New to 375 H&H

Another question for everyone. What is the best recommended way to clean it. I have looked for bore snakes but I haven’t seen any.
 
Another question for everyone. What is the best recommended way to clean it. I have looked for bore snakes but I haven’t seen any.
:A Popcorn:
 
Personally for anything on this side of the Atlantic, I don’t think you need to go 300gr. A 250gr TTSX will handle anything you will come across in the bush, and give you a bit more reach

But if you want one cartridge to do it all around home and Africa, 300 is the way to go.
 
I recently have acquired a CZ 550 safari classic in 375 H&H.

I am also very excited to enter the big bore club.

I am new to the club and want to learn. Thanks

Hate to burst your bubble, but you just entered the medium bore club. ;) However, don't despair you have plenty of company. It is a great starter African caliber.

A premium 300 grain bullet will take care of any African big game you wish to shoot.
 

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I'd only use a bore snake in the field.

Think of it this way, you drag it through all the crud that might be in the barrel and then reuse it without cleaning it thoroughly to get the crud off of it.

I personally use a single piece steel cleaning rod that you can use jags, slotted tips, and brushes with.

In the end I don't want to drag crud through the barrel after I have just cleaned it.
 
Another question for everyone. What is the best recommended way to clean it. I have looked for bore snakes but I haven’t seen any.
With bore cleaning compound, a .375 nylon brush and jag, gun cleaning solvent, and some hoppes elite copper remover of course.

After the range, I usually just run an oiled patch then a dry patch.

After 40-60 rounds...
Solvent on a patch
Brush
sit 10 minutes
Solvent on a patch
brush again
Sit 10 more minutes
2x clean dry patch.
copper solvent soaked patch
Sit an hour or two
brush
copper solvent soaked patch
Sit for half hour
brush
3x clean dry patch
Water displacing Oil/WD-40 soaked patch one last clean dry patch
Wipe the outside of your gun down with carnauba paste wax
...and your done
 
First go to Safari Press and buy Dr Robertson's book “The Perfect Shot”. All the info will be a fascinating read and it will give you insights of most Africa species and what to use on them.
Easiest thing to do is if you reload, just use a 300 grain Swift A-frame, Speer/Federal TBBC, or North Fork for everything. The new Hornady bonded may or may not be OK. Not much history on it.
The 300 Barnes TSX is an excellent cape buffalo bullet, but a bit tough for the smaller PG although put in the right spot, it will work. I have taken from buffalo down to bushbuck using it, but it wasn’t designed for them.
Here in North America those will work for all size species as well.
If you’re not a handloader, the Swift factory or Federal factory ammo with the Swift A-frame is a good load. For less costly practice, PPU in 300 grain works if you can find it. It shoots well enough in my guns.

I have found that the monolithics shoot more accurately in my guns if the barrels are fouled first using a standard load such as the PPU.

You’ve got yourself a winner of a cartridge and rifle! Enjoy and shoot it as much as possible. A good 1-6 Leupold would be my first scope for it.
 
My ballistic app says the difference between the 250 gr Hornady load and the 300 gr Hornady load is 1 inch at 150 m. Doesnt seem to be any practical benefit to using the lighter bullet. If you are shooting Springbok at distance then use another calibre because the 375 is not ideal.

So stick with 300 gr bullets. Use cheaper bullets for practise and smaller game and A Frames for DG.
 
Federal Premium 300grn. Trophy Bonded Bear claws
Federal Premium 300 gun. Sledgehammer or Hydro Shocks

Proper scope is very important, good eye relief
Personal favorite Swarovski 1.25 to 5 # 4 Reticle, illuminated

We have a great Croc & Hippo hunt on Kariba @ $12,500.00 all inclusive. Airport, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Tiger Fishing included as time allows.
 
For Africa use a quality 300 gr bullet. However, for North America, if I was bound and determined to use a .375, then I would use a 250 or 270 gr bullet. That way you will have a rifle almost as good as a .338 for large North American game. ;)

Your .375 is a superb choice for Africa. I am confident that more of the big five have been taken by client hunters with the .375 than all other calibers combined. I have several forties in the gun room, and they have yet to go to Africa. The .375 is simply too superior a balance for taking DG and PG on the same hunt. I should add, that I hate dragging around multiple rifles.
 
Federal Premium 300grn. Trophy Bonded Bear claws
Federal Premium 300 gun. Sledgehammer or Hydro Shocks

Proper scope is very important, good eye relief
Personal favorite Swarovski 1.25 to 5 # 4 Reticle, illuminated

We have a great Croc & Hippo hunt on Kariba @ $12,500.00 all inclusive. Airport, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Tiger Fishing included as time allows.
Tanner Lee, this would be an excellent hunt, but IMO&E both of these require very accurate shots. Possibly the most accurate shots in Africa. I only wish I could go!
 
If there is bad ammunition for the .375H&H, I haven't experienced it, and have used ammunition from Remington, Federal, Hornady, Winchester, Sako, PPU, Norma, and perhaps a couple others. For hunting North American game, there is more likelihood of problems by choosing a bullet that is too tough and fails to expand on smallish game. It isn't always a good idea to use a buffalo bullet when hunting deer or elk. I've had perfectly satisfactory results with 300 gr. standard round nose soft points on moose and deer, and 260 gr. Nosler partitions on bear and elk. When you book a trip to Africa there is plenty of time to find out what premium tough 300 grain bullet might be your best choice for Cape buffalo or eland. Until then, just buy some standard cheap 270-300 gr, soft points and enjoy shooting your rifle and hunting local game. Federal blue box and PPU are quite inexpensive, shoot good and will allow you to shoot more for the same $$ and get used to your new rifle.
 
If there is bad ammunition for the .375H&H, I haven't experienced it, and have used ammunition from Remington, Federal, Hornady, Winchester, Sako, PPU, Norma, and perhaps a couple others. For hunting North American game, there is more likelihood of problems by choosing a bullet that is too tough and fails to expand on smallish game. It isn't always a good idea to use a buffalo bullet when hunting deer or elk. I've had perfectly satisfactory results with 300 gr. standard round nose soft points on moose and deer, and 260 gr. Nosler partitions on bear and elk. When you book a trip to Africa there is plenty of time to find out what premium tough 300 grain bullet might be your best choice for Cape buffalo or eland. Until then, just buy some standard cheap 270-300 gr, soft points and enjoy shooting your rifle and hunting local game. Federal blue box and PPU are quite inexpensive, shoot good and will allow you to shoot more for the same $$ and get used to your new rifle.

I got some Hornady outfitter 250 gr. GMX. My local store had quite a few boxes so I got them. Was thinking it would be great for any North America big game, like elk, bison and brown bear.

Thanks for the advice, I appreciate all the information people have to offer.
 
Tanner Lee, I agree with those that say Bore snakes are not ment to clean rifles. That said there is a caveat, when clean, they are excellent for wiping out any "field generated" dust etc. but not worth a tinkers darn for completely removing powder and or copper fouling.
 
Tanner Lee, I agree with those that say Bore snakes are not ment to clean rifles. That said there is a caveat, when clean, they are excellent for wiping out any "field generated" dust etc. but not worth a tinkers darn for completely removing powder and or copper fouling.
And if they did clean the bore to any effect, then a fouling shot would be needed.

Bore snakes are useless for anything except what you describe.
 
Welcome to the club! The .375 H&H is very addictive.

I can only bow to others when it comes to factory ammo, because I have always handloaded my .375. When I talk to writers who have extensive experience with all kinds of African game, the Hornady DGX seems to be the most frequent choice--which also coincides with my research on brand/load popularity (I work in the industry).

My personal recommendation is to use this excellent purchase as a bridge to handloading. Besides a modest initial investment on press, accessories and components, it is a very rewarding activity that opens up a virtually limitless number of possibilities for you. (It would also be your official "Powderhead Club" card!)

If dangerous game is not immediately on the menu and you want to turn your .375 into an almost all-round rifle, I can tell you what's worked for me: a 270gr spitzer traveling at about 2500 fps: pleasant to shoot, accurate, flat enough trajectory out to 250-300 yards, no ruined meat and good penetration, and very little in excess of what you need from whitetail to anything in North America and most of Africa.

With the 300gr, you start to have a gap between the excess in recoil and what you really need for animals below the Cape Buffalo (or perhaps, perhaps the biggest Alaskan bears). Your mileage may vary, of course. I've never tried the 250gr, so I will defer to others with more experience with it.

As far as cleaning the rifle, I use the tried and true method: jags, brushes, cotton patches, Hoppe's N. 9, and oil. Recently, I've replaced the last two items with what I consider to be the world's best do-it-all liquid product--the 120-year-old veteran Ballistol. While on a hunting trip, I keep a bore snake that I run through the barrel upon my return to camp. As far as I know, they don't make one specifically for .375, but the .35 caliber works perfectly.

Lastly, if you're a member of the .375 H&H club, please know that, traditionally, it's classified as a medium, not large bore. There is a whole magic, fascinating world of truly large-bore cartridges that one day you may want to explore.... if you dare.... :cool:
 

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