.375 H&H or .416 Remington?

[Kestrel]

I'm thinking about a heavy rifle caliber for bear, elk, moose, wild hogs, etc. in North America. I'm thinking about .375 H&H or .416 Remington.

I'm looking for advice and comments on these two. Also, can they be loaded down successfully for deer, smaller pigs, etc.?

I'm considering a Win 70 Classic Safari Express for the rifle - I really like it's looks and features.

Is the .416 a lot more powerful than the .375? Is the .375 a lot more powerful than a .45-70 loaded to maximum?

Thanks for any help,
Steve

 

[JJohnston015]

The .375 would be easier to load down. There are lots of light bullets available: Barnes makes 210 and 235 gr. X-bullets, Hornady a 220 gr. flat point and a 225 gr. spire point, Speer a 235 gr. semi-spitzer, and Swift a 250 gr. A-frame. You can start these out about 2400-2500 fps with the same powders you would use for full power loads. You can go even slower with some of the powders specifically made for light loads.

The .416 would be harder to load down - available bullet weights don't go much below about 350 gr.

Power-wise, the numbers are about 5000 ft-lb for the .416, 4000 for the .375 and 3000 for the .45-70.

Be warned if you've never used a caliber this big before. I got myself a .375 not too long ago, never having owned or fired anything bigger than a .30-06. I started with 300 gr. factory loads - not too smart. I'm doing the loading-down thing myself right now (not forever, I hope).

 

[BigG]

375 is a classic caliber that can be tailored to suit a lot of different loadings. I would get that or jump to 458 Win before considering the 416 Rem because of ammo availability and bullets. 458 can be loaded down to 45/70 ballistics with lead 405 gr bullets, for example. Just a loud FOOP! as the shotglass-sized slug travels leisurely downrange. HTH

 

[mgjohn]

I like my 375 H&H (Remington 700) It's a great rifle. If I was only going to have one big game/all around rifle this would be it.

 

[Mike Irwin]

.375 on a lot of different levels.

Accuracy (I've not been impressed with the .416's accuracy out of the two rifles I've shot), but the .375 can be a frigging tack driver.

Trajectory should favor the .375.

Recoil is less.

Not so overpowered as to be ludicrous on smaller game.

Ammo availability and selection.

 

[Badger Arms]

375 hands down. I think that the main factor ballistically that you are looking at is that it shoots flatter and farther. You cannot beat the 375 in North America for Moose and Bear that you want to anchor quickly. Recoil is milder and you are unlikely to have any problems downloading or finding any load you like to suit your shooting conditions.

 

[Gordon]

Ditto the .375. Only .416 uses are in africa or a professional guide in Alaska. .375 RULES!

 

[Gearhead Jim]

The Winchester Model 70 in .375 is a great design, but.....
The first new one I bought 2 years ago had feeding problems so bad that the factory finally replaced it with a new gun. The new one wouldn't feed either, Winchester factory service totally sucks.

If I ever need to replace this one, I plan to buy another Model 70. But it will NEVER go back to the factory for service. Instead, I will send it directly to my favorite riflesmith and expect that it will take him about 2 months and $300 to make it function properly.

Kinda reminds me of the junky 1911's that Colt used to produce. They weren't guns, just a collection of parts that a good 'smith could use to make a gun.

 

[cratz2]

I'd have to go for the 375 in that general category. More rifles, wider bullet selection, much less recoil. If you don't reload, the 375H&H is going to about 1/4 as expensive to shoot as the 416.

While the 375 and max 45-70 loads can cover similar territory, the 375s are going to almost always have a higher sectional density and ballistic coeffecient. Better penetration and flatter trajectory.

If I was buying/building a dedicated elephant/buffalo rifle for taking to Africa, I'd look into the 416. For staying in North America and/or a general all around the world rifle, I'd definately take the 375.