.378 Wby. Mag. vs. .375 H&H
I may have a chance to go on a plains game hunt in Africa next spring. My primary weapon will be my Browning 30-06. Now, I understand that properly loaded, this is enough weapon to hit anything over there that I may be going for - Cape Buffalo and other dangerous game are not on the intinerary. However, this does give me a great excuse to get another rifle. I've narrowed it down to the above. Your thoughts + experiences please!
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Hi flat8,
Just an opinion here since you asked.
The .378 Weatherby is designed for deep penetration on heavy, thick skinned game and is intended to furnish a margin of safety on dangerous game in thick cover (rhino, elephant, lion). This cartridge is very overpowered for anything in North American. I also believe the only commercial rifles are made by Weatherby. The energy level of the .378 (about 6000 ft/lbs) exceeds that of the .458 Win. Mag. is in the .458 Lott and lower .460 Wby. category.
The .375 H&H was long regarded as the best all-around African caliber. The .375 H&H is slightly overpowered for most North American game, but its use is prevelant for some hunters looking for elk, moose, and bear. However, this is a flexible cartridge (large number of bullets weights) and has been looked upon by some experts as the most-effective all-around cartridge for the world.
Personally, I have not fired the .378 Weatherby although, I have fired some larger dangerous game calibers with a friend who is a dangerous game hunter. I am told that the .378 can be on the abusive side for recoil in the Weatherby rifle so recoil tolerance may be a factor in your selection, unless you are conditioned to heavy recoil.
IMHO, the .375 H&H would be the preferred rifle caliber, being that you are not hunting rhino or elephant and might need a little extra insurance (about 4500 ft/lbs) for an unexpected situation. The .375 has the power to take any African game and is flexible enough to take a wide variety of game (including dangerous). If needed, cartridges would probably be easier to locate than the .378. The .378 Wby. Mag is a specialty cartridge and would not be applicable to most situations you might encounter.
Have fun!
Regards,
Heavyiron[8D]
"If I don't see you nomore on this world, I'll meet you on the next one, and don't be late!" - Jimi Hendrix0 -
Just look at ammo cost and decide if a couple of hundred FPS is worth the percentage of cost increase. 0 -
Just something to think about, I noticed that my 30/06 shooting 180 grain bullets has nearly the same point of impact at various ranges as my 375 H&H shooting 270 grain bullets. Both rifles sighted the same both rifles are Win M70's so there is no real transition from one gun to the other. I really liked this once I thought about it. The 375 H&H is adequate and then some for everything you'll encounter with out having to step up to that harder kicking Weatherby.
Just a thought![8D]0 -
flat8,
The ballistics are pretty much incidental.
A 375 bore diameter moving a 300 grain slug at 2400+ is going to do the job at distances any responsible dangerous game guide would allow.
That said, I've used the 375 H&H on everything from Whitetail deer and Caribou up to very large Africa Antelope (eland).
With the Holland and Holland you gain two features:
1.) A timeless cartridge of Regal stature.
2.) The choice of your rifle:
You name it, Sako, Browning, Winchester, Remington*, Sauer, Interarms, Husquavarna, Damoulin, Voere and Weatherby.
You won't find quite the offerings with the Weatherby round.
[:D]0 -
The above has covered the subject well. The only point I'd like to make is on the availability of ammo should your stock n supply go astray. 375H&H in Africa is readily available as it is the standard to which many cartridges are measured. The 378Wby will be harder to come by. 0 -
$2.00 PER BANG VS $4.00 PER BANG?, I'D AGREE WITH THE ABOVE POSTERS. GO WITH THE .375 H&H. MINE REALY LIKE'S THE NEW NOSLER 260 GN ACCUBOND BULLETS @ CLOSE TO 3000 FPS. AND THAT SHOULD HANDLE ANYTHING YOU ARE LIKLY TO RUN INTO. 0 -
I don't think cost per round should be much of a consideration when you are paying that much for a trip and a rifle for a trip to Africa. Ammo availability is a major concern.
I had heard that at one time there was a limit in the number of rounds you can bring and in some areas a minimum of a .40 caliber bullet is required for some game.0 -
IMHO when your talking about these 2 calibers I don't believe that ammo cost should be a consideration, ammo cost is the smallest cost when your talking about your hunting trip. That said I believe the consideration is it worth the punishment that a .378 will deliver for the increased ballistics. A .378 generates approx 112 lb ft of recoil in a 10 lb rifle, a .375 does about 70. I've fired both and the .378 hits on both ends for sure. The versatility of the .375 h&h is virtually unmatched everything from 235gr up to 300. All in all I would say the .375 is probably the wiser choice between the two. One thing I would like to ask is have you considered something inbetween? Both the .375 weatherby (recently re-released ) and the .375 rem ultra mag have comparable ballistics ( 300 gr at 2800 fps ) and can give you that extra edge over the h&h without so much of the punishment and you can get the .375 rem ultra in a relatively inexpensive rifle the rem 700 lss ( about $700 ). Im a big fan of these intermediate .375's.
imay not know it all.....but at least I know that!0 -
In 110 degree temperatures, are you absolutely certain that RUM will extract?!?! Until it has the scintilating track record that the 375 H&H does, I would never even consider it! 375 H&H all the way!
"When I cease learning...I'm dead"(Me)
"When I was 14 I used to marvel at how ignorant my old man was...by the time I was 21 I was truelly amazed at how much the old bugger had learned in the intervening 7 years!" Samuel Clemens
"History is written by winners"(Patton)
"You get a lot farther with a kind word and a gun than you do with a kind word alone!"(Al Capone)
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as far as extraction is concerned.....ask craig boddington he's never seemed to have a problem and often uses the .375 rum as his 1 gun safari cartridge!
imay not know it all.....but at least I know that!0
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