Home Forums Lever Action Central Big Bore Levers Marlin 375 is one worth the trouble?

Im drawn to a marlin 375 rifle not sure why, its in pretty good shape , But it going to to need a new butt stock, its been repaired but poorly, its shootable I think, havnt owned or shot one! I know ammo is hard to find and big bucks but I hand load. Was big into 45-70s for a long time, kinda want a big bore again, but something diffrent. price is low and i can swap for it. it sat next to an older 336 marlin 30-30 and the butt stocks looked the same down to the pistol grip cap. any good thoughts ? down side ect be helpful! It would be a deer rifle for hunting woods.

Hello John. Hope all is well..

I have a nice 1980 Marlin Model 375 here with dies, brass, bullets. I may sell, not sure.

Components are hard to find, but if you have brass, there are several sources of bullets if you know where to look.....

Biggest problem with that caliber is being able to find Factory Ammo if you don't reload. One of my all time favorite lever action rifle calibers, though.

I'd rather a 356.

Buttstocks are interchangeable with any Marlin lever gun, even the 39A uses the same stock.

As loaded by Winchester/Olin, the 200 grain factory load makes it a 35 Rem and 35 Rem ammo is much easier to find than 375 Win. I used to shoot the 375 in a Marlin and a couple of Savages, even shot a deer or 2 with it, and think that it is as good as the 30-30, 32WS, and 35Rem that Marlin has offered in the 336 for shooting deer in the woods, but I don't think that it is better, or at least enough better, to offset the generally higher cost of the rifles, ammo, or components.

Iv also been kicking the 35 rem. around also, I was thinking to start with this Marlin 375 , and if I liked the cal. find a Ruger #3 in 375, just a thought tho! to late for this years deer hunt season, but maybe the next one!

Iv also been kicking the 35 rem. around also, I was thinking to start with this Marlin 375 , and if I liked the cal. find a Ruger #3 in 375, just a thought tho! to late for this years deer hunt season, but maybe the next one!

I hope its a good gun. I just bought one.

I've owned a couple of Ruger #3s, a 30-40 Krag and a custom 257 Roberts, but sold them because the lever configuration made shooting them uncomfortable.

I'll be able to tell you as I just got one. Put a 1.5x6 scope and plan to shoot a few deer with it. On paper at 100yds it's shooting good groups...

Let us know how it works out on Deer! Im going to go look at the one im thinking about later in the week , cuz if he dont sell it this week he wont till next Fall im thinking. will give me a winter project.

As already mentioned, I think the only downside is component availability. I can't speak for a Marlin model 375, but I have a couple of Winchester Big Bores chambered for it and I've always liked them. Honestly, I haven't noticed that the 375 kills deer much better than the 30/30. Maybe there is a difference on larger game.

All in all, I really like the 375 Winchester.

I've had the best luck reloading it with Re 7 and H 4198, and although I never really finished load work up with AA 1680, it gave some really good velocities.

Used the 375 for many years, killed moose, deer and brown bear. When winchester dropped the 250PP couldn't find a suitable replacement so switched to 356. Recently picked up a NIB top eject 375 for 550.00 couldn't pass that up. For me the 200gr bullet never grouped well, the 220 hornady;s came apart on a black bear, planning now to pick up the kodiak 255 38.55 bullet and re-size them down to .375. Always used re-7 when loading for the 375. When reloading the 255's plan on re-7 but will try out imr4198 see which has best velocity/accuracy.

brass can be made from 30-30 or 32 win spcl.
pretty straight forward.
when I was younger and full or P&V I made a lot of it.
have been collecting 375 brass and ammo since 1981 when I bought the rifle. many , many other rifles have come and gone but the 375 goes to the happy hunting grounds with me.
still lament the loss of the 255g load.
if you cast the 375 can really shine for you. if not there is a guy in calif that makes jacketed bullets for the 375 and the 38-55. name is Les Volmer I think.
the 375 is a gas to plink with using round balls and trail boss powder. feels like a 32-20 recoil wise.
I have a marlin 375 and a savage 99 375 on my bucket list but time is getting short and the price keeps going up.
have a 1895g ported i'd trade for one.

Sounds like a good hunting round, cant belive how much ammo and brass are! I thought 303 savage and 22HP savage were bad, but have them fig. out! Thanks to all that replyed!

yeah the ammo is outrageous . if momma knew how much I have stashed she would off me for the payday.

My wife would off me for less than that!

mine threatens every time I come sneaking..... I mean walking in with a new gun. my standard is "this, I have had it for ages" ...... like a half hour.LOL

Unless you handload I wouldn't bother. If you do, it's a pretty flexible number. Don't have a Marlin, but a Ruger No.3 so chambered that shines with the 235 Speer or as a cast bullet launcher. Small game/plinker loads with roundballs are amusing as well. Starline still makes 38-55 brass that'll work if you trim it, in the event you can't find any of Winchester's once in a blue moon brass.

If you handload and particularly if you cast it is a good cartridge. You can use 375 brass, 38/55 brass or form from 30/30. Powder consumption is modest and it's more gun than a 30/30. I load a 300 gr cast at 1850 fps and 250 gr cast at around 2000fps.

I also have a Marlin in 35 Rem and performance wise they are very similar.

I droped a deer off at the place that has the 375 yesterday as it was 70 temp, they still have it I asked about it the shop is going to see if the owner has any ammo or brass for it, flip side is he also has a 35 rem. with a scope Marlin old one for the same price as the 375 go fig!

Love my Marlin .375. Very accurate. And I have enough rounds loaded for it to last me a long time.

I've had great results on deer with the 250 gr. factory load and with the 220 gr. Hornady. I shot an average size doe head on in the chest at the base of the neck. The 250 gr bullet penetrated full length and exited near the tail.

For cast bullet loads, I use fire-formed 30-30 brass. It is thinner than .375 Win. brass and works well with slightly over-size cast bullets. Mine works well with .379 Laser-cast bullets. They grip the micro-groove rifling better than .377 cast bullets.

I have what is probably a life time stash of factory ammo and 220 gr. Hornady bullets. I still like to experiment with other bullets. I've found that the 260 grain .375 Nosler partition can have the nose filed off a bit, to get a flat point. It is accurate if you get a consistent length.

I also use 38-55 brass from Starline. It is thicker than fire-formed 30-30 but thinner than .375 brass. It works with cast bullets. I've found that the chamber on my Marlin is long enough that 38-55 brass doesn't need to be trimmed.

I think I may have a deal worked the marlin 375, guys going to throw 40 reloads, but be next week before I can get back there! Thanks all that gave info!

Short answer: yes! Long answer: oh hell yes! I have one, and love it. Everything the 336 is but shoots a small freight train at deer. Yea, factory ammo is hard to find, but I use the Buffalo Bore .38-55 Heavy load (11C/20) just fine.

yup classic!

I have a 375 and I like it.

I have a custom Remington 788 in 375 that shoots unbelievable. It has a Douglas barrel and timney trigger. It was originally a 30-30 so it feeds great as a repeater. I love the round. I shoot 200 grain sierras with 1680 powder. But here in Ohio I find a ruger bolt action 44 about perfect for lightweight hunting gun. The ruger won't shoot nothing like the 375 but it is good enough for deer. I can regularly clover leaf groups with the 375. Not so much with the 44

The OP's already seen it, but here's a little .375 carbine I recently finished up. Originally it was a 22" brushgun with the straight stock and lever, and the wide beavertail forearm. The front sight had been removed and the bluing trashed for a few inches toward the end of the barrel, so I chopped it to 18 1/2" and crowned it using basic tools. Also the straight lever was removed and the rifle fitted for a curved one. That took a couple hours of careful fitting! The buttstock is a 1950's 99F lightweight, and the forearm is a 1940's 99R piece. Both required lots of fitting as well. The scope is a Weaver 2.5x. It shoots fantastic using Sierra 200 grain FP or Hornady 220 grain FP. Being short, it is much easier to carry and shoot. The curved lever and grip make cycling the lever easier. I will spend a great deal of time packing this little Savage for deer and bear.

Sweet setup, great woods rifle!

I ended up buying Fireball2s 375 Savage99 not the one he just made up! waiting for the weather to warm up to shoot it tho! getting antisy!

i have been mostly shooting a cast lyman 246grain bullet at about 1900fps which works for me at this point.
but just from memory, brian pearce had a remark in handloader throwing I THINK a 200 grain or 220 at about 2250fps using aa1680.
I am eventually going to try a few of those.
there were only 16000 roughly of the marlins made over just a couple year period.
i tripped across four boxes of factory winchester about a year ago for 50bucks a box, but i can't bring myself to shoot it.
the cast bullets shoot a pretty good group.