won one of these off gunbroker 6 months ago. the seller did a horrible job of packing and ups treated equally badly resulting in a 46 year old german weatherby rifle and 2.75-10x dot reticle scope showing up both broken completely in half. seller wouldn't do anything and 6 months into a claim ups hasn't either.

anyway, after finding a correct stock and getting the barreled action bedded to it, i finally got to shoot it today. i only wanted this because of all the blather, craig boddington for example, about how this is the most obnoxious round to shoot there is.

well, mine is the old german made one meaning the barrel is the same contour as on the 340 and about the same weight and no muzzle break. i mounted a 1.5-5 leupold, got a box of 270 gr ammo and ran all 20 thru it off the bench. all i can say is what's the flipping big deal about this rifle being so obnoxious to shoot? of everything i've ever owned the 416 rigby i had was worse, all the 458's, the 500 jeffery and the 500 nitro i built on a ruger #1 (NOT with the factory stock). in fact, the ruger #1 458 i had was much more unpleasant and i'd rather shoot this 378 than the last ruger 77 338 win mag i had with its skinny comb, small narrow butt and hard pad.

and i've got a bad case of bursitis in my right shoulder and can barely raise my arm. no bruises, no shooters headache, no detached retinas, no broken bones sticking out, no blood, nothing. and that's why i have to find out for myself instead of trusting the word of "experts".

i only wish i could afford to hunt something worthy of the round. as it is, i've no use for it and that's a real pity because i'm betting in the class of game it's suited for, it's unsurpassed. this is one really fine rifle.

Roger

that's an issue with buying online.

Here, it is a much better class of buyer/seller.

Last week I just got my German .378 back from being tuned up. Pretty neat rifle. I can lean it in a gun rack next to my MK V .300 and I don't think many people could easily tell the difference.

It doesn't kick as bad as I'd remembered. I shot a little over 20 rounds off the bags trying to work up a load. It didn't bruise me, but it's not for everyone.

The light weight .378 sure kicks more than the heavier MK V rifle in .460. I don't know if its the pencil weight barrel or what on the .378, but the .460 will shoot a group inside the .378 group every day.

My .378 has "melon-balled" plenty of foreheads. Even with rubber on the eyepiece that rifle has been handed back to me covered with blood plenty of times because people won't hang on it as they should. Since I got it back last week I lengthened the LOP so that should help save a few eyebrows.

It's definitely a flat shooting and hard hitting cartridge. Too bad it only holds 2 rounds in the magazine, but those magazine extensions are just too ugly for me.

will

The stock fitting you makes the difference. My Rigby in a medium weight factory stock is only a step up from my similarly stocked .375 Weatherby, but I simply don't want the hit (vs. shove) of a .378 or any other fast hitter.

I also have an unbraked 378 Weatherby that does well under 1 MOA. Recoil is brisk but not really uncomfortable. I've never come close to getting a scope bite from it.

Rodger and Grumulkin

Love my .378's. Taking one to Kodiak Island after Brown Bear. Using 270 grain TSX or SAF.

I had a Germen made one that had a recoil pad that was
as hard as a rock. Didn't want to change it and effect collector value.

It was a kicking machine!

In one day of shooting whistle pigs(ground squirrels to you eastern folks) I once shot up 58 rounds before calling it quits.

I was black and blue for quite awhile.

The best ones to shoot were the ones standing straight up. On some of them I would aim low and the dirt would kill them and then bury them all at once.

Doubled my money on that gun and was glad to see it go.

Now I just need to get Rich to cast me some 700 grainers for the 550 Gibbs: whistle pigs are serious dangerous game!!

You have to come over and assist me...

npd345

I haven't had the pleasure of shooting any whistle pigs however, I've shot a few coyotes and prairie dogs

I have shot the 378, the 416, anx the 460 Weatherby side by side. IMHO The bigger the bore the harder it kicks.

Also I will state that a factory 378 Weatherby with a KDF muzzle break, kicks less than a 30/06.

they are a great killer of game..no whistle pig ever got away and generally a very large single spot blood trail.......

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Lefforge:
npd345

I haven't had the pleasure of shooting any whistle pigs however, I've shot a few coyotes and prairie dogs

I have owned seven different Mark V 378s, although never shot anything bigger than a pigs or Red kangaroos.

If they are to be used as a long range rifle the way you would a 270, 7mm Rem or 300 Magnum and where you will be shooting from improvised rests then the muzzle brake is essential.

Shooting from a bench rest is a much easier deal than shooting from improvised rests. Without the brake the 378 rifle simply moves too much.

shooting anything bigger than a 338 off a bench, I always have my back and head erect, hold the forend in my left hand laying on sandbags and my right elbow out to the side, resting on a sandbag. from the waste up, it's as if I were standing. the muzzle climbs and I rock backward but I can move with it. if one lays down on the bench and leans forward into the rifle - and puts the butt on the point of the shoulder instead of the pectoral muscle - even small rifles can hurt.

I got fatigued after 20 rounds but I can't say there was any pain or discomfort as such. but I can well imagine from improvised field rests it could be an issue, if your body isn't in the right position to take it.

quote:

Originally posted by willmckee:


well, mine is the old german made one meaning the barrel is the same contour as on the 340 and about the same weight and no muzzle break. i mounted a 1.5-5 leupold, got a box of 270 gr ammo and ran all 20 thru it off the bench. all i can say is what's the flipping big deal about this rifle being so obnoxious to shoot? of everything i've ever owned the 416 rigby i had was worse, all the 458's, the 500 jeffery and the 500 nitro i built on a ruger #1 (NOT with the factory stock). in fact, the ruger #1 458 i had was much more unpleasant and i'd rather shoot this 378 than the last ruger 77 338 win mag i had with its skinny comb, small narrow butt and hard pad.

and i've got a bad case of bursitis in my right shoulder and can barely raise my arm. no bruises, no shooters headache, no detached retinas, no broken bones sticking out, no blood, nothing. and that's why i have to find out for myself instead of trusting the word of "experts".

i only wish i could afford to hunt something worthy of the round. as it is, i've no use for it and that's a real pity because i'm betting in the class of game it's suited for, it's unsurpassed. this is one really fine rifle.

Roger

Nice!

.366torque

Well said

quote:

Originally posted by willmckee:
shooting anything bigger than a 338 off a bench, I always have my back and head erect, hold the forend in my left hand laying on sandbags and my right elbow out to the side, resting on a sandbag. from the waste up, it's as if I were standing. the muzzle climbs and I rock backward but I can move with it. if one lays down on the bench and leans forward into the rifle - and puts the butt on the point of the shoulder instead of the pectoral muscle - even small rifles can hurt.

I got fatigued after 20 rounds but I can't say there was any pain or discomfort as such. but I can well imagine from improvised field rests it could be an issue, if your body isn't in the right position to take it.

That's a very good point. I may have to do some adjusting to my rests, as my current range suffers from both benches that are too short and a trajectory that slopes downhill. You're almost always hunched over when shooting anything; it becomes a problem sometimes when you run out of adjustment on your rest.