The .375 Holland & Holland Part I
- Thread starter Ardent
- Start date
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I'm thinking of an all-weather variant of the .375, I apparently "need" another one as well. Likely a Kimber Talkeetna if one ever shows up and I have the money in my hand... either one of those two factors could be problematic.
Nice write up. I haven't taken any game with the 375 H&H I bought last year (Zastava) because I didn't make it out hunting this year but it's going to become my main hunting rifle. Really love this chambering and wishing I'd bought one earlier.
- Location
- Center of Oil Country
Good write up - and yes you have to use it in Africa to fully understand it's versatility. Used the 375 H & H on 2 trips to South Africa taken several animals ranging from a Steenbuck to a Cape Buffalo and it works well. Woodleigh 350 soft nose and solids worked well on my buffalo. Not a fan of the Barnes so far - maybe things will change?
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
Great info on a great cartridge and well written.
BlazinDayz
Regular
- Location
- Niverville, MB
Awesome write up. Makes me want to run out and buy a .375 H&H.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I was looking for a larger bored rifle to be my dedicated moose gun. I purchased a Trade Ex Husqvarna FN 98 that I was going to restock and rebarrel to 338-06. Once I received it, it turned out to be too pretty to do anything to. I was always torn between that cartridge and the 35 Whelen. I don't know what I was thinking, but before I knew it, I was ordering a brand new 700 BDL in 35 Whelen from Epps. About a week after it arrived, Ardent put his BRNO 602 in 375 on the EE for an amount that was irresistible. The 35 was sold, at a loss, never having seen a scope base mounted nor a round in the chamber. I still have a box of Nosler Partitions and Redding dies.
I live in the country on 3.5 acres and I am lucky to have a piece of land that I lease just a couple of km's from home. It's small, though, at only 60 acres total, 35 bush. My strategy has been to hold off opening weekend with the hopes of a few deer finding refuge from the onslaught.
Just a shot of one side of the land I lease.
I had taken the following week off and on Sunday afternoon, began staging my stuff on the dining room table. A lot of "to the safe and back" to get all my gear in order, and by force of habit, glancing out the patio doors into the back yard each time I passed. I saw a greyish lump that was out of place, so I paused and waited and sure enough, it moved. There was a doe in my backyard. I grabbed the 602 off the table and fumbled with the box of 300 grain TSX reloads I had made. I hadn't planned on taking this rifle deer hunting, but a series of scope-related decisions saw it as being the only rifle properly sighted in. I pushed 2 down into the well and carefully opened the side door. It had only been about 15 seconds since I last saw her, but it seemed longer. She was right where she was when I first saw her - about one good leap away from the edge of my property and some pretty thick bush. I coaxed one in ever so gingerly, got on her with the 2.5-8x36, and fired. Did I miss? She was gone. I loaded the 2nd round, flipped the safety forward and made my way into the field. She was dead right there - flat as a pancake and didn't move from where she was standing. 110 yards from a standing position, although I wouldn't want to have to hold that pose for any length of time.
There's something to be said about being able to field dress an animal while it hangs from the tractor bucket. The shot went through her armpit and sliced her heart into 2 pieces.
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We won yet another Matane Wildlife Reserve moose hunt last year. With about a 12% chance of winning, we were very lucky to have been picked 5 of the 6 years that we have applied. Like the last 3, this one was guided. It was a conservation hunt, meaning 2 cows for 4 hunters (2 permits per animal), for a 4 day hunt. We gave the first cow to the rookie who shot it on the road about 20 minutes in. The weather turned - it got warm and windy and included ample rain and fog. This meant that the moose wouldn't be out wandering around and seeing as how I was the only one with a permit who was able-bodied enough, I did lots of walking with the guide. This was much more my speed - still-hunting for moose in some fantastic terrain where the population density is somewhere around 4 animals per square km. Amazing how they all seemed to vanish, though.
Some scenery from the park. The far side of that hill in the background marks the limit of our territory - 32 square km's in all.
Me during an afternoon hike around the lake. I had taken off my shoes and socks to cross the in-let. That's a shed I found along the way.
It was the last full day and about 10 minutes before the end of legal light. The guide and I were walking down a logging road quietly discussing the last day's strategy. That's when a tree stump about 50 yards off the road turned into the ass-end of a moose. We dropped to our stomachs and slithered over into the ditch and slowly peeked up over the bank. There was a fairly strong cross wind which helped mask both our scent and noise. In fact, in an effort to get her to turn (and identify herself), the guide gave a little call. Nothing. He practically yelled the next one. That got her attention and she turned broadside. "Mare!" he yells. Now when a French Canadian guy yells "mare", you have to sort of do some interpreting - did he mispronounce "male?", "#####?". Sensing my confusion, he follows up with "Shoot! Shoooooooooot!!". That one I got. Boom!. She started running, but her ears are flat against her head. "Again!" he yells. Boom! "Too high! Again!" I'm thinking to myself, I hit her the first time, standing still, from 50 yards with a 300 grain TSX. I know I hit her a 2nd time. But what can I say, when a guide is barking orders, I'm very obedient. Boom! She finally spun and lay down. All 3 shots touched vitals above the diaphragm. He said later that he had seen too many moose go missing, especially at dusk, when the hunter refused to make the follow-up shots. He thanked me for my cooperation.
My moose had nowhere near the damage the first had. That 180 grain 30-06 broke apart on the animal's shoulder and sent fragments all over the place, including part of the filet. The damage on mine was thorough, but concise - big holes, but no effect outside of them.
From the fact that I can load 6 freakin' cartridges in it to the wonderful, whomping, recoil - I love it.
I apologize for the lack of more pertinent pictures.
I live in the country on 3.5 acres and I am lucky to have a piece of land that I lease just a couple of km's from home. It's small, though, at only 60 acres total, 35 bush. My strategy has been to hold off opening weekend with the hopes of a few deer finding refuge from the onslaught.
Just a shot of one side of the land I lease.
I had taken the following week off and on Sunday afternoon, began staging my stuff on the dining room table. A lot of "to the safe and back" to get all my gear in order, and by force of habit, glancing out the patio doors into the back yard each time I passed. I saw a greyish lump that was out of place, so I paused and waited and sure enough, it moved. There was a doe in my backyard. I grabbed the 602 off the table and fumbled with the box of 300 grain TSX reloads I had made. I hadn't planned on taking this rifle deer hunting, but a series of scope-related decisions saw it as being the only rifle properly sighted in. I pushed 2 down into the well and carefully opened the side door. It had only been about 15 seconds since I last saw her, but it seemed longer. She was right where she was when I first saw her - about one good leap away from the edge of my property and some pretty thick bush. I coaxed one in ever so gingerly, got on her with the 2.5-8x36, and fired. Did I miss? She was gone. I loaded the 2nd round, flipped the safety forward and made my way into the field. She was dead right there - flat as a pancake and didn't move from where she was standing. 110 yards from a standing position, although I wouldn't want to have to hold that pose for any length of time.
There's something to be said about being able to field dress an animal while it hangs from the tractor bucket. The shot went through her armpit and sliced her heart into 2 pieces.
----------------------------------------------------------------
We won yet another Matane Wildlife Reserve moose hunt last year. With about a 12% chance of winning, we were very lucky to have been picked 5 of the 6 years that we have applied. Like the last 3, this one was guided. It was a conservation hunt, meaning 2 cows for 4 hunters (2 permits per animal), for a 4 day hunt. We gave the first cow to the rookie who shot it on the road about 20 minutes in. The weather turned - it got warm and windy and included ample rain and fog. This meant that the moose wouldn't be out wandering around and seeing as how I was the only one with a permit who was able-bodied enough, I did lots of walking with the guide. This was much more my speed - still-hunting for moose in some fantastic terrain where the population density is somewhere around 4 animals per square km. Amazing how they all seemed to vanish, though.
Some scenery from the park. The far side of that hill in the background marks the limit of our territory - 32 square km's in all.
Me during an afternoon hike around the lake. I had taken off my shoes and socks to cross the in-let. That's a shed I found along the way.
It was the last full day and about 10 minutes before the end of legal light. The guide and I were walking down a logging road quietly discussing the last day's strategy. That's when a tree stump about 50 yards off the road turned into the ass-end of a moose. We dropped to our stomachs and slithered over into the ditch and slowly peeked up over the bank. There was a fairly strong cross wind which helped mask both our scent and noise. In fact, in an effort to get her to turn (and identify herself), the guide gave a little call. Nothing. He practically yelled the next one. That got her attention and she turned broadside. "Mare!" he yells. Now when a French Canadian guy yells "mare", you have to sort of do some interpreting - did he mispronounce "male?", "#####?". Sensing my confusion, he follows up with "Shoot! Shoooooooooot!!". That one I got. Boom!. She started running, but her ears are flat against her head. "Again!" he yells. Boom! "Too high! Again!" I'm thinking to myself, I hit her the first time, standing still, from 50 yards with a 300 grain TSX. I know I hit her a 2nd time. But what can I say, when a guide is barking orders, I'm very obedient. Boom! She finally spun and lay down. All 3 shots touched vitals above the diaphragm. He said later that he had seen too many moose go missing, especially at dusk, when the hunter refused to make the follow-up shots. He thanked me for my cooperation.
My moose had nowhere near the damage the first had. That 180 grain 30-06 broke apart on the animal's shoulder and sent fragments all over the place, including part of the filet. The damage on mine was thorough, but concise - big holes, but no effect outside of them.
From the fact that I can load 6 freakin' cartridges in it to the wonderful, whomping, recoil - I love it.
I apologize for the lack of more pertinent pictures.
