H-Town Hunter

[Mort Hill]

Welcome to the community. If choosing one all around gun, .375 hands down. If choosing just for buff, I take whichever one I am most comfortable shooting. Both are deadly on buff if put in the fight place. Either can be a disaster if the dreaded flinch or unfamiliarity causes a wayward shot. Just my humble opinion.

 

[sierraone]

Welcome to our forum H-Town Hunter. You'll have lots of new hunting friends in Houston...If you are taking one gun for the buff and the smaller game, take the .375. If you are proficient with the Rigby, it will work on all animals also, you may just change the round used. I used a .404J on all animals last year. At the ranges that I shoot, a .416 will hit it and kill it just as easily. All three of these are African calibers and will serve the purpose as long as you practice with it and know your range limitations! Good Luck and waiting to hear some of your previous hunt reports!

 

[H-Town hunter]

Thanks Gents for the feedback. I'm leaning towards the .375 since it has a tad less recoil than the .416. I'm looking at a new .375 made by Blaser (R8) any performance reviews on this rifle?

 

[sierraone]

Thanks Gents for the feedback. I'm leaning towards the .375 since it has a tad less recoil than the .416. I'm looking at a new .375 made by Blaser (R8) any performance reviews on this rifle?

@Red Leg is a current Guru on the R8. He should be able to answer your questions!

 

[Red Leg]

I believe the R8 is the finest production rifle currently available. Obviously a bespoke Rigby, Westley Richards, or Hartman & Wiess would be a "better" rifle, but I don't believe a better production factory rifle exists than the Blaser. I have a couple of Stocks/actions and three calibers - .375, .300 Win Mag, and 6.5x54. All shoot darn near everything sub-MOA, and the .375 is my go to, favorite, perfect, ideal rifle for Africa. It has taken everything from Suni and duiker at one end of the scale thru a couple of cape buffalo at the other. It breaks down into a small package for travel, and the scope is always exactly, precisely, dead-on where I left it when reassembled. It will be accompanying me to Russia in April for a Kamchatka brown bear. It has the finest trigger of any rifle I own or have fired (and that includes some rather remarkable firearms), and the safety/cocker makes it one of the two safest brands in the field (the other being the Krieghoff). Lots of folks who own a Winremczerby or whatever will tell you their rifle is "just as good" at a fourth the price. But few of them have actually even fired a R8 much less own one. They are very special rifles, and by using sporter weight barrels can make up into a very shootable rifle that can be carried all day trailing a dugga boy in the hot son. PM me if you like.

Blaser R8 w/Classic Sporter stock

• Red Leg
• Jun 7, 2018
• 1

 

[USAN]

Welcome @H-Town hunter! Enjoy the site!

 

[Shootist43]

H-Town hunter, with that background you need to be introduced to a classic African caliber. That being the 404 Jeffery. You will find that it has quite a following on AH. The good news is that it has recently been made part of the Montana Rifle Company's standard offerings. Before joining AH I'd never heard about this wonderful old caliber, now I own two of them. There are several AH members that live in the Huston area. They get together for lunch once in a while. Perhaps you should find out who they are and join them.

 

[VERNEY-CARRON COLLECTION]

Welcome to AH H-Town hunter! It is a great site, glad to have you here.

 

[TRAVEL EXPRESS]

Welcome to the family and the forum H-Town hunter! Nice to have you on the site.

 

[H-Town hunter]

Thanks Red Leg for the information on the Blaser!

 

[H-Town hunter]

Shootist43 - I'm not that familiar with the 404 Jefferies but I understand it's a great round. For me though, I think the 375 H&H is the way to go on my next Buff hunt since I will hunt some plains game too. I just like the versatility and range of the 375 H&H.

I sure would like to meet some good folks here, in Houston, to talk Africa hunting?

 

[tarbe]

I sure would like to meet some good folks here, in Houston, to talk Africa hunting?

Well, I was going to mention that you were welcome to join next time @Bullthrower338 , @375 Ruger Fan and I meet up at Taste of Texas, but if you insist on "good folks", we might come up just a bit short!

 

[Mr. Zorg]

Welcome from another new member just down the road a piece west of you.

 

[H-Town hunter]

Lol...Lol....Thanks @tarbe. Let me know the next time you all intend to get together.

 

[tarbe]

Lol...Lol....Thanks @tarbe. Let me know the next time you all intend to get together.

Will do!

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

but if you insist on "good folks", we might come up just a bit short!

 

[Bullthrower338]

View attachment 290923

Eh, a wise guy huh? Yuk yuk yuk