I agree with Bill. The ones I handled at SHOT required you to push the round down and back a bit to get it in the magazine like the first 7xxx series. Mag box was long enough, but the action was not designed from the ground up for the H&H length cartridges.

there is a Whitworth in the classifieds for about half of your budget. Built on a true 3.6" length action and magazine box.

The Whitworth Safari Express is about as nice as they come in the form of factory guns, and Ive stocked a few of them, added a rust blue and they were first class hunting rifles..

IMO a DG rifle should be controlled feed, I would not even consider anything else, not only for safety and function but for resale in a classic caliber..

I like the Ruger Safari African model, but its in 375 Ruger, an upcoming caliber with a damn good future ahead of it..They sell for about $900.

the best of all is a Mauser 98 custom rifle in 375 H&H, or the 1917 Enfield properly done..In good but plain wood, you should be able to get one built for $2000. to $2500, There are a lot of skilled and young starving gunsmiths out there if you work hard and find them.

I have put the whitworth on a 30 day payment plan. Stoaked!

quote:

Originally posted by Dogleg:
Have you checked out the M70 Alaskan? Mine weighs a few ounces less my .270 Featherweight, and handles like a deer rifle instead of some 10 pound plus club. At the price you could change the sights.

This is the one I have...really nice rifle. It is a very well made rifle. Shoots great and is lively in my hand. The CZ in .375 was a heavy beast. The .416 and .458 were better suited to the weight of the rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by fireman1:

quote:

Originally posted by Dogleg:
Have you checked out the M70 Alaskan? Mine weighs a few ounces less my .270 Featherweight, and handles like a deer rifle instead of some 10 pound plus club. At the price you could change the sights.

This is the one I have...really nice rifle. It is a very well made rifle. Shoots great and is lively in my hand. The CZ in .375 was a heavy beast. The .416 and .458 were better suited to the weight of the rifle.

Welcome and nice rifle

Most if not all scarce pre 64's were scarce because they were mistakes that didn't work. I have seen and touched six of the nine known to have been made and recently saw a barrel from one that had been shortened on the breech end. So I may have knowledge of a 7th. I wouldn't think that barrel came off of one of the six. I have a 25" pre 64 in 375 H&H and love it. We went to Africa and the old girl was a hit over there and performed Great!

quote:

Originally posted by Eastcoaster:

quote:

Originally posted by Dogleg:
Have you checked out the M70 Alaskan? Mine weighs a few ounces less my .270 Featherweight, and handles like a deer rifle instead of some 10 pound plus club. At the price you could change the sights.

I really like what they did with the barrel contour on this rifle.It duplicates one of the scarcest pre 64 M70 375 barrels.

I have a M70 with wood stock from the dark days of Winchester (1973) that is my go to gun. It has never failed me. My back up 375 is a Whitworth in synthetic but I have never hunted with it.

quote:

Originally posted by Colin Masters:
Thanks all for the input. At the current time I do not reload but I have all the equipment, including dies for the .375 h&h.

I am not considering the ruger, only because few gunsmiths want to work with them, and the lack of aftermarket support. I plan to keep this gun, and eventually have a nice stock made, premium barrel, and other assorted bits. I have owned at least 15 ruger firearms and they are always reliable and accurate.

What is the potential issues with the CZ? I have heard they were a little rough, but eventually smoothed out. Their stocks for the American safari are nice looking, at least from pictures. AHR also does nice work that I like the looks of.

As everyone has pointed out, there are a number of good choices. I am a little confused about your refusal to look at the 375 Ruger since you stated you have had great luck with 15 other Rugers. There are not a lot of custom gun makers working on them because they really don't need much work. But then neither do the M-70, Mk-X/Whitworth or the CZ.

If you are planning on eventually having custom work done on it in the future any of them can be built into superb rifles and I would either buy one of the new M-70 "Alaskans" or look for a good used Whitworth or CZ like the one currently listed on Alaska's list with an slim, early stock for $750 and start from there

I purchased the whitworth in the classifieds and will have it sometime next week. I'm looking forward to it. Thank you for all of the suggestions.

quote:

Originally posted by Colin Masters:
So I've decided I am going to buy a .375 h&h, and I will save up to $2,000 to do it. I have been looking at Winchester Safari Express's, whitworth mausers, and maybe even a CZ American safari? Any others I should consider? CRF action and express sights are my only requirements. Synthetic or wood stocked, if it's wood I will eventually have a synthetic stock for it as well.

Colin

I have a very nice semi-custom, mint condition BRNO ZKK-602 that would work within your budget. PM me if interested. Here's some photos.

Boxhead
That's a pretty one for sure

I have/had every rifle you mention.
The Whitworth is a lot of gun for the money. It looks like an African rifle and handles great. It is very difficult to get it to hold 4 rounds though. I don't like the wood stock on the CZ, it feels clubby to me, so I bought one in Kevlar, much better feel, but I would send it to Wayne for one of his packages.
The Winchester is the best overall, especially if you leave it alone, it will do fine.
I also own a Ruger .375 and it shoots and handles very well and is lighter and easier to carry than the Winchester.

if it truly is lighter and easier to carry, that means it will have more recoil.

Newton's 3rd Law of Physics at work...

After AHR does the basic package you will have a six-shot 375 H&H. For those of us who have a healthy respect for DG this can be very comforting.

I didnt notice any increase in recoil in the Ruger over any of the others, but then I've never found any 375 recoil to be particularly heavy.

quote:

I didnt notice any increase in recoil in the Ruger over any of the others, but then I've never found any 375 recoil to be particularly heavy.

BUTCH

Anyone who out-wrestles a Cape Buffalo is not concerned about recoil :-)