mbogo

What NitroX says about a 375 being a good pick for a first big bore is very true. You can buy a 375 H&H in Weatherby but only their Synthetic. To get 375 in other Wby offerings you have to go via their customs shop.

If you a reloader it is very easy to load the 378 Wby back to 375 H&H and same with the 460 loaded back to 458 Win. In either case around 85 grains of Varget or 4064 with 270 to 300 grainers in the 378 and 500 grainers in the 460. But cost of brass and availability and is nowhere near as good as the 375 H&H.

The basic thrust of your post seems to be mainly centres on quality Vs cost Vs reliability etc of different rifles.

Of rifles in the under $3000US price range it would be very difficult to match the feeding reliability of Wbys in their 378, 416 or 460 and the HS Precision rifle in any calibre. This is because these rifles uses a vertical stack centre line feed an dbeing push feeds to not have the complications that can arise with the case rim having to slide up under the extractor.

But as NitroX says the CZ rifles make a good starting point, especially in 375. If all else is equal the 375 will always feed more reliably than calibres such as the 458 win and 458 Lott because the 375 bullet diameter is much smaller and the diameter of the chamber is the same. In others words in a staggered feed magazine the round can be more off its correct line and the bullet will not catch on the edge of the chamber.

It is very hard to put some dollar figure on where improved functioning ceases and the extra cost is going to nicer wood and/or a higher quality of finish.

With rifles like HS Precision, Weatherby, Dakota and so on you are less likely to have scope mounting problems because of receiver threads not being in line with the centre of the action or the action itself being out. Both Rem 700 and Model 70 can be bad in these areas but I would expect a Model 70 from their custom shop to be OK.

One of the negatives with Weatherbys is that they can feel awkward with their low bolt lift if you are continually using the more common two lug actions. The reverse also applies. If you are use to them the Weatherby is a very fast action to use and the very heavy bolt seems to produce a flywheel effect. The other negative (or a positive depending on your point of view) is that apart from the Synthetic in 375 H&H you have to in a big bore get either the 378, 416 of 460, unless you go via the custom shop.

As a general rule if you take a base rifle like the CZ or Model 70 and then spend dollars with a gunsmith on the rifle you will get more for your money and often a lot more) than the factory rifles that are expensive to start with or with rifles from those same factory custom shops.

If we were to use $3000US as some sort of cut off point then with factory rifles I would pick either the Weatherby DGR (which includes 375 H&H) or the Model 70 custom shop rifle Custom Safari Express which is also about $3000US. The HS Precision is about $2200 or so but would need sights fitted to it which could add a few hundred dollars. Winchester custom shop's top rifle is the Custom African Express and that is about $4500US

Both the Wby and HS Precision are Fibreglass stocks. If you wanted wood in a Wby then the Safari rifle will run from $6000 to $7000 in standard form and will go to $8000US to $10000US with woood upgrades etc but it is still the same barreled action and sights as on the DGR.

Wby DGR and Safari use a modified stock which is a little bit lower in the comb to allow the use of the iron sights.

But it is worth keeping in mind that if you had $3000US and bought a CZ and then gave the gun and the change out of the $3000US to a gunsmith you would do pretty good

Basically, at $3000US you will get all the reliability and longevity you can use and extra dollars will be for appearance and it just comes down to what you prefer.

For example, I would prefer one of the rifles from the Winchester Custom Shop, an HS Precision or one of the lower level Weatherbys than a CZ that has had some dollars spent on it. But that is only personal preference.

By the way there is a place called American Hunting Rifles, a search on Google will turn then up, who make rifles on the CZ action and think they run into the $2500US to $3500US range. They seem to have a good reputation on the forums. They are similar to Empire in many ways but are using a much lower price action as a starting point.

I just their website for you. They also starting to kae rifles on the Granite action but the CZ is their main thing.

http://www.hunting-rifles.com/

Mike