Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 376 Steyr?

For some reason I've got the bug for a Steyr Pro chambered in the 376 Steyr.

I now have 4 Steyr rifles and am thinking, bought right, Steyrs are one of the best values going so........

Any youse' guys have experience with this chambering???

Thanx in advance,

GWB

Some months ago I have examined something like that at a gun show. It was boxed and unused Steyr SBS or SPS with plastic stock chambered for .376. While farmer like in finish it handled very well. The guy wanted kool $1000 for the rifle. Not knowing what it was I looked up the caliber and it turns out to be quite powerful and in same class as .375 Ruger. Actually after realizing that Hornady loaded ammo for it I almost went back to get that rifle, but after recalling how much "fun" it was to shoot my old .375H&H I thought I better not do that.

This is my custom .376 that was completed last year. I haven't shot it much thus far and it does NOT like factory loads. Just loaded some ammo yesterday and discovered the rifle has a very long throat, which hopefully explains the accuracy woes with factory ammo. To just clear the lands, the bullets are very shallow in the case, too shallow for my taste. Anyway, hope to shoot it next weekend with handloads and as long as the accuracy is there, I'll seat the bullets a bit deeper until the accuracy starts suffering again.

Surprised ringworm hasn't responded already, he usually sniffs out these Steyr threads pretty quick and I think he's owned a 376 for a bit

Quien Sabe,



Steyr Mountain Rifle, 308 Win.



Steyr Classic Mannlicher, 270 Win.



Steyr Professional, 7mag


Classic Mannlicher, 7mm-08



He and I've spoken before on the subject. I was becoming of the opinion that, bought wisely, the Steyrs are a great value. Ringworm tipped me over the edge.

They are great shooters. Using loads I've worked up in the past, each of the 4 I own are sub moa at 100 yds and the 7mag and 308 (only ones I've shot at 200 yds.) are sub-moa shooters at both 100 and 200 yds. Actions are slicker than Owl Schitt and I do like the SBS and triggers.

Perhaps he'll chime in.

Best,


GWB

Custom Springfield with 19" Montana barrel


Steyr PH 376




I've been shooting the 376 for a decade. Bought one off Jim Dodd that he took to Africa.
The round holds 62.0 gr. Of imr4895 right I under a hornady 270SP, no compression but no powder movement.
Makes mag length and puts 3 in the same hole.
Nothing can stand against that much power and accuracy.

Well,

As I mentioned before I definitely had an interest in Steyr rifles and Ringworm tipped me over the edge with his enthusiasm for said Steyrs.

Thank you Sir, I am in your debt!


I don't usually buy rifles new, but I pulled the trigger and got the Steyr Pro Hunter in 376 Steyr from Euro Optics late last week. It came in last night. I got brass and dies from Midway earlier in the week and found some 235 Gr. Barnes flat base TSX bullets. I had originally planned to either load 260 Gr. Sierra Spitzers or 270 gr Hornady's and use Ringworms's load posted above, However a friend informed me that he had excellent luck with the 235 grain Barnes over 67 Gr. of H-4895. My local gunshop just happened to have several boxes of that very bullet, so I picked up a box and decided to load for it also.

Topped the rifle with a 3-10 x 50 Zeiss Conquest mounted in Warne fixed rings. Figured since the rifle didn't have irons, no sense in QR rings. Won't be shooting past 200 yds., and although I prefer a 36-42 mm objective, the 50mm will be good for hunting at first and last light as well as at night with a light.





I'm more of a fan of blue steel and wood, but this has been the wettest spring I can remember in the hill country. Last trip it rained off and on for four days straight. I don't mind dust and scratches but as I don't hunt in an enclosed blind, soaking good wood in not my favorite type of entertainment.

Anywho, my son is into black rifles, had built a 50 Beowulf and wanted to try it out. I took the Steyr along this morning to see how it would shoot.

I normally shoot over a chronograph but did not do that this morning.

I loaded up 9 rounds with the 260 gr. Sierra's over 62 gr. of H-4895, Federal 210 primers and an OAL of +/- 3.080”.

My barrel break in procedure on a stainless barrel is to run several patches smeared with a JB Bore Paste/Kroil mix through the barrel and then patch till clean and dry. Did that prior to shooting this AM.





Two to get on paper at 25 yds.


Shot #3 at 100 yds was dead on, left and right, but about 6.5” high.





So I made elevation adjustments. I typically zero a non-magnum about 2” high at 100. Shots 4,5 & 6 were made after the adjustments with the aforementioned load.

Next I tried the 235 Gr. Barnes TSX using 63 grains of H-4895.





Shots 7,8 and 9 were a just over 2” high and to the left. Decent group, but I had a feeling this rifle could do better.
Mike had said his load was 67 grains. When filling the cases 65 grains was the beginning of a compressed load. Sixty-seven grains of H-4895 completely filled the case. Don't much care for compressed loads,so I backed off and used 63 and 65 grains respectively.





What’s the old saying about the third time is the charm? Shot 10, good. Shot 11, I thought to myself, surely I didn’t miss the whole target. No, believe it or not, both in the same hole. Shot twelve impacted just below shots 10 and 11. Was I jazzed. Decided to stop before I ruined my braggin’ rights with a 5 shot group. I’ll load up some more rounds with the 65 grain load density, and go back to shoot over a chronograph and make sure of POI out of a cold barrel, but at first glance, it appears I have a good load and that this Steyr, like my others, is a shooter.




Steyr Pro, 7Mag
Steyr Mountain Rifle, 308 Win
Steyr Pro, 376 Steyr


JAPPFT,


GWB

Nice collection. I started out as a blue & wood fan but like you I've learned to appreciate stainless or cerakote & synthetic. Now I basically have a mix of both in various calibers. Steyrs are great shooters and the 376 Steyr is intriguing. I've just reached the point that I don't want to reload a new cartridge. In medium bores, I already have a 338 Federal, 350 Rem Mag and 9.3x62.

That new Steyr would be good for Nilgai.

Scott,

I'm a rifle slut and a glutton for punishment.


BTW, great job on the Axis!!!

Best,

GWB

I built two 376s one on a commercial FN Mauser and one on a military action. Both have Douglas Barrels 21 inch and 19 inch. Both have taken a black bear using the 260 Accubond. Both drt. At the moment I don't have Load of H4895 , but the fps was just over 2600 in the 21 in. and 2530 in the 19 in.

I'm not a full blown slut like you but I'm getting horny. For some reason I have the hots for a Mauser M12 Extreme. I handled one at Cabelas. I'm trying to get over it.

You should get one.

See if you can't find one at a value and buy it. CD's are payin' less than 1%.

Rifles bought right are money in the bank.

Look at it as a forced savings plan.


Best,

GWB



PS: I know you love the 338 Federal. Only Sako I ever had that was a bummer was a stainless synthetic 75. Got one, shot it and it wouldn't group. Took it back to the shop where I bought it and traded it for another. It would not group either.
Fast forward a bunch of years and my son just built an AR chambered for the 338 Federal. Somebody was clearing out and he got 32 boxes of Ammo for a song. Damn' black rifle in 338 Fed shoots sub inch at 100 yds. May just have to take another look since I have all that brass and an acorn that ain't fell too far from the tree. LOL

It's funny, I didn't shoot my 338 Federal for a couple years because my gun range had a ban on anything over 7mm for a while because of a lawsuit (now it's lifted). I was messing with my 7mm-08 and 6.5x55 for the Axis hunt but couldn't get a consistence load. I took out my Ruger 338 Federal and loaded 180 ballistic tips and shot the group below. It also shoots 200 Hot Cors, Accubonds, Ballistic Silvertips MOA. The 180s clocked right at 2700 fps. I could probably push it harder but no need. I'd rather have the accuracy.

Mighty fine!!!!

IIRC I could not get within 200 fps of book velocities out of the Sako. Sprayed 3-4" groups at 100 and never consistent. I probably fired 50 different three shot combos and nary a one would group. I also had problems with the rcbs dies. Broke two or three decapping pins. That almost never happens to me. I guess me and the 338 federal were just snake bit. Same thing with the 243 WSSM. Another chambering I'll never own again unless its in a single shot.

Best,

GWB

Last Friday when I shot the Steyr for zero and load choice I was not able to shoot over a chronograph which is my standard practice.
I took the Steyr back this morning to chrono the 65 grain load pictured above.

Looks like average velocity is 2,750 fps. acccording to my chrony.

This was the 3 shot group that I shot at 200 yds.



Gotta be a fluke. I can't shoot that good. LOL

JAPPFT,


GWB

Fluke? I seem to remember seeing a pic where you shot an Aoudad's eye out from close to 200 yards.

That groups is nice shooting. Steyrs are great rifles.

I really like that Springfield; I just got an 03-A3 action and 376 was a finalist until I scored a great deal on a nice 338 WM barrel on GB.

Love the accuracy of those Steyr rifles just can't abide their Buck Rogers appearance!

Awesome cartridge and fantastic shooting by OP; can't wait to see her on a rampage through your "petting zoo" !!

Flukes are repeatable with the 376.