I'm frustrated. All I want is a .375 H&H that weighs a bit less than 9 pounds, equipped with iron sights for African hunting (I'll install a Leupy 1.5-5 on QD rings, of course). Most of the ones I find, like the CZ, weigh about 10 pounds or more. Kimber has one that costs $3,000 but they got bad reviews in response to the thread I posted.

It seems my choices are (a) wait to see if Winchester actually brings out their new Safari Express on time and see if I can get one for the $1279 they advertise, (b) buy a used Winchester Safari Express CRF for about $2200, or (c) buy a Ruger in .375 Ruger. I prefer the H&H cartridge.

I also have a pre-64 action, currently on an old 30-06 match rifle, and could get a custom gun made if I could find someone around here (Ohio) who wouldn't take forever and the cost was reasonable.

Maybe I'm being unrealistic and should just shell out a lot of dough for an older Model 70 CRF.

Some people loved them some did not but Browning made the A-bolt in .375, stainless with sights, for a reasonable price and the gun was lightweight, and accurate. There are also a number of 700 Classics floating around in .375. Just a thought. Wade

What about the Remington 798? They are a Zastava (commercial) Mauser 98 action. I think CDNN bought up a bunch of them and had a special going but don't know if it's ended or not. I think one of them on the 375 H&H was around $600.

The Ruger is too heavy. If you're willing to spend $1500, you can have a Sako deluxe. It's well under 9 lbs., its brand new and its been sitting on a local gun store rack for nearly 2 years. If I didn't already have a Sako Mannlicher, I would have bought it myself.

If you're serious, PM me and I'll provide the number so you can call him.

OK...Here goes, and now I'll duck.

I have a pre-64 Mdl 70 375 H&H, a Ruger Hawkeye African 375, Ruger 375 Alaskan on the way, FN/Sako 375 Wby ...

...and this Savage FSS116 WW in 375 H&H

The Savage is the most accurate of the bunch, the lightest, and is relatively inexpensive. It has Savage's version of CRF, feeds slick and positive, and I like the trigger. Oh...it has open sights, also. The action is made to accept the 375 H&H and I can load 350s without having to seat them deep.





I found it LNIB with a 1.5-6 Bushnell 4200 in Warne QDs on steel Weaver bases for a whopping $750.00, shipped. I got this for a wet country Washington elk hunt that never happened. I would take it to Africa in a heartbeat, and especially these days, when guns seen to get waylaid in transit.

+1 for the Sako.

I have been through this excerise plenty of times

if you leave out "which one you want" and just take as they are I would say the Mark V Wby is best. You can do a Euromark out of the custom shop with express sights and all steel bottom metal and if you want add a Keiger cut rifle barrel. It has the long magazine not just 3.6" and will feed super reliable. Downside is it will be around $4000US and the wood will be standard. But an upside is you can have it in either H&H or 375 Wby.

In my opinion Sako has two negatives. One is the mounts and the other is the lego set recoil lug system of a stud on the ction and a little recoil plate.

I fibreglass stock is OK then how about the HS Precision with them supplying sights. About $3000

With the Kimber the opinions vary a lot but hard to believe that bad opinions are that bad. Nice looking gun and ready to go. But if the Sako is lego set the Kimber has that awful feature of pretending to be an M70 but under the wood is hidden is hidden a Remington tube and the washer recoil lug and to make mattters worse Kimber hide the washer with action extension

The problem with all of the above is the 375 and M70 just go together like bacon and eggs. If Wicnhester was set up like the Wby custom shop then all would be solved.

Check the on line auction sites for a Whitworth ( Interarms)...They are going for about $1200 now and are a good buy.....



Ingwe

I've been looking for one too. Remington has a new model 798 (crf mauser action) called the "safari" that looks interesting. It has a 22 inch barrel and better (laminated) wood than the regular 798. You can see one on gunbroker although it is chambered for .458, but they are being made in .375 H and H also. They seem to be selling in the 850$ range. If you find any, let me know.

Have you looked at the Sako Kodiak? Here are some specs I borrowed from a gunbroker ad:
New in the box Sako 85 Kodiak, 375 H&H cal. stainless and laminated
Overall length L 1045 mm (41 1/8") Barrel length L 540 mm (21 1/4") Weight L 3.6 kg (7 15/16 lbs) Length of pull L 355 mm (14") SAKO 85 KODIAK priced about $1,700

+1 on the Whitworth Express. I have one and it shoots well.

If I had a pre-64 M-70 action, I'd talk to Pac-Nor and see if they couldn't modify the action and install your choice of barrels/sights on it. If so, in what time frame. Then all you'd need would be a stock. Lots of those around for a pre-64 M-70. E

Thinking you have several options.

*take your M70 action, and have one put together, may have to go with a 375 Ruger with that action length though?

*get yourself a Ruger 375 Ruger from somewhere like cabelas in Billings, Mt. The other day when I was there they had 3 of them with wood handles for $799 each.

*lastly, get yourself a 700 XCR, in 375m and have the barrel cut to 23" (or don't cut it). And or find one of the 700 SPS 375's that have been running around.

Any of these options will do you just fine.

Last thought, ditch the open site idea and get a second scope set up to take as a backup.

Best of luck to you.

Dober

Ingwe you dawg! Is that your sable...?

Dober

try the classifieds Here is a good deal -
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth.../1/MODEL_70_CLASSIC_SAFARI_375_H_#UNREAD

I don't see the problem with the weight of a CZ. I & many of my friends have CZ rifles that are accurate & work well in Africa. Its not like you are climbing mountains & walking all day. Certainly, this can occur with elephant, but most of the time its short stalks from the safari truck. I just don't see where weight is an issue. I'm an old fart & with a 1.25-4X24 Swarovski scope & barrel band mounted sling I have no problem walking for several hours with my 416 Rigby.

Yep!

Ingwe

Love the Whitworths. I have had several, and all were excellent rifles.

+2. My Sako is much loved!

I understand what you are talking about. About 5 years ago I bought a CZ 550 in 375 H&H, because it was perfect "on paper". In the real world, it is so long and heavy it just sat in my safe. The final straw was when I went to Africa for the first time this past summer, and it just sat in the safe at home.

For what it is worth, I traded it on a .375 Ruger M77 Hawkeye Alaskan. I went to the total other end of the spectrum and bought this one on balance and "feel". I think it is going to be in the woods rather than the safe this fall.

I understand your reservations about the .375 Ruger. It is new, it doesn't have its legs yet, and the Quickie Mart in Windhoek may not have a box of it on the shelf. It only holds three in the magazine. The Alaskan has a 20" (!!!!) barrel.

Take a look at them though. The African model sure is nice as well, and priced right.

I don't know what your range is for a "reasonable" price, but Mark Penrod is in northern Indiana and does truly excellent work...at what I consider a reasonable price for a top class job. Last time I checked with him he used only 'glass stocks but his action and barrel work is truly outstanding. His shop is called Penrod Precision but I'm not sure he has a website.

out of the box and not breaking the bank like you said the withworth inter arms fits the bill i had one on safari in 07 it took a pounding and keep on going very acc as well #$750 -$12oo good luck

Gun broker

The Sako 85 weighs just 7 lbs, and is just around $1500 or so.

Plus it's super accurate, smooth feeding, has a great trigger, a wonderful no loss clip and, it's a controlled-round feed - if that matters to you. It also has a great recoil-attenuation system.

Here's my Synthetic Stainless Model 85 in 375 H&H..

Here's the recoil absortion system - that makes shooting it as good as a 7 lb 375 H&H could possibly be.

Here's the no-fault clip system. It can be dropped in seconds - with one hand - with just a bit of practice.

Here's my first group (a SIX shot - 100 yard group) - with my "called" flyer - using the cheapest factory ammo I could find.

Indy,
You didn't mention the Kimber Talkeetna. Mine has a 2.5-8x36 on it with Talley QD's and now weighs 9# even. The Talkeetna comes out of the box at 7# 12oz..
As to the typical Kimber bashing, you have to take it with a grain of salt.

I bought one of these ---
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=157866413

The stock and pad seem to me to soak up a lot of recoil, used Leupold QD's with a Aimpoint.

I just finished putting a Rem 721 375 H&H together. At first I put it in a Rem synthetic stock weight 7 1/4 lbs, It was no fun to shoot so I put a 11 oz mercury recoil reducer in the but stock and fomed it tight. MUCH better! total weight with a Leupold 3.5x10x50 9 lbs balance is perfict and thats were I want it for that cal.

Why such an emphasis on a 9 lb weight limit? A slightly heavier rifle will beat up your shoulder less, and likely make your shooting better-no flinching.

I have found that the 15 extra pounds around a hunters middle is far more important than an extra 15 oz on his shoulder.

I got this from CDNN this morning...


From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>Add to Contacts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CDNN Sports, Inc.
Weekly Gun Specials
CALL 800-588-9500 TO ORDER TODAY!
offers expire Thursday Feb. 18th @ 7:00pm cst.

REMINGTON EUROPEAN MAUSER LIQUIDATION!
ZASTAVA FACTORY, AMERICAN PRICE!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Remington 798 Express � 458 Win Mag� 26" Barrel �Green Laminate Stock � New
#REM89827 $499.99

Remington 798 Express �375H&H� 26" Barrel �Brown Laminate Stock � New
#REM89836 $499.99

Remington 798 Express � 458 Win Mag� 26" Barrel �Brown Laminate Stock � New
#REM89837 $499.99

Remington 798 Express �375 H&H� 26" Barrel �Deluxe Walnut Stock � New
#REM89847 $599.99

I have played around with 375 bores lately. I first found a very cheap Rem700 in 7mmRM. I sent it off to IT&D for a 375HH barrel, dropped it into a CDL stock. It weighed in at 8.75 pounds with Leupold DD bases/rings, and Leupold VXIII 1.75-6 plus 3 cartridges. I sold it when I lost my job. I then traded a Rem700 SPS varmint for a Win 70 classic sporter in 300WM. I sent it to Redneck for a 375Ruger barrel. It weighed in at 9.2 pounds set up the same as the Rem700 above. It took some time to make it feed right but Redneck has that down now - his customer service is top notch! In the end, I couldn't get past being limited to two rounds in the magazine so it is going back to Redneck to make it into a 257Roy for me. A couple of weeks ago, I found a Rem 700 XCR in 375HH for a good price ($600) so I picked it up. I will run that one for a while. There are deals out there but you have to hunt for them!

RH

I'll sell you mine over on the classifieds jorge

I've bought used post-'64 Winchester 70s for as little as $425. Keep looking, there are 375 H&H deals to be had.

Jeff

There is just something romantic about a .375 H&H. However, for pure function and price, ya' ain't gonna find anything that beats one of the new Rugers in .375 Ruger.

I went with this:





It wasn't cheap, but I'm very happy with it.

Yeah, I would buy Jorge's rifle right now and not look back. Doubt you'd find anything better on the market now or in the future even and it's been rung out already and worked on by Penrod. Nice HS stock and scope as well. Since it's so nice, it begs the question Jorge, why you selling it?

Test

One of those dreaded push feeds

Mike,
The CRF addicts have been quiet lately. Just like a good bullet, they have gone to sleep?

John

Because I have a LOVELY wood stocked Super Express and no matter how hard I try I just can't stand plastic rifles. Make one hell of a brown bear rig though! jorge

LOL! One of those dreaded push feeds that comes with terrific irons, a grade A trigger, nice wood, and comfortable stock, is pressure tested up to 120,000 PSI and feeds slicker than you can possibly imagine.

I own and like a number of CRF rifles, but this takes a back seat to none of them.

I must be a dumbass cuz I don't know what I am looking at...please enlighten me.

RH

Sorry, that's a Steyr-Mannlicher Model S.

"In my opinion Sako has two negatives. One is the mounts and the other is the lego set recoil lug system of a stud on the ction and a little recoil plate."

Mike,

Sako have developed this rifle thoroughly!

If you want a LIGHT 375 out of the box, the Sako is bloody accurate, despite those design faults.

Ah. I've heard of a S-M but never saw a picture of one. Thanks for teaching this old dog something new today.

RH

I for one have no need for a 7-lb .375H&H caliber rifle! It is just to light for my liking. I do have a model 70 Winchester (pre-64 action) and model 70 Classic in the .375-Wby caliber. Now both weigh in with scope at 9.1/4 and 9 pounds.

Also depends on the Sako. There's plenty of AV's floating around. It has a full recoil lug that is machined into the action. As for the mounts, well, they can be a pain, particularly since the Optilocks are so heavy, but they work. I still think the Leupold QR mounts for Sako (they look like the bottoms of the Optilocks, but they're much more trim) are the way to go.

Seven pounds may be a bit on the light side, but the near 11lb weight of the Ruger RSM is much too heavy for a .375 H&H. I think 8.5 to 9 lbs all up is about right.

I have one of the Win Safari Express in .375 H&H in the older push feed version, but it feeds very well and is accurate to boot. They make a nice rifle and I see them for sale from time to time on some of the sale sites. Worth checking out, because sometimes they are a bit less money than the CRF.

AGW: Nope....the conversation is just too circuitous to really bother with....just burns up a ton of brain protein

I started this drill for a light(er)375 back in the 80's and the problem was easliy solved.I found pre 64 M70 action in 375 H&H,had an Atkinson barrel in a (app)#4 contour fitted,and had it bedded in a Brown Precision Synthetic stock.About 6 years ago I had a Krieger 410 24" stainless barrel of similar contour fitted.

The rifle weighs 8 pounds with a 4X leupold on board,and is very accurate and reliable.Recoil is entirely manageable in the Brown stock which seems to flex and absorb recoil nicely.....for whatever other reason it is comfy to shoot.

I also have a M70 Classic SS in an Echols Legend stock that is a bit heavier due almost entirely to a heavier, factory barrel contour.I suspect it goes 9 pounds all up with a 3X Leupold.It would be no trick to get it to 8-8.5 pounds if I replaced the factory barrel with a lighter contour.The factory contour is heavier than it needs to be.

Also have a pre 64 M70 that is factory original; it'll stay that way except get a bedding and stock reinforcement job,tune trigger,etc. I suspect it will be about 9 pounds but is easy enough to lug around.

The difference in recoil and shootability between the 3 rifles is pretty moot.Same/same.

The Whitworth is a great rifle for the money.

Edited to Add: I got curious so broke out the scale and weighed these 3 rifles.The SS Classic with Ecols stock and 3X Leup went 9.5 pounds. I guessed wrong

The pre 64 M70 with no scope weighed 8.5 pounds.

The pre 64/Brown stock and Krieger barrel,with 4X Leup weighed exactly 8 pounds.

Sounds like you haev some nice .375's. Good luck to you with it.

JW

hatari,
The 9# weight wasn't any pre-conceived limit from me, I was just stating what the package weighs. Clearly a heavier rifle will recoil less given the same stock design.

Good points HS.

And the Leupy QR mounts do solve that problem...............

INdy,
YOu have a PM

Indy , I sent you a pm Thx Malo

Hi Guys,
I'm not sure if it's appropriate to mention this here but I do have a Whitworth in 375 H&H that may fill the bill here for what Indyca35 is looking for. It sports a 20" barrel with grey teflon finish, 3 leaf express sights, synthetic stock, fully glass bedded with 3-9 scope all in exc. condition for $900 obo and postage.
I can send pics if you want them. I have the same thing in .458 for $800 obo too.
Thanks Nap
[email protected]

I have just one .375; it is an old pre-64 Model 70 all original, other than a synthetic stock. I used it a few times in recent years with light loads and the 220 grain bullet made for the 375 Winchester. The original stock is a bit worn, but this would make it a valuable collector rifle.

Today, I use mostly short action cartridges.

All's well that ends well. I just picked up a Model 70 .375 H&H CRF, new in the box. It's one of the last ones made in New Haven. It's identical to the ones Winchester is going to introduce in the near future, if they ever do. The metal is matte finished. The wood is dull, plain, and very dark. But who cares? It's a hunting rifle.

Now to see about glass bedding it, dies, cases, bullets, working up loads, a sling, Talley QDs, and a 1.5-5 VX3.

Indy: you won't need to do any of that to that Rifle. Mine is a 1/4" shooter all day long. When you are ready, I'll give you some great loads. jorge