Find a Classic stainless Mod. 70, get the mag. box, W-spring and follwer combo from master gunmaker and real gentleman Duane Weibe and have a GOOD 'smith and I can PM you who IS just that, install these and fit a Micky handle.
Get a Brockman-Talley base-peep sight combo, 8-40 screws and two sets of Talley QD mounts. Have the barrel cut to 23" and a Recknagel banded ramp with Euro-post front sight installed.
Shoot it until you can use it without concious thought and it will be a .375H&H, loaded with 300 NPs over enough H-4350 over a WW mag.primer in Nosler brass. buy 200 cases to start and they should last a long time. My rifles like 76.5 grs and I do not try for the highest velocity as the original British loads seemed to work pretty well in "Darkest Afriker, old boy, eh wot"....
There is NO better .375 bore rifle made unless you can spend SERIOUS coin, pushing 10K and this rig will give you 4+1, shoot well and last until you are fertilizer.
The Ruger and I have owned at least 20 guns by them, is not equal to this rig and the noise about "bolt throw" etc. is all horseshit, the kind of drivel spouted by those with 10.000+ posts on each of several different gun sites and gun "knowledge" largely obtained from reading magazines.
You can also do a CZ-550, but, I see no real value to the heavier rifle, having owned a customized Brno-602 and some disadvantages.
If, you can afford it, there are Dakota 76-/Safari Grades out there and with a little work, these become a fine .375 rifle. HTH.
AB2506, I guess it all depends what you want and what and where you will be using it. Living in southeast Alaska I have always been drawn to the 375hh and have owned several of the winchester m70 classic stainless's, which are great rifles. When ruger introduced the 375ruger in the alaskan model i had to have one and I have never looked back..Why... Well the price for one, under 800 dollars you get an all stainless rifle with open sights which are stainless too and the barrel banded front sight is great for coming on a factory rifle.. The barrel is already at 20 inches which with my favorite winchester I had to cut it down and have the front sight drilled and tapped and all that the goes along with it. As far as the hogue stock some hate them others love them, I am not bothered by mine but thats because I put an old ruger paddle stock on it and have been totally happy with it. Sure you could buy a rifle, send it to smith and have him add all the bells and whisles if thats your cup of tea, I for one dont have the money for such a project and probably wouldnt as my 375 ruger has worked flawlessly from day one. Will probably get some slack about this but just my experience..
I've been going crazy trying to decide which 375 to buy, problem is where I live there aren't too many 375's to handle let alone shoot. FlatTop Johnny was nice enough to let me shoot his Ruger Alaskan several times, handles and shoots greats, I'm still undecided on the recoil. I would not buy that CZ because it appears that it is an older model W/O the crossbolts and the stocks tend to split (from what I've read in researching the CZ). I'd go with the Ruger, Good Luck!
I will add another thumbs up for the Ruger. I have a lefty Alaskan, and the trigger is better on it than my Hawkeye 30-06. Bolt throw is smooth, and I really like the express sights. It's just a tad heavier than my Hawkeye, and damn if it don't handle nice and shoot even better.
I have a 20" Montana '99. I'm working on going lightweight on this...I really really love this rifle with 270gr. Hornady's over H4350. Just a hoot!
For those of you with the Ruger 375 Alaskan, is the factory trigger good enough or are you replacing it?
I have the 375 Ruger African. I had my gunsmith lighten the pull to a nice crispy 3 lb.
Winchester model 70, Kimber Caprivi (Wonderful rifle, that one) would be two of my choices. Really, the only two in a 375.
I just examined a Caprivi in .416Rem. at a major Vancouver, BC gunshop and it retails here for $3895.00 plus tax-12%. I was really quite keen on buying one and had my wife on side for the purchase, but, the fit and finish does not come remotely close to my Dakota 76, which is the "baseline" for good guns of contemporary manufacture, for me.
My buddy just bought two used Dakota 76 rifles,VERY nice ones, for $2750.00 and $2550.00 each and with a little money to put Micky and Rimrock handles on them, he has rifles much superior, IMHO, to the Caprivi.
NO offence intended at all, but, I am quite disappointed in the Kimber centerfire rifles I have examined to date and that is at least two dozen. I wish they WOULD do a Caprivi and a Talkeetna of the quality of a Dakota and would buy one if they ever do so.
This is just me AB but b4 I bought one of those or most all others mentioned I'd try to find a M70 in 375, and restock it with one of D'Arcy's handles.
The M70 has good barrel weight to it by my way of thinking. I'd cut the barrel to 23", rid myself of the irons.
Option #2 would be for a nice light 375 I'd go with a 700 XCR, cut the tube to 23" and get to it.
IMO most all 375's are built too dang heavy. In my world of 375's I'd want it all up at most 8.5 lbs. The 375 is a user friendly round if one keeps decent barrel weight out front and not towards the rear.
Best of luck to you in your decision
Dober
One other thought would be to get a Ruger Alaskan and restock it. I think that Phil S redid one with a take off Ruger handle. That's a rig I could cotton to, especially if I could rid it of the irons.
Dober
This is just me AB but b4 I bought one of those or most all others mentioned I'd try to find a M70 in 375, and restock it with one of D'Arcy's handles.
The M70 has good barrel weight to it by my way of thinking. I'd cut the barrel to 23", rid myself of the irons.
Option #2 would be for a nice light 375 I'd go with a 700 XCR, cut the tube to 23" and get to it.
IMO most all 375's are built too dang heavy. In my world of 375's I'd want it all up at most 8.5 lbs. The 375 is a user friendly round if one keeps decent barrel weight out front and not towards the rear.
Best of luck to you in your decision
Dober
If I went a 700 XCR, I may as well go all the way and get an ABolt stainless stalker. There's usually one of those at most gunshows as I figure most people find them way too light in 375.
If I decide to go for buffalo, I think I will try to find a Winchester classic stainless, or a Kimber Talkeetna. Thisrd would be a 375 Ruger African.
If you were closer I'd let you run my 375 Wby for a while. I have an old Pre 64/70 that's all electroless nickled with a Schneider 5 wt cut to 23". Brown for a handle.
Darn things a total drill!
Dober
EricM,
If anybody isn't satisfied with the factory trigger pull on a Ruger .375 Hawkeye, it's one of the easiest factory trigger to fix. I've done it myself on several Hawkeyes in about 20-30 minutes.
Thanks for the input, John!
Eric
Ive had no problems so far with my Ruger Alaskan, and the trigger on mine is more than satisfactory the way it came from the factory....for what I use it for the Hogue stock is fine, but if I were to use it as a DG rifle, then I would look into re-stocking it.
johnny
Find a Classic stainless Mod. 70, get the mag. box, W-spring and follwer combo from master gunmaker and real gentleman Duane Weibe and have a GOOD 'smith and I can PM you who IS just that, install these and fit a Micky handle.
Get a Brockman-Talley base-peep sight combo, 8-40 screws and two sets of Talley QD mounts. Have the barrel cut to 23" and a Recknagel banded ramp with Euro-post front sight installed.
Shoot it until you can use it without concious thought and it will be a .375H&H, loaded with 300 NPs over enough H-4350 over a WW mag.primer in Nosler brass. buy 200 cases to start and they should last a long time. My rifles like 76.5 grs and I do not try for the highest velocity as the original British loads seemed to work pretty well in "Darkest Afriker, old boy, eh wot"....
There is NO better .375 bore rifle made unless you can spend SERIOUS coin, pushing 10K and this rig will give you 4+1, shoot well and last until you are fertilizer.
The Ruger and I have owned at least 20 guns by them, is not equal to this rig and the noise about "bolt throw" etc. is all horseshit, the kind of drivel spouted by those with 10.000+ posts on each of several different gun sites and gun "knowledge" largely obtained from reading magazines.
You can also do a CZ-550, but, I see no real value to the heavier rifle, having owned a customized Brno-602 and some disadvantages.
If, you can afford it, there are Dakota 76-/Safari Grades out there and with a little work, these become a fine .375 rifle. HTH.
Damn good advise Kutenay
Gunner
I bought my oldest boy a M70 Stainless LH 416 Rem, very nice gun. Had it gone through by my gunsmith Kevin Weaver. I have a CZ 550 in 500 Jeffery (started out as a 375 H&H) with AHR's CZ #1 upgrade kit. I like my CZ better. I also have a Rem XCR II in 375 H&H and I would never buy another one, but after Kevin went through it and fixed a few things, it's a very light, accurate and dependable 375.
I bought my oldest boy a M70 Stainless LH 416 Rem, very nice gun. Had it gone through by my gunsmith Kevin Weaver. I have a CZ 550 in 500 Jeffery (started out as a 375 H&H) with AHR's CZ #1 upgrade kit. I like my CZ better. I also have a Rem XCR II in 375 H&H and I would never buy another one, but after Kevin went through it and fixed a few things, it's a very light, accurate and dependable 375.
...., install these and fit a Micky handle.
kutenay, what is a "Micky handle"?
Also, how does the Classic Model 70 compare to the current production?
I have a few big bore CZ's and the only complaint I have is that the bolt handle rides too close to the wood. Too hard to get a grasp on.
...., install these and fit a Micky handle.
kutenay, what is a "Micky handle"?
Also, how does the Classic Model 70 compare to the current production?
A mickey handle is a McMillan synthetic rifle stock, sold right here on this site.
Gunner
Had my old faithful Sako Finnbear .338 re-barreled to same length, contour in .375 H-H Improved recently and replaced her with a Kimber 8400 Montana. I'm happy.
I have two 375s (1 Winchester SS model 70 and one XMark in Brown Precision stock) I like my 458 Whitworth Express better than either. Just make sure that you wouldn't like a 458 Win better. You might like the 458 Win better.
Sincerely,
Thomas