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Shooting & Reloading - Mausers, Big Bores and others >> Big Bore Rifles
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gohip2000
.224 member


Reged: 22/07/05
Posts: 11
Loc: germany
Help Choosing Rifle (375 h&h/weatherby)
      #35436 - 04/08/05 07:45 AM

I am trying to plan on my next rifle. I currently have a Marlin 45-70 and a Rem 700 270win. I want my next rifle to be either a 375 H&H or weatherby. I am looking on advise as to what an accurate good rifle in this caliber might be. I will probably never go to africa, so absolute reliability is not the main concern although that would be a plus. my criteria is it can not cost more than $1000 preferably the $800 range, and I want a decent shooting rifle for the cost in bolt action. Here is a list of what I have found so far:
Browning A-Bolt Stainless Stalker ($799.92)
Browning A-Bolt Medalion ($699.94)
Remington 700 XCR ($893)
Winchester Model 70 Classic Stainless ($719.94)
CZ 550 Safari Mag ($833)
Weatherby MRK V Synthetic ($1116)$300 more for the 375WBY
Charles Daly Mauser ($700)

If anyone has any experience with any of the listed rifles or any suggestions for rifles, please feel free to share as much info as you want.
Your help is much appreciated.
Thanks

Edited by gohip2000 (05/08/05 11:52 PM)

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mikeh416Rigby
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Reged: 24/02/03
Posts: 6051
Loc: The beautiful Oley Valley, PA....
Re: Help Choosing Rifle (375 h&h/weatherby) [Re: gohip2000]
      #35438 - 04/08/05 08:09 AM

The only one you mention that I can speak of with experience is the Winchester Mod. 70 Classic Stainless. I've yet to see one that didn't shoot as good as, or better than custom 375s. Mine would shoot Remington Safari Grade Ammo with the 300 grain Swift A-Frames under 3/4 of an inch at 100 yards every time. It was so accurate that I customized it and made it into a 375 Ackley Improved. It's the most accurate rifle I own.

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500Nitro
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Reged: 06/01/03
Posts: 7244
Loc: Victoria, Australia
Re: Help Choosing Rifle (375 h&h/weatherby) [Re: mikeh416Rigby]
      #35440 - 04/08/05 08:49 AM


gohip2000,

Try them for "fit and feel" to you and buy the one that feels most confortable
to hold.

ALL factory guns now generally shoot well.

Also, have you had a look at 2nd hand Winchesters and Brno's - 602 model over
the 550 Model.

500 Nitro

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Mike_McGuire
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Reged: 11/06/05
Posts: 348
Loc: Sydney Australia
Re: Help Choosing Rifle (375 h&h/weatherby) [Re: gohip2000]
      #35441 - 04/08/05 10:10 AM

I have never had anything to do with the Browning but I think it will suffer from the same problem as the Rem 700 and that is too light.

By the way, the Model 70 Stainless is heavier than listed on Winchester's website. The Model 70 Stainless is good because it does not have its barrel stuffed by the unecessary barrel mounted recoil lug Winchester use on the blue/walnut rifle.

If you don't have any bias one way or the other then the Rem 700 will feel better and more lively than the M70 but they kick a lot more. The odds are the Rem 700 will feed nicer but some Rem 700s will not eject a live 375 round when the bolt is pulled back quickly. The Rem 700 has a wider selection of scope mounts such as Leupold Dual Dovetails as the M70 in 375 does not take standard M70 bases at the rear.

I have had quite a few M70 stainless in 375 pass through my hands and agree with Mikeh416Rigby on the accuracy and that is after bedding and floating and using the original stock. Free floating the original stock is a bit fiddly as it is barely wide enough because of the narrow forend and thicker barrel.

One plus the Rem 700 can have in the accuracy game is that not all 375 loads will deliver their best accuracy when limited to the 3.6" overall length and that is the most you will get in a M70 magazine. The Rem 700 is a bit longer and will allow OAL of about 3.65" or so.

But overall my choice would be the M70 unless weight is a big issue for you. A plus that the M70 has which may or may not be important to you is that the M70 is virtually seen as "the rifle" for the 375 and the Rem 700 will get an ongoing bashing on the forums.

Unless you rechamber a 375 H&H or rebarrel, the 375 Wby is only available from Wby in their DGR or as a Product Upgrade and either of those options will be much greater than a $1000US

Mike

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rgp
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Reged: 17/06/04
Posts: 373
Loc: TX & VIC
Re: Help Choosing Rifle (375 h&h/weatherby) [Re: mikeh416Rigby]
      #35449 - 04/08/05 01:32 PM

In reply to:

It was so accurate that I customized it and made it into a 375 Ackley Improved.



Mike H.,

Is the Serengeti modified matte blue Model 70 in the photos you sent me actually stainless steel underneath the finish or did you have another one built?

Thank you,

Richard

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gohip2000
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Reged: 22/07/05
Posts: 11
Loc: germany
Re: Help Choosing Rifle (375 h&h/weatherby) [Re: gohip2000]
      #35457 - 04/08/05 05:32 PM

So here is what I'm hearing so far. The Win 70 is very accurate out of the box according to Mikeh416rigby, but only after bedding and floating according to Mike378.
The Browning and Remington will kick harder. The Rem magazine allows for a longer OAL but will sometimes not extract an unfired round when the bolt is pulled back too fast. Was suggested to look at the CZ Rifle.
Here is a little more info from me to help with suggestions:
Heavier is not a problem for me, lighter could be, but I can comfortably shoot a 12 gauge mag in a 4 lb gun all day with a hand towel between me and the hard stock.
I prefer open sites on any new firarm as a standard and then i can upgrade to a scope if I please (I am use to hitting human size targets center mass at 300 meters with open sites.)
for barrel length, I already have my brush gun/marlin, so the preferably 24in or longer for the 375H&H. The browning has 26in barrel wich sounds nice, but no one seems to have experience with this rifle
So far the M70 looks like the choice to be, but I still want to wait for more suggestions. Also the bruno was mentioned, any comments on that rifle for accuracy and quality? or any others not mentioned
Again, thanks for the help

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Riodot
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Reged: 30/07/05
Posts: 29
Loc: Casa Grande, AZ
Re: Help Choosing Rifle (375 h&h/weatherby) [Re: gohip2000]
      #35464 - 05/08/05 12:22 AM

Unless I am mistaken, I believe that the choice of a 375 Wby. will jump you out of your price range quite a ways. I thought the Weatherby DG rifle jumped to way over $2000 and to convert a 375 H&H to a 375 Wby. would move you out of your price range also.

My only suggestion is that my 375 H&H shoots under 1 inch at 100 yards and it works for me. The Brownings may be a little lite weight for caliber. Winchester is the classic African DG rifle.

Either caliber will work great for you. You just may have to rethink your budget.

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Mike_McGuire
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Reged: 11/06/05
Posts: 348
Loc: Sydney Australia
Re: Help Choosing Rifle (375 h&h/weatherby) [Re: gohip2000]
      #35465 - 05/08/05 01:00 AM

The Win 70 is very accurate out of the box according to Mikeh416rigby, but only after bedding and floating according to Mike378.

They shoot well out of the box.

But bedding not only improves them but they respond well. In other words the M70 Stainless barreled action is good gear.

The most accurate factory 375s I have had (after bedding and floating) have been the earlier Sakos, the Rem 700s that were sold years ago as the Safari and looked liked a Rem 700 Varmint BDL with open sights and one Weatherby Stainless that was from the year or so of when Wby returned to Made in USA.

I would not mind betting that if bedded and floated the current Sako, the Remington African Big Game Rifle and the Weatherby Syntetic would win the accuracy game.

But I would still pick the M70 Stainless because it is very accurate and the M70 "is the rifle" for a 375 H&H.

The Weatherby Synthetic would be within your budget. I can guarantee it will feed upside down and round and round and also have the long magazine like the CZ and will take about every scope mount made. But it does not come with open sights and somehow Weatherby and 375 H&H just don't go together.

M70 Stainless

Mike

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mikeh416Rigby
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Reged: 24/02/03
Posts: 6051
Loc: The beautiful Oley Valley, PA....
Re: Help Choosing Rifle (375 h&h/weatherby) [Re: rgp]
      #35472 - 05/08/05 03:37 AM

Richard, in the photos I sent, and also posted in the threads about my recent hunt in Namibia, the barrel is the original stainless steel one, with Serengetti's metal finish applied. It looks even better in person.

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mikeh416Rigby
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Reged: 24/02/03
Posts: 6051
Loc: The beautiful Oley Valley, PA....
Re: Help Choosing Rifle (375 h&h/weatherby) [Re: gohip2000]
      #35473 - 05/08/05 03:40 AM

My 375 H&H Classic Stainless was accurate with no work done to it at all-no free floating, no rebedding. The only work I had done to it originally, was to lighten the trigger pull to 3 pounds.Some members have mentioned that they had to polish the feeding ramp, but I had no issues with mine.

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