What brand of rifles should I be looking at in 375 HH to take to Africa. I tried a Ruger a friend had but I did not like it much. I want to make the rifle fit me correctly and probably have a 1.5 x 5 scope fitted to the gun.

The Winchester Model 70 Safari Express is a nice gun for the money:

http://www.winchesterguns.com/...mily=001C&mid=535116

For me, it fits and balances better than the CZ, which I'm sure many will recommend.

Lots of good choices, Ruger, Dakota, CZ, Kimber, Winchester and the list goes on. Sort of depends on what you want to pay. Under $1000 CZ or a .375 Ruger, $1000-$2000 Ruger RSM and Winchester, $2000-$4,000 Kimber, above $4000 Dakota or one of the many customs. Lots of choices. Easier to narrow down if you give the price range you are interested in trying to stay within.

If I were you I would find a local gunsmith who can fit a stock to you and discuss with him which actions he is comfortable working with and accurizing. Then troll local gunshops or the internet and find a rifle that you like and take it to him and have it fit and checked for function.
I bought a P64 M70 and did this and have the original stock put away and have a custom fitted syn stock on it so I can abuse it while hunting and not reduce any collector value.
That and an illuminated reticle scope (in case leopard are ever on your menu) in QD mounts and you are all set.

375??? You know you need at least a 500 for Africa!

quote:

Originally posted by JA:
375??? You know you need at least a 500 for Africa!

+1

The Win M70 Stainless Classic in .375 is a nice rifle and not too heavy, I have also owned the M70 Safari Classic in .375 but in my opinion they are too heavy and the stocks are like a club.

I also have a Rem 798 that I re-chambered to .375 Wby. They are also decent rifles that with a little work; they need a trigger job, need to be properly bedded, and the action smoothed out by putting some Flitz or abrasive bore paste on the rails and working it about a thousand times, make a fine rifle. They are CRF and have a 26" bbl, which I think is a plus, and if you look you can find them for a bargain price.

Th CZs are good rifles, I have a couple and like them.

Rem 700 is a possibility, forget the hype about CRF, I know PHs who carry PFs and could care less about PF v. CRF. Apparently that is fodder for internet forums.

Sakos and Weatherbys are also good rifles if you don't mind PF.

If you want to spend more, as others have stated, look at Dakota or the other semi-customs.

quote:

Originally posted by sandyhunter:
The Winchester Model 70 Safari Express is a nice gun for the money:

http://www.winchesterguns.com/...mily=001C&mid=535116

For me, it fits and balances better than the CZ, which I'm sure many will recommend.

+1
Or a Mauser 98 or M03 or Sauer.

My personal favorite is the Browning A Bolt.

You should visit a big dealer and try the fit of various makes and models. They may all look similar, but when you put them up to your shoulder you will find that some fit you better than others. After you know which ones fit you can pick the one with the features you want.

Hugh

I love my Remington Model 700 Safari grade. According to some, it is trash

Truth is just pick a good name gun and shoot it a lot before taking it to Africa. Winchester & CZ are good guns.

Any gun can fail and some have problems from the git go. Just make sure you know what they are before taking it to Africa.

quote:

Originally posted by Wendell Reich:
I love my Remington Model 700 Safari grade. According to some, it is trash

Well, the animals that you have aimed at with that rifle don't have much to say about it because they are DEAD.

Winchester Model 70, Safari Express.

I would give this CZ 550 in the Classifieds forum serious consideration if I were you. This is a great buy on a nice rifle with some extras.

http://forums.accuratereloadin...2711043/m/1371011251

I would suggest looking hard at the CZ. I have owned them all the way from the 375 to the 505 Gibbs. They are all on the 550 Magnum platform, so the muscle memory comes easy. With a round in the chamber, they hold six shots! Very comforting, under any circumstances. As close to the classic Mauser 98 Magnum actions as you can get.

I would especially look hard at the NORMA 350gr bullets for the 375. Bumps it up about one order of magnitude for DG stopping.

Rich

Buy a CZ, shoot it a while, than have Wayne at AHR do an upgrade to it to your liking and budget. Had him build a nice GMA action 375 H&H a few years ago, took it to Africa and was very happy with its looks, function and accuracy.

Currently having Wayne (Bitter root) build me a 416 Rigby CZ on a synthetic stock with NP3 on the inner action and Ghost ring rear sight. Will be used in Alaska and for Africa rugged hunt conditions.

Had some difficult custom builds, but Wayne is the best for quality, fast completion dates, and top quality work and customer relations. Met him at Dallas Safari convention a couple of years ago, and hooked up with him for dinner at the recent SCI in Reno. He is a fine gentleman and an honest hard working gun builder.

Thanks for all the advice guys. I am going to check out CZ and Dakota. Gonna be in Reno next week and am going to check out the gunshop at Cabelas also.

read what hughman typed, then follow his guidance. what "fits" one man doesn't mean it will "fit" another.

Win M70 or CZ. I prefer the Win if you are happy with 3 down and 1 up. CZ has 5 down and 1 up as I recall. My Win has a 1.5-5x Leupold fitted with QD mounts. I'm happy with the combination for most of the hunting I do qwith a 375, but I could use more magnification for plains game beyond 200 yards.

Three more suggestions that probably push $2K and are no longer produced but typically available.

1) Kimber 89 (oregon) CRF,3 down, 3 pos safety, barrel lug, 13.75-14.25 LOP from factory
2) Browning Safari CRF, 3 down,3 pos safety, barrel lug, 13.5 LOP from factory
3) Sako Safari Non CRF but a extremely reliable rifle. 4 down, 2 pos safety, barrel lug, 13.75 LOP from factory

All are very nice functional guns and a cut above the entry level suggestions (without modifications).

EZ

quote:

quote:
Originally posted by Wendell Reich:
I love my Remington Model 700 Safari grade. According to some, it is trash



Well, the animals that you have aimed at with that rifle don't have much to say about it because they are DEAD.

+1 With my Rem 700 LS in .375 RUM. Two trips to South Africa and one to Zim and a pile of DEAD critters from Steenbok to Buff.

I've used a Blaser R93 with success and am bringing it again in 2013.

i used a cz 375hyh for many years ,guiding and renting it to the clients never let me down ,its the greatest rifle you can get for that money.Juan

Have one from H&S Precision and love it.

Many years ago I got offered a Brno 601? in 375 H&H and I regret not having bought it.

Echols Legend with laminated stock!

quote:

Have one from H&S Precision and love it.

It's hard to beat an HS Precision in ANY caliber. Great rifles.

You didn't mention which Ruger model you tried. I have a Ruger RSM in 375 H&H which I took to Africa in 2007 and will take again this year. It is heavy, which is a downside for carrying, but makes the 375 H&H cartridge quite comfortable to shoot. It doesn't have bench rest accuracy, but it will plunk its favorite factory load into an inch and a quarter all day long - never any larger and never any smaller!

Here it is:

I agree. Ruger Safari Magnum. It is a bit heavy for a 375 but this helps the offhand shooting & tames recoil and mine shoots between 3/4 inch to
an inch at 100 yds. CONSITANTLY with both Barnes TSX & Solids overlapping. Doesnt get much better than that. MMy action is smooth enough and real fast to work, the gun is solidly buily with many features found oion c ustom rifles. The only thing I did not like was the thicker squared stock which is now being customized for me. Cant wait to take it to Africa for another hunt !

I'll vote for the Winchester M70. This pic shows mine with a 1-4X Leupold but I've switched to a 2.5-8X for more magnification at longer ranges.

I'd look for a push feed.

quote:

I have also owned the M70 Safari Classic in .375 but in my opinion they are too heavy and the stocks are like a club.

You, maybe. Not me. I have a LH Safari Classic that fits me like my Dakota 76.

I was 67 humping the Mod 70 all over Tanzania and it wasn't too heavy for me. But I walked eight miles a day for six months prior to my hunts. The rifle is extremely accurate, also.

Nothing wrong with any of the rifles mentioned, but a CZ or a Brno in .375 H&H comes with a drop box magazine built in, and will hold 5 rounds down and and one round up... right out of the box.

Makes a big difference to have a heavy medium bore six shooter, if you are going after dangerous game.