338 Win Mag Vrs 375 Hh [Archive] - Cabela's Talk Forums

turner1978

11-15-2005, 11:40 PM

Yooper

11-16-2005, 08:13 AM

Having shot both a .338 and a.375, from my perspective I think the recoil issues are about the same. The biggest issue I thought was flinching. I was sure the .375 was going to tear my shoulder off so I flinched...BAD.

If you weren't planning to go after a bear, I'd say ppick the one you want. Where a bear is concerned, I'm a believer in the bigger is better plan... Seeing as how you're buyng a new gun, get one and shoot as much as you can and get good. Bullet placement is the key anyway.

Mark

11-16-2005, 09:19 AM

I have experience with both the .375 H & H, and the .338 Win. Mag. Without reservation, I would recommend the .375. The recoil you will experience will be there, but the .338's recoil seems more intense.
The .375 has excellent penetration, and acceptable trajectory, (about the same as a 180 grain 30-06). This is with a 270 grain bullet! The .375 also turns in splendid performance on moose and elk, particularly in areas of heavy brush. The reason for all these good things is bullet construction. The .375 is a special purpose cartridge, designed for heavy and/or dangerous game. I have never seen a .375 bullet break apart or shed it's core on game. The same cannot be said for the .338, especially when velocity is still high. One of the worst things that has happened to the .338 is boat tail bullets. The angle of the boat tail at the base of the bullet actually serves as a draft angle to encourage the lead core to separate from the jacket. The .338 is still in the realm of dual purpose, as evidenced by the availability of 200 grain bullets for deer.
It could be argued that the .338's 250 grain bullet competes with the .375's 270 grain for penetration, and this is true, but at the expense of bullet trajectory. With the .375, there is acceptable trajectory and penetration with a 270 grain bullet.
The .375 has also stood the test of time. I believe the cartridge was introduced about 1912 (or so) and is still readily available. Look at what has happened in cartridge development in the last 40 years. I see you are not considering an 8 MM Remington Mag. Look at how the .264 Mag has fallen from favor. There is a host of other cartridges that are no longer with us. For the .375 to have lasted over 90 years there is certainly something going for it.
Have fun planning and comparing. I'm not sure that isn't half the fun.

Mark

LLOYD

11-16-2005, 12:43 PM

The recoil table which I often refer to shows the .338 with a 250gr bullet and a nine pound rifle with 33.1 lbs. of recoil and the 375 with a 270gr bullet and same nine pound rifle generating 36.1 lbs. of recoil. To me, both are so close in recoil that the decision should not be based upon recoil but on the other factors.

turner1978

11-18-2005, 12:25 AM

I have been doing a litle bit of research on hunting in Alaska. Turns out that you have to hire a guide to hunt Brown bear but not Moose. I am planning on doing a non-guided drop hunt with my cousin and will more than likely return every 2-3 years or so. The prices are too steep for us, around $17,000.00, to be worth hunting Brown bear more than once in a life time, so we will probably hunt moose and sheep and such most of the time. I do want something that can handle an anry bear though. I am thinking that the 338 or the 325 would probably do well in my situation. The 325wsm would be shorter and easier to pack.

Whitecloud

11-18-2005, 06:17 PM

Sir,

The .375 is a long hard push.

I do not own one yet but have shot a few.

The .338 is a Quick Slap as is the .325 wsm (but not nearly as much as the .338!)

I do not think you will notice the difference but I would NOT get a 6 Lb .375 if you know what I mean.

The more appropriate firearm is the .375 since bears are involved.

You can always handload down for practice.

turner1978

11-19-2005, 01:37 PM

I currently am using a 270wsm for deer and elk here in Idaho. It does the job on both but I am thinking about just using it for deer.Then I could use my Alaska gun (what ever caliber that may be) for elk also. That is why I am kind of leaning towards the 338 win mag or the 325wsm. I have shot both and can handle the recoil of both. The 325wsm is more pleasant to shoot and carry due to shorter all around package. But the availability of bullets are hard to ignore. I handload and can load any bullet that I want in the 338 but there is a limited supply in 8mm bullets for the 325. Sometimes it is more fun to just think all winter long about what gun or caliber to by, or weather to buy laminate or sinthetic, or blued or stainless. Know what I mean? I don't want to get too heavy of a rifle. From what I have seen on the internet you can only take 80-100 lb's of gear when you get on the airplane to fly you out to the drop camp but I don't want something that kicks like a mule either. I like the idea of the 325 in a light rifle. I have shot one in a win 70 feather weght and the recoil was still less than any 338 that I have ever shot. I just wish there was more 8mm bullets to choose from. What to do!!! The 338 is here to stay but the 325wsm is getting alot of bad rap due to how us Americans don't like metric bullets like 8mm. I like the idea of a 8mm for anything from elk to moose and an occasional Grizz. I think that winchester is bringing on some of the bad rap by saying that the wsm's are replacing there predicessors like the 270 win, 7mmrem mag, 300 win, and 338 win mag. If they had just introduce them as new bullets instead of replacements the 325 might have been accepted by 338 fans instead of offended. I think that the 325 and the 338 are both good calibers for what I am looking for. The 375 might be a bit much for elk though. If I was hunting Brown bears alot then I think I would go with the 375 but now that I know how much $ it costs to go on a guided hunt I might not ever even go for those big bears. Probably just drop- non-guided hunts for moose, sheep, caribou, black bear, and etc.

turner1978

11-20-2005, 02:06 PM

How about the 300 rem ultra mag? Does any body have much experience with this cartridge and what is the recoil like? I am also considering a 300wsm. The 300wsm recoil is not bad at all.

Yooper

11-21-2005, 08:17 AM

I know how you feel. I'm buying a couple of new guns next year, one also for my Alaska trip. Let me tell you from experiences up there that you should go stainless... just because...

The best thing to do though would be to pick one, pick the rifle you want and then practice as much as possible. Seeing as how you handload, Might want to go with the .338 and load up some Barnes bullets. They are a highly effective Alaska round. My family up there uses them for all Alaska-sized game. (from a .375).

If recoil is an issue, try a Limbsaver's pad.

You also talked about the .300 Ultra and the .300 WSM. To these, I'd ask what do you want it for? If you're looking at this as your Alaska gun, take a look at the balistics and you'll find your answer. The .300 ultra is a "cookin'" round.

Let us know which way you go.

turner1978

11-21-2005, 09:08 PM

I am looking at a remington 700 lss. It has a stainless steel barrel with a laminated stock. It is a 300 Rem ultra mag with 26 in barrel too. Remington puts nice pads on these rifles so that is already taken care of. I think that it would be a good gun for me to take to Alaska for moose, sheep, caribou and such. Probably no brown bears, too much money. It would also be an awesome elk rifle for here in Idaho. I am using a 270wsm right now for elk and deer but if I like shooting the 300rum I will just use the 270wsm for deer and the 300rum for elk and Alaska. I think that the 300rum with a 200 gr barnes tsx at about 3,250 fps would work well for Alaskan moose and elk here in Idaho at the same time as long as the rifle shoots them good. I think that I can handle the recoil with some practice, just wish I new somebody that had one that I could shoot before I spend $700.00 on it. I have looked at a lot of diferent rifles and this one is the only one that keeps me up at night. I know that I can shoot thye 338 win mag without flincking but I'm not sure if the 300rum kicks harder or less or what. Lloyd mentioned how much recoil the 338 and 375 have in lbs and I was wondering if any body knows what the 300rum pust out.

Are you going on a drop hunt or a guide hunt in Alaska? Have you ever been on a drop hunt and do you recomend any body in particular for a drop hunt? Thanks.

Yooper

11-22-2005, 08:23 AM

I'm cheating. I have family up in Alaska so I just go with them for everything I legally can.

For outfitters, you have some choices. Check this website for several. cabela's offers drop hunts and guided hunts for quite a few Alaskan adventures. Probably your best bet, at least for advice. These guides are all thouroughly checked out so you get the best hunt.

Otherwise, I'd search the web for alaskan hunting forums. Try to find one with hunters from Alaska as you'll get your best advice that way.

tykempster

11-22-2005, 02:55 PM

Cartridge Rifle Weight Recoil energy Recoil velocity
300 Ultra Mag. 8.5 32.8 15.8
.338 Win. Mag. 9.0 33.1 15.4
.338 Ultra Mag 8.5 43.1 n/a (Too fast to read which means it kicks bad)
375 H&H Mag. 9.0 36.1 16.1
375 Ultra Mag 8.75 53.2 n/a (Even faster than a .338 RUM)

Hope this helps.

tykempster

11-22-2005, 02:56 PM

Dangit it screwed up my table...maybe you can still read it...

turner1978

11-22-2005, 09:19 PM

Thankyou Tykempster for that chart. if I am reading it correctly it is bassicly saying that the recoil is really close between the 300rum and the 338 win mag. The 300 rum may even kick a litle less too.

turner1978

11-24-2005, 10:41 AM

Just wanted to let every body know that I bought a Remington 700 LSS in 300 Rem Ultra Mag. I took it to the range yesterday and sighted it in with factory 180gr core lokt ultras (cheapest bullets I could find$34.99). It is more accurate than I thought that it would be. The recoil is pretty harsh but it has a nice pad on it so it is verry tolerable. I got 1 inch groups at 100 yards with factory ammo! I can't wait to see what I can do with hand loads. The recoil is actually less than what I was expecting. The only problem is that when I get in odd angles the scope hits me in the forehead. I moved the scope as far forward as possible but ran out of ammo before I could see if that fixed the problem. I think that if I use it for moose in Alaska I could load it with 200 gr accubond, tsx, or A-frames and it will do a moose just fine. If I ever hunt Brown bear I could load it with 220 A-frames and that should work. But then again if I am gonna spend $12,000.00-$18,000.00 on a brown bear hunt I might as well spend another $700.00 on a 375 HH and get-er-done right. But I really dought that I could ever see me spending that kind of money on a hunt. More than likely I will probably go to Alaska 4-5 times in my life for Moose, sheep, black bear, caribou and maybe even go to Canada a feqw times too.

oldfordjr

12-03-2005, 08:32 AM

I am considering buying a new rifle to take to Alaska for Brown bear and Alaska Moose. I have shot 338's before and I can tolerate the recoil fine without any problems. I have read and been told that the 375 hh is the better round for Brown Bear but I am not sure how much more recoil they produce than the 338 . Should I buy the familiar kicking 338 or should I bump up to the 375 and how much of a recoil diference is there between the two? I might even consider the 325 wsm. Any recomendations? Thanks in advance.

Turner:

For what it's worth, I own both a 338 WM and 375 Remington Ultra Magnum and can tell you from experience, there is a major difference in knockdown power and overall performance. Recoil is higher in the 375 caliber class, but with a modern recoil pad (Limbsaver, Decelarator, Kick-eez, ect....) it becomes
tolerable. The 375 RUM, for all practical purposes, especially when reloaded to higher velocities it becomes a gun of a different class. Even factory rounds, referring to Remington's 270 Bonded Core Lok, is a real performer from both standpoints of knockdown power and accuracy. Without dought, it is a step above the 375 H&H. For future reading, buy the current copy of Nosler's reloading manual and read their write up on the 375 RUM. Iam sure, without any reservation, you will be impressed with their findings.

Good Luck,

Joe

turner1978

12-05-2005, 11:16 PM

I bought the 300 rum and the recoil is pretty strong but I can still shoot it acurately. I think that the 375 rum would be more recoil than what I am looking for. I grabbed my nosler reloading manual and read the write up about the 375rum and it is an impressive round. With a muzzle break I am sure the recoil could be taimed to acceptable levels for me. Theres only one problem with that solution. I hate muzzle breaks. Too loud. They kill my ears and I will never hunt with another muzzle broke gun again. But thats another story. Thanks for all of the info everybody!

Madawaska

12-06-2005, 07:05 AM

Turner, You've pretty well heard most of it with all the current postings but I'll add my two bits. I have a .338 Win. Mag in a 19 inch barrelled Sako Carbine and a Remington 700 Safari in .416 Rem. Mag. I did have a .375 H&H but lost it in the field and replaced it with the .416 (they were all the rage at the time). They are all thumpers but you have to keep in mind: 1) you carry more than you shoot; 2) in the heat of the moment, you will never feel recoil, 3) you can always practice with reduced loads. ...and it goes on and on. Much as I love the .416 I do miss the .375 mostly because it had a slimmer barrel contour and as one poster said the .375 gives you a "shove". So does the .416, but it's just a bigger shove. The little Sako carbine is great in the thick stuff and at one time they made it and a Battue in .375 H&H. Waited too long and now neither is available. Which is all to say that if you shoot a lot (and I get the impression you do) you're probably not going to notice a dime's worth of difference in terms of recoil but you will in terms of carry weight. I carried that .375 H&H while working as a geologist in the Northwest Territories for several seasons but now I'd probably pack the .338. It's lighter, I'm a lot older and with 250 grain Noslers over a stiff load of 4831, I'm a happy camper. If I was intentionally headed after the big brown furry lads in Alaska though, I suspect the .416 would get the nod. Not for everyone though. Go with the .375. It's a great cartridge with lots of good bullets to choose from. Didn't Rifles Inc. make a five pound .375 H&H for Clair Rees at one time? Again, you'll carry more than you shoot.

qbalaska

12-22-2005, 10:39 PM

I have hunted big game in Alaska for years and this past summer bought a 325WSM - Winchester Coyote Lite Stainless. I sat down at the bench and in the process of breaking the barrel in and sighting in, shot a box of 220 grain factory ammo through it before I realized it. This gun is not only a pleasure to shoot, but is accurate to boot. I put 3 shots in less than an inch off the bench at 240 yards and shot a moose with it at a lasered 254 yards this October. The moose dropped from one shot like a metal target drop plate.
I am sold and so are the guys who saw the gun in action including one that has a 300 ultramag and another one that was going to buy the 338 until he shot my 325.
Anyway, I don't think you can go wrong with this round and I tell you it kicks much less than my 300 win mag.

Good hunting.

Mark

12-23-2005, 08:23 AM

I hope you are very happy with the .300 RUM. If I could offer advice it would be more in the form of a request. It would be interesting that the number of rounds fired be recorded, and a record of the rifles accuracy be maintained with respect to that number.
Rumors of short barrel life are really flying around concerning this caliber, and to have access to solid facts would benefit anyone else considering this caliber.
Mark

turner1978

12-24-2005, 08:04 PM

I have mixed fellings about this new rifle of mine. As I stated before I bought a remington 700 lss with a 26 in barell. It is a beutiful gun and I shot some factory ammo (180 gr core lokt ultra) to sight it in and do a litle bit of practice with it. The factory ammo shot a 1 in group at 100 yards with five shots. I was extremely impressed with the accuracy of this rifle right out of the box. The catch is the push feed bolt. It doesn't feed as reliably as my winchesters do. I have handloaded some accubond bullets and some barnes tsx and I will let you know how they shoot as soon as I get a chance to go shoot them. As for barell life I expect that it will wear faster than say a 30-06 but thats what you get when you push bullets out at 3,400 fps. The recoil isn't no where near as bad as I expected it to be. A litle bit more than a 300 win mag. but not by much.

Warhawk

12-29-2005, 01:18 AM

My first post here, found the place doing a search on Rem 700's in 375 H&H.

I am a big fan of the 338 Win Mag. I'm on my third 338, had a blue/walnut tang safety Ruger 77, nice rifle but I traded it for a stainless synthetic Ruger M77 MKII thinking that it was an upgrade, I was wrong. I never liked the stainless MKII, it was heavy the stock design was horrible.

Then my current rifle showed up on the used gun rack. I'm not entirely sure what it is, it's a Rem 700 stainless/synthetic in ADL configuration with a rough, almost stippled finish on the metalwork. It wears a Leupold 3-9x compact scope. I've owned a pretty wide assortment of rifles, and IMHO the 338 kicks LESS than a 7mm Mag or a 300 Mag (win or Wby). I have not shot any of the Rem Ultra mags. I have quite a bit of experience with a couple of 7mm Rem Mags, and find the recoil from them more "snappy" than the 338, and I'm more likely to get nailed by the scope with the 7 mag.

I don't have experience in shooting anything but Kansas whitetails with the 338, yet. I've had the Remington for 12-13 years now and estimate that it's accounted for 40+ whitetails. I will also say that those who say the bigger gun "tears up too much meat" that the 338 creates less bloodshot meat than a .270 winchester, and way less than a 7 mag. But the 338 puts them down with authority, I switched from a .270 for deer after nearly losing a big (325-350 pound) buck.

Anyway ... now to the point of my coming here. I picked up a Rem 700 BDL in 375 H&H about a year ago. It's got a weighted injection molded synthetic stock on it now, with a limbsaver pad. I also have the original walnut BDL stock, all of it in unfired condition. I want to put it in a laminated stock, and see that Numrich has Remington brown laminated stocks for $70.

I like the old Tasco Euro scopes, with 30mm tubes. I've had great luck with these scopes but the hardest kicker I've mounted one on was a 7mm STW Sendero. The new Tasco Titan series looks like the same scope (the 30mm ones anyway). Does anyone have any experience with these on a big bore rifle? I have two that would be suitable for the 375, a 1.5-4.5x and a 1.5-6x.

turner1978

12-29-2005, 06:15 PM

Sounds like you got your self a nice rifle. Might I suggest a cool/low priced scope for it. I like those Sightron scopes. Exceptional quality for about half the price of the leading competitors.

ROGUE RIVER

01-07-2006, 10:10 PM

turner1978

01-08-2006, 12:04 PM

Thats what I have heard. Some say the 375 hh is like a long push were the 338 is like a sharp kick. But that doesn't really matter since I bought a 300RUM and now I have a 375RUM on layaway. I got no clue on what the recoil will be like on the 375RUM but I can usually handle harsh recoil with a litle bit of practice.

ROGUE RIVER

01-08-2006, 02:01 PM

I'll wager the recoil will be brutal, the 375 H&H was a real suprise, Ive sold .338win & 300 wins because the recoil hurt.but shoot the 375 H&H all day off the bench. I also get sub moa groups with the 260 noslers.I put the SVL limbsaver recoil pad on my new 270.wsm and recoil is a non-issue.

turner1978

01-25-2006, 06:54 PM

I shot my 375RUM today and the recoil was actually easier on me than my 300RUM! That was a huge surprise to me! The 300 rum is a remington 700 lss with a scope on it. The 375rum is a winchester m70 375h&h bored to 375 rum. I realize that the winchester is slightly heavier then the remington but the remington has a big scope on it and the winchester doesn't have a scope at all.. Weight is (guessing) only about a pound or two of diference between the two. The 375rum was shot with 270 gr bullets and my 300 rum is with 200 gr bullets. Why is the 375 producing less recoil then the 300rum? I have shot heavy 30-06's that kick like a mule and I also am restoring a light weight springfield arms 30-06 for my fiance that doesn't kick any harder than a 308win. Is it that big of a diference between brand name rifles? Do certain brands kick harder than others (On average)? It seems like ruger rifles kick a litle harder then my winchesters. Is this just a coincidence or does any body know the answer to this ?

dpipes

02-19-2006, 08:20 AM

only yesterday did I shoot my 375 H&H Browning A- Bolt with a Boss for the first time. With the Boss system, 270 Gr Barnes XXX @ 2700 fps I felt no more recoil that my 308 Ruger M-77 light weight. My groups were less than 1" @ 100 yds. What a sweet shooter. I am very pleased with my purchase. The Dealer from whom I purchased, has taken an Elephant and Rihno with the same gun. You can load from 200Gr to over 300Gr. My pick.

dpipes

AVM

07-13-2006, 06:59 PM

I see a lot of shooters questioning the effectiveness of the new 325 in Alaska. I live on the Alaskan Peninsula, home of giant coastal Browns. I have a Stainless Stalker in 325 wsm that loves 220 grain bullets and a 45/70 guide gun and consider myself well outfitted for Browns, Moose, Caribou, and Elk.
Lots of hunters here carry 375's and even 458's. They have their place. However, I don't think I'm giving up anything by relying on these two impressive rounds.

Buzz Wolfe

04-14-2007, 04:18 PM

You are right to be concerned about Bears. Having grown up around them you gain a huge respect for them. They are extremely powerful, fast, and unpredictable. Most of the time they smell you and you never even know they were there. Most of the time when you see each other, they just go somewhere else fast. Most of the time you are in no real danger. But you’re not concerned with most of the time, if you’re like me your concerned with the exceptions, because they can get you killed. Like when you are just hiking around and come across a bear kill, he has had his fill and is probably sleeping near by. How is he going to react when he wakes up and sees something about to take his hard earned meal away? I have been surprised more than once by a little cub popping up out of the spring grass. Why does he have to scream like you are pulling off his hide with a pair of pliers? Of course momma’s reaction is to reduce whatever is attacking baby to the atomic level. If you ever get a chance to see two boars fight, wow they take anger to a whole new level! So how do you stop something that doesn’t believe in ballistics or hydrodynamics? A bullet in the brain works or you break him down! What you use isn’t as important is how you use it. I am old school, I want the biggest hammer I can swing effectively and that is the key. What can you learn to be proficient with, up close and personal when it hits the fan! And you do have to learn to shoot the big boys, alternating with lots of 22’s so you don’t develop a subconscious flinch. Now to the real question, the 338 is a wonderful cartridge, I have love both of mine and the old 300 grain Browning loads were awesome. The 375 is a bigger hammer and smashes shoulder bones much better and yes the recoil is more substantial, especially when your hands are wet holding that plastic stock. I love my 375! My advice is talk to your friends and ask to shoot there 338’s and 375’s and see which one you can become the most proficient with at a short distance when 1 shot is all you might get and that will be the one that is right for you.

Beowulf

04-14-2007, 08:53 PM

Hey Turner .......
I can tell you without reservation dont get the 375 ultra it will tear your head off... I have shot everything from a 600 nitro to a 22 hornet and that thing made me hurt for days... It has a very sharp recoil like a 300 Wby and the push of a 505 gibbs all at the same time. My friend who got it is 6'8" weighs 375 and he wont shoot it off the bench ever and doesnt even like to shoot it offhand. If you need that kind of power then get a 416 rigby, more power less recoil and bullets wont blow up. As in all the ultra mags you have to use barnes bullets or something like them to keep from blowing the bullets up at close range. And Ultra mag ammo is the most expensive there is round for round. Because African game is usually shot close in I see no advantage to have a bullet going a bizzillion miles an hour, get a bigger gun.

Now as to a 338 or a 375 H&H...

I have shot lots of animals with both and I like both. They both have advantages and disadvantages. The 338 has better range and bullet selection but lacks the bullet mass of the 375. The 375 is found only in long action rifles weighing more than a 338 by a pound or better. You will feel more recoil from the 375 but its just a bigger push not the sharpness of the 338. 338 ammo is much cheaper and easier to find here and in alaska but 375 ammo is very common overseas. Some years back I shot a huge Brownie at very close range with a 338 browning auto and wished I had a 700 nitro double rifle at the time. My cousin who took over my guide service shoots a marlin 45/70 compact lever gun in SS and says its the cats meow for bears at close range. After killing one PO'ed brownie at 15 feet I will carry my 416 rigby now thank you very much

bluesluver

09-18-2007, 03:27 PM

I ve hunted in Alaska 5 times. I ve hervested all species except black tail deer. I can say without reservation the 338. mag is plenty of gun. Shot placement is much more critical than caliber choice. My brown bear charged and was forced to shot him head on with my 338. I have since sold my 338. and have chosen to do all of my big game hunts with a 300 wthby, ultra light. this caliber is well suited for everything in North America. I am planning a Polar bear hunt in the near future and plan on useing my 300 wthby. You have enough choices in bullet weights to hunt deer thru dangerous game. But as I am sure you know guns/bullets are a very personal choice. If you deciede on a 300 wthby I reccomend you install or buy it with a muzzle brake, the recoil is like a 30-06. Good luck...

vacowboy

09-29-2007, 07:07 AM

i have just recently purchaced a browning a bolt 338 win mag.i felt the same way some felt about the recoil issue.i flinched the first 2 shots then realized that it wasn't that bad.i'm somewhat new in the shooting field but the recoil wasn't an issue.it's not a rimfire by any means but i was able to have decent groups without the fear of getting cut by the scope.i have a 30-06 that in my opinion the 338 could never replace but i enjoy the 338 none the less.hope i didn't sound like an idiot on my first opinion.thanks

doc44

10-20-2007, 09:20 PM

I like the 338 and the 375, oops. That being said rifle weight, and stock design will make felt recoil different in the same caliber, with the same bullit weight. If you are poking around in the alaska coast, in the alders by all means use the 375 hh if you can. Bullit weight , combined with nose width and bullit construction will make the difference in close cover with big bears. There is a lot of guns out there, pick your poisen, show the good targets, and talk about the shots you have been lucky enough to make! Good Hinting.

Robertesq1

11-22-2007, 09:04 AM

turner1978

11-22-2007, 09:43 PM

Holy cow! I can't believe this thread is still going. I started it about 2 years ago and here it is still chugging along. Over the past couple of years, I ended up buying all 3 calibers that I originaly was curious about. I bought a 338 win mag in a stainless laminate which I still have. I also bought a 375 hh in a remington XCR. Recoil was pretty stout in such a light gun so I sold it (don't care for muzzle breaks). I also got a kimber montana in 325 WSM which also kicks pretty good but is manageable. I still have the kimber also and it is a good high mountain walking gun. The 338 win mag in the ruger is the most pleasant to shoot due to the farely hefty weight. The 325 kimber has a very fast and sharp recoil due to the light weight but is not over welming for an experienced shooter. The 375 was just too light and wasn't any fun for me to shoot and if you can't practice then what good is it? Thanks for all of the posts and suggestions.

tuly007

12-19-2008, 05:35 PM

i am interested to get a 375 hh to but cannot decide on the manufacturer for reliable gun to last 2-3 generations....not sure if mandatory having controlled feed or plane push fedd will do it....do not plane to go africa very soon but who knows i might get up to alaska for bear sooner than later.

Any ideas about guns on this caliber , and gun will be help ,,,, and am planning to reload for it with toughts about TSX bullets that i had good results on 7 rem mag

tnx

corey7

01-03-2009, 03:52 PM

Cam

01-03-2009, 06:33 PM

325 is plenty of gun and easier to tote all day...Stainless for sure with laminated or synthetic.Rains every day there.I had no problem taking a fairly large grizzly with a 30/06 i80gr

358winman

01-23-2009, 06:51 PM

Remember this:

Ammo for all these new rage ultra mags is not on all shelves. I'm sure in Alaska, .375 H&H ammo is more common than all these UMags put together. You can practice by shooting a 12ga with slugs day in and day out. Its cheaper than shooting up all your .375 ammo and the recoil is the same on the bench or standing up. The recoil charts online show you that the two recoils are very similar and basic slugs are cheaper than centerfire rifle ammo.
Also, the .375 will hit harder with greater frontal area and has good accuracy out beyond where you'll be shooting angry bears at. A 270 gr or 300gr TSX or Aframe will knock the crap out of any bear in Alaska and at any comfortable shooting distance including up close and personal!
I have both the .338WM and a .375H&H and love them equally. However, I'll be taking my 375 to Alaska when bears are on the menu!!!

bullet

10-23-2009, 08:23 PM

338Win Mag plain and simple and I guess that is why more Alaskan guides use it than any other cartridge. I unless you have hunted big game with the 338 or 375 which I have it would be hard to really know. I choose the 338Win Mag.

Agunner

10-24-2009, 08:28 AM

I have experience with both the .375 H & H, and the .338 Win. Mag. Without reservation, I would recommend the .375. The recoil you will experience will be there, but the .338's recoil seems more intense.
Mark
No way around it. Bigger is better ON Game, in this instance. There is a reason the .375 is around
(is it over a hundred?) a hundred years old, and still with us.
So .338 does shoot flatter ... big deal. It's a great round and only suffers due to this comparison.

On recoil ... I'd guess the numbers to be similar, but my experience has shown the .375 to have a far more mild recoil onset ... It pushes but doesn't STOMP my shoulder like some 'lighter' magnums.

bullet

10-24-2009, 09:07 AM

No way around it. Bigger is better ON Game, in this instance. There is a reason the .375 is around
(is it over a hundred?) a hundred years old, and still with us.
So .338 does shoot flatter ... big deal. It's a great round and only suffers due to this comparison.

On recoil ... I'd guess the numbers to be similar, but my experience has shown the .375 to have a far more mild recoil onset ... It pushes but doesn't STOMP my shoulder like some 'lighter' magnums.

What a flawed belief that bigger is better!!! There is also a reason that the majority of Alaskan guides use the 338Win Mag. Your point of bigger is better and your point that there is a reason the .375 is around is no more valid are conclusive than my point that more guides use the 338Win mag and and it is flatter shooting and there is a reason that the 338Win mag is around and more guides are evidence of that. What is evident is the 338Win mag is a much better all around cartridge for alaska than the 375. Your arguments nor opinion will not change my mind due to my experience with both nor will my opinion change yours. So, in light of that, "Plain and simple, the 338Win mag."

bearhunter

10-24-2009, 10:31 AM

Harry B.

10-24-2009, 12:01 PM

Sir;
Yes! The 338 will have a "sharper" recoil than the 375H&H. If I was going, seriously, after Alaskan Brownies I'd sure want the 375H&H. Better than that, knowing the size of a fully matured brown bear, I'd definately use my 416 Taylor or 416 Remington magnum.
The one in the Smithsonian is 11 feet tall and weighs 1600 pounds! I'd want a 416 or a 458 Lott at least and maybe a 577 Tyranousaur! A-Square builds them.
Harry B.

Agunner

10-25-2009, 08:51 AM

FYI that big bear that was shot in alaska that was floating around on the internet with a bunch of crazy stories was killed with a .338. The actual story...

http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/bearhunt.asp

http://www.impactlab.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=9862

http://www.blackbearheaven.com/new-bear1.jpg

7mm mag ... Thats what I thought I heard the first time this story surfaced.
Not what I'd have chosen, (I heard he was actualy deer hunting) but it does bring home the fact that we often split hairs over what is good, not, or what is enough. Back to that whole holes and blood pressure thing.

ARduxnbux

10-25-2009, 09:00 AM

FYI that big bear that was shot in alaska that was floating around on the internet with a bunch of crazy stories was killed with a .338. The actual story...

http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/bearhunt.asp

http://www.impactlab.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=9862

http://www.blackbearheaven.com/new-bear1.jpg

I met and talked with the guy. His name is Ted Winnen, and he is in the USAF. He was stationed at Eielson AFB at the time of the hunt.

And yes, it was a .338 Win Mag he took that bear with. All the hullaballoo about the bear being 12 foot tall, having eaten people, and looking into 2nd story windows was hogwash.

Oldtrader3

10-25-2009, 10:23 PM

I have never hunted coatal bears (except Washington black bear) and can not comment from experience. However, I have owned a Winchester Model 70-.375 H&H and (5) Winchester Mod. 70 and Browning Safari .338 Win Mags. Currently, I own and shoot a Mark V, .340 Weatherby Mag for elk hunting.

Recoilwise, I would rather shoot a normal weight .375 H&H than a lighweight .338 WM, particularly with heavy bullets and handloads. The .340 Weatherby actually has higher recoil velocity than the .375 H&H. Recoil velocity is a critical number that is often overlooked when thinking about recoil. The velocity is he factor of how fps you get hit by the full recoil of the rifle. I have no personal use for the Ultra Mags.

For myself, I would rather use a .375 H&H for Coastal Grizzly hunting and the .338 Win Mag or .340 Bee Mag with 210 gr Nosler Partitions or heavier, for hunting everything else in the larger game catagories.

Richracer1

10-25-2009, 11:17 PM

I find it very interesting this thread is still going. The author started it almost 4 years ago. Just an observation.

Agunner

10-26-2009, 07:34 AM

What a flawed belief that bigger is better!!! There is also a reason that the majority of Alaskan guides use the 338Win Mag. Your point of bigger is better and your point that there is a reason the .375 is around is no more valid are conclusive than my point that more guides use the 338Win mag and and it is flatter shooting and there is a reason that the 338Win mag is around and more guides are evidence of that. What is evident is the 338Win mag is a much better all around cartridge for alaska than the 375. Your arguments nor opinion will not change my mind due to my experience with both nor will my opinion change yours. So, in light of that, "Plain and simple, the 338Win mag."

I've been mis quoted ... I said :"in this instance" I also said ".338 does shoot flatter" My point was that during the time of year you would be after a bruin, range should not be an issue ...
ergo, range advantage isn't. (offers naught)
You didn't even notice that I renderred "props" to the .338 ...
I would never sugest it isn't a fantastic round ...
You said "I will not change your mind" ...
I believe you.
"A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still"
PS I have neither, and hence no 'id' stake in this argument.

bullet

10-26-2009, 07:48 AM

I've been mis quoted ... I said :"in this instance" I also said ".338 does shoot flatter" My point was that during the time of year you would be after a bruin, range should not be an issue ...
ergo, range advantage isn't. (offers naught)
You didn't even notice that I renderred "props" to the .338 ...
I would never sugest it isn't a fantastic round ...
You said "I will not change your mind" ...
I believe you.
"A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still"
PS I have neither, and hence no 'id' stake in this argument.

Your point is well made, I do understand and I admit I am bias toward the 338 and I have no further stake in this argument either.