngh

[DC]

I am now bidding on the rifle and it is at $605 with 7 days to go.  The previous owner had a really nice recoil pad put on, a muzzle brake and his arms must have been identical in length to mine as it fits perfectly.  I don't know how Browning actions are OTB but this one is beautiful.  The trigger lets off at around 2.5 pound or maybe a little less and is really sweet...maybe the nicest triggers I have tried.

I had a Rem. Custom Shop 375 H&H on which I had a brake installed.  While it was really loud and I slipped in plugs before I took a shot and used muffs at the range, It really was like a 06' with muzzle brake and quite fun to shoot.  Most of my friends that shot it were surprised at fun it was to shoot.  Naturally, I not going to shoot it off the hood of my truck at ground squirrels.....ok I might do it a few times. 

Dana

[lefteyedon]

 Unless you are restricted by law to only one rifle I would not consider it.

 For $600 you could pick up two good used Savage 110s. One in 270 the other in 338 win.
 
 This combo would really coyote to Brown bear.

 If you were dead set on one gun, I would lean toward a 338 win over a 375.

The other truth is that if you can afford to hunt something that requires a 375 H&H then you should be able to afford more than one gun.   
 
For the record my last deer was shot with a 338 win using 210 grn. 285 yards one shot.


GWR
Cheyenne

[GrassLakeRon]

DC,

    There has been alot of folks who would do with just a 375 H&H.  I own one and have taken Deer size game with it.  It will do the job.  Hand loading will be an option to tweak it where you will want better performance.  I own a 06 and a 375, that takes care of anything I want to hunt.  You may want a 2 gun setup for the long run.

Ron

[Silvertp]

If your decision space is a .338 or .375 (and you have owned and shot a .458) then you must not be too sensitive to recoil.  Then I say go for the .375. (Ive owned and hunted with all 3 calibers as well) They are a fine old caliber that can do it all.  Ive shot about 10 deer with mine using 270 grain handloads and really not overly destructive in terms of spoiling meat.  The caliber is also know for being very accurate, and mine will shoot a 3-shot cloverleaf at  100 yards using 300 grain sierra's so you wouldn't have any excuse for missing the occasional varmit.   I have also been amazed at the relatively flat trajectory.  I was visiting a shooting range one day and saw some fella's shooting at something a l o n g   w a y beyond the 300 yard embankment.  They had spotting scopes set up and were firing up hill toward the top of a distant clear-cut.  One of the guys said they were shooting at a "gong" that was hanging between two tree stumps.  I looked thru the spotting scope, and sure enough there was a fair sized round disc, rust colored, hanging by logging chains between 2 stumps.

After a while I asked one of the fella's to watch the gong with his spotting scope, and that I was going to try a shot with my rifle (.375 H&H).  I fired and he started laughing.  I asked if he could see where I hit.  He said hurry over here and look, you not only hit the gong, its still bouncing from the impact.  I tried one more shot, with the same result.  Gotta say, that was the longest distance I ever shot at a target.  How far...don't know, but my Kentucky windage was certainly working that day.

Silvertp

[Dee]

Well you said you had a LIFE CHANGING CAREER CHANGE, which would indicate your income may have gone down substantially due to you saying you sold all your guns.
Since you asked about the 338 and the 375 specifically, I would address the COST AND AVAILABILITY OF AMMO. Either will handle anything on this continent, but then again so will a 3030.
Some will disagree with that last statement but, will applaud the Bull elk killed with a bow and arrow, or a 44 magnum pistol. Go figure.JMO

[Swampman]

I would get a Remington 700 in .30-06.

[DC]

The rifle that I am bidding on has a muzzle break and weighs in a a touch over 7# with a custom lam. stock.  It has a Pachmyer vent recoil pad and has a perfect pull for me.  I have 375 rounds, cases and dies and nothing for any "reasonable" cartridge".  As for recoil, I have owned 458 Win mags, 458 Lotts, 416 Rigby's and a Rem "C" custom shop in 375 H&H with a muzzle brake.  It really didn't recoil any more than a 30-06 with the brake and was a pleasure to  shoot. 
Yep, I will agree that a 06' or a 338 Win Mag. or any number of other rounds is a more sane choice for mule deer....but where is the nostalgia in that 
I know a guy here in Idaho that hunts deer and elk with his 416 Rigby exclusively.  Yea, it is a bit much...but fun anyway. 
Like you said, I may pick up another rifle, maybe a 338 for really long pokes but the 375 for me is sort of the dream package.  With a 210 Barnes bullet at 3,100 fps you have a great deer or antelope rifle and you can move up from there.
I have another friend whose son shot an antelope a couple of years back with his 375 H&H w/ a brake from 300+ yards.  I saw the animal and noted that there was very little wound damage.  The animal, according to my friend fell like it was hit with Thor's hammer and the hole coming out was the same size as the one going in.  I think he said that he used 270 gr. Sierra's. 
Of course, I could get the rifle and hate it and would have to sell it but by this time Wednesday, I'll know.

[EDELWEISS]

I wish I could take credit for this line, cause it just about sums up my thoughts on the subject, "375 H&H one rifle, one planet".  That being said I tried to sell my Ruger M77 338WM at a give away price, but got no takers, so Im most likely gonna have it converted to 458WM.

375H&H, go for it!

[JimP.]

go for it, dont look back, buy it then you cant regret it 375 rules...JimP.

[Questor]

I had the same dilemma and picked the 375, but not just any old 375. It had to be a 9 pound rilfe empty and without a scope. In that configuration recoil is not bad at all. If I were going to do a lot of longer range shooting, like up to 350 yards, then I'd want the 338 instead.

They have intersecting capabilities, with the 250 grain 338 being about the same for velocity and trajectory as the 300 grain 375. But the lighter 338 bullets shoot flat at longer ranges.

Also, the 338s will typically weigh about a pound less than the 375s. I wouldn't like either one if the rifle didn't weigh enough to give me tolerable recoil.

[DC]

I took procession of my Browning, SS Stalker in 375 H&H with a muzzle brake, Pachmyer vent recoil pad, custom lam stock.....very light weight by the way, today.  I mounted a Weaver Grand Slam 3-10 on it and took her out for a spin.  Of the bench.....not bad recoil a little more than a 270...accuracy...after fooling around with the scope, 1/2 inch at 100 yards.  Off had it is a dream to shoot.  Rather than being what you would think would be a monster 375 due to the barely 7#, it is like a 270 win. 
I had to pay a little more than I planned on Gun Broker.com,.....$800 but wow it is the sweetest rifle I have ever owned!

[300winman]

Selling all your rifles, because of life changing career change???  Then go out and buy an $800 rifle??? Unless you live in Alaska, there is no need for a 375. My choice for one rifle would be a 300 winmag(imagine that).  Everything from varmints to moose or even bear with the right load.  Plus you can have a 300 winmag in a stevens model 200 for around $300.  Sounds more like a gun you want more than you need and are looking for support. I am all about getting a gun that fits you and your tastes, but come on, if your going thru a Life change that will hinder your funds or time, you don't buy an $800 375 H&H.  Next time start your article "Which would you choose 338 or 375??"

[Swampman]

"375 H&H with a muzzle brake"

I'm glad I don't shoot at that range.  I only have enough hearing left to reach 70 years old I'm thinking.

[moxgrove]

I hope you reload. You can always load it down to 375 winchester or 38-55 levels for light stuff.  With the lighter weight bullets you can also get it to flatten out some for longer ranges. I don't think it's a bad idea. As long as you shoot it plenty and are really familiar with it.

[jro45]

The 375 would be an excellant choice if you are going to africa to hunt plains game but then again so would the 300 win.

[Foggy]

It's a bit large, great cartridge, I had to settle on one it would be mt 35Whelen. If money was tight my marlin 336 in 30-30  Like Dee said it will drop anything in  north America

[321]

'...Elmer (Keith) knew what he was talking about and didn't feel that he had to enter a shouting contest to make himself heard.  Softly and gently he told me that more people agreed with me than with him, and that in my own wisdom probably the right thing to do - if I ever had the chance - was to shoot (one) myself and then make up my own mind.'  Forty Years with the .45/70, P. Matthews

[Thebear_78]

While I agree the 375 is great for almost any kind of hunting I have yet to see any bear that can walk away from a lung shot.  They usually fold up just fine.

[jro45]

How about a 300 Win Mag. You could down it for deer or load some 220gr bullets for larger game. It will shoot any bullet the 30/06 can shoot a little faster. 

[TNrifleman]

The Browning rifle you mentioned sounds like a nice one. The 375 H7H is an excellent cartridge and will work for any game animal on the planet. It sounds like you have enough experience with the 375 to know that you like it. Given that you like the 375 and the Browning, I'd say buy it. If at some point in the future, you decide that something else would be better, then a trade or another buy will be in order. Enjoy that 375. 

I've owned a Remington custom Shop 375 H&H for over 20 years and I love that fine rifle. I also own and shoot other rifle/cartridge combinations, but the 375 has a special place in my gun rack.

[lgm270]

In the early 70's  I began deer hunting - model 94 .30-30, northern Minnesota.  As a kid I was thrilled.  A couple of years later I bought a 7 mm Mag.  Dealer had used it in Alaska for many years running.  I thought that I was now really set for power and distance.  That season I came across a huge white tail buck taking his time walking down the trail...away from me and head down.  I knew not to use even that caliber to shoot a deer in the south end...so I let it go.  Then some years later I ran across Teddy Roosevelt's account of he and his brother collecting specimens for the Field Museum in the region north of what is now Pakistan (East of the Sun and West of the Moon - a good read).  They took 2 rifles each - a .30-06 and a .375 H&H.  A few weeks into the trip they gave away their .30-06's.  Their reports of their kills with the .375's were impressive...shots at great distances and all angles with devastating results.  Then in the early-90's I ran across a .375 H&H Ruger #1 at an estate sale.  I bought it for a song.  l killed my first buck with it - it was like a hammer fell on him, and much less meat damage than my 7mm..  The next day I picked up a second deer tag and bolstered by Teddy R. I shot a big buck trotting away from me at 100 yards just under his vent and dead center.  The bullet (a 250 grain Barnes-X) went all the way through, exited his brisket, dug into hard-frozen ground for a depth of 3" for 5 long paces and continued off down the draw.  Folded him up without a twitch and there was very little meat damage.  I guess you could say that I carry a grudge for a long time - but the truth is, when I go through all the effort to pack into a good hunting area and then the animal that I want steps out, I don't want to have to excuse myself by knowing that my gun will only work if it's standing just right.  All of my own experiements with penetration (wet newspaper penetration) has shown to myself and my friends that this (relatively) slow moving bullet beat all my other speedsters hands-down.  If I lived in a popluated area I'd use a heavy .30 caliber bullet, but I live a long way from anywhere.  A .375 isn't for everyone, but I now use it exclusively for deer (my passion), elk, moose, and bear - all of which are outside my door - which is why I live here.  It works at all angles on deer-family animals with good bullets and topped-out loads - I don't shoot bear anywhere except in the neck - seen too many lost/wounded with lung shots.  All my friends who hunt in grizzly country extol the virtues of the caliber.

What a great  post. Like you, I once used a Ruger No. 1 375 and loved the way it handled.  It was much shorter than bolt action rifles with the same length barrels because the single shot action is shorter than the bolt action.  Unfortunately, I traded it off many years ago and no longer have it.  I agree with you about the .375 being useful on deer at all angles.  Also, loaded property and optimally, the .375 is a great all around rifle.  If you're just into hunting instead of fiddling with all kinds of different rifles and calibers, the .375 is great. 

I once saw a 20" Sako .375 with a quarter rib in a gun shop.  It was a special edition type of gun. I wish now i had bought one.  What a great brush gun it would make for anything from deer to the big ones.

[Doesniper]

I would not hesitate to use my .375 as my only big game rifle (if I had to). I have a 300 WM and a 30-06 and like them both, but I have 100% confidence in my .375.

[mcwoodduck]

I have both a .338 WM and a 375 H&H.  Both are great guns but as a single do all be all, I would go with the .338.  I shoot Remington core Lock in both rifles.  The .375 is only a few dollars more a box.  I think the last boxes I bought were at the new Bass Pro here in So Ca. and the .338 was $34 and the .375 was $38.  They had lots of .338 but only a few .375 and other than the 270 grain soft points by Remington the prices climb quickly.  A box from A Squared is running $75 and some of the federal 300 grain soft points were in the $80 range.   The most I saw the .338's for was around $50 for super premium projectiles.  I am a big proponent of shooting a lot and having a few boxes in the garage ready to go to the range if the spirit moves me to take that rifle. Either round is better on game than a .270 and gives less meat damage. But the .375 is hard to sit at the bench and get the scope dialed in.  Now that it is I only shoot it standing.  I've gotten really good at the 200 yard 12" gong.  The .338 recoils like a .30-06 or a .308 out of my M70.  The .375 is an older Sako AIII I found in a local shop when I was looking for a varmint rig.  Don't ask.  but that's how I ended up with the M70 in .338 too.  I was headed in to get a CZ 527 varmint and saw it.  Good thing I wasn't looking for an Elk rifle I'd have a side by side 4 bore.

[jro45]

I would feel kinda necked with one rifle. but i'm not you .