I'm seriously considering a #1 as a Hunting Rifle for mostly Big Game.
I prefer to hunt with a Handgun, bear, deer, and hogs. However I'm thinking I may want to try bear with a rifle next year, and later on buffalo, either American Bison or Cape. Don't worry, I plan to use a Handgun for Cape with a friend "backing me up" with a .458.
Short of prarie dogs and coyotes, what caliber would you all select? I have a .223 for long range varmits, so I was thinking of a 45-70. One of my friends is suggesting I get a more "modern" caliber. I want something good for 500 Yard shots if I need it, and even further, but 250 Yards will be the "norm".
.375 H&H will kill anything on this planet, unless you mean North American big game then a 300 Win Mag will handle most everything 'cept maybe Grizzly. It would handle that too but if you can get your hands on a thermal nuclear warhead that would do for the Grizzly, if not then refer back to the 375 H&H.
yes sir,
the 375 h&h ought to be fine.
Been quite a few years back, but put several rounds thru a No.1 tropical-----lota of power there and struck me more as a hard push than a bad kick if ya know what i mean.
The .375 H&H or the new .375 Ruger would be my choice also if you want long range stopping power. From the #1 at least, the .375 seems to be more accurate than say a .338 Winchester in a #1-B.
I had a #1-H for several years in .375 H&H and it would cloverleaf 270 grain Hornady spire points at 100 yards..
For what you want to do the .375 Ruger should do fine. For long range the 7mm magnum is a good choice. Of course the .338 mag is up there. Good luck deciding.
a #1 Tropical (1-H) in any of the calibers listed should do the job just fine. The ammo availability for 375 H&H probably makes it a better choice for Africa although I imagine you could find several of the calibers listed over there if your supply went to South America instead of South Africa.
i have a stainless, laminated 300 win mag, will do ANYTHING up to 500 yards or less for north american game plenty of knockdown power, and not so hard on the shoulders....
I have had a 375 H&H before, awsome caliber. I'm now a 45-70 guy for rifles. I think even though an older cartridge, it's pretty modernized and with that said is a great performer. In the black powder days it has taken many a Bison and sometimes at good distances. It was and also still used in long range competition so the range is there when loaded right. Just my .02
I have a#1 in 375, also 458, and have a hoot shooting big bores. The 375 comes back so fast I find myself dodging the scope. I recently installed pre fit limbsaver pads, blus action ease slip on leather pads( these increase surface area of buttpad and help). I have not tried the 375 yet but it really tamed the 458. I think the extra length helped a lot as I am fairly tall.
I had just gotten a new cz 550 Safari Classic in 375 and found its longer length of pull and extra weight helped with recoil and acutally made the 375 a pleasure to shoot.
I would say .300 win mag if this were a bolt action repeater or double rifle, being that it is a single rifle I would say something heavier is in order.
I too would opt for at least the .375 H&H or even the .458, I'd want something heavy if I've only got one shot.
I have both a .45-70 and a .375 H&H #1; for the deer, hogs, etc. I would choose the .45-70 hands-down. For the buffalo and bigger/ further game, the .375 would be the better choice, I think. I bought the .375 for a future elk hunt that may include shots longer than I want to take with the .45-70; now all I have to do is find the time and funds to make it happen.
I have a 1H tropical and the 1S. The only difference is how much heavier the BBL is on the tropical. Granted my 1H is a .416 Rigby but it is way heavier then my 1S in 45/70. If you reload you can load your 45/70 to very "modern" velocities. I have one load that if you shoot it 3 times you have a migraine for 2 days! LOL! If you really want it for long range I would get either go with the 300 Win mag or try and find a used 300 Weatherby mag. My good friend has the 300 Weatherby and just got back from a Texas hunt. He shot a deer that was walking to him at 286 yds. The bullet entered his chest from the front and ended up embedded in his scrotum.
I'm partial to the .338 Win Mag. It will handily take down anything in North America, with one shot and proper targeting....
Unfortunately I believe they are not in the current #1 line up and I doubt if there's many nice used ones on the market. I know if I had one it wouldn't be up for sale
If you use the graph function you change between energy, drop, path, time, wind deflection etc on any particular Remington cartridge at up to 1000 yds I believe.
Stick with the 45-70. It has more character and probably less kick than the typical magnum rifles being mentioned.
I would personally rather have it in a nice lever-action Marlin, but that is a personal decision.
There are or were leagues in which expert shooters would shoot the 45-70 out to insane distances.
It does not have an aerodynamic or fast-moving bullet. It has a rainbow trajectory. But the bullet is so heavy, that it retains a lot of its energy.
If you're going to do it with a #1, your back-up should have a repeater other than a bolt-action, IMO. Something like a semi-auto BAR or AR15 in 308. Or maybe a semi-auto 12 gauge magnum shotgun with slugs.
I've heard that 375s kick really hard. Don't know if they are better or worse than 45-70 in that regard.
I own a 375 H&H, 30-06, 45-70, & 270 Weatherby Mag and anyone of these would anchor something up to a moose. As far as bear hunting goes the 375 H&H may be overkill.......but better than being killed.
BikerRN, the .375H&H Mag is a very good cartridge, the recoil isn't as bad as most let on,it's normally very accurate, shoots as flat as the .30-06, has a very good selection of factory loads, a good selection of bullets to reload, can be loaded almost to .38-55 levels if wanted, it will not blow up meat as do faster cartridges, & will reliabily take most big game including several of the big 5. With the Barnes Tripple Shock it really shines in the penitration dept. I think you'd like it. In the Ruger #1 it's really a pretty package too. Thanks Frank
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