375 H&H and CRF

[Von S.]

Every now and then someone comes up with a round that really is just near impossible to make better in an all around way.

The 375 H&H is one of those very few rounds.

Many will say that anyone can shoot it. That isn't necessarily true. I know people who really can't shoot a 243 and that kinda leaves them out of shooting anything that leaves leftovers after you cook it .

But! In my estimation, it is the best round ever created for the above average hunter to use in the slaughterhouse that is africa.

And seeing that it always comes up, let's just touch on its ability to knock the daylights out of game animals that are considered by most as the real dangerous game that Africa has to offer. I, being a great big giant sissy, do not use nor recommend the use of it for, elephants, capes, lions or hippos and am here to also state that the 375 has probably killed more of them that all other rounds combined. Its just me. I have and do sing the praises of the 378 Weatherby, but will never say that it is as useful to as many as the H&H simply because it isn't for everyone. I also do not say that its the right stuff for DG even though 6000 ftlbs is a lot of every it doesn't doo things like 500 + grains will do.

As far as killing pg goes, I believe that there should be a law that the 375 should be the minimum to be allowed to end their lives. And though I have used a 264 to wack medium plains game I shot an Impala with an absolutely perfect shot right in its heart and it ran at light speed until it slid in nose first deader than Julius Ceasar after about 250 yards. I believe the 375 would have put him down on the spot.

Sure! If you ask many people will say that a controlled feed only is the way to go even if they have never had any problems, nor do they know anyone who has ever had any either.

I have a handful of 375's and 378's.they all ha be specific uses and specific rounds made for them, they all function correctly and nothing has bullets heavier than 300 loaded for them.

 

[308W]

two of my seven CZ,s, a 550 american in .375 H&H and 550 American in 6.5x55, ex rifles for the money.

View attachment 257197

Nice guns, congrats!

 

[One Day...]

I'd agree the 375H&H is indispensable in Africa...the CRF not so much. Push feed...CFR....they both work equally well in my opinion. I own several of each.

You may find this interesting @sheephunterab...

Contrary to popular belief, the primary advantage of CRF, and the reason why it was invented, have nothing to do with more reliable extraction or feeding a gun upside down, although this may be ancillary benefits.

The primary advantage of CRF it to prevent double feed, or in other words, it avoids unwittingly loading the chamber. A push feed bolt will chamber a cartridge and NOT EXTRACT THIS CARTRIDGE IF THE BOLT IS NOT CLOSED, i.e. if the extractor is not snapped over the rim when closing the bolt. The consequence is that one can actually load the chamber without turning/closing the bolt; pull the bolt back; see no cartridge (if there is no other round in the magazine); and close the bolt on a loaded chamber while believing the rifle is empty.

The importance of this was illustrated 3 years ago in the Eastern Cape when one person inadvertently loaded a gun by pushing into the chamber the one cartridge that was in the magazine; forgot about it in the flow of the discussion; and handed the rifle, bolt open, to someone else who, seeing no cartridge in the magazine, closed the bolt on the loaded chamber and put the rifle on the back seat of the truck. The next person who grabbed the gun from the back seat depressed the trigger while doing so, and the gun fired. One woman died. I personally know the people involved, this is a true story.

A CRF bolt would have been carrying that cartridge back out of the chamber even if the bolt had not been closed during gun manipulation. THAT is the primary benefit of a CRF on a hunting gun. Of course, in this case there was a long list of gun safety violations along the way, but CRF would likely have prevented them from resulting in a death.

More discussion on CRF and pictures illustrating function at https://www.africahunting.com/threads/sako-85-or-cz.46282/page-2#post-492366

 

[308W]

@308W,

You have a peculiar way of asking for

I'm sorry but you are completly OT here.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I'm sorry but you are completly OT here.

OT means On Target?

 

[jacques smith]

Ok this is starting to look like fun. What happened to Phil’s post? I’m pretty sure we r going to agree

 

[One Day...]

Look at what he just posted to Jerome !?!?!?!?!?!?
https://www.africahunting.com/threads/my-calibers-for-hunting-in-africa.46356/page-9#post-492391

 

[jacques smith]

So who’s surprised?

 

[308W]

So who’s surprised?

Just a poor guy like one day

 

[Mick Moriarty]

Someone mentioned that the Zastavas were of lower quality. This is not really the case, the finish is reflected in the price and 100 or so rounds through it or a bit of elbow grease smoothing it wiill bring it up to speed. I'd rather spend my money on superior optics. Zastavas have served me very well for the the past 30 years. The Brno (now CZ) 458WM that I owned was a great rifle, but bluntly refused to feed anything other than 500Gn bullets. My currect Zastava 458WM seems happy feeding anything, as do my 270Win, 3006, 9.3x62 and 375H&H as well).

 

[mark-hunter]

There is "zastava" and there is"zastava". Its not the same
Zastava rifles for export, generally were of good quality.
Once they were also stamped as "interarmx mark x.", brand of importer probably

Major drop in quality came with the start of latest Balcans wars, at 1991.
Later their factories were bombed by Nato forces in 1999, and I am not sure if they have repaired all infrastructure and facilities, which still can reflect quality of production to this date.

Some of the newer ones I have seen with scope basis holes, drilled and missaligned so once the scope was mounted, it was out of barrel bore line completely.

Regardles, they can be fixed and polished by a gunsmith later, and in this case, to be very usable.

Generally if they are produced before 1991, or stamped with "interarms mk X", they should be good.
In order to establish year of production usually they had also a date of production stamped on side of receiver, 4 digits. First 2 digits is month, and second two digits is year of production.
(the only thing is I am not sure, is - if they stamped all the rifles including exported ones with production date, but all rifles that I have seen have this date stamped on the receiver)

Ia am planning to buy rifle fo buffalo hunt.
One of the option is zastava either in 375 or 458,

I tried at range zastava 375, and what I have noticed is that recoil is stronger then on older steyr in same caliber which was rented rifle i used on PG safari.

This is what I know,so based on recoil difference my guess is that ergonomics of stock could be better.