Debating whether I should step up to 375 H&H?

[Tanks]

I have r8 with standard 375hh barrel on the pro success stock . With ammo,scope, and 1lb recoil reducer in the stock gun is right over 10lbs. Why do people buy the heavier safari barrel which is almost triple the cost?

True. If one is buying the "Safari" grade kit, most likely it is because of the big bore calibers, not the .375.

 

[TOBY458]

I have r8 with standard 375hh barrel on the pro success stock . With ammo,scope, and 1lb recoil reducer in the stock gun is right over 10lbs. Why do people buy the heavier safari barrel which is almost triple the cost?

Because some people are unnecessarily afraid of the recoil from a lightweight 375. With the standard barrel on board, no kick stop, and a lightweight 2-7×33 scope, mine comes in at 8lbs 9oz, and is very manageable to shoot.

 

[TOBY458]

I cocked the rifle at 0:08, then someone in another bay shot their rifle at 0:11 and this caused the sound on the camera to go quiet before I took my first shot at 0:16. Second shot at 0:23 and third at 0:29.

If I recall correctly, I was shooting at 50 yards with the factory open sights and kept all three inside 2". I know I could really improve my time, but I'd rather be slow, deliberate and accurate than fast, wild and miss.

@TOBY458 - You should embrace the power of dark side. Well...embrace it again at least.

Well....I have embraced it 4 times so far! Maybe the current embracing will persist. Lol!

 

[Forrest Halley]

I have r8 with standard 375hh barrel on the pro success stock . With ammo,scope, and 1lb recoil reducer in the stock gun is right over 10lbs. Why do people buy the heavier safari barrel which is almost triple the cost?

Yeah...the Selous profile is beautiful, but you're absolutely kidding at that price. Price elasti-madness. Love the rifle mechanically, but they're insanely priced. They're gouging on the barrel and bolt prices. The scope mounts are just plain victimization.

With the rise of the Savage straight pull and the Beretta the days are numbered. The patent should be running out soon and then surely someone else will figure out how to make it cheaper. Benelli SBE vs. Remington Versamax. The big magnums will be figured out as a custom option and still be under $1250.

 

[1dirthawker]

it cracks me up that the OP posted THIS question to a bunch of safari rifle enablers!!

 

[Lone Star Bluegrass]

If you think you’ll go for anything bigger/meaner in the next few years then definitely. You don’t want to buy a rifle the month before your hunt, you’ll want to use it and learn it for a few seasons before you “go live”.

Or you could just be like what I’m guessing is everyone else and 90% of your battery is in the “want not need” classification.

Life is short buy the gun.

 

[yhc]

I have a hunt planned this summer where the following animals are possibilities: Sable, Kudu, Impala, Warthog, Spingbok, Gemsbok. My newly purchased R8 is in 30-06. But in reading up on it, and having found a deal on a barrel. I'm tempted to add on a 375 H&H setup for the R8. My question is: Is that going to give me much over the 30-06 for non-dangerous animals like these plains game?

If I did go ahead with the 375, seeing as I likely won't have time to find components and work up a load, what would be recommended factory ammo for the above animals? I can only seem to find Barnes VOR-TX Safari with 300gr TSX FB , Hornady 300gr DG Solid, or Hornady 250gr CX Outfitter ammo at present.

Seriously @xbr897? You come to a hunting forum and ask whether you should get another rifle or in this case another barrel? Of course the answer is a resounding YES!!

Since you have a Blaser R8, adding a new caliber should be easy. You won’t have to worry about whether the stock fitting you, etc. Eurooptic has a demo 375 H/H standard bbl on sale for $1096. That’s a pretty darn good price.

Regards,

 

[Challer]

Yeah apparently there are different grades I have less than zero interest in that gun.

View attachment 464461

Safari contour, read the comments, very few buy those. Standard contour is about $1500 new, 8-9 used

 

[xbr897]

Barrel and mag insert arrived and are just as new as promised, not even out of original Blaser box. Purchase was through a connection on an estate sale of a person who sadly never got the chance to use it.

I won't be using it for the PG hunt. Too much to do between now and then to decide on a new scope and really get comfortable with it. Guess I'll just have to plan another hunt....

 

[C.W. Richter]

Safari contour, read the comments, very few buy those. Standard contour is about $1500 new, 8-9 used

"very few buy those." The reason Biden is President, the reason all those idiot dems are in power. It explains Walmart and Hyundai. LOL What are the bbl lengths on those overpriced plastic guns from the EU with the gearshift knob? They look short. Not for longer shooting (the V will surely drop off.) Not too much of an issue w/ 375ish, but a big issue with med bore slayer cartridges.

 

[C.W. Richter]

Q: Does "Blowwwserrrr" make an overpriced Gatling gun of all their calibers, already assembled? I just don't wish to do any assembly work on vaca. A remote control would be best. Could sprain the wrist cranking all of that, not to mention the diff sights for diff calibers. This is a serious inquiry-only.

 

[C.W. Richter]

LOL jim shockey and his bandana shot the biggest kudu i ever saw on one of his videos, in Namib. the guide, reading from a script, said that was an incredible 500 yd shot (with that what, 22" bbl.) IDTS. LOL It got really Hollyweird, really fast. Total BS. -an experienced hunter/shooter. I like Jim Shockey, but I don't like the hollywood BS (and the deer chow that's hidden behind those fallen branches that always accompany any of his massive whitetail hunts in Alberta, et. al. If I baited deer, I'd have several P&Y and B&C records in the book now, by shooting/killing, NOT hunting.) Like the BS about the gun, those sorts of hunts are BS. People (even PHs) have approached him at shows and he didn't give 'em the time of day. I think the exact same about every single one of his sponsors (including Blaser.) LOL He apparently shut down the Leupold custom shop, too. It's ok, because i only own 1 L scope (my son's.)

 

[xbr897]

@C.W. Richter - Clearly you have an issue with Blaser, and you're entitled to your opinions there. But as some of your posts are way off with little connection to the posted question, would you please edit or remote your posts that have nothing to do with the topic. Thanks!

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I have a hunt planned this summer where the following animals are possibilities: Sable, Kudu, Impala, Warthog, Spingbok, Gemsbok. My newly purchased R8 is in 30-06. But in reading up on it, and having found a deal on a barrel. I'm tempted to add on a 375 H&H setup for the R8. My question is: Is that going to give me much over the 30-06 for non-dangerous animals like these plains game?

If I did go ahead with the 375, seeing as I likely won't have time to find components and work up a load, what would be recommended factory ammo for the above animals? I can only seem to find Barnes VOR-TX Safari with 300gr TSX FB , Hornady 300gr DG Solid, or Hornady 250gr CX Outfitter ammo at present.

@xbr897
The 30-06 loaded with Barnes 165gn TTSX or 180gn Swift A-Frame will do just fine and dandy for what you are going to hunt.
Get the 275 barrel anyhoo as you can never have to much of a good thing
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

.338 Winchester Magnum barrel.

@CoElkHunter
Why, why why would he waste time and money on that round when he can get a perfectly good 375H&H..
Bob

 

[CoElkHunter]

@CoElkHunter
Why, why why would he waste time and money on that round when he can get a perfectly good 375H&H..
Bob

Bob,
Your probably right. Since it’s a bigger caliber though, I’m guessing the barrel will cost more? Can you imagine the cost of a .458 Lott barrel? LOL
CEH

 

[Forrest Halley]

Bob,
Your probably right. Since it’s a bigger caliber though, I’m guessing the barrel will cost more? Can you imagine the cost of a .458 Lott barrel? LOL
CEH

Somebody say .458 Lott? Yes, I can imagine the cost of the barrel and yes LOL is the reaction I have as well. It just breaks my little heart to see it.
He's all over your favorite cartridge again. As if he's likened it to a two-four-three. I think we should take a tack hammer and dent the noses on all his nuclear wheelin. Won't be getting 2900fps now... hahaha

 

[SLG]

I recently got a 375 barrel for my standard weight R8. About 9.5#'s all up with scope and sling. This is my third 375 over the years, and I shoot several times a week. Once zero'd, I was able to print a 3 shot group at 100 yards off a tripod (standing) that was right about 1.25". Very happy with that but I will say that the recoil is not insignificant compared to a 30-06. Takes more concentration to make good hits and the recoil took its toll on my shoulder over the course of the 15 rds I fired.

I have a 350RM from Ultralight Arms that weight 6.25# all up. I would say that gun is slightly more pleasant to shoot as it takes a little less concentration and I can shoot 20 or more rds per session. It obviously pushes the 250's slower than the 375, but weighs a lot less. Also has a great stock design, much like the R8.

Last week I was shooting 458WM (M70) and 470NE (Army Navy double rifle). Maybe slightly less concentration needed to hit well. The M70 was a stock gun with no scope, so fairly light. Actually pretty pleasant to shoot for a few rounds.

I do know that a well-placed 30-06 that penetrates far enough will drop pretty much everything. My daughter took her first Bull Elk last season with one shot of 165 Sierra Game King. Bull dropped in its tracks and never moved again. High heart/lung shot. I wouldn't expect that reaction, but I will take it when it happens.

Just something to think about.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Somebody say .458 Lott? Yes, I can imagine the cost of the barrel and yes LOL is the reaction I have as well. It just breaks my little heart to see it.
He's all over your favorite cartridge again. As if he's likened it to a two-four-three. I think we should take a tack hammer and dent the noses on all his nuclear wheelin. Won't be getting 2900fps now... hahaha

Yes Forrest,
When Townsend @Bob Nelson 35Whelen gets on here while eating his little snack of Vegemite on crackers and swilling a glass or two of Bundy, anything can happen and be typed by him? Too bad he lives in OZ, or we could inundate him with box after box of spent two forty three cases! Ha! Ha! Ha!
CEH

 

[freefall]

Of COURSE you should step up to the .375!
Any other of Life's Quandries you'd like me to solve?