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Shooting & Reloading - Mausers, Big Bores and others >> Big Bore Rifles

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Handloader52
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Reged: 13/12/09
Posts: 40
Loc: Maryland, USA
Most common sight set up for 375 H&H guns
      #172894 - 11/12/10 12:31 AM

Over the years I've read a lot about how versitile and popular the 375 H&H is for everything from plains animals to dangerous game. What I'd like is some feedback concerning the most common or popular sight setups and why. I have both a Kimber Caprivi and a Browning Safari, both with factory barrel mounted open sights. What I'm looking for is for those that favor scopes, what scope and why; and for those that favor open sights, what type and why. Looking forward to your input.
Keith


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CptCurlAdministrator
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Reged: 01/05/04
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Re: Most common sight set up for 375 H&H guns [Re: Handloader52]
      #172898 - 11/12/10 01:13 AM

One of my .375 bolt rifles is a Winchester M70 Classic Safari. I think Winchester really got it right with the NECG iron sights. They are very functional, sturdy, and pleasing. I topped the rifle with a Leupold VX3 1.75-6 set in Warne steel QD mounts. This range of magnification is just perfect for the .375 H&H Mag. The scope is reasonably priced. I don't see how anybody could go wrong with this setup.

My rifle can be seen here:

http://forums.nitroexpress.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=137363&an=0&page=1#Post137363

Curl

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YOUR DOUBLE RIFLE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND.



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Tatume
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Re: Most common sight set up for 375 H&H guns [Re: CptCurl]
      #172901 - 11/12/10 02:19 AM

My 375 H&H is a Ruger #1H. The factory sights are not good for my eyes, and the NECG aperture rear sight (tried with the factory front sight and an NECG front sight) doesn't work well for me. My problem with the NECG sight is that I can't make it stay in adjustment, even with Loctite. So, I've settled upon a Leupold 1.5-5x Vari-X III scope. Although in my opinion it is more effective than any iron sights, I still would prefer a satisfactory aperture sight set.

Some of my other guns have the XS Sights white line front post, with Lyman, Williams, and XS Sights rear sights. They are the most effective of the iron sight sets I've ever used on a hunting gun, and I much prefer them to a scope. They look better, they carry better, and they are accurate enough. If I could get a good sight set for the Ruger I would do it.

--------------------
Take care, Tom
NRA Life Member


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szihn
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Reged: 24/06/07
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Re: Most common sight set up for 375 H&H guns [Re: Tatume]
      #172903 - 11/12/10 02:54 AM

I have classic express sights on my Mauser 375, (100 200 300yds) and a Leopold 1x-4x scope. I am now old enough that I can't shoot tiny groups with the irons anymore, but I can still hit a 10" target out to 300 yards with them.
Of course, with the scope I can shoot small groups because it makes up for my aging eyes.
I don't use a lot of magnification because any animal I use my 375 on is not that small. Even an antelope here in Wyoming is a big target compared to a ground squirrel or a prairie dog.
Bullets are too expensive to go varminting with these days, so I don’t shoot it am much as I used to.


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Homer
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Re: Most common sight set up for 375 H&H guns [Re: Handloader52]
      #172929 - 11/12/10 04:58 PM

G'Day Fella's,

Handloader 52, I have a Ruger Magnum bolt gun in .375 H&H with the factory express sights and as Capt Curl has, I have the older Leupold Vari-X III, 1.75 - 6 x 32mm in Warne QD rings.
This is a great combination (apart from the weight of the Ruger rifle but the stock wood is stunning so......) and allows you to poke around in the tight stuff with the scope wound down, or out in the open plains with it on 6x!
This is probably Leupold's most underrated scope! I imagine it could be used for almost any normal hunting rifle combination!!! But isn't???

I plan to fit another Leupold 1.75 - 6 scope to my .404 Jeffery, along with a Trijicon RMR red dot sight and have a play to see which works the best for me.

Hope this helps

Doh!
Homer

--------------------
"Beware the Lolly Pop of Mediocrity,
Lick it Once and You Will Suck Forever"


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Omnivorous_Bob
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Reged: 03/10/05
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Re: Most common sight set up for 375 H&H guns [Re: Homer]
      #172932 - 11/12/10 07:42 PM

I've got two 375 H&Hs, both Rugers.

The first is an RSM and as Homer says, it is a thing of beauty but heavy. It's taken a few brown bears and recently a bison and wears a 1.75x6 30mm zeiss in addition to the factory barrel band front and quarterribbed leaves. A local smith added a red rubber pad and jeweled the bolt and it looks every part the African rifle for a modest price.

The second is a lengthened stainless M77 that weighs 7.5lb with an excellent adjustable rear blade and fiber optic front. I planned to leave it that way but reality and age made me realize a scope will be needed down the road. I mounted a fixed leupold 2.5x last night in Warne detachable rings and plan to sight it in in the morning. I figure 2.5x should be plenty at the ranges I need a 375, and I usually just leave my variable on 2.5 or 3x anyway.

Bob

--------------------
"If we're not supposed to eat animals, how come they're made out of meat?"


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9.3x57
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Reged: 22/04/07
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Re: Most common sight set up for 375 H&H guns [Re: Omnivorous_Bob]
      #172943 - 12/12/10 01:13 AM

Tom:

I have one of those NECG rear sights For a 77} and I don't like it either.

Here's my old SAKO. 1986-ish circa.

Scope is an old Leupold 4X, finally collapsed on me last year and I had it rebuilt and the old Plex switched with the heavy-wired Leupold version of the 4a German.





Mounts are EAW. Not sure why, maybe Paul Jaeger made more dough on them than the SAKO QD's and I didn't know any better at the time? They've worked well.

Rear sight had a tiny "V" I opened up many years ago with a file and the front sight is now, well.....a 20d nail I forged and filed and fitted after the original busted off. Zeroed to print 300 Hornady RN's an inch high at 50 meters or so. After I suffered a nerve disease to my shooting shoulder ten years ago I had the muzzle threaded for a cheese grater but then the hard rubber recoil pad petrified on me and had a Limb Saver stuck on the gun and threw away the cheese grater. They are the definition of annoying...







The gun was beat-to-snot and looked like it was made from stainless steel after 20 years of adventures with it and I had it reblued and finished a couple three years ago. Then the bedding let go and I rebedded it {floated the barrel}.



For thick stuff and weaving bullets to dodge limbs and such I'd love a 1.5-24 variable but I haven't found one readily available { } so I'm stuck with the 4x for another 20 years I guess.

For varminting the 4x leaves something to be desired but works in a pinch...



--------------------
What are the Rosary, the Cross or the Crucifix other than tools to help maintain the fortress of our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

Edited by CptCurl (12/12/10 10:48 PM)


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Ben
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Re: Most common sight set up for 375 H&H guns [Re: 9.3x57]
      #172959 - 12/12/10 08:26 AM

9.3x57, I like your work!

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gwh
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Reged: 28/01/08
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Loc: Cairns Australia
Re: Most common sight set up for 375 H&H guns [Re: Ben]
      #174787 - 03/02/11 10:27 PM

I have two 375 H+Hs - an older parker hale with express sights for fun and a Sako Kodiak which wears a Leupy VX III 2.5-8 X 36 - this gives the rifle some serious flexibility and whilst i think the open sights are fun to use, the scope is faster and inherently more accurate

--------------------
Hunt hard, shoot straight

"I speak of Africa and golden joys; the joy of wandering through lonely lands; the joy of hunting the mighty and terrible lords of the wilderness, the cunning, the wary and the grim"

Theodore Roosevelt, Khartoum, 1910


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crkennedy1
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Reged: 05/12/08
Posts: 501
Loc: Utah
Re: Most common sight set up for 375 H&H guns [Re: gwh]
      #174792 - 04/02/11 01:41 AM

Handloader 52, I have a .375 H&H - Browning A-Bolt, stainless stalker with the BOSS muzzle break. It is topped with the Zeiss Conquest 3 - 9 X 40. It's a relatively nice set up, and very functional. Zeiss makes a quality product and the optics are very clear and crisp. They also stand behind their product. I had a problem with the scope (no fault of theirs - It had been mounted incorrectly which damaged the scope) they replaced it, no questions asked.
My issue is actually with the .375 caliber itself. I've shot a couple of elk with it, but in both cases the experience was less than optimal. One could argue that it was "operator error" (poor shooting, etc.), but I have been in identical situations elk hunting with my .338 Win Mag and my .30-06, both with similar set-ups and had much better success. For me, I think the .375 is over rated. When I last went to Africa to hunt plains game my PH told me to leave the .375 at home and bring my .30-06. I used factory loaded Federal Power Shock and harvested eight animals using eight shells, everyone a one-shot kill from kudu to duiker - all at 100 to 300 yards distance. On the other side of the coin, it took me almost a dozen shells to finally put down an elk using the .375 H&H that was only about 200 yards out. I find the .375 clunky and inaccurate, but the Zeiss optics are awesome... my 2 cents worth - take it or leave it.

--------------------
DOUBLE or NOTHING


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SharpsNitro
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Reged: 12/08/08
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Re: Most common sight set up for 375 H&H guns [Re: Handloader52]
      #174794 - 04/02/11 02:38 AM

I have a Dakota 76 in 375, it has their iron sights, that I have a Swarovski Z6 1.75-10 mounted on it with Talley QDs. The low end magnification of this scope matches up well with most of the scopes that have already been mentioned, the high end would let you reach out with the proper load. Although it's not an H&H I also have a Steyr Prohunter in 376 that has the factory iron sights and a Nightforce NXS 1-4 mounted on Talley QDs.

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DarylS
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Re: Most common sight set up for 375 H&H guns [Re: SharpsNitro]
      #174796 - 04/02/11 02:53 AM

I put a 3-9x32 Burris with stadia wires on the last 3 .375's I had (BRNO, Savage, Mauser). Still have the last one, a wildcat.
I really like that scope - good glass at a good price, however for hunting 'abroad', I'd prefer a 1 or 1 1/2 to about 4X or 5X variable. In the .375 (or any big game round)for shooting to 300 or even 400yards, I see no need for more power than 4X. A straight 2X to 2 1/2X Leuy, which was on my Savage for a while, is all that's really needed. Irons do fine to 200, even 300yards on any big game as well, deer to moose. Scopes merely allow you to pick the bullet's path through tight bush a bit better & are useful for that. Binoculars are for spotting, scopes are for shooting.

When testing loads, it was easy to shoot sub 1" groups with 2 to 2 1/2X scope off a single rear bag, hand holding the forend, resting the hand on the bag as-if shooting offhand. That way, the offhand zero was identical.

I ran 2X and 2 1/2X scopes for years, on my .458's and .375's. They were all that was needed for moose, elk and deer.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V


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Rule303
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Re: Most common sight set up for 375 H&H guns [Re: DarylS]
      #175048 - 07/02/11 09:42 PM

I have a CZ550 in 375H&H. I use a Trijacon 1.5-4X24 with an post and Amber triangle. very fast.

For the open sights I have an NECG peep sight and have changed the front sight to a Reknagel red fibre optic dot. Might change this to a green and see how that goes.


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GroovyMike
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Re: Most common sight set up for 375 H&H guns [Re: CptCurl]
      #175115 - 08/02/11 11:19 PM

Quote:

One of my .375 bolt rifles is a Winchester M70 Classic Safari. I think Winchester really got it right with the NECG iron sights. They are very functional, sturdy, and pleasing. I topped the rifle with a Leupold VX3 1.75-6 set in Warne steel QD mounts. This range of magnification is just perfect for the .375 H&H Mag. The scope is reasonably priced. I don't see how anybody could go wrong with this setup.

My rifle can be seen here:

http://forums.nitroexpress.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=137363&an=0&page=1#Post137363

Curl




Perfect. My M70 wears a 3-9X Leupold, but I am looking for a scope like yours.

--------------------
Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4


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chuck375
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Reged: 13/10/07
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Re: Most common sight set up for 375 H&H guns [Re: GroovyMike]
      #177786 - 28/03/11 11:48 AM

I just bought my second 375 H&H. The first one was a 9 lb CZ Safari Classic I had rebarreled to 500 Jeffery (which weighs 11.25 lbs with 2 mercury recoil reducers). This one is a Remington XCR II in 375 H&H. It weighs 6 1/2 lbs without scope, 7 3/8 lbs with scope (made both measurements on a postal scale). As light as it is, the recoil is relatively mild. It has a Leupold VX-R 2-7x33mm scope on it with an illuminated FireDot reticle. Only had it out once so far, but I like it a lot. The slip on recoil pad is to make up for my extremely long (14 1/2") LOP.



Edited by CptCurl (03/07/11 09:56 PM)


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