What about a .375 Wby?

[Firebird]

The other scope purchased from a guy on this site proves that scopes purchased during a covid-19 outbreak can be totally virus free! Also 300 grain AFrame next to the original Trophy Bonded Bear Claw 300 grain And the mushroomed 235 Woodleigh.
More later, right now I want to go watch “Scoob” with my boy

 

[Alexandro Faria]

200 FPS, if you can wring it out of the Wby is a somewhat meaningful difference. On a mountain in British Columbia or somewhere in central Asia, in a mid-range caliber - such a difference theoretically could make the difference in fulfilling a successful hunt rather than experiencing a tourist expedition. I think that is why the fast thirties have such a strong following (of which I am one). In Africa, on the other hand, I have never faced a shot opportunity with a .375 H&H that I would have taken with the Wby that I wasn't already willing to take or pass on with the H&H. I just don't think that environment really exploits that 200 fps. The good news is, if you want to use it or have one built, have at it. There is no meaningful downside either.

Not sure I fully agree with this, even if it is personal experience/opinion.

Let's take South Africa for example: Assume you take one rifle and a shotgun (because really, we have outstanding wingshooting). If you're hunting in the kalahari, Magalies, Drakensberg or karoo, that "little bit extra" may make the difference between one harvesting a vaal rhebok/springbok/reedbuck etc and one leaving to go home minus a few trophies.

Granted projectile choice is also important and can make a serious difference, but having hunted vaal rhebok for years, I would much sooner take some extra gas if it was available to me.

I missed the biggest springbok I've ever seen while hunting because I misjudged distance on the edge of salt flats. An extra 4 inches would have been awesome to compensate for my incompetence.

 

[Red Leg]

Not sure I fully agree with this, even if it is personal experience/opinion.

Let's take South Africa for example: Assume you take one rifle and a shotgun (because really, we have outstanding wingshooting). If you're hunting in the kalahari, Magalies, Drakensberg or karoo, that "little bit extra" may make the difference between one harvesting a vaal rhebok/springbok/reedbuck etc and one leaving to go home minus a few trophies.

Granted projectile choice is also important and can make a serious difference, but having hunted vaal rhebok for years, I would much sooner take some extra gas if it was available to me.

I missed the biggest springbok I've ever seen while hunting because I misjudged distance on the edge of salt flats. An extra 4 inches would have been awesome to compensate for my incompetence.

I get the logic. In recent years, I have just taken a .375 to your corner of the world because I hate a multi-gun bag drag. However, all those hunts included a buffalo as well as PG. However, were I headed for the Kalahari or going after springbok or especially Vaal Reebok on a PG hunt, I wouldn’t be using a .375 at all. But I get it. As I said, in the areas I have personally hunted with my .375’s (Caprivi, Mozambique, and Limpopo), I simply have never been presented with a shot I passed on with the H&H that I would have taken with a Wby.

 

[RayAtkinson]

Great long range big game caliber and bear poison, but for Cape Buffalo, Hippo, etc Id load the 300 gr. bullet down to 2500 FPS..I do that with my 375 H&H and Ruger Hawkeye, and get better results..

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

As great of round as the .375 H&H is, I’ve always thought the .375 Wby might be an even better choice. Same bullets. Due to it’s 100+ fps advantage, a slightly flatter trajectory and a little more energy. Couple those advantages with the ability to fire H&H ammo if needed, it sounds like it might be a great option.
I know a few of you have experience with this round so my questions are as follows:
Is your rifle a Weatherby or other rifle originally chambered for the .375 Wby? If not, did you simply rechamber a H&H or rebarrel a rifle to it? Who did the work?
Lastly, if you had to do it over again, would you stick with the H&H or go with the Wby?

@meigsbucks
In a Australia we have an esteemed gunwriter Nick Harvey and his thoughts on the matter are he can't figure out why weatherby stopped clambering rifles for the 375 Weatherby.
It is a better round than the original 375 and doesn't slap you silly like the 378. In his opinion it is the pick of the bunch of the 375s.
He had a Winchester model 70 in 375 and had the Weatherby treatment done to it. As you said if you want you can still use the normal in the Weatherby chamber.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

View attachment 350597 View attachment 350598 View attachment 350599 The other scope purchased from a guy on this site proves that scopes purchased during a covid-19 outbreak can be totally virus free! Also 300 grain AFrame next to the original Trophy Bonded Bear Claw 300 grain And the mushroomed 235 Woodleigh.
More later, right now I want to go watch “Scoob” with my boy

@Firebird
Looks like this Woodleigh 232s hang together extremely well despite the velocity.
Bob

 

[BourbonTrail]

@Bob Nelson 35Whelen

They (Weatherby) started chambering a couple MarkV variants in 375 wby again.

According to what I have read, they discontinued it due to Roy’s need for speed. The 378 was designed to replace the 375 wby.

Nathan Foster (Ballistics Research) out of NZ has some great analysis on these cartridges.

 

[Firebird]

I’ve just finished getting a 300 gr wood-Leigh Fmj to hit same or similar spot as a 300 a frame. I’ve learned to love mine but if I had a .375 h&h I would be just as happy with that.

 

[ldmay375]

I had read once, someone guessed that they stopped because there were more re-chamberings occurring than new Weatherby rifles being sold in that cartridge. The ones doing the re-chambering were likely fire-forming their brass from 375 H&H and loading their on ammo. So, basically Weatherby was not selling the rifle nor the ammo. Makes sense in one way and not in another. I guess Weatherby dedicated resources to their money makers.
Probably not a hell of a lot of .375 & above rifles sold anyways compared to the standard 308 Winchester/ 30-06 Springfield type.

I think it is a good cartridge and have often thought of doing re-chamber or re-barrel to a faster twist on a Winchester M70 or Interarms Mark X. Hell, I still ponder it.

Edit: I was glad to see that Weatherby revived it somewhat.

 

[Firebird]

I use some fireformed brass for practice but have always used actual .375 wby brass for my hunting loads-mostly in case I ever
Took it to africa and saps wanted to actually look at my ammo. Probably never happen but if it does, I will be safe.

 

[dchamp]

For African hunting I don't see enough advantage of the .375WBY over the .375H&H to overcome the practicality of the .375H&H. But If I was looking to also hunt Marco Polo sheep in Asia then I think the .375 Wby or RUM with very high BC bullets would be the caliber('s) to have.

 

[Tanks]

... But If I was looking to also hunt Marco Polo sheep in Asia then I think the .375 Wby or RUM with very high BC bullets would be the caliber('s) to have.

For that I'd submit a .300 RUM would be a better choice in range and bullets I think.

 

[ldmay375]

I just wonder what the velocity increase over the 375 Ruger with the WBY with equal barrel lengths. Most particular interest is the Barnes 270 TSX and LRX, as well as the 300 TSX. The intent for North American game, specifically moose / bear types.
I am a big fan of 375’s. I have a few 375 H&H’s and Ruger versions. Just trying to find an excuse for a WBY version. This thought has been simmering for many years.

 

[colorado]

I have no experience with the 375 Weatherby. Never had use for it. Seems like a "solution looking for a problem" that never really existed. That said, I wouldn't fault anyone for using it, like Alexandro's fine comment regarding taste in partners.

A lot of people have distaste for the Weatherby "brand" I don't have a feeling either positive or negative feeling for it. If you have no use for a 375 Weatherby, I'm assuming you have no use for a 300 Win Mag (why when you have the 30-06), or a 7mm Mag (why when you have the 7x57 Mauser). To me the advantage is a solid 200 fps over the 375 H&H with 300g bullets. If you want slower for dangerous game you can load the the 350g Woodleigh HD softpoints to 2550 fps which hit a lot harder and penetrate better than any 300g bullet at 2550. That being said the standard 375 H&H is a lovely round.

 

[ldmay375]

I definitely have no ill feelings to the brand. Roy Weatherby himself was quite the story.
The shiny blueing and fancy wood, I gawked at and drooled over as a kid. The rifles were definitely out of my price range for a long time. Once I could afford them, I was pretty much a Mauser clone fan and passed. Though, I don’t knock the Mark V action. And they offer many models besides the shiny ones.
The 300 WBY, 340 WBY, and 375 WBY cartridges still hold my attention. I have a 300 WBY in a M70 classic stainless, I bought it used, with the intention of making it a 340 WBY. Heck, even bought some 340 brass. But, began to really like my 338 Winchester and the 300 remains unfired by me.

The 375 WBY, re-chambers, were once not too rare in my area. The Interarms Whitworth/ Mark X seemed popular to do this on.
I do believe 150-200 FPS hits harder. What that actually amounts to in real life, I am not sure. Pretty much 100 yard velocity at 200 yards. A slight amount of trajectory and a tiny amount of wind drift advantages.
But, you do have those advantages and can still use the parent cartridge if desired or required. Other than the typical hassle/expenses of not being a mainstream cartridge, I don’t see a disadvantage to the 375 WBY.
On the flip side, I would not expect life changing differences between the 375 H&H, 375 Ruger, and 375 WBY.

 

[Newboomer]

I'll say stay with a 375H&H. The oddball calibers may be fun but I like the universal availability of the H&H ammo. What little advantage may be realized with the WBY is not significant enough to warrant the chance of getting somewhere and not having your ammo.

 

[JimP]

The nice thing about the 375 Weatherby is that you can shoot 375 HH ammo in it if needed.

Likewise with the 300 Weatherby you can shoot 300 HH ammo

So I wouldn't be afraid of not finding ammo for either

 

[TTundra]

I'll say stay with a 375H&H. The oddball calibers may be fun but I like the universal availability of the H&H ammo. What little advantage may be realized with the WBY is not significant enough to warrant the chance of getting somewhere and not having your ammo.

That's what's great about the 375 wby... you can shoot 375 h&h out of it as well. Same reason guys like the Lott, easily shoot 458wm out of it too.

 

[IvW]

Using the extra case capacity to fire heavier bullets 340, 350 or 380gr bullets may be a good thing but just to ibcreasevelocity of. 300gr bullets no

 

[Nhoro]

I had read once, someone guessed that they stopped because there were more re-chamberings occurring than new Weatherby rifles being sold in that cartridge. The ones doing the re-chambering were likely fire-forming their brass from 375 H&H and loading their on ammo. So, basically Weatherby was not selling the rifle nor the ammo. Makes sense in one way and not in another. I guess Weatherby dedicated resources to their money makers.

I think Weatherby realised that their 375 was too close to the H&H and so created the 378 Weatherby (correct me if I am wrong there).

Marketing wise, it didnt offer the 'Weatherby' advantage ie a significant increase in velocity over the standard cartridge. They realised everyone was saying why bother-pretty much what everyone in this thread has said.So they let it die quietly and concentrated on the 378 weatherby- a vicious recoiling cartridge and just about as popular as it should be !