Hmmm, this may be a .375 year!

[Guy Miner]

Following my decision to go with the .375 H&H for Africa, summer of 2014, I started thinking about making sure I'm real well acquainted with that rifle prior to the trip.

Range time is a given. I like shooting from 50 - 300 yards with that rifle. Doing snap-shooting drills it comes up almost as quickly and nicely as my double-barrel 20 gauge pheasant gun! At 200 & 300 yards it shoots quite well too.

Will also be doing some quick-reload drills. Even made up a couple of dummy rounds for that purpose. MUST make sure they don't go to Africa. That could be an expensive "click" ! :shock:

Last year's rockchuck episode aside, I don't really think I'll be doing much varmint shooting with the .375 this year.

However, this fall I've set aside time for hunting deer, bear and elk! :grin: Why not the .375?

Okay, the .25-06 will probably pout if I don't use it on the mule deer hunt, but for elk & bear the .375 should work out just fine. Again.

Then if I can draw a spring bear tag for 2014, I'd get another chance to use it afield before the trip to South Africa!

Why not?

Besides, maybe I can shoot up some of those 800 or so .375 bullets taking up space in my loading room...

Guy

 

[DrMike]

That sounds like a plan, Guy. I like the idea of taking your .375 to Africa and getting some trigger time in preparation for that trip.

 

[gerry]

Obviously your 30-06 could handle the job nicely but that single shot 375 of yours just seems right to head over there. Any idea what load you will be taking? The 235 gr Speer would work great for small stuff and the 300 gr loads for big animals or maybe just on load featuring the 260 gr AccuBond for everything. It will be fun I'm sure for you to plan out exactly what you will feed that big 375

 

[Elkman]

Guy

There are probably colonies of sand rats not far from you. A go at them with the 375 would probably be pretty exciting, and great practice. An all day hunt might be a little much though, you might want to take a backup.

 

[JD338]

Guy

Sounds like a great plan.
The 375 H&H will be an old friend when you go on your safari.

JD338

 

[Guy Miner]

Gerry - I'll just use my 260 gr AccuBond at 2620 fps load. It's accurate, fairly easy shooting, and I anticipate great performance from the bullet. Am confident to 300 yards with that load. That ought to do just fine!

The 260 gr AccuBond really impressed me with the performance on the bear, and on targets. It should do fine on plains game. Seems to me that I saw a photo of a cape buff taken with the 260 AccuBond in one of the more recent Nosler manuals. I need to use some of my other bullets too, have quite a few 270 & 300 gr Hornady bullets.

Elkman... Sage rats with the .375? :shock: Bad enough that I stooped to a rockchuck with it last summer! :grin:

John Barsness used the same rifle on prairie dogs before one of his safaris though... He had a great load with the 220 gr flat nose Hornady at about 1900 - 2000 fps. Said it worked great on prairie dogs!

Guy

 

[DrMike]

John Barsness used the same rifle on prairie dogs before one of his safaris though... He had a great load with the 220 gr flat nose Hornady at about 1900 - 2000 fps. Said it worked great on prairie dogs!

Guy

Ya' need all the power you can git with them PDs. They're hard to kill, I tell ya'. Sounds like great practise, Guy. The 260 grain load should serve you very well in Africa, just as it has in WA.

 

[Rigbymauser]

The .375 H&H is a top choice for one-gun-to-africa. bullets from 200grains(Impala bullets) to heavy blockers like a 380grain(Rhino bullets)....and then one have everything else in between.

Impala bullets:
http://impalabullets.co.za/

Rhino bullets:
http://www.rhinobullets.co.za/index_files/Page912.htm

The most logical thing to do with a .375H&H in time is to rechamber it to .375Wea. It would take the last step for this cartridge to really carry a heavy bullet on heavy game + boost flatlining ballistics with lighter bullets for plaingame on the open savanna(Grasveld). There is nothing like versatility.

 

[gerry]

The 260 gr AccuBond is one of the best bullets out there, it will work great for you. It has worked great for me on bears in the past. You will have a blast over there I'm sure.

 

[onesonek]

Nobody told me practice was strictly for paper, only to practice well before the hunting. Evey shot, paper or game is a practice of funamentals. Using the big .375 for PD's and then deer or other game makes sense for honing skills with said rifle.

 

[jmad_81]

Guy, I'm a huge fan of the 260 AB for the 375. What are you planning on hunting in SA? I would think that with the 260 AB you would be good for any plains game, and the big cats. If you are going after Cape Buffalo I might consider a bit bigger/tougher bullet (I might even play with a few solids). I have recovered several 260 AB out of elk with my 375R. They looked/preformed great, but elk don't try to kill you when hit and still breathing.

Don't get me wrong I love the AB, but I have recovered several from critters that would make me think twice about taking the AB out for some of the big African critters with short tempers. If I was hunting dangerous game I would want something more along the lines of a PT. Not that they preform much different, but I think that the PT design allows for more predictable performance no matter the shot angle or what bones it hits once it gets there.

What part of SA are you heading to?

 

[Guy Miner]

It's just a ten-day plains game hunt, probably mostly up in North Cape, not far from Kimberly. However he does have some Eastern Cape hunting land available too. I suspect though that we'll mostly be hunting the North Cape area.

I hope to hunt gemsbok, kudu, blesbok & warthog. I'd like to hunt even more species, but time and cash available intrude!

It seems he has some excellent bushbuck hunting available too - though I don't know if that is in the Eastern Cape area or the North Cape area. I've heard that bushbuck hunting can be quite a challenge, and that intrigues me.

Nothing on my list of animals to hunt is considered "dangerous game" so the .375 is likely overkill anyway. I was considering just using my .30-06, but the .375 won that debate as I bought the thing with dreams of Africa in mind anyway. Am sure the 260 AccuBond is plenty of bullet for everything on my list.

Perhaps a second trip for cape buff in two or three years? I'd like to do that for my youngest son as a college graduation present. Father & son in Africa... Cool. If I went for cape buffalo, I'd load up some 300 gr Nosler Partitions and a few 300 gr FMJ "solids" as well! This particular rifle already has one cape buffalo to it's credit, though sadly, not at my hands.

Regards, Guy

 

[jmad_81]

I wish that I would have taken a few more critters when I was there. I passed on a very nice bushbuck because it wasn't on my list. I'm regretting it pretty bad. They are very pretty. And they bark like dogs! Not the sound I had imagined coming from a critter like that. You will have a blast. The warthog was my favorite critter that I hunted over there.

I would imagine that a ten day hunt will be plenty for what you are looking for. The cool thing about over there is you start off hunting one critter and if you come a cross another you switch targets.

Best of luck to you!

 

[runtohunt]

Guy, Congratulations on your up coming hunt. I can't wait to hear about your hunt.

 

[Hegland]

Wishing you the best on your trip, Guy, and all the "practice" hunts between now and then!

The local Sportsman's had an FN M70 Safari Express cut in .375 a few weeks ago that felt awfully nice in the hands. Fortunately (or maybe not), I left the country and they sold it before I got back.

 

[PJGunner]

Congrats on your hunt. 8) I like the idea of the Ruger #1 .375 as your choice. I enjoy shooting mine every now and then. Since the arthritis in my right shoulder has gotten worse, my big boomers don't get shot as much any more. I have a copy of an article by Al Miller on speed loading the Ruger #1 from Rifle magazine. If you haven't seen it and are interested I can make you a copy and snail mail it to you.
Paul B.

 

[SJB358]

Wishing you the best on your trip, Guy, and all the "practice" hunts between now and then!

The local Sportsman's had an FN M70 Safari Express cut in .375 a few weeks ago that felt awfully nice in the hands. Fortunately (or maybe not), I left the country and they sold it before I got back.

Man, I hate when that happens.

 

[JD338]

Man, I need a 375 bore.
Maybe I should buy a few boxes of the 260 gr AB's.

JD338

 

[Guy Miner]

Then you really would need a .375! :mrgreen: I surely do think highly of that bullet though, and it's possible to boot it out a lot faster than the leisurely 2620 fps I run it at.

You just got some kind of cannon not long ago though didn't you?

I've lost track of who bought what anymore. 'Specially Fotis... :grin:

Guy

 

[Richracer1]

Oh I love my 375...RUM that is. 260ABs pooping along at 2990 fps and actually not that bad to shoot.