Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Alaskan Heavy Rifle- My Way

A couple years ago I put together what I wanted in a general purpose hunting rifle (a 30.06)to use here in Alaska. I've been working on it's big brother and he's almost done. Whether or not a 375 H&H is needed for Alaska is debatable but it's what I wanted so thats what it is. I like older cartridges and don't see anything thats getting it done much better than what the the 06 and 375 H&H have been doing for a long time. I have a Brown Bear permit for Kodiak in the Spring and this is the rifle I will take, and hopefully will return to Africa to chase Cape Buffalo some day.

It started out as a Winchester M70 Classic Stainless in 375H&H but I was never really happy with the rifle as it was so I made some adjustments. I sent the rifle with a Douglas #4 contour barrel off to REDNECK and asked him to work some magic on it and here are the results. Work still to be done is to rebed the action into the stock and fill the barrel channel and then send the rifle to CAS to be Cerakoted and the stock repainted.



Stock is a McMillan Supergrade. Rifle also has Williams 1 pc bottom metal and a Williams extractor. Scope is a Leupold Vari X III 1.75-6x32 in Leupold quick release mounts.




REDNECK installed and chambered the barrel, completely went through the action and made any adjustments needed, checked feeding, adjusted the trigger, installed the NECG front and Rear Sights and installed the Gentry barrel band swivel.





I wanted to see how it would shoot so I headed off to the range with a few rounds I threw together with some Reloader 15.



It was a balmy -13 with a light snow. Perfect for a day alone at the range.



I did a little barrel break in but my hands were getting cold and the Shooters Choice was freezing so I had to cut the session short. After cleaning the barrel for the last time I had 5 rounds with 270 TSX's so decided to shoot them see what results I would get. 3 shot group was about 3/4 inch, I think when things warm up the gun will shoot better than I can.

3 rounds

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/AKJD/img006.jpg[/img]

2 rounds

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/AKJD/img014.jpg[/img]

I want to add that Lee (REDNECK) was an absolute pleasure to work with. He kept me informed of progress, turn around time was short, and the work was excellent. Feeding and operation of the safety and trigger are much smoother. I got exactly what I wanted the rifle to be.

Little Brother
Winchester Classic Stainless Action, 22 inch PACNOR 3 groove featherweight contour barrel installed by PACNOR. McMillan Edge featherweight pattern stock. Williams 1 pc bottom metal and Williams extractor. Leupold 2.5-8 VX3 in Tally lightweight mounts.

Good looking rig. I have one pretty close to that. Just curious why you went with a new barrel. Was it not a HH to start with?

I like that blueprint. I can easily imagine why you would switch the barrel out--the factory contour is heavier than it needs to be for a 375 H&H.

I'd say you've done well and yes, Redneck knows what he's doing. Thanks for the posting. Enjoy..... hope to see pics of a big, dead, bear come springtime.

LittleBrother is my kind of rig!

Dober

I like this one, a LOT. With the Cerakote it should be jsut about the perfect Alaskan big gun. I have been packing a .416 Rigby around on my trips to Alaska, but only because I have packed it and used it so much in Africa and it feels and acts (and is) an old friend.

Terrific Alaskan rifle blueprint, I hope you kill a MONSTER of a Brown bear with it. Great choice of bullets, as well! I had an Alaska Client put one of these into the south end of an Alaskan bull moose headed north and and he went down DRT! With a hole out the front of his chest!

good on ya!

Both of those rifles are sweet. Perfect in every way, IMO. My 30-06 build will look very similiar.

What was the powder charge for those groups?

The barrel was too heavy for my liking and the rifle never shot as good as I would like. I was tempted to recrown and shorten the barrel but knew I wouldn't be happy so deceided to get it reworked the way I wanted it to be.

Thanks,

Mine shoots good but I took the scope off and have been shooting iorns with it. Its barrel heavy and I was thinking of having it chopped to about 21".

74 grains Reloader 15. Barnes lists the max at 77.

That's a very nice rig. I'd like to build something close to that in say 375 Ruger. Good going. What's the benefit of the Williams Extractor?

I called Ted Yost yesterday and told him I want a pair of Dakotas in .30-06 and .375. We're working on details now. I like what you've got there. I like my rifles significantly heavier though. I'm gonna come back to this thread before all is said and done, for ideas...

That is too damn cool! Very nice rifle and nice work! I just don't trust a fella from Wisconsin callin' himself a "REDNECK"! That just aint right! Kudos to him!


That thing needs the Talley Screw Locks!

Nice pix and thanks very much for the kind words.. Only thing I don't like is that shot of your shooting range.. Damn but that looks cold... BRRRRR...



I'm happy to see it shoots well for you. I can't wait to see it after CAS gets done with it..

Best to you, John..

Is the barrel really that shiny or is it just the photos?

Looks like exactly what I'd build for myself if a 375 build was in my future.

It looks very good, but there are two things I would not let happen on a rifle that might get used following up a bear. I would bob the barrel to 20" and no more. The velocity loses are not significant in a 375.

I would also lose the front sight. Having a sight hang up while you are trying to swing in tight quarters could be icky... Alder thickets are really a mess sometimes and the risks are real.
art

Those are very nice rifles. It doesn't get any better!

It's pictured before the cerakote job to be done soon..

AKJD, what does little brother weigh all up?