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Two years ago I got a Ruger #1 375 H&H. I love the rifle and it shoots great and I've been dying to shoot something (a game animal) with it. We can't hunt deer with rifles in my state.
My dad and I made our annual trip down to hunt with a friend in Viriginia a few weeks ago. I lugged along the .375 and was determined to kill a deer with it. It took until the last evening of the hunt for me to see one, but this doe filtered through the brush in a hollow below where I was sitting. I waited for a clear shot and dropped her in her tracks at about 60 yards.
The load was a "reduced" handload with a 300 gr Hornady RN at about 2200 fps. Recoil is noticeably less than the 2500 fps loads and still its plenty powerful.
The bullet really didn't wreck as much meat as you'd think. I think you loose more meat to a high velocity bullet that to my 375.
Here's a picture with my boys and the deer.
Jason
PS, Hobie we drove through your town on the way down.
My friend Tom Tabor in MT. has and loves the .375 H&H. He has killed many African animals with it.
At lower velocity, most of the Jacketed bullets made for the .375 would be almost like a solid on an animal as light as a deer.
Last edited by Chuck 100 yd on Tue Jan 01, 2008 12:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Well, it is a marginal whitetail round. I have a .50 BMG for Missouri- it is a little lacking in energy, but for woods shots of 50 yards or less it will do.
In his book about the 45-70, Paul Matthews cross references his casting for and shooting of his Ruger Number One in .375 H&H. He found his load (similar to yours except cast lead) to be a very fine deer round.
It's one of those...."If it's not broken, don't fix it!" ....situations. If you're bringing home the venison, you might want to try some groundhogs during the summer to keep sharp!
Enjoy.....
Lobo in West Virginia
Old List Veteran..Five Years..Five Hundred Posts
Jason,
My .375H&H is a Ruger No.1 also.
I shoot the 375449, 264 gr bullet over a moderate charge of IMR4198, giving about 2000fps. It will put ten shots into one big hole at 50 yards.
The cast bullets are a lot less expensive than jacketed, even of you buy them.
Thats the great thing about reloading..you can take a serious big game cartridge like a .375H&H and load it down to shoot deer and hogs..or you could load it up and kill elephants....
Last edited by Savage99 on Tue Jan 01, 2008 2:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
My friend Tom Tabor in MT. has and loves the .375 H&H. He has killed many African animals with it.
