Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only What barrel contour for a 375 H&H?

My Winchester Classic Safari Express measures .715" at the muzzle with a 24" tube.

Way too heavy, IMHO.

That's why mine was cut to 21".

(Did you mean muzzle rather than bore?)

DF

DF, Yes sir! Thanks for catching that I've changed the post.

As for to heavy...nah...I like the added weight of the barrel it shoots like a dream and groups anything I stuff in the case under MOA. Chopping 3 inches off would kill me in the velocity loss department. The balance is right at the front scope mount on my rifle and it handles just fine.

Not really, you can get a barrel that as smallish Muzzle diameter but is otherwise too heavy near the chamber. Midway's F14 contour barrel is a good example of this.

I have a LW Art 722 barrel on my .375 H&H. Muzzle is about .650" but it tapers pretty quickly from about 2.5" ahead of the receiver.

My .376 Steyr has a muzzle diameter of closer to .700" but it is a short 22" barrel.

Scoped, the Styer and the H&H weigh about the same. However, sans scope the Steyr is a bit heavier just like I wanted. I typically only run Leupold 1-4x20 on it. But I like to use it more without the scope so the litle extra weight is nice for recoil management.

In very broad terms, Most people like a barrel of between what is commonly considered a #3 or #4 contour. But I have had request for up to a .750" Muzzle diameter with slowish taper. Good balance but heavy. Owner was a strong guy, just didn't like recoil. Something to consider when shopping for barrels.

You lose some but not as much as in high performance rounds like the RUM's, 7STW, .264WM, etc.

If the balance is right, then that's where you should stay. To me, my Stainless Classic .375 H&H was too barrel heavy and in a DG rifle, handling is more important than a few fps, IMHO.

DF

Re-run photo of 21" Stainless Classic M-70 in .375 H&H. To me, it handles much better than it did at 24". I like it now, didn't like it so much before the trim. I don't even mind the Tupperware. Not pretty, utilitarian. Not an Echols Legend, but that $600 is still in my pocket...

DF

I agree with the Dirtfarmer. a 21" .375 Classic has a whole different feel than they do at 24". this one is punched AI so I could get those fps back, but it wouldn't bother me if it wasn't.

I have no doubt I could ask a few here what time it is and they would tell me how a clock is made.

And where at....

My 375 Ruger was built on a Brux #5, cut to 23", and .710" I think at the noisy end.

It was a hair nose heavy, but made follow up shots a bit quicker on target.

better yet, somebody that doesn't even have a clock will proceed to tell you what time it is...

DF & TOAD, I've never handled the stainless version with the black stock. I wonder if that isn't the difference in balance and handling. Posted before but here's my 375H&H Safari Express with 24" barrel:


I calculated the loss of three inches would only be about 78fps. Which isn't as bad as I thought. The calculation is based on information in Any Shot You Want by A-Square at 26fps loss per inch for barrels 29" to 21". Since I currently load at original velocity levels I'm sure I could stuff more powder in the case and get the 78fps back without punching it to AI or Weatherby.

Yeah, I think there is more stock weight in that one than the Tupperware version. In fact, I had that very gun, but traded it on something else because I found it heavy for a .375 H&H and it was too pretty to start cutting on.

I got the Stainless Classic on the Fire Classifieds for around $800 or so. After doing the work, including jerking the "hot glue" bedding out and re-bedding with Steel Bed, I like it. The NECG sights are nice.

It's not pretty, just a working gun. I don't worry about scratching it or dinging it. I will admit, the one you have is a very nice looking rifle, and represents a lot of quality for the buck.

DF

I wouldn't do anything over .650 at the muzzle and I think something closer to .620 at the muzzle would be better, like a Douglas #3 contour. The current factory chamberings are, indeed, way too heavy. I believe they put the heavy barrels on to help tame recoil and because they can use the same contour for the 416 and 458 calibers as well. The stocks the factories used are also a little too beefy as well.

To give you an idea, I have CZ-550 in 375 H&H with the factory barrel cut back to 23 inches that weighs about 9.5 or so pounds (don't remember exactly what the scale read). I also have a 416 Rem Mag on a CZ-550 action with a 23.5 inch #4 Douglas barrel on it that weighs in at 8.6 pounds bare. Both have custom stocks with 15" LOP. The 375 has had the stock hallowed out as much as possible to save every extra ounce. The 416 stock has not.

I carried my 375 H&H around Mozambique and, while the rifle functioned great, it was really far too heavy for a 375. (Even my PH, who carried a 425 Westley Richards on a M98 commented on how heavy the gun was). Not too long after getting home I decided to build a 9.3x62 as I wanted something slim and trim (what my 375 should have been). My 9.3x62 on a M98 with a #718 LW barrel cut to 23 inches weighs in at 7.3 pounds. Fully loaded, with scope and sling, it's just a little bit under 9 pounds. There is really no more reason to carry my 375 as my 9.3 can handle pretty much everything the 375 can but weighing in 2 pounds less. If I need bigger, I've got the 416 (still weighing in a pound less).

If I were to do it all over again, I would have bought an action I liked (CZ, Mauser 98, M70, pick your favorite), sold the factory barrel and put a #3 Douglas contour on it with a NECG banded front sight, banded rear sight with intregal recoil lug, and barrel band sling swivel. Rust blued the whole thing, dropped it in a strong piece of walnut, and taken it hunting.

this was pretty easy to arrange. my .375 RUM 'security blanket'

Toad,

I bet a day at the range, shooting that thing off a bench could get real entertaining...

DF

I save it for the end of the range session and shoot ten rounds through it to keep the nerves deadened. it does shoot, though.

Pretty amazing you can concentrate well enough to hold'em that tight.

Easy to see why it would be the last gun you shot...

DF

I just Luv> It Whats the Contour? >? No whats the balance and the weight you want . the contour is just the start !DAAAAAAAA a stock comes into play ?????? And Maybe Fit That Feels Balanced!. more to it Sport!> If just shoot off the bench . you can Ajust to Almost any thing!!!!!!!!> but a Gun to just come Up to your Shoulder and Shoot ?????????????

In a Big Bore > Its Has to have a Balance and to the shoulder Thing> You will know what I am Talking about When you get that big bore to come up to the Shoulder.

I Have 3 big bores 375, 416, 458, but I will take only one in heavy timber if my life was on the line!> because it just comes up !