Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only Winchester Classic Classic Stainless 375 H&H

Indeed ……good glass can add weight. I used the Leupold 2.5-8, built when Leupold still had a great reputation for making quality scopes…..it never failed me (us). About 10 years ago we stepped-up to a Leupold 3.5-10 CDX due to our relocation to an area where longer shots were the norm. The jury is still out on it’s longevity.

With the aforementioned 3.5-10, my rifle (.375 AI) weighs-in at 9 lbs. 1 oz scoped/loaded/slung. When shooting from the bench, an extra 2 or 3 pounds would be “sweet”…… though, knocking off about 2 pounds would be awesome on a hard day of mountain hunting! 🤔😉

I’d be pretty comfortable with either the 2.5-8 or the 3.5-10 on that Leopard hunt…..but, I think that your Victory would be the better choice! memtb
memtb

Nice rifles guys. If those won't get it done, I don't know what will..

They can be sleepers regarding factory barrel accuracy. I was surprised, as well as others, on how well they can shoot

You’d think only high end custom barrels could shoot those kinda groups.

And I’ve noticed how well big bore can shoot. Pretty amazing.

DF

Just about every .375 H&H I've seen have shot lights out. When you shoot a ragged hole group with one, though it always seems extra special. My 9.3x62mm was the same way. Just something about the big bore rifles. A lot of them seem very easy to please. The reason I told the OP, I bet it shoots lights out. He did well on that rifle.

My only suggestion would be to check the factory hot glue bedding, and make sure it's at least still in the stock!!!!


I've had 2 or 3 classic stainless model 70 rifles look like this. They got properly glass bedded in a hurry. You know about glass bedding a model 70, so I don't have to tell you, but the OP needs to be warned.

I jerked that hot glue out with pliers, Steel Bedded the lug and forward action. I know bedding won't stick very well to Tupperware, so I drilled holes in and around the lug area so the Steel Bed would lock itself in the action. It worked. That stuff is way better than what they use at the factory.

Just didn't like the way it looked, although it must work OK or they wouldn't have done it that way. Good enough for them just not good enough for me....

DF

Exactly. You know I do the same exact thing. Drilling the holes is important too, to lock the bedding/epoxy in. Works great. Those that complain about bedding these stocks, probably don't do that little trick.. Along with roughing it up pretty good, to give the epoxy something to bite in to. I've never had an issue with a properly bedded tupperware stock. The ergo's fit me well too. They are a tad bit heavy, but on a 375, that isn't a bad thing..

Yeah, failed to include roughing up the surfaces.

That little trick of drilling holes at different angles is the way to make it work.

Finished product sure did beat the factory “quick bed”. Good beats quick in this case. That Steel Bed ain’t gonna move.

DF

Edited to add, that’s why I didn’t replace the Tupperware, the ergonomics are perfect for me. And they are a tad heavy, but on a big boomer, that’s OK.

My Classic Stainless .375 had a wandering zero problem due to the hot glue gun bedding. I used the situation as an excuse to buy a McMillan Supergrade pattern. That was a great buy years ago, glad I'm not trying that today.

Getting rid of that hot glue bedding is the first thing to be done with a Model 70. I've found its often the only problem they have.

Yeah, the McM is a better stock, but with their current pricing, I'm gonna stick with the improved Tupperware with better bedding.

Not a bad stock with bedding fixed. Not that pretty, but it's a working gun. Not gonna worry about scratches and dings.

DF

Exactly.
This is a wood stock, but they do the same thing on the tupperware stock models:



Pretty poor practice and material:

But don’t ya know it’s fast and cheap.

I don’t think bedding is the place to skimp.

But if you never take it apart, who’s gonna know.

That won’t pass muster here with us Loonies.

We’ll find out.

DF

Ha ha. That's for sure.

My stainless classic is bedded to a Bansner stock and shoots very very nicely. I’m not a classic snob so I solved my scope mount concerns with a picatinny rail. The Nxs 2.5-10 is probably overkill but I like to see what I can do at longer ranges (600+) for fun so that’s what I use.

The bipod is only on there for the picture.

The FN-made Winchester M70 .375 H&H Alaskan came from factory in 2011-2012 (USA assembled)
with good epoxy bedding of action recoil lug and tang.
Ditto the 2014-2015 version assembled in Portugal from South Carolina parts.
Those are walnut stocks.


Anyway, I think y'all are making a mountain out of a mole hill
when it comes to a little overhang of scope base at rear of action.
Look at how Ross Seyfried did his Remington M700 .416 RemMag and called it professional:





Here is my old M70 Classic .416 RemMag before I re-barreled it to .458 WinMag,
with just a little bit of overhang at rear seen as tolerable,
but no good for front overhang!



Here, I fixed it with a hacksaw:



Overhang at the rear allows for decreased potential for Weatherby Eye Brow,
and I find it no impediment to loading and ejection.

Here are a couple of the old M70 Classic RUM actions with QRW bases for 0.330" hole spacing on the rear/bridge,
drilled bigger for 8x40 screws (404 Jeffery on top, .500/.338 Lapua Magnum Improved below):









Last rifle above has a Connecticut Classic Tupperware stock on a Pre-'64 M70 .30-06 action re-barreled to .458 WinMag,
epoxy bedded as y'all have described above, and it is a bugholer.
Everybody I know hates the hot glue beddings.
Notice that the front base overhang above was not yet corrected by hacksaw, to perfect this one.

Regarding hole spacing on a lighter weight .375 H&H Winchester M70 Alaskan:
Same as on the Connecticut Classic M70 Stainless Synthetic













Convert .458 WinMag to .375 H&H-length-COL-capable with three drop-in parts:
sheet metal magazine box,
bolt stop,
ejector.

I like the Leupold PRW rings and mounts. They are basically a stronger version of the Weaver system.

While the BACO's do have a little nicer bedding on their rifles, and it looks like they use a better epoxy than the NH rifles did. A lot of them I've seen are not what they are calling, "good glass bedding from the factory, right out of the box". Have you seen some of these bedding jobs??? If you have, and you've dealt with some accuracy issues, you'd know the bedding wasn't worth a schidt, about 8 times out of 10. That is a better track record than the hot glue bedding. I'll give you that.

Also, there's nothing wrong with guys wanting their mounts and rings to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Personally, I don't like bases to hang out into the loading/ejection port. I'm not going to argue about what I like, because we are not all the same there. If it does not bother you, that is great. To me, it looks like dog schidt.

Well, to me bedding is an easy fix. I don’t expect much from the factory, so I’m not easily disappointed.

Without much expectation, there can be little disappointment.

DF

Yep, mass production and individually hand tuned have their differences.

For sure.

DF