Always with a question in mind...

"A Fool (ME) and his money are soon parted."

With the promi$e of funding for a new rifle in .375, I'm at a critical point wherein I'll suck up all the information I can right before plunking the money down on my decision.

I was looking at the Beretta Mato in .375 H&H again.
It was one I'd considered a long time ago since I have a small collection and great love of the Beretta products and history.
While this rifle is basically a Dakota 97 with a couple of tweaks, it's still a Beretta.
It's also a discontinued model.
The main problem I see is the availability of the detachable magazines.
It's 3 times as expensive as what I was thinking about getting.
It's also a complete departure from my Remington rifles.

So, before I go insane and do something I might regret sooner than later, TELL ME about this rifle.
Thanks again!

BusMaster,

The Dakota pedigree is not bad, and I am given to understand that the Mato .375s had Lothar Walther barrels. That is two tads better than your Remington right there. The most expensive .375 H&H was the wood-stocked rifle, the synthetic was not too bad in price.

The rifle was on the market such a short time that I never had a chance to handle or shoot one.

I have owned "orphan rifles" before. Except for the magazine I think you could get parts or have a gunsmith make repairs if needed. My strategy on magazines is to buy three of them: one in the gun, one along on the hunt as a spare, and the third in the safe as a hedge against loss.

Have you mounted this rifle to see how the stock fits you?

jim dodd

If it is what I am thinking of (have only seen one MATO and it was synthetic), and you can realistically afford it, get the damned thing and quit fretting about it!

Buying a new rifle, regardless of make or model, is always a bit of a crap shoot!

Good luck.

Scott

I called before going to the gunshop today.
Two of the places that listed them don't have them now.
The third place I'm waiting to hear back from.

While at the gunshop to test-fit a couple of scopes on my new AR10 (still waiting for the NICS check 'proceed'... ) I looked at a few bolt-actions again just because I was there.

I looked at:
Winchester Model 70 Stainless Synthetic in .375 H&H
Browning A-Bolt II Medallion in .338 Win.Mag.
Remington 700 Stainless in .338 RUM
I worked the action and safeties and shouldered them a few times each.
What I found was that the first two were very nice rifles and the Remington 700 just felt 'right'.

It's like when I bought my Beretta 96 pistol; every time I picked up something else, there was something about them all that was good, but, the Beretta always felt like it belonged in my hand.
Same thing with the Remington 700 today.
It was quite refreshing to handle 3 different guns in succession with the last one being the one I'm familiar with.
It verified my thinking along the lines of staying with what I know and use already.

Someday, should I have the funds to spend on something different for the sake of having it, I may look into a different platform.
For now, I'll stay with the Remington 700 in .375 ULTRA and make it work for me!
Thanks for putting up with the latest rash of questions from me.
Pretty soon, I should have a new bolt-action .375 and some pics to show what I did to it.
Perhaps, no, undoubtedly - it won't be the 'norm' around here, but it will be what I need at the time.

I was told that extra mags were availible, but the rifle had to sent in to Beretta for them to be fitted. I was told this by the gunsmith at the local Gander Mountain (during the time I worked there we had a few Mato's come through).

Bus,

also check out a cz if you get the chance.

If anyone is interested, I saw a Mato in .270Win. at the Hamburg, PA Cabela's this past weekend for $500.

George