How big is too big in terms of caliber for hunting big game in Canada.

I can see what you meant. Good point.
However, the part of the reason (for the 375 HH) is that I want a
do it all rifle with nice wood, interesting history, and superior caliber.
Apparently, I could not afford many of those. That's why I am (have been) selling all other stuff (with synthetic stocks, very practical and fun calibers) to
fund this new interest.

I 've been working out daily (jogging on a treadmill plus several push-ups), so carrying the weight might not be a problem for me at this age yet.

I might turn back to shoot .22 when I getting close to 60:p or something like that.

rral22 said:
Now, if you just WANT a .375 H&H because you want one, then go right ahead. But you will be "driving a semi-trailer tractor unit" all the time. For me, the novelty would wear off very fast after a few trips to the mall. (Kind of stretching the metaphor, I know, but .......) ;)
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The answer is simple: the acceptable recoil from a 9.5lbs rifle is the equivalent of an M1 Garand 30-60 150gr 2800fps.
That simply means that 30-06 and 7 Rem Mag are at the limit of cartridges that can be shot from a "hunting" weight rifle accurately with no special training.

With a heavier rifle, a better stock design and regular practice you can definitively use much more powerful cartridges such as 338 Win Mag but few hunters put the effort required to master powerful cartridges.

Alex
 
Everyone thinks they can handle the recoil. Macho man thing. In reality, there are waay more people who *think* they can handle recoil then can actually shoot well with large calibers. It mainly comes down to how often you shoot - sort of like training. If I've been shooting a lot - every weekend, at least, for several months - then I find I can point, aim and shoot my 378 and other big pieces as steady as a rock. But, after some time in the off-season, the flinch starts to creep back in.

If you can shoot it well, then there's no such thing as overkill. Though you're unlikely to impress anyone here with the size of your caliber - there seems to be a distinct reverse-wenus-compensation trend here, where the smaller cartridge you use, the more 'res-pect' you get.
 
:DIf this is the case, why bother to go hunting (and/or fishing). The grocery store has everything you need to survive.

Hunting should be banned (or using bare hands or rocks only), firearms can only serve one evil purpose, which is ****ing ***ple:bangHead:.

Hussar_ca said:
Bah, anything over a .270 is just a waste of money down the tube. lol I kid I kid!!
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I do have the flinch problem when shooting any centerfires. BUT I have somehow managed to make the bullet hit the target with the flinch (I am not talking about 0.5 moa at 100 yard grouping or things like that). From the cold barrel, I can shoot where the rifle aims at (at least the first shot) in range. Never shoot any big game before. Hope that I do not do dumb things when blood starting to pound with a big bull on sight.

prosper said:
But, after some time in the off-season, the flinch starts to creep back in.
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RemingtonMarlin said:
I do have the flinch problem when shooting any centerfires. BUT I have somehow managed to make the bullet hit the target with the flinch (I am not talking about 0.5 moa at 100 yard grouping or things like that). From the cold barrel, I can shoot where the rifle aims at (at least the first shot) in range. Never shoot any big game before. Hope that I do not do dumb things when blood starting to pound with a big bull on sight.
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I see hunters flinching and shooting 30-40 yards in front of the stands when aiming at 100 yards target at my Hunter and Anglers club.
Of course, this only happens mostly to the manly 300 WSM, 338 Win Mag, etc hunters who shot 20 rounds to zero their scope and then go hunting.

This is almost unheard of in the 243 Win, 270 Win and 308 Win crowd which is very happy to shot 6"-8" groups at 100 yards but don't send a quarter of their shots 30 yards in front of them, missing by an (angular) equivalent of 10 feet at 100 yards!

There nothing wrong with the big guns, they just need a serious commitment on the part of the hunter to be effective,

Alex
 
The .375 may be too big if you have a flinching problem - unless you can deal with it and still shoot accurately. I agree with the comments of the .375 not being too big. The way I see it is that you need to consider the environment and your own ability more than the chambering. If you are hunting for sheep in the mountains, where shots can be long, then a .458 chambered in an appropriate weight rifle is too big. If you sit in a blind and the shots will be relatively close, then it is not too big.

Much of hunting has to do with enjoying yourself and just having a good time. If carrying/hunting/shooting a medium or large bore rifle is fun, then do it!

Practice with the .375 in field positions - sitting, kneeling and with a shooting stick. The felt recoil will be less, and you will be able to better judge whether you have the ability to make the shot count.
 
Sound advices. Thanks.
Well, I may not have the flinching problem actually (I thought that the eye lids shutting right before the round will go off when squeezing was "flinching")

BTW, how to avoid my face being slapped when recoil. It sometimes happens when I shoot a larger caliber rifle (such as 3006, 7.62x54, or a slug from shotgun).

1899 said:
Practice with the .375 in field positions - sitting, kneeling and with a shooting stick. The felt recoil will be less, and you will be able to better judge whether you have the ability to make the shot count.
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RemingtonMarlin said:
Sound advices. Thanks.
Well, I may not have the flinching problem actually (I thought that the eye lids shutting right before the round will go off when squeezing was "flinching")

BTW, how to avoid my face being slapped when recoil. It sometimes happens when I shoot a larger caliber rifle (such as 3006, 7.62x54, or a slug from shotgun).
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Is it the stock that slaps you? If so, then it probably does not fit you properly. How is the length of pull? Are you a short person or do you have long arms? Have you been shooting for a long time? Do you have a .22? Make sure you are comfortable at the bench - the rifle should be on a solid rest and at the proper height so you do not have to contort your body to be on tartget. Do the rifles have scopes? Are they set up properly - ie front to back - in order to allow you a proper sight picture while holding the rifle in a comfortable position?
 
First the firearm has to be practicable to carry for your type of hunting. A 20lb rifle will certainly ease recoil, but is it really a hunting rifle? So IMHO, caliber is not an issue. But the ability to then accurately shoot the said rifle has to play into account.
Just my 2 cents
 
RemingtonMarlin said:
Sound advices. Thanks.
Well, I may not have the flinching problem actually (I thought that the eye lids shutting right before the round will go off when squeezing was "flinching")

BTW, how to avoid my face being slapped when recoil. It sometimes happens when I shoot a larger caliber rifle (such as 3006, 7.62x54, or a slug from shotgun).
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OK, Remington, I will add to my contribution by saying outright after that post, I don't think you are a suitable candidate for hunting everything with a .375 H&H. It is not a beginner's cartridge, and you are sounding very inexperienced at this point.

If you are getting slapped around by a .30-06, you should start your practice with something less violent than that, and shoot enough that you are doing it without even thinking about the effects of recoil - just proper shooting technique. When you get to that point with something like ... maybe 7mm-08, then start thinking about something more powerful.
 
As noted, a 375 is not a beginner's cartridge. It does take discipline and practice to become comfortable shooting heavier cartridges. Blinking BEFORE the shot IS a sign that you're susceptible to flinching, and that can easily throw your shots off a long way. Not every shot, sure, but you really need to know exactly where each and every one of your shots is going to go, every single time.

for what it's worth, I've done most of my killin' with a 7mm08, and it's never failed. Low recoil, relatively flat - moreso than the 375H&H - and plenty deadly enough with 140 TSX to take any game around these parts.

The smallest I'd personally go, for game as big as moose and elk would be a 260 rem, with TSX or other ultra-premium bullets. Anything smaller IMO is just a stunt. Still, a 260 is a very pleasant shooting little gun, and quite capable.

140 grains through the heart ALWAYS beats 300 grains through the guts, or into the dirt 30 feet ahead of the animal.
 
rral22 said:
OK, Remington, I will add to my contribution by saying outright after that post, I don't think you are a suitable candidate for hunting everything with a .375 H&H. It is not a beginner's cartridge, and you are sounding very inexperienced at this point.

If you are getting slapped around by a .30-06, you should start your practice with something less violent than that, and shoot enough that you are doing it without even thinking about the effects of recoil - just proper shooting technique. When you get to that point with something like ... maybe 7mm-08, then start thinking about something more powerful.
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You may be surprised to see just how much difference a properly stocked rifle makes wrt felt recoil. My Sako Fiberclass in .338 Win Mag was more comfortable to shoot than an old Remington Mountain Rifle in .270 Winchester. Both had factory recoil pads from the day.

I think people often forget that in today's world of one size fits all.
 
1899 said:
You may be surprised to see just how much difference a properly stocked rifle makes wrt felt recoil. My Sako Fiberclass in .338 Win Mag was more comfortable to shoot than an old Remington Mountain Rifle in .270 Winchester. Both had factory recoil pads from the day.

I think people often forget that in today's world of one size fits all.
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I am fully aware of how much stock design is important.

My point is, I think I could shoot a .30-06 action tied to a piece of tree branch and not get smacked. An -06 is not hard to manage, even if the stock is not ideal. If that level of recoil is an issue for you with ANY gun in which it is chambered, I don't think you should be buying a .375 H&H just yet.

It is bad advice to suggest to a novice that learning to shoot well before you add serious levels of recoil to the event is just not necessary.

No one is suggesting one size fits all; but I am suggesting the guy get some realistic advice that will make him a better shooter in the long run.
 
rral22 said:
My point is, I think I could shoot a .30-06 action tied to a piece of tree branch and not get smacked. An -06 is not hard to manage, even if the stock is not ideal. If that level of recoil is an issue for you with ANY gun in which it is chambered...
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I'd like to see you shoot an .30-06 tied to a tree branch!:D
 
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