Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only Rebore Help: M70 375H&H

I have a M70 Classic Stainless 375H&H that I want to send out to be rebored to 458 Lott. Jesse at JES is concerned about the screw hole depth at the muzzle from the factory front sight and wants me to measure the hole depth.

Since I had a NECG banded front sight installed, I am unable to measure the depth of the original holes.

I am wondering if anyone with factory sights would be able to measure the hole depth so that I can extrapolate the remaining barrel thickness?

I am fairly certain there is plenty of wall thickness to work with given the overall diameter but want to verify for sure before I launch the project.

Thank you in advance for anyone who is able to assist.

-Mike

The M-70 classics in 375 H&H, 416 Rem and 458 WM share the same barrel contour, tell JES this, if he balks send it to the Delta Gun Shop/Clearwater Reboring up in WA state, they'll handle it for ya.

Gunner

Yep. Combine that with the shallow azz hole that mine had, tossing the front sight during my first range session, and you have no worries. Mine too received a banded sight though out of Jim Wisner's shop.

That one size fits all makes the .375 way too barrel heavy. It should be about right, bored out to .458". If left as a .375, many cut that 24" bbl. to 21". That makes the gun handle much better. And, it's much too good a barrel to discard and start over.

This one now wears a Zeiss Victory 1.5-6 in Talley QD's.

DF

Gentlemen,

I certainly appreciate the substantive responses. I agree with the barrel contour being excessive on a .375 but wanted to err on the side of caution.

I had the barrel chopped to 22" but with a magnum filled McMillan and Sunny Hill bottom metal the rifle weighs 9lb 4oz bare.

As I've got a 5lb 9oz 9.3x62 and a 5lb 14oz .338 ( both weights sans scope), the M70 has remained in the safe. I think it will be an ideal platform though for a Lott.

Again, many thanks.

-Mike

How bad do those LW rifles kick?

DF

To me the 9 3 feels about the same as my 416 (9lb) shooting 400gr loads.
Looking at a recoil calculator, it is right at 60lbs of recoil with a 286 @ 2500.

The 338 has a bansner brake and is pleasant by comparison.

My 416 Rem goes just shy of 10# all up with scope, PT&G aluminum bottom metal and the McM magnum filled stock that, alone, dropped just shy of 1/2# from the factory stock. This to include the banded front sight and a slightly heavier Wisner rear site. For me, 10# is about right for a 416.

EdM, How short would or could you reasonably go with a long action 416 Rem. Mag.? I used a 24 inch tube on my smaller 416 Express wildcat rifle, made on a Mauser M-98 action. But I was going for adequate bullet spin, in my 1 in 14 twist barrel.

Ruger seems to like 18 inches in its 375 Alaskans. But they use special powder mixes, unavailable to re-loaders, IIRC.

Not EdM but I cut the barrel on my 700KS Safari in .416 back to 20" and had it ported. This leaves me with an effective barrel length of 19" It shoots everything into very small groups. Only animal I shot with the rifle was a bear using 325gr Northforks at 2600 fps.

I figure that the gold standard for a century was a 400hr @ 2150. As long as i load to near book max I am still north of 2250 with a 400gr. Alternately, a 350gr TSX at 2500+ is like a H&H on steroids..

Given the handiness, I have zero regrets of going short

AK 416, that sucker's gotta be just about the loudest rifle there is around. I just put up a public You Tube clip on making my wildcat 416 cases with Cream of wheat case forming blanks. Cut and paste; Cream of Wheat case forming blank loads This search term should get you around all of the breakfast cereal recipes.

It certainly has some bark to it but nothing compared to shooting the 300 Ultra or STW.

Why not just buy a good used gun? Or have your gun rebarreled? Whichever suites you and your wallet best.

Personally, with my light McM stock (weighs a full 1/2# less than the factory wood) and aluminum bottom metal (another 3-4 oz lighter IIRC), I would not go shorter than 22". Mine remains at 24" and feels great.

The rifle already has NECG banded front and 3 leaf rear sight installed and is ceracoated and bedded to perfectly match the McMillan Safari stock with Sunny Hill BM.

Rifle is at Jesse's right now to be rebored. I figure $310 with return shipping is a better deal on all fronts than launching off on a new rifle.