Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only The big 40+ calibers. What's your favorite?

Here is that sexy .375 H&H again, this time to show the factory glass bedding, minimalist effectiveness:

Hey Ron, This last weekend I was bow hunting for deer with limited cell connectivity so I got to occasionally read some of your posts but never replied to any of them. In my previous question, I had asked about recommended rifle models for re-barreling to larger calibers. My follow up question to that was going to be "Are there any particular features that a person acquiring these types of rifles should prioritize or evaluate before investing the money to upgrade one?". Fortunately, the people who have been replying to this thread have effectively answered that question pretty well with the examples & details posted. This thread is a really nice resource for someone curious about this particular range of rifles.


Since the majority of my rifles are single-shot falling-blocks, getting to see a variety of bolts up close is interesting. Eliminating the push feeds from the LH pool of rifles being considered does make this project more of a challenging scavenger hunt. But since there is no urgency and this is more of an education process than an acquisition one at the moment, forcing me to research & dig is not a negative. I'm smarter now than when I posted the original question.


I really like the idea of owning a Mauser M98. Unfortunately, finding LH actions in that particular model can be a challenge. Especially affordable ones.


I have seen a few in the past but not any recently. But I added a focused MRC search to my collection in case anything interesting pops up in the future. The new Montana Rifle Company Junction model using the updated MRC2022 receiver has a note at the bottom of the web page saying that left-handed models would be available in the future. The 7mm Rem Mag, 300 RUM & 375 H&H caliber options are promising. That's not a bad-looking rifle if the bolt was on the "correct" side.




I like sexy & minimalism (hence my Ruger #1 / 1885 appreciation). I've done a bit of wooden boat building so hopefully my glass work will be adequate if I ever have to reinforce a stock.


I hope that practicality & common sense aren't the only criteria that drives this project. It's also nice to have a warm fuzzy feeling about the final result. At work I'm a computer nerd who stays on the cutting edge of technology. At home, things get a bit anachronistic: No cable, no streaming, tube amps in my stereo, B&W film that I develop in my cameras, a kick start motorcycle & rifles with wooden stocks & blue steel. It's a bit of a dichotomy.

As many pictures as I've seen doing this research of cracked wooden stocks around the drop & the magazine cutout, there is a solid argument that I should cultivate an appreciation for synthetic stocks that has heretofore not existed. This has not happened. So I've been reading about the various ways to reinforce a wooden stock instead. I'll reserve the sensible plastic option for my fallback plan should the classic nostalgia route not work.

Stainless Zastava M70 Sporting Rifles (true M98 but with side-safety like the FN commercial, etc.) were made left handed too.
Not imaginary.









If I had one like the above (from Rock Island Auction), I would learn to shoot it left-handed,
then have it turned into a .458 WinMag, and shoot it right-handed, working the bolt with left hand,
keeping rifle on shoulder with right hand while working the bolt.
A few PHs of note have been lefties who used rightie bolt actions.
If I ever lose my right eye, I will learn to shoot my right-handed rifles from the left shoulder.

A post from 2010 on the "Cast Bullet Association" forum:

Zastava Stainless Mauser actions, 30-06 and 375H&H size.
2.1K Views Last Post 23 May 2010

"... I have a matched pair of these actions, stainless steel new in each of these sizes. They are complete unbarreled heavy 98 style with adjustable triggers. I got them about 6yrs ago. I am about to get started on figureing out what caliber to chamber them in. So they are a mached pair. They are drilled for scope mounts and side mount target style open sights. But I don't find them listed anywhere. And 98 Mauser stuff does not fit as they are quite a bit heaver. The only other marking on them is KBI.inc I have not looked them up yet so that is my next step. So any info or expereance anyone has would be great to here about. And what would you chamber them in if they were yours?
1 30-06 bolt face and length, controled feed Mauser extractor.
2 375H&H Mag bolt face and longer magazine well and length, same extractor.
I have not ordered stocks or barrels yet. I could even make them switch barrel. Let's have some fun putting togather a package. Any use, target, hunting, plink'in. Then get to makeing chips. And see what we end up with ..."

This is a question that I've thought about a lot. Basically should I just learn to adjust to shooting right-handed rifles off my left shoulder? I would definitely have more rifles & calibers to choose from. The last deer I shot was right-handed because of my position in the stand and some blocking foliage, there was no way I was going to twist to make the shot with my preferred left. I managed a 156-yard shot even though it was a struggle to get my right eye to focus well & get the shot lined up. I was fortunate that the deer cooperated. When I went goose hunting this past February, it was much easier at close range with a shotgun. I have an ambidextrous bottom eject Browning BPS so I hunted the first day left-handed, the second day right-handed & then switched back to left for the last day. I currently shoot my bow right-handed because I never take long shots (but I'm thinking of switching that to my left). My dexterity is good but my right eye ain't so great. It's hard to describe but basically I have to hunt around to locate clarity and avoid distortions on demanding shots. My vision isn't immediately clear when I put my right eye up to the sight or scope.

There's certain classic cartridges that I wouldn't have minded owning that never seem to have been made in LH bolt actions in any significant quantities (e.g. .257 Roberts, .300 H&H, .35 Whelen, etc.). They sometimes appear rarely as a custom. I can find these as RH models & I've been tempted a few times but ultimately I always decide I want a LH bolt. Fortunately there are several .375 H&H parent case rifles that appear regularly in LH models (7mm Rem Mag, .300 Win Mag & .375 H&H being the easiest to locate) that this thread has shown me is a good path to the .458 Win Mag if I choose to go that route.

Question: When converting the .280 AI posted above to a .458 Win Mag, obviously you would need to modify / replace the barrel. But wouldn't this require work to the bolt face as well? If this is true, is this a trivial modification or does it take a bit of effort (i.e. expense)? Converting a .280 to a .458 Win Mag would not have been an obvious choice to me.

Until fairly recently, the LH Zastavas mentioned were fairly easy to find at prices that weren't exorbitant. I saw a really nice .300 Win Mag for $1k about 18 months ago. Since then LH Zastavas have jumped by about 50% to around $1500 which is what the Zastava .375 H&H used to sell for when they would appear. Like I said in my previous post, they can be found but they're not always subjectively affordable if all you want is the action to start building something off of. The cost sometimes makes me consider just being sensible & going with a sexy minimalist .375 H&H like was posted above. But figuring out the cost & seeing how that balances with my desire is part of the decision-making process.

Unfortunately for lefties you generally need to go the custom route if you want something that’s not mainstream.

I have two customs based on LH Zastava actions (458WM and 9.3x62) and sitting on a spare action for another project. They make a good basis for a custom but you do need to check them over before buying one. Some with less QC do seem to occasionally slip through the net. There’s plenty of aftermarket parts available such as bottom metal, triggers, safeties etc but the factory parts are also very serviceable. Don’t bother with factory Zastavas converted to 375 H&H. The factory conversion is very primitive. I made the mistake of buying one sight unseen and was very disappointed. It was going become a 404 and I ended up selling the rifle and barrel.

However at the prices you’re seeing for LH Zastavas I’d probably opt for a LH M70. They’re no longer made but they seem to come regularly enough and lately there have been some reasonably priced rifles in the US. Try to buy one with a magnum bolt face to minimise conversion costs.

Rarer and now quite expensive, CZ did make a LH version of the CZ550 magnum. They were only made in 375H&H for lefties. I managed to pick up one of these that I had converted to 458WM. Personally, I think the action is a bit too large and heavy for a 458 (or 375 H&H) and is better suited to larger case cartridges. The 458WM fits really nicely in a Zastava or M70.

For an inexpensive option consider a Ruger in 375 Ruger. Ruger made plenty of lefties. I have one but I much prefer using a Mauser 2000 PF in 375H&H. The PF feeds so much better than the Ruger.

You just need to be patient. Something will turn up sooner or later.

This is absolutely a long-term search with no need to be impulsive. At the moment, an actual hunt with a corresponding need hasn't materialized yet. So this is just an educational exercise so I can spot potential when I see it moving forward. Looking back over the last few years, I can think of about a dozen opportunities I would have approached quite differently knowing what I know now. But fortunately I'm quite pleased with the selection of rifles I currently have for my usage closer to home. I'm just thinking, planning & dreaming about retirement & what I might want to have available to me when I make that transition. I don't like waiting to the last minute to make these kinds of decisions.


I'm very methodical & diligent about my searching so I stumble across all kinds of interesting items. About two weeks ago I found a great-looking LH M70 in .375 H&H at an attractive price. But it was a new seller with no history and an amazing selection of high-end rifles. So I was cautious because it seemed too good to be true. Turns out it was legit and an opportunity had passed because I didn't jump fast enough. Oh well. I'll just wait for the next one.

Right now I have several viable options. Here's some of the leading contenders in no particular order:

1. Spend a lot of money & get whatever I want. I can tell myself that I can just delay my retirement a few months and pay for it with those last few paychecks. This is a dangerous thought process that can lead to all kinds of bad financial decisions. A sailboat has already appeared & my daughter is living on it for now so I can always add a custom rifle to that list of discretionary purchases (ha!).

2. Use my current LH Sako .30-06 & acquire a LH Sako .375 H&H to be my bolt-action pair of rifles for any PG African hunt that may happen. This option is affordable, practical & has been recommended by people whose opinion I value. Too bad I don't always make smart decisions or this option would be a lock.

3. Do option #2 above and add a Ruger #1 (which I'm a big fan of) in a large .4** African caliber if I decide I really want one just because I think it would be fun to own.

4. Use a findable & affordable LH rifle based on the .375 H&H parent case to create a .458 Win Mag.

5. Buy a readily-available & affordable Ruger Hawkeye African in .375 Ruger. Re-barrel it to a .416 Ruger if I really want a larger caliber.

6. Overcome my reluctance to shooting right-handed rifles left-handed.

7. Throw all of this sage advice out the window & do something totally random: Where's the link to that LH .425 Express I found recently?

So I have options to mull over & fortunately some of them are good ones. It's possible that the route I ultimately take will be determined by what randomly becomes available first.

Well done on securing a LH Sako in 375H&H. You can now check your recoil tolerance while searching for a donor for a custom build. Good luck.

Good advice from JFE.
The conversion from .30-06 bolt face to .375 H&H bolt face is simple. It is in the rest of the rifle where things get complicated.
The true Mauser M98 may be most exalted, but can get complicated (expensive) in the build.

Ruger M77 Mark II and Hawkeye are virtually identical.
The .375 Ruger bolt face is same as on a .375 H&H.
The mag box is about 3.42" long inside.
It is perfect for re-barrel to .458 WinMag with no complications.
Re-barrel and done.

Get a LH Hawkeye in .375 Ruger or .416 Ruger.
Good as a Winchester M70.
Can even be converted to H&H length like Dave Scovill did to a Ruger M77 Mark II.
Just takes a new sheetmetal box and modification of bolt stop-ejector.

If you get the LH .416 Ruger M77 Hawkeye you are done, unless you want the ultimate: Rebarrel that to .458 WinMag.
You can use the sights from the Ruger .375 or .416
on your new .458 Win Mag.

Save any pretty wood for show and tell or Sunday go to meeting.

B&C Medalist or HS Precision are full bedding block stocks. They are unbeatable for taking a beating in the field.

I have .404J, 416 Rem mag, 416 Rigby, 458 win Mag , .450-400 3”, but still grab one of my .375s for most trips to Africa - will be carrying .450-400 to Uganda and .404 J to Zimbabwe next year

I favor 2

The 404 Jeffery because of personal nostalgic reasons going back to my early 20s. I used on for the better part of a year back then and just have a love affair with it.

And the 416 Taylor, because it duplicated the original 416 Rigby exactly (400 grain 416" bullet at 2350 FPS)in a slimmer rifle (Standard GEW 98 Mauser) which means I can build one at any given budget and have a higher grade of rifle at the end of that budget. With true magnum length actions costing $1200 to $1650 and a GEW 98 costing about $400 it allowed for the use of the $800-$1000 to be put into work or wood (or both) at any given budget and the results are very nice rifle with the usefulness of that rifle being identical to the 416 Rigby and weighing a bit less, being easier to handle and giving up absolutely nothing to the full size Rigby pattern guns in the field. 458 Win mag cases are (or were) a LOT cheaper and it's super easy to neck down in 1 pass through the sizer. Like most belted mags, it holds 3 and 1.

Now that we are talking about Zastava's, here's one of mine (the other being a .458WM) in 425Express.



The Zastava is a great rifle and I've never had one problem with the 4 I've owned (a .375, 2 .458's and a custom 425 Express) and I heartily recommend them.

The 425 Express is a great round too if you're after something a little different. It's the .300 Winchester Magnum necked up to .423" and gives similar ballistics to the 404 Jeffery.
The 2 loads I use in my 425 Express are the 400gn Hornady DGX at 2300fps and the Atomic 29 monometal 360gn at 2455fps.



The 425 was briefly released by Savage in their 116 and it's a real shame it didn't take off.

Russ

I tthink your idea of reboring your 375 Ruger out to 416 is the answer. I have loved and played with the .416 Taylor, the .404J, the 416 Remington and the 416 Rigby. Two thing to consider; first, any will work swell on any game.Second, the longer rounds are "easier to short stroke" when reloading under stress. Use premium 350s and recoil won't eat you alive! ha Be sure to wear electric earphones to save your hearing, they also help hear game moving close by. I never shot dangerous game on my 4 trips to South Africa/Namibia. I went with friends and we all used each others rifles at times for the experience. I mainly used a 35 Whelen AI, a 340 Weatherby, 375 H&H , 338 WM and a 300 WM. All with either Barnes handloads or Winchester Fail Safe factory. Go do it now!

The pros for the Hawkeye African in .375 Ruger is it comes in a left-handed model, it’s affordable, available & it’s not a bad-looking rifle.



The consideration when reboring to .416 Ruger is the other member of this forum that cracked both his original RH stock & the replacement after 41 rounds. Is this a rare anomaly or a worrisome trend? Can I mitigate this with additional reinforcements before the first shot is fired & stress cracks begin to form?





In a recent reply, Ron suggested a couple of replacement synthetic stock makers which unsurprisingly catered mainly to the right-handed majority. So that was a good recommendation for most readers. The LH selection was mainly model 700’s & Weatherby’s.

Oops, forgot about LH not available in everything.
I would have no problem converting a RH to a LH synthetic stock all by myself,
to be covered by a new paint job.

The walnut stock, even as slim as the Hawkeye African can be used if you bury enough steel and epoxy inside it.
And don't forget to reinforce the front of the sheetmetal mag box to prevent dimpling by recoil slamming bullets into it.

As a LH shooter, I'm battle-hardened against disappointment. When looking at all the options that are available to RH shooters, you'll hear me sigh wistfully & say "Awww..." a lot.


Before I bought a synthetic stock and started doing plastic surgery on it, I would probably look closer at the LH Ruger Guide Gun with a 20" matte stainless barrel and a laminate stock also available in .375 Ruger. Not as classic looking as the Hawkeye African but probably more practical if I ever go visit my friend in the wetter climate of Alaska. At the moderate ranges I usually shoot at, the shorter barrel wouldn't be a concern although muzzle blast and recoil could be interesting. I assume (possibly incorrectly) that some of the weakness problems that plague certain walnut stocks on high-recoil rifles would not be as concerning in a good laminate stock.




This options intrigues because it gives me an excuse to "work" on customizing the rifle without requiring a lot of machining work that's way above my head. And I do favor the look of classic wooden rifles.


And this is why this thread has been so helpful to me: Lots of interesting tips that aren't obvious to someone who has never shot a rifle with a magazine & this level of recoil before. This isn't a concern on any of my larger falling blocks.

The LH Ruger Guide Gun you need to look out for is the model they made prior to the current one with the muzzle brake. It also had a laminated stock. I have one of these and the stock fits well and the rifle points and handles nicely.

One of the issues with Ruger is their angled front action screw. There are a number of things that can be done to strengthen the stock.

Pillar bedding front and rear action screws (use the kit ex Brownells)
Bed a threaded rod in the pistol grip
Add another factory crossbolt behind the mag box. Use care in fitting this as there is not a lot of wood.
Relieve the stock at the rear of the tang to avoid the tang becoming a wood splitter

As RC mentioned, reinforcing the front of the mag box would be a good idea.

Bear in mind that while laminated stocks are stronger in some areas they can chip easily, particularly near the notch for the bolt handle.

I have contemplated replacing the barrel on mine with a longer stainless barrel in 458WM and re-use all the Ruger sights and barrel band. This would make a neat all weather 458 for humid environments.

I vote for option #5 times 2. I would want a rifle in each cartridge. I freely admit that I am a fan of the 375 & 416 Ruger cartridges.

I pretty much jumped on 375 Ruger band wagon from its beginning. The 416 version took a bit longer for me to make a purchase. Zero regrets with either.

For my Alaska use, the 20" stainless versions are dang near ideal from the factory. Maybe the rifles were the selling point. I have modified 22" stainless M70's in both 375 H&H & 416 Remington, and shorter barrel 375 H&H's. The 20" Rugers are my favorites.

I would also consider an appropriate M70 for a re-barrel. The left hand Ruger seems like the easy button.

The LH Ruger in 375 Ruger is absolutely the easy button. I could make that happen in a snap. And it's really tempting to do it because they're readily available at good prices. Past experience has shown me that when a company does a run of left-handed rifles, never assume that they're going to be available for a long time. Quite often it's a limited production never to be created again.

When I asked my original question, it was basically a "what if" scenario: If I actually make it to Africa (or Alaska) one day, what large-caliber rifle should I consider adding to my small collection to enhance my plains game capabilities? The goal was to become more knowledgeable and because I have limited space, distill my decision down to the single perfect purchase.

The problem is fairly early on I figured out that just about every cartridge mentioned was more than adequate for my purposes & some of the enthusiasm others have for their favorite round has been infectious. The 404J has a real nostalgic sexiness to it. I do like a rimmed cartridge in a Ruger #1 so the 450/400 appeals. The 375 Ruger African hits so many check points at the lowest possible price that it's almost a no-brainer. Both the 416 & 458 aficionados have made compelling arguments for their favorite round and it seems clear that upgrading certain available LH models is readily doable. And of course the highly-recommended classic 375 H&H from my previous thread is still solid advice.

So my gut instinct is by the time this is all over, I may wind up owning more than one rifle regardless of whether I actually need it or not. Don't you just hate it when that happens...

Lol, they do have the potential to multiple.

A lot of people shared some really useful information in this thread so I felt like I owed an update if I put any of that good advice to use. Because I have a lot of options to consider and some of the left-handed items I'm looking for don't pop up on a regular basis, experience tells me this might be a long-term scavenger hunt to find the right items at the right price. Which is totally fine because I enjoy looking for a good deal. The fact that I don't have an impending need for any of the calibers being discussed takes all the pressure off to make a quick purchase. The plan is to just patiently wait for various options to appear and then see if I can get a good deal on something I'd enjoy owning & shooting.

One of the options I was considering was using my current Sako 30-06 and then acquiring a LH bolt action 375. If I decided I really wanted something in the .4** size, since I'm a Ruger #1 fan, I could always get one of those in a larger bore just for the fun of it. It happened that a Ruger #1 chambered in 404J popped up in a search recently to auction off today. I don't think I've ever seen one for sale before so it's a fairly uncommon item. I wasn't going to break the bank to get it but I did put in a bid on the off chance that no one was in the market for one today (fingers crossed). When it looked like I was going to have to go to almost $2200 for it with a buyer's premium, I said nope. There were a couple of better options that I was considering & there was no compelling reason to buy this particular rifle at that price. I have eight falling block rifles so I'm really focusing on a LH bolt action. The fact that it sold for over $2k didn't surprise me as a lot of the larger calibers are often selling near those prices on places like GunBroker now. Still, it would have been a fun rifle to own...