Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters .375 H&H. best bang for your buck !

I recently decided that my collection of center fire rifles, Is good for any hunting situation I might find except in africa,
and really, with my .338 win mag I could do prety well there too with a few exceptions.
Also, I recently read pondo taylors book, African rifles & Cartridges , I decided I need a .375 H&H.(not a.375 Ruger, But I might change my mind later) Been reserching my options.
The Cz's are quality rifles, but I would need to sink a bunch of money into one to make it what I want.
In fact, I likly would send or drive it to Kalaispell montana and get the 2600.00 up grade package from AHR.
Total would run about 3500.00, and Man that would be a quality dangerous game rifle fo sure.
I am not to down on the 798 Remington in the safari version, and cabella's has a good price on them. But I would need to spend at least a few 100.00 on one of those too.
There are pre 64 model 70s a guy can get for around the same price as the AHR up grade package.
And of course the #1H witch is a darned good option.
I know where I can get one right now for 850.00. It is somwhat tempting.
The #1 is an old pink pad version , a fine rifle, for sure , and as a handloader , I can work my way up to full house loads slowly.
Ya see the pink pad on the old ruger is only margenaly softer than the wood , and I don't want to alter one of those cool old rugers. I still might get that if I can work out a deal I like though.
Right now, I think the best bang for your .375 DGR rifle buck has to be the Ruger RSM.
Well under 2000.00 and set up in an americanized version of the classic style.
Good barrel length, decent sights. I like the sights on the .375 Ruger better. But I could change out the front blade.
The wood quality Varies , but all I have seen are prety good.
Who has 1st hand experence with one of these rifles.
Do they have good enough cross bolts ? Or do the stocks tend to split from time to time ?
Am I over looking a rifle or two ?
It is likly to be quite awhile before i buy, But I want one.
What do you guys like.?
...tj3006

I had a couple of RSM Rugers and think they are the best rifle of their type for the money. My two objections were excessive weight and having to settle for the Ruger scope mount system; I've never liked it.

The RSM is far too heavy for a 375 H&H, IMO. I have a 798 in 458. It's OK, but it is a bit roughly machined inside the action and has a stinking folding rear sight.

I had a couple of CZ 550s in 416 Rigby. The first stock cracked on the second shot, and I had re-torqued all the screws. The second I bedded before one shot was fired, and all was well. They are clubby.

I agree with Safari that the Ruger 375H&H is too heavy and that kind of weight is not really needed for a 375 H&H.Other options would be a M70 Classic in 375H&H,which is a decent rifle with some tweaking,and some may not need anything at all.

A somewhat over-looked 375H&H rifle(used market only)is an Interarms Whitworth Express. These are the same Mauser action as the Rem798,etc, but the Brits assembled them, cleaned the action up,and they are rugged,reliable rifles giving good accuracy,pretty nicely stocked and have good iron sights,if you can ignore the two additional pop-up leafs.

They can generally be had for about a grand depending on who sells them,and are a rugged and reliable rifle,not excessively heavy.

Depending on what you want to spend today you could also just buy a pre 64,but the prices on those things are getting a bit scary.

Your dilemma is one reason the 375 Ruger is going to do well,as the rifles are rugged,reliable,affordable,easily had and from what I see,give the same performance as the H&H round in a more modern,handier package.It'll be years before it overtakes the H&H round,but that does not mean it isn't good right now.What one will do the other will do.

I had thought about getting a Winchester SS classic in say,
7 rem mag (since they are easier to find than the 375) and having someone(ITD, Pacnor)twist the barrel off and install a 375....I think you could do it for somewhere just north of 1K and you could change barrel length if desired.
Would this work?

AFTERUM: You could ask Redneck on here about that conversion. I know at a minimum that the magazine box,follower,ejector and bolt stop will have to be changed or altered.Also the rear of a M70 Classic action for 375H&H is cut out to make the loading port longer.That said I think some on here have used a 7 mag-type M70 Classic for the H&H rounds,and it works,but takes some alterations.

If I ever want a 375 H&H magazine rifle I'll track down a less abused Whitworth Express rifle and customize it. If not I'll go straight to a nice Ruger #1

Personally if I were to be looking for a 375 (and the best bang for my buck) I'd no doubt go with a 700 SPS and stick it in a Ti take off handle.

Most likely I'd recut it to 23", stick a set of Talley's on it and a Uncle Mikes Mtn sling. Add a new K4 or K6 to it and voila instant 375.

The 700 XCR or whatever it is called would be my second choice and the Kimber Talketna 3rd.

Good luck in your decision.

Dober

To all,



When selecting a 375 for possible African use that might include dangerous game a rem. 700 with a 6X scope would be my very last choice. That rifle lacks so many of the features I want such as a well attached bolt handle, CRF, three position safety, Mauser type extractor etc.

I would keep looking. The other day Cabelas had a 375 HH in P-17 for $699 and it has a Leu. 2.5 on it. The rifle was not up to standard stock wise with no checkering. Look for a Whitworth as suggested.

I had the pleasure of handling and shooting a Whitworth a couple of weeks ago. I was impressed. It shot well and handled even better. It came up to my shoulder like it knew the way. I thought its weight was about right for a .375H&H. As suggested, I might look for a Whitfield.

Looks like I failed to edit yet again. Whitworth not Whitfield!

My question is why spend the money for this rifle until you have to have it? Meaning, having a safari booked that requires the caliber upgrade in diameter over your .338. You mentioned that you had all the hunting situations covered with your present battery. Well why not use the money you would spend on a .375 and book a plains game hunt and hunt with your .338 and go hunt instead of accruing more trinkets for "some day" adventures. I was in his camp the past few years but no longer. I am reminded every day of "life is short" and I want to actually get out there and experience stuff not accrue toys for the "one day" adventures. I have an accurate hunting rifle in .257 Bob & .338 Win mag that I can hunt what ever I want with because I have no plans to shoot the dangerous stuff any time soon. Could I analyze critter by critter and justify more "perfect" weapons? You bet but if I choose an appropriate bullet and place that bullet where it should be placed I have more than enough coverage with my 2 rifles.

Point is get out of the house and hunt!

OK soap box is unoccupied....next?

I've got a few comments on the comments so far:

I am puzzled why it would take a couple thousand dollars to upgrade a CZ. I have a CZ .416 Rigby, and it took a little work (all of which I did myself) to make it function flawlssly. But $3500?

The Whitworth is indeed a very good rifle. My own .375 H&H is a Whitworth and all I had done was get a Gentry 3-position safety added.

A CRF Model 70, whether pre- or post-64, is a good deal too. The only thing I would do is put a Williams extractor on the post-64.

The best bang for the buck right now is the Ruger Hawkeye African in .375 Ruger. I would do some work on the bedding to make sure the stock doesn't split, but other than that they are pretty much good to go.

I wish you guys would stop extrolling the virtues of the various .375's. I got to fondle a Ruger M77, Mk.II Magnum rifle yesterday at Sportsman's. Besides making me weak at the knees with it's fabulous wood, it had that solid, muzzle heavy feel that screams "On Target, Right Now" to me. The only thing it lacked was a white bead for a front sight.
I haven't fondled an African yet. But I have played with the Alaskan. Another, "On Target, Now !" rifle. But the rubbery stock would have to go. "Dear Mr. Ruger company, please send me an African stock for my Alaskan... "
I've shot the 7.5 lb. Whitworth. From off hand, @ 100 yds., I put three into 3 inches right in the center of the black, i.e. 2.5 inches high. Handloads with the 300 gr. SRA BT's.
The owner was afaird to shoot it.... I can understand why. I'd hate to have to shoot that thing much from the bench.
One of my recurring fantasies is how I'll spend my last days in the field carrying some beautiful rifle with a high grade wood stock, some sort of iron sights which will throw some big chunk of lead at modest velocity. Of course it will weight too much and be challenging to shoot with it's iron sights.
I've dreamed of .45-70's, Ruger #1's, and now some sort of .375.
Like I said, I wish you guys would stop all this. BTW, those too heavy for some Rugers were priced at $1849.00. Such a deal... E

There are a lot of used .375 H&H rifles in the market, I would shop for one of these before I bought a new rifle with the thought of adding custom features. The buy versus make decision here is pretty easy.

After I got my Ruger M77 African .375 Ruger I sent my other .375s down the road. I think a lot of other folks have too.

jim

for $3500 you could pickup a brand new kimber caprivi in a .375H&H

Since money was an issue, my .375 CZ American Safari worked just fine.

If I had the $$$, I would get one of these Sako Safari's:



.

Thanks for all the replies.
I have a couple of Winchester 92s that value about at about 2500.00 to 3000.00. I can sell or trade one or both for a .375.
I also have a fund for an african trip. I was getting fairly close till the stock market tanked.
It is starting to rebound , I am wondering if you guys who say the RSM is to heavy have handeld one latly. I understand they have reduced weight abit. Not real interested in most of the big 5. But I would love to take a lion ! (cape buffalo are just ugly, don't want ugly on my wall)
I should probaly list the features I want on a .375 for africa.
22 to 24 inch barrel, good back up sights, a decent recoil pad, A good scope mount set up, a good single trigger, 3 position wing safty , all thise things are prety much must haves.
Other things I really like are a nice looking stock with a tear drop style cheek piece good looking checkering Ebony or similer fortip, barrel band sling swivel, And mabye a few other things I can't think of now.
The CZ is still a viable option. I Could get a very good start on a CZ project Buy selling my 32/20.
I could buy the rifle and buy a 3 position safty and a replacment trigger.
Cut and crown the barrel at about 23 inches, Would not be very expensive.
That would put me most of the way home. I Know a couple of guys who could reshape the stock, so I could mount the banded sling swivel. But That would be alot of work, spell that money !
I still like the Ruger RSM. If I can get one for say 1600.00
To get a CZ close to that style would probably run me a good deal more.
Mule deer , have a look at tha AHR web sight. The cost of the up grade i refer to is 2600.It includes restocking with XXX walnut. The rifle itself is 900.00
I will go back and look at the site again. and consider the less expensive upgrade package , but I would still be stuck with that clunky stock.
Remember i have lots of time ! My fund for trip went from being about 60% there to about 25% , and I can't start feeding that pig again till I get my back operation and back to work !
Thanks for the valuable input !
...tj3006

Yeah, I talked to the AHR guys at Safari Club last year, and they told me about their "basic" conversion of the CZ, doing the trigger and M70 type safety. I thought about it, then realized I had been hunting from Alaska to South Africa for several years with a pair of CZ 550's (a 9.3x62 and .416 Rigby) and hadn't had the slightest trouble with either the safety of the trigger.

The CZ safety itself is a 3-position, and to me is a lot handier than the the M70 type. If you adjust the CZ set trigger to 3 pounds on the primary pull, then the set feature goes away, and it is a darn good trigger.

I head you about the stock, and I had my 9.3 restocked. But the wood on the Magnums is usually pretty nice, and I converted the .416's to a straight-comb, British-type stock very easily. Evidently their stock finish is very similar to the stuff I use, and all that had to refinished was the top of the comb and the tip of the forend, where I removed the schnabel. I also repositioned the recoil pad. I can e-mail you a photo if you like. I might even be persuaded to do one on somebody else's rifle....

JB,
I didn't know that about the CZ's trigger.
I will give that a whirl on my 9.3X62.
Thanks!

SAKO, on it's web site is advertising a Model 85 Kodiak in 375 H&H for an MRSP of $1800. SAKO claims it to be a CRF rifle.

22" barrel with open sights, laminated stock, stainless action and barrel.