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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 11,953
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 11,953 |
I've owned several 375s over the years, mostly H&Hs. Currently own a 375/338 . . . .375-.338 is a good one in a std long action. Mine had a 21" bbl, on a M70 PF action, Williams receiver aperature rear and Williams Firesight front. L to R .338 Win .375-.338 w/ Win 270 PP .375-338 w/ Nosler 300 PT .375 H+H .375-.338 Mine is on a 700 action which is long enough for an H&H. It works fine, even for a PF.
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 13,770 Likes: 3
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 13,770 Likes: 3 |
Stainless M70's in 7mm and 300 Win abound. Pick the exact barrel contour and length you want, pick the stock you want, and have it rebarreled to .375 Ruger.
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 7,732
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 7,732 |
For a few years now I have been fantasizing about getting a big rifle suitable for big bears, moose, elk, and such. No need for one quite yet. However, it seems that I may have need of such in the now fairly near future. In the past I had pretty much decided on a Ruger M-77 Alaskan (SS w/ syn. stock) in .375 Ruger. It appears that Ruger has discontinued these and is trying to substitute, as best I can tell, with what they are calling a Guide Gun. From what I have seen of it, I am not impressed. They do still have their African, but it is wood stocked and blue steel. Not what I want.
I have always been a fan of Winchester and love my Super Grade M-70 Clasic (CRF) .30-06. I figured if I cannot go with the .375 Ruger, I would settle for the good old .375 H&H. However, to my surprise, Winchester does not offer a SS syn. stock M-70 in .375 H&H, only in wood and blue steel.
I'm OK with Remington and have a M-700 SPS in 7mm-08, but I really want a CRF for this. So, that rules out Remington. I confess that I am not really familiar with Kimber. I am of the belief that they are pretty much a copy of a Winchester M-70. Is that true? If so, how do they measure up to a M-70? Any other suggestions? I am in no hurry. I guess Ruger was not selling enough of their M-77 Alaskans to justify making them. This really surprises me as I thought is was just the thing for large game and harsh conditions. Also really liked all that I read about the .375 Ruger cartridge. Thoughts, comments, and suggestions? Thanks! My Kimber Talkeetna is not a copy of a Winchester Model 70. It is, however similar. Pluses are lighter weight, four in magazine, blind magazine [some don't think that is a plus] Kevlar stock and NECG sights out of the box. For my purposes, the weight is near perfect. About 8.5# with scope. About the same as my M70 SS Classic in .338 FWIW. I agree with other posters that the 24" barrel needs to be shortened for the uses I put it to. I don't care for barrels over 22" on rifles I hunt with in the brush. If I have a gripe it is that the four round magazine causes it to be a bit thick in front of the trigger guard. Some people are never happy. If I wanted stainless this would be my choice. Very nice rifles.
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 37,162 Likes: 3
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 37,162 Likes: 3 |
I like a floor plate on a DG rifle. Here's my budget .375 H&H, 24" factory tube trimmed to 21" with NECG irons. The basic rifle was around $850 used. I spent a few bucks with the smith, trimming the barrel and tweaking the action for extra smooth feed. NECG sights were bought wholesale and sent with the gun to be mounted. DF
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 6,392 Likes: 1
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 6,392 Likes: 1 |
When I put my .375 H&H together I went as follows: pre 64 M70 H&H action #4 barrel @22" used brown precision stock old leupy 3x as pictured it weighs about 8 3/4 pounds I'm quite happy how it turned out. now just to get back to Alaska
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 37,162 Likes: 3
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 37,162 Likes: 3 |
Hard not to like that one.
DF
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Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 2,315
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 2,315 |
Never needed more or less than this: Winchester M70 Safari Express 375H&H 24" barrel weighs in at 10.7 pounds. 2.5 pound factory trigger, all metal is Teflon coated, except the action, it'll just wear off anyway. Action has been trued, stock is bedded and epoxied finished all natural wood to seal the stock completely. And it shoots like jorgeI's. I personally like the balance, which is at the lug, & for me 4" shorter barrel is not going to make a difference in tight cover. I've hunted the heck out of this rifle from coyotes to elk and everything in between. To me it's the perfect all around rifle. Note no rear ramp...I've got a custom made peep sight that fits the Talley mount if I need to drop the 1-4 scope. Also have a 2.5-8 sitting in Talley QD rings for when I want more power for shooting long range. I like the weight, the finish & everything about the rifle! Stainless steel looks poorly to me. Prefer the black and wood. I was going to put a plastic stock on, so I'd have both, but changed my mind. I'm just a wood guy! Sweet! That's a beauty for sure. A friend of mine has a Super Grade in 375 H&H. One afternoon we shot groundhogs with it. Walking them up along the corn and woods line. Standing off cross sticks. A lot of fun and good practice. It's been my experience the M70 tames the hard kickers pretty well. For my physical build anyway. The 338,300 Win,and 375 all have a lesser felt recoil to me than the same round in a BDL. You do have a dandy there.
"Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."
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Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 629
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 629 |
Thanks, Otter6! Yeah, she's pretty much a pussycat to shoot. A friend of mine calls her a pretty fat girl! LOL He likes the light weights and much smaller cartridges. I once had a ultra light in 06 and it kicked ya like an ugly mule. Which after that I've preferred at least 9# rifles no matter the caliber. And as far as humping the fat girl, when I was issued my rifle when in the USMC it also weighed over 10#, and I carried her to hell and back.
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 7,263
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 7,263 |
WB375
I like the looks of that rifle. What did you do to the stock? Was it a complete re-do to bare would. Alkanet or stain? And is it oil over epoxy or just rubbed down?
Tempted to do that on mine but can't decide if I want to trim down the stock or not.
"When you disarm the people, you commence to offend them and show that you distrust them either through cowardice or lack of confidence, and both of these opinions generate hatred." Niccolo Machiavelli
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 7,263
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 7,263 |
Back to the original poster I would keep an eye out for a used Whitworth or Zastava and just get the metal cerakoated or other rust proof treatment.
"When you disarm the people, you commence to offend them and show that you distrust them either through cowardice or lack of confidence, and both of these opinions generate hatred." Niccolo Machiavelli
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Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 629
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 629 |
Tejano, The outside of the stock was not touched. Factory finish. We took the stock when the barreled action, bottom metal, etc was out and brushed a two part marine epoxy finish on all the bare wood inside. Seems to have work great, she's been in snow & rain storms and always shot true!
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,315 Likes: 2
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,315 Likes: 2 |
Back to the original poster I would keep an eye out for a used Whitworth or Zastava and just get the metal cerakoated or other rust proof treatment. Been thinking the same thing.
Al
Spend your life wisely.
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,701
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,701 |
Back to the original poster I would keep an eye out for a used Whitworth or Zastava and just get the metal cerakoated or other rust proof treatment. Been thinking the same thing. Though this one is a 9,3x62, same idea. I have rebarreled more than a few Interarms, Zastava, Daly's into 375 Rugers. This one started as an H&R and is now a 375 Ruger. I was still in the process of refinishing the stock after adding the ebony tip and recoil pad. It of course is Blue & wood but could easily have been synthetic and cerakote.
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 50,643 Likes: 1
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 50,643 Likes: 1 |
Tejano, The outside of the stock was not touched. Factory finish. We took the stock when the barreled action, bottom metal, etc was out and brushed a two part marine epoxy finish on all the bare wood inside. Seems to have work great, she's been in snow & rain storms and always shot true! The problem with your barrel channel sealing idea is it creates a differential in waterproofing between the channel and the rest of the stock... The channel wood will be the last to move. If the stock absorbs water through the finish and all oil based finishes are poor at truly sealing, then the wood will grow toward the channel and can easily either impinge on touch the barrel. That can be an issue... Matching the sealer in the barrel channel with the finish is really the best plan. But then, most walnut stocks are pretty stable to start with and the issues are not that great.
Mark Begich, Joaquin Jackson, and Heller resistance... Three huge reasons to worry about the NRA.
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 50,643 Likes: 1
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 50,643 Likes: 1 |
geeze... Don't talk so loud... My poor old 375AI built on a 700 has only killed every bear it has been asked to, including three Kodiak brown bears, and an assortment of others... But all you clueless folks thinking there is ANYTHING special in CRF might make it think all those critters were only acting dead.
Or all those cartridges being fed through it at every angle were really going somewhere else...
Or the fact the 700 is easier to make shoot well than any CRF design out there was somehow limited by the feel good folks that said all actions should be equal and a nostalgia factor should mean the 2MOA CRF rifle is equal to the 1MOA push feed.
And was the 77 Alaskan a true CRF? art laughing but not because it was really funny... No, but a 1" MOA CRF is the better option when it comes to dangerous game and reliable EXTRACTION, not just feeding and Remington extractors because of their inherent weak point when dirt/debris builds up are prone to failure. The in line PF Weatherbys are about the most reliable feeders out there. "feel good"? How about KNOW GOOD.... I try very hard not to comment on threads like this, until the Bullshit comes out about CRFs not being accurate and PFs the equal of CRFs in feeding and extraction...And I still can't fathom a safety that won't lock the bolt (not to mention it's shady safety record), then there's that bolt issue... Jorge Please name an action that will function perfectly every time when you allow dirt and debris to build up... Short of the 870 shucking shells and sand there are no actions I would trust as a DGR without at least a little bit of attention... You really get to digging when you go after the safety record... That has been hashed way fine these days... Good luck with those inaccurate 70s and I will keep running my fallible 700s! art
Mark Begich, Joaquin Jackson, and Heller resistance... Three huge reasons to worry about the NRA.
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 42,625 Likes: 1
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 42,625 Likes: 1 |
Your question is pure hyperbole but good luck? I'm not the one chasing Brown Bears for a living. Hope that handle holds... Another inaccurate one... And my bolt handle stays on and I'll take the longer, stronger more reliable extractor... PS: that's FOUR (4) shots...
Last edited by jorgeI; 08/28/13.
A good principle to guide me through life: “This is all I have come to expect, standard lackluster performance. Trust nothing, believe no one and realize it will only get worse…”
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 50,643 Likes: 1
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 50,643 Likes: 1 |
I stopped guiding quite some time ago... We chase brown bears for fun these days.
Stocks can be made for about anything... but the notion of shooting a big rifle without a bit of cast is a lot more troubling than a little thing like a brazed bolt handle...
And that touch of cast will allow you to stay on target and see what is happening far more readily than anything else. Good luck finding cast in a synthetic stock (I realize you likely use wood stocks).
I just like to read some of the ridiculous stuff for grins... art
Mark Begich, Joaquin Jackson, and Heller resistance... Three huge reasons to worry about the NRA.
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 42,625 Likes: 1
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 42,625 Likes: 1 |
Ever read Don Heath's writings on rifle reliability at the Professional Hunter Qualification Trials at Rifa? Interesting reading and from a man who's been there and done that and none of it is ridiculous..
A good principle to guide me through life: “This is all I have come to expect, standard lackluster performance. Trust nothing, believe no one and realize it will only get worse…”
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Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 629
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 629 |
Ever read Don Heath's writings on rifle reliability at the Professional Hunter Qualification Trials at Rifa? Interesting reading and from a man who's been there and done that and none of it is ridiculous.. jorgeI, I found that article and it is interesting reading. I really don't think Don thinks any rifle is built right! Especially Weatherby's! Sitka Deer: My stock seems to be working fine in the conditions I've put her through so far! I will be very honest with you, I take care of my girl with the utmost care!
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 15,319 Likes: 3
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 15,319 Likes: 3 |
Very nice rifles.. They are all very sharp.
Winchester does have their Alaskan now, with the laminate and SS barrel.. A good choice if you don't like synthetic.
Semper Fi
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