Big bore for big boars

[bman940]

I was going pig hunting at a friend's property two years ago. Rummaging through my safe, I saw my Brown Precision Remington 700 .375 H&H in the back and thought, you would be big fun on feral swine; time to come out of hibernation. I was taking a buddy to the range the next day, so I put on a Riton Optics, 3 Tactix 1-8X24 with an illuminated MOA reticle scope. I was dialed in using my laser bore sighter, and 3 shots later. I forgot how little fun range time is with the .375 H&H. I took 4 swine over 2.5 days and the biggest Racoon (full of corn)I have ever seen. Since that trip, my 700 has taken at least 10 pigs and 2 coyotes. The most fun is talking friends into getting behind it and watching their faces as a .300 Gr projectile exits the barrel. Many guys have big bore rifles they leave in the back of the safe. Trust me, they are a lot of fun to use on coyotes and swine.

 

[fatback]

I’m a big fan of the 375 H&H since getting one last year. I plan on hunting deer and pigs with it again this year. Gonna be shooting 260 grain accubonds. I killed 3 deer and a couple of pigs with it last year.

 

[longrangedog]

My family comes from rural backgrounds and raising hogs was a major part of putting food on the table. I remember hog killing time from my childhood and recall that .22 shorts were commonly used to kill them. My place in the North Georgia mountains was overrun with wild hogs when we first moved here years ago. I built a corral trap and was soon killing dozens of trapped hogs. I used subsonic .22 long rifles in a suppressed rifle because the reduced sound didn't panic the hogs and send them crashing at full speed into the sides of the trap. Most died with one round to the head. 375 H&H seems like overkill, but I recognize that shooting trapped hogs is much different than shooting loose boars in the woods.

 

[fatback]

Never really understood the term “overkill” dead is dead. A larger, slower moving projectile often times causes less meat damage that a smaller, faster projectile. The .22 is great for killing all sorts or critters. Good job on thinning the herd on your place.

 

[earlthegoat2]

375 H&H is known as a medium bore in the greater worldwide hunting arena.

444 Marlin is what I use on feral swine. It is also not much fun to fire at the range.

 

[bighonkinjeep]

Never really understood the term “overkill” dead is dead. A larger, slower moving projectile often times causes less meat damage that a smaller, faster projectile. The .22 is great for killing all sorts or critters. Good job on thinning the herd on your place.

I thought the same thing until I shot 2 different deer at 200 yards with a .300RUM loaded with 180gr Sirocco Bondeds. Hit one facing me square in the chest. The bullet went lengthwise through the deer and stopped just under the skin on the left ham completely turning everything from front to rear into purple bloodshot mush in a deerskin bag. I was able to save 1 ham on the off side from an entire deer. No straps nothing.
The second was a doe broadside and shot with the same combo at the same distance. Shot landed just behind the shoulder and she went down as if body slammed. I grabbed her by the ears to flip her over and there was a gutpile shaped like a 5 gallon bucket that came out a hole the size of a basketball. After removing the skin i was only able to save the 2 hams.everything else from the neck all the way back to the hams was purple bloodshot mush and thick liquid guts.
I used to think there was no such thing as too much gun or too dead and then I saw it.
The .300RUM carries as much energy at 400 yards as a .30-06 does point blank at the muzzle.
Remington had so many complaints they started making ammunition in 3 different power levels. I'll never shoot another whitetail with it but as the OP stated it sits in the back of the safe. Never know when those pesky garden rhinos will show up.

 

[fatback]

Sound like that was more due to the bullet choice and the velocity of said bullet and not the cartridge. As I am not familiar with that cartridge but slower moving bullets maybe be just the ticket for whitetail sized game and the ones you used maybe better for larger game. The 375 H&H is used extensively in Africa on the “tiny 10”, with the proper solid bullets. Sorry to hear you lost so much meat off those 2 deer, that is always a bummer.

 

[transfixer]

I wouldn't want to deer hunt with it as has been mentioned, likely damage a lot of meat, for hogs, especially boar hogs it likely won't matter, as most don't eat them anyway, and coyotes won't matter, some just like extreme velocity or big bore calibers, one of my hunting friends thought it was cool to hunt with a .338 win mag, until he shot a deer with it and destroyed a shoulder and a hind quarter,

 

[Robust Redhorse]

The .375 H&H is my second favorite chambering.

(.30/06 is my first)

They do recoil pretty substantially with factory ammunition, but they can be downloaded to make excellent rifles for nearly any big-game in America.


The factory expanding ammo (as long as you shy away from "dangerous-game solids") is perfect for elk, moose, bison, and big bears

 

[Robust Redhorse]

I ran across some 270g Winchester Power Points, and 300g Silvertips at a gunshow a few years ago for $25/box. I left with everything they had!

 

[NWS]

The .375 H&H is my second favorite chambering.


They do recoil pretty substantially with factory ammunition, but they can be downloaded to make excellent rifles for nearly any big-game in America.


The factory expanding ammo (as long as you shy away from "dangerous-game solids") is perfect for elk, moose, bison, and big bears

Exactly right. If you reload, the 375 H&H might be the most versatile caliber out there. Same somewhat for a lot of the old calibers…30/06, 270. Of course with the “popularity” of new modern selections like the creedmores, wsm’s, etc, they don’t capture the spotlight.

 

[Robust Redhorse]

I would recommend that anyone grab a used .375 H&H Magnum that shows up at your local gun store or show.

Factory ammo can be purchased pretty cheaply and you will be able to "legally" hunt any land animal that roams the planet.

If you stumble across a "Rigby" branded rifle, please PM me. They aren't worth the steel they are stamped from, but I need a part...