First .375

[Randy F]

Well I stepped off the big(ger) bore ledge today finally.
I picked up my new unfired Winchester M70 Alaskan in .375 H&H Mag. I don’t often get too excited but I’m pretty whipped up to get shooting this gun.
Thanks @Vagrouser !!
Now to find ammo. Ugh. Seems nobody carries it in my area but, of all places, a pawn shop in a nearby town claims to have some. Checking that out tomorrow.

 

[sierraone]

You can find .375 HH ammo on Gunbroker. Just be prepared to overpay for it. Good luck.

 

[mdwest]

Ive got a buddy that has a few boxes of federal 300gr blue box soft points that was looking to get rid of them.. He paid $83 + tax at a sporting goods place in upstate new york (he actually sent me a pic of the ammo on the shelf with the price tag when he bought them).. If he's still got them, Im sure he'd let them go to you for what he's got in them plus shipping..

That wouldnt be my first choice for a trip to Africa (although Im sure theyd be fine for any PG).. but they would certainly be fine for anything in NA..

He's outside the US right now (works overseas), but is returning to the US in about 3 weeks.. we are then headed to South Africa on a hunt together..

If youre interested in the ammo, let me know and I'll try to link you guys up together and let you work out a deal..

(the story is/was he bought them for another buddy that lives in Alaska that couldnt find any when the ammo shortage started.. his gunshop in NY still had a ton on the shelf so he picked them up... then his buddy didnt want them... and he doesnt own a .375 H&H.. so he got stuck with them... he called me a few months ago to see if I wanted them.. but I was already sitting on a decent stockpile of Barnes Vor-TX factory ammo and had components to load a couple of hundred more.. so I didnt want them either.. so he is just sitting on them now until someone comes along that needs some .375 HH ammo)..

 

[JimP]

I have actually seen 375 HH ammo sitting on a few stores shelves, that and anything above 40 caliber.

 

[Randy F]

I appreciate the leads gentlemen. Thank you!
I’ll see what this guy has tomorrow although right now I’m not going to be too fussy about what they are (unless you think I should be), just need to get some plinking rounds and get shooting this thing.

@mdwest I’ll be in touch if this doesn’t pan out tomorrow. Thanks!

 

[mdwest]

For plinking I'd buy the cheapest stuff you can find.. and just hold onto the brass for reloads... before the ammo shortage thing started I could find PPU at my local cabelas for about $75 a box, federal blue box for about $80-$85 a box.. and most premiums started around $95 a box and went up from there..

You can still find PPU online occasionally.. but everyone Ive seen selling it has been only selling in 4 or 5 box quantities only.. and prices have been inflated a bit since last year.. so its been deals like $400 for 100 rounds, etc..

 

[sierraone]

Would like to add on about the Federal Power Shok (Blue Box). On my first trip I only carried and shot Federal Blue Box (270 grain) ammo. It was more than adequate for the range and game that I took. At the time I was preparing for my first African hunt, I was paying less than $40.00 per box for this ammo. Still have some.

 

[Tra3]

congrats on the rifle! I hope you enjoy it.

Also check “ammoseek” and “Miwall” and “cheaper than dirt”. I’ve bought .375 H&H from these websites over the last few months. “highby outdoors” is also a good place, but I’d suggest you call them because they frequently have amo that the website doesn’t list.
I’ve burned through a bunch of .375 this spring for practice. I have worried too much if the ammo doesn’t shoot very well (PPU doesn’t group), I just wanted to get used to the recoil

 

[Randy F]

congrats on the rifle! I hope you enjoy it.

Also check “ammoseek” and “Miwall” and “cheaper than dirt”. I’ve bought .375 H&H from these websites over the last few months. “highby outdoors” is also a good place, but I’d suggest you call them because they frequently have amo that the website doesn’t list.
I’ve burned through a bunch of .375 this spring for practice. I have worried too much if the ammo doesn’t shoot very well (PPU doesn’t group), I just wanted to get used to the recoil

That’s where I’m at for now too. Thanks, I’ll check them out too.

 

[Tra3]

That’s where I’m at for now too. Thanks, I’ll check them out too.

I’ve never so vigorously shopped for anything in my life as I did for ammo this spring! This pandemic ammo shortage will cause many of us, me included, to forever keep a larger stockpile than normal.

 

[Clodo Ferreira]

VERY nice rifle Randy! This Winchester Alaskan, new version, is the .375 H&H I would chose today. The barrel is, to me, like the one Winchester should be used since 1937 for the .375 H&H. Much lighter than the original one. The ONLY observation I made to my Pre-64 .375 (1954) I have since 1992, is the little too heavy barrel. Not needed in my opinion.

 

[gesch]

Well I stepped off the big(ger) bore ledge today finally.
I picked up my new unfired Winchester M70 Alaskan in .375 H&H Mag. I don’t often get too excited but I’m pretty whipped up to get shooting this gun.
Thanks @Vagrouser !!
Now to find ammo. Ugh. Seems nobody carries it in my area but, of all places, a pawn shop in a nearby town claims to have some. Checking that out tomorrow.

View attachment 406968

I am looking at one on Wednesday! Congratulations.

 

[PARA45]

What scope you are going to put on this baby? Congrats on the purchase!

 

[Randy F]

What scope you are going to put on this baby? Congrats on the purchase!

Thinking along the lines of a Leupold Mark 3HD 1.5-4x. or the Leupold 1.5-5×20. Staying low power. I don't need to shoot out past a couple hundred yards. I like to get as close as I can.

When people would start chatting up 300 and 400 yd shots, my Grandpa used to say "I don't shoot that far out, it's too hard on my old gun." Then he'd look at me and wink. But I knew what he meant and never forgot it.

 

[Randy F]

Well the guy had a few plinking rounds. I picked up thirty rounds for $81. Smoke's rolling tonight boys!

 

[Tgood1]

may want to look at the federal website. I stocked up there not long ago.

 

[PARA45]

May want to try https://ammoseek.com/

 

[Probono]

I've shot the .375 H&H and own a .375 Ruger.

Recoil can be very nasty from the bench or prone, totally manageable from field positions off of sticks, sitting or kneeling. Definatly a step up from the .300 win but nothing to be afraid of. You will not even need a brake to manage this rifle.

Loudness it is more of a boom than a crack, you will want to use earplugs for sure but it isn't really any louder than other magnum rifles. Muzzle brakes will make it really loud, I don't recommend them.

Max distance for MPBR will be around 250 yards depending on bullet and muzzle velocity. With practice you can easily stretch that distance to 400 yards. I've killed pronghorn right at 250 yards with my Ruger not much of a test for a 270 grain bullet with a MV around 2800 fps. It pretty much has the same trajectory as a .30-06 shooting 180 grain bullets.

Barrel life is pretty much a non issue with this kind of rifle. Most people do not ever shoot them enough to see hunting accuracy degrade far enoug to need a barrel replacemet. Seriously this rifle could go through several generations in your family before needing the barrel replaced.

Winchester and Browing make rifles in the H&H, Ruger and Howa use the .375 Ruger. Most any maker will produce you one out of their custom shop. It is a great cartridge for hunting anything big game in NA and most of the rest of the world.

 

[PARA45]

@Tgood1, you can buy ammo directly from Federal? Good to know.

 

[Randy F]

I've shot the .375 H&H and own a .375 Ruger.

Recoil can be very nasty from the bench or prone, totally manageable from field positions off of sticks, sitting or kneeling. Definatly a step up from the .300 win but nothing to be afraid of. You will not even need a brake to manage this rifle.

Loudness it is more of a boom than a crack, you will want to use earplugs for sure but it isn't really any louder than other magnum rifles. Muzzle brakes will make it really loud, I don't recommend them.

Max distance for MPBR will be around 250 yards depending on bullet and muzzle velocity. With practice you can easily stretch that distance to 400 yards. I've killed pronghorn right at 250 yards with my Ruger not much of a test for a 270 grain bullet with a MV around 2800 fps. It pretty much has the same trajectory as a .30-06 shooting 180 grain bullets.

Barrel life is pretty much a non issue with this kind of rifle. Most people do not ever shoot them enough to see hunting accuracy degrade far enoug to need a barrel replacemet. Seriously this rifle could go through several generations in your family before needing the barrel replaced.

Winchester and Browing make rifles in the H&H, Ruger and Howa use the .375 Ruger. Most any maker will produce you one out of their custom shop. It is a great cartridge for hunting anything big game in NA and most of the rest of the world.

My buddy brings his 458 Lott to the range every time we get together. I've put enough rounds through that to blacken my shoulder on more than one occasion so recoil with this one isn't a concern.

Since my first trip to South Africa, I rarely shoot off of a bench anymore except for initial zero. It's all off sticks now.
I hated the sticks when I was there because I was a bonehead and never practiced from them. I vowed to never make that mistake again...to the point where now it's almost weird to sit at a bench.