Well I know one thing for sure, the .375 H&H is not a target gun!
- Thread starter CZ_Brno
- Start date
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
It makes no sense to shoot until the gun hurts you and you develop a flinch. Shooting 5 shot groups with a .375 won't tell you anything that you can't learn from shooting 3 shot groups, and once the rifle is sighted in, shooting pairs is a good drill. I don't envy the young guy who got tagged with the scope, and if the scope extends behind the cocking piece of the bolt, it should be moved forward. Some guys don't like this because they say they don't get a full sight picture at higher power settings. Me, I don't like being hit with the scope, and any critter you are going to smack with a .375 should be big enough that you don't need 10X to see it. A pal of mine with a .375 Ruger falls into this camp and he refuses to move the scope ahead despite being touched often and hit hard once. One of these days he'll throw that rifle up in a hurry and get badly cut. Back to recoil though, it is an acquired taste, and the more shooting one does with powerful rifles the more one can tolerate. Rifle fit becomes far more important, and if the pad is on the cheesy side it needs to be replaced.
I took a 21 year old kid out yesterday who had never fired a centerfire rifle before. We did some handgun shooting with my .357, .45 auto, and my .44, then I let him shoot my .375 Ultra. The first couple of rounds were off hand, then he shot from sitting and kneeling. No problem what so ever. The rounds were loaded pretty much to full steam with 270 gr Hornady's ahead of 100 grs of H-4831. I limited him to 8 or ten rounds in total, took time between each firing, and had him shoot pairs. He went away wanting more, and that's how it should be.
I took a 21 year old kid out yesterday who had never fired a centerfire rifle before. We did some handgun shooting with my .357, .45 auto, and my .44, then I let him shoot my .375 Ultra. The first couple of rounds were off hand, then he shot from sitting and kneeling. No problem what so ever. The rounds were loaded pretty much to full steam with 270 gr Hornady's ahead of 100 grs of H-4831. I limited him to 8 or ten rounds in total, took time between each firing, and had him shoot pairs. He went away wanting more, and that's how it should be.
Crazy_Farmer
Regular
- Location
- Running Traffic, BC
My first rifle I bought was your exact gun, a 60s L61R Sako in .375 H&H. It was lead weighted in the stock and forearm by a family member for extra weight becuase he didnt like the kick back in the day. I got the gun and was kindof just worried in the back of my mind wheither I'd be able to shoot the thing straight or not. Just took it to the range a couple months ago and can honestly say I find it more enjoyable and can shoot it longer then my .270 wsm tikka lite. A box of shells from the tikka will leave me a bit sore the next day but I fired a whole box of the .375 and felt great.
Last weekend I was quadruple checking the zeros on my hunting guns before the season. I fired 7-8 rounds out of my lightweight 338 with 250 Noslers, 15 rounds of 375 with the 300 TSX removeing and replaceing the scope to verify its return to zero. Only 4 rounds of factory .460 WBY, emptying the brass so I can make up some lighter loads. Just shoot some realy big stuff and the 375 is a pussy cat.
If X>12 x .375 then you superman.
No superhero here. The purpose of firing more than 12 rounds in a session is PRACTICE. I find that shooting my .375 requires more attention to shooting form than say my .22LR, or any of my other centerfire rifles for that matter. I don't think that training with say my 6mm Remington will properly prepare me for shooting my .375.
Shooting anything is better than nothing, but gaining a flinch is probably tied with no practice for the worst idea. If I don't enjoy shooting a rifle, it goes away and I get something different. The only real nice 375 h&H I had was wheedled out of me in a moment of instantly regretted weakness by a buddy. He can also shoot 20-30 full house through it without excessive discomfort; the stock design is great and it ain't light.
I had a CZ550 in 416 Rigby that will never be anything but a beast, the stock angle is nasty wrong.
I have an older CZ in 450 Ackley that I tend to waste way too many bullets from. its fun and does neat stuff to whatever I can hit with it.
The point is that this ain't the elimination round for the masochist event in Beijing. If it hurts too much, move on. There's no shame in not being shaped like the ideal that a particular gun maker had in mind!
I had a CZ550 in 416 Rigby that will never be anything but a beast, the stock angle is nasty wrong.
I have an older CZ in 450 Ackley that I tend to waste way too many bullets from. its fun and does neat stuff to whatever I can hit with it.
The point is that this ain't the elimination round for the masochist event in Beijing. If it hurts too much, move on. There's no shame in not being shaped like the ideal that a particular gun maker had in mind!
C Broad Arrow
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
You may want to consider having the gun ported or Magna-ported. It has the same effect as a muzzle barke, except the ports are cut into the existing barrel thereby eliminating the ugly lump at the end of the barrel.It reduces lift and felt recoil. www. magnaport. com
I have it on my 375H&H and 338WM and it does make shooting more enjoyable.
I have it on my 375H&H and 338WM and it does make shooting more enjoyable.
C Broad Arrow
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I spend my time at the range shooting with ear muffs...don't even know what you are talking about...and it is loud...but loader than a crazy broadon tv..I hardly think so...
I really dislike being at the range with a ported or braked rifle. Pretty annoying. We were shooting a ported .450 Marlin at the range and with every shot the guy two stations down was getting hit with small slivers of copper. I believe that the bullet was shedding small shavings of copper and they were ejected sideways through the porting holes. One sliver actually stuck into his hand. He was shooting single shot .45-70 from the bench. We were bench shooting as well.
Trevor2Toes
Regular
If you haven't done so already finish lining up your .375 and stock up on lot's of ammo. With all the recent happenings on the news bears might be trying to take over the world.
Well... I've been going through some of your comments and I appreciate the advice and comments. But don't get me wrong guys. It may be a little uncomfortable to shoot but it's not like I don't enjoy it because it has a major cool factor. I love feeling the very ground, and air reverberate, and seeing 2 feet of flame shoot out of the muzzle. I think the shock waves kill all the mosquitos around me.
- Location
- Calgary, AB
or just harden the f**k up! LOL
Seriously though..rifle weight goes a long way to taming the big bores.
Seriously though..rifle weight goes a long way to taming the big bores.
My wife uses a sissy pad. I borrow it whn bench testing bigger calibers. I really want to avoid developing a flinch. Itest multiple rifles in a shooting session and want to shoot 100 + plus shots.
I was testing my 375 double rifle with a 20X target scope. With a double rifle the trickis to develop a laod that groups well and also superimposes. This can take a lot of testing.
When I got to the 300 gr bullet test, the rifle doubled.
When I came to, the scope was off the rifle. Thick scull....
I was testing my 375 double rifle with a 20X target scope. With a double rifle the trickis to develop a laod that groups well and also superimposes. This can take a lot of testing.
When I got to the 300 gr bullet test, the rifle doubled.
When I came to, the scope was off the rifle. Thick scull....
Well I think I posted this before but here it is again
Sako AV 300 Hornady BTSP and 78 gr IMR 4350
Center to center that's about .5. Not bad for an 8lb kicker. Just shoot the thing more and suck 'er up. It'll get better in time. I used to take several guns along to shoot between big ones but I don't bother any more I just except the pain and keep shooting
Sako AV 300 Hornady BTSP and 78 gr IMR 4350
Center to center that's about .5. Not bad for an 8lb kicker. Just shoot the thing more and suck 'er up. It'll get better in time
. I used to take several guns along to shoot between big ones but I don't bother any more I just except the pain and keep shooting
The .375 H&H is definitely capable of very good accuracy, but I recommend using a recoil pad when developing loads or sighting in a scope. No point developing bad habits because of recoil.
This was shot off the bench:
300 grain Hornady Interbonds with IMR 4064. (the squares are 1 inch across, POA was on the "X", bullet drop was ~2.5 inches at 200 yards.)
This was shot off the bench:
300 grain Hornady Interbonds with IMR 4064. (the squares are 1 inch across, POA was on the "X", bullet drop was ~2.5 inches at 200 yards.)
If it hurts to shoot, it just isn't fun.
Excessive recoil leads to things like flinching and retinal separation as well.
I got rid of the heavy kickers years ago. Things like the 338WM, 375H&H and 340weatherby.
Went to cartridges like the 6.5x55, 7-08, 308Win, 338-06, 338-08 and 7x57.
They are a lot more fun to practise with and a lot cheaper to boot.
No more flinching or procrastinateing. No more worry of retinal separation as has happened to at least 3 friends.
Don't need magnaporting or muzzle brakes and the animals can't tell the difference dureing the moment of judgement.
bearhunter
Excessive recoil leads to things like flinching and retinal separation as well.
I got rid of the heavy kickers years ago. Things like the 338WM, 375H&H and 340weatherby.
Went to cartridges like the 6.5x55, 7-08, 308Win, 338-06, 338-08 and 7x57.
They are a lot more fun to practise with and a lot cheaper to boot.
No more flinching or procrastinateing. No more worry of retinal separation as has happened to at least 3 friends.
Don't need magnaporting or muzzle brakes and the animals can't tell the difference dureing the moment of judgement.
bearhunter
