Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only .376 Steyr...

...anyone hunt with one?

I have the chance to pick up one of the 20" barrel models...handles very nice.

Your thoughts and experiences would be appreciated.

Bob Makowski

Get up with HunterJim here at the Campfire. He has used the .376 quite a bit.

You rang?



This is me with Kenneth Manyangadze (a Zim PH and) a huge 2,200 pound eland that I took with the .376 Steyr and the 270 gr factory load. These rifles are very handy, and I found the recoil less than my other .375s.

What would you like to know?

jim

Sad that they have done about the poorest job of marketing in the hunting rifle/caliber world.

OT

Old Toot...I think you are right..about as bad as my other favorite caliber, the .350 Remington Magnum.

Jim...do you reload for the rifle? What powders seem to work best?

One thing I noticed about the stock...the comb is a little high to see the front sight in the rear...other than that I really like the rifle.

A friend has one of the Scout Rifles in .376 and took an elk with it three years ago. The shot was at 250 yards and the thick hairs of the Scout Scope covered up most of the animal...he made the shot though and it put the elk right down. Have not called him to ask about his rifle.

Thanks...Bob

Bob,

I did not reload for my rifle, but my friend Eric Ching did reload for his (one of the Scout configuration rifles). There are also a flock of guys on Accurate Reloading using the .376 and reloading for it.

I sold my rifle this year when I got the .375 Ruger.

S-M's marketing is legendary among the users of their stuff.

jim

Thanks...I will check over there...

Bob

Bob,

A search for "376 steyr" should return a lot of posts...jim

I did...lots of posts but no reloading information found so far...

I've even gone to some of the reloading data sites where people post their favorite loads like on Beartooth Bullets Load Swap...the caliber isn't even listed.

So the search goes on...

Bob

Eric Ching developed these loads.

http://www.african-hunter.com/the__376_steyr.htm

jim

Very nice looking Eland Hunter Jim!

Not meaning to hijack the thread, but how do you find the 375Ruger in comparison to the 376 Steyr?

mlg

mlg,

Yes, he was a fine old "blue bull" eland. I had a shoulder mount done, and it is really large.

The .376 Steyr and .375 Ruger cartridge are not that different, there is more difference in the rifles. My Steyr was a ProHunter with 20" barrel and synthetic stock, and the Hawkeye African has a slim walnut stock. The Steyr went about 9# ready to hunt, while the Hawkeye is in the 8s. The .375 has the edge in ballistics, but it is not that great in the field.

There is an enormous difference in product support between the two makers which would push most folks to the Ruger.

I sold the .376, and I am concentrating on the .375 now.

jim

..after some more research and consideration I decided to pass on the Steyr. .375s are nice but the .35s I have will do any job that need to get down with less recoil, expense and rifle weight..

Thanks for all the help...Bob

Here are some loads that probably need to be verified. But it is another starting point.


http://reloadersnest.com/frontpage.asp?CaliberID=348

I have shot several Zebras with mine. Like the caliber very much but the rifle takes some getting use to. Rotary 3 pos. safety & magazine "safe" position. I have done some handloading but,many bullets require a mod. to the die. Hornady & others will do conversion. I plan to use on Eland during my May Safari. I consider the .376 Steyr a great medium- small bore caliber for large plains game, moose,or the big bears. Recoil is a great deal less than my 416 Rigby, as expected. I have most of my rifles Magna-Ported to reduce muzzle jump. Its a shame the caliber died before really being used very much by hunters. I'm set with lots of cases that will last long after my hunting days are over. Hornady has factory ammo & Superior & other custom loaders offer premium bullets & tailored handloads to your rifle.

I do but only because I'm getting along and find the Scout configuration a perfect carbine for an old man. I bought a true Scout right, configured with Leupold branded fine cross hairs in lever detach mounts and liked it so much I bought the Dragoon in a Jeff Cooper (Steyr marked Leupold, coarse cross hairs fixed mounts) package from CDNN at their clearance pricing - the 2 together were well under the list for either one. I added a Langlois sling.

No doubt the various nicer rifles such as the pseudo-scouts from the former Yost-Bonitz are indeed nicer and given a rifle that was available in my choice of cartridge I'd likely go for one of the more popular variations or perhaps the new Ruger cartridge. That said for a walking around on my own feet and being ready to harvest anything foolish enough to present itself on familiar or family land the Steyr works for me. I can't imagine anything better for hunting elk like whitetail kicking them out of cool spots on north faces or what have you depending on time and place.

Of course I use Hornady cases, 260 grain Nosler including bonded and H4895 with standard primers mostly Federal or Winchester. I have no desire or intention of stretching the range or hunting Africa but I also have a good deal of confidence that I have done everything I can toward a clean harvest. Check the ballistic tables or software of your choice to see how many yards it takes for the great .375 H&H to slow from the .375 muzzle volocity to the .376 Steyr and figure the .375 H&H ranges the .376 by that much and not a yard, not an inch more - the .376 is up to the task.

As Tom Hayes said in one of his books in the 1960's about the Ruger carbine in .44 magnum - nobody would decide the .44 Remington Magnum is the perfect deer cartridge and go looking for a rifle to shoot it but given the delight of the Ruger carbine for walking around after hill country deer the cartridge was just fine. Similarly given that I want a carbine of ample power and I can't see iron sights the Steyr Dragoon suits me and .376 comes with.

Clark,

Welcome to the list.

Are you a Raven?

jim

I fear the Steyr is moribound except for those fearless individuals who toss such things to the four winds, The .375 Ruger should IMO ring the death bell on the Steyr, which is on its last legs as we speak and has been for some time...

That said, its an outstanding caliber and is easy on the shoulder and would qualify for all dangerous game with a properly constructed bullet and a good shooter....I always thought it should have been marketed better and pushed as a ladies or youngters safari rifle..It should have been marketed in a standard bolt action control feed rifle of 7 lbs IMO...

the steyr works and feeds thru a standard length model 98 like it was made for it... somebody missed the boat not providing the cartridge in a commercial 98,,,wake up charles daly..... i have 600 or 700 rounds of brass pretty well set for ever i think....

I'm getting good results with H-335 powder and Nosler 260 gr AccuBonds and Hornady 270 gr spire points.
1/2" and 5/8" groups at over 2600 and 2500 fps, respectively, in a custom left handed Ruger with a 21" barrel.
Recoil is very manageable, and even a joy to shoot off the bench while doing load development. The rifle is equipped with a Decelerator pad.
Have not yet tried BL-C(2) or H-4895, but most data shows promise with the former.
I'm looking for some load data for the Barnes 270 gr TSX and Banded Solids, and for the 250 gr Swift A-Frame.
Any suggestions?

Not a Raven - by the time I had time and money together the orange ticket was gone so why bother.

No useful suggestions on loads beyond the indicated - for my purposes the 260 grain Accubond and H-4895 will work for the rest of my life.

I do like the wide choice of powders that work well with the .376 but it's been a long time since I did a lot of load development - my first real bought by me new and loads developed from scratch was a .270 for which I had loads from 90 grain Sierra varmint bullets to the 170 grain Speer but I don't do that much any more - different needs often mean a different rifle - maybe I'm missing something.

I do ask Barnes for data on the .376 from time to time in hopes they will shoot some for their forthcoming book. I'm sort of inclined to think the next step up from the 260 Accubond might as well be a big step or why bother but I don't expect to make that step.