I've decided to satisfy an old itch and get a new .375 H&H. I had my mind made up it would be a model 70 w/CRF. I just read where some of the guns have not been up to quality control standards and that the magazine boxes have been modified in recent years and frequently cause feeding problems in the .375 H&H. There is also the question of stock design. Some recommend the older monte-carlo as being more user friendly for both open and optical sights.

What would you guys recommend?

Just bought one Friday, a Mod. 70 stainless steel, for plinking. Mechanically it works great. It needs a good recoil pad and new open sights.

At least on this one, the sight screw holes were tapped top-dead-center. I thought they were crooked, as usual, but the Willaims front sight had the two holes drilled through it off-center!! Totally unbelievable.

I'd buy another one. Maybe tomorrow!

Will

P.S. Winchester also exaggerates as to weight. Add a pound. The 375 SS is advertised as 7 1/4 lbs.; it actually weights 8.3 lbs.

[ 06-10-2002, 01:18: Message edited by: Will ]

I would consider purchasing a CZ in .375 H&H. I have a CZ Rigby and it is a great rifle. The price will leave money over to get a better stock.

Just bought a M70 in 375 it only had 10 defects most of them repairable but the stock.
Bought it be cause it's availble in LH.
CZ is twice the gun for half the prize.

Regards Martin

If you are looking for a good starting point on which to build a good 375, I would not go out and spend $950 on your starting point. I'd get a good used 7mm magnum or 300 WM and have it re-barreled for $250. In retrospect anyway.

If you are considering a LH Model 70 from the current production run (I hear nothing but good things about rifles made a year and a half ago; I'm talking about the batch they started shipping to distributors in February or March of this year.) I'd recommend:

Buying it off a dealer's shelf. If you have to order one, get something else (Browning makes a LH 375, BTW).

Take a flashlight, four 6-48 taps, your Brownell's screwdriver set, and some dummy ammo containing the same bullets at the same OAL you'd like to shoot, a magnifying glass, and a dollar bill with you to the store.

Look the gun over carefully. Start with the screws and the metal and wood surounding them. Winchester puts rifles together with power screwdrivers, and these tend to damage screw heads and the surrounding parts of the gun when the bit jumps out of the slot.

Take a good look at the muzzle crown. I got a rifle that was dented there.

Look the wood finish over carefully. I got one with deep scratches all over and a blotchy finish that looked like skim milk applied with a paper towel in spots.

Look for evidence that the stock has been repaired. Two spot on one of my M70's looked like wood putty.

Look at the bluing. Look for scratches where the rifle rubs the inside of the box. I think I got one that had a bit of sand in the box. The trigger guard and bolt knob on the other one looked and felt as if they were dropped hard on a concrete floor.

Look particularly at the bluing around the ejection port. I have never seen a LH M70 in 375 that didn't have at least two shades of crappy looking black bluing in this area (but I did see a 243 in a dealer's shop that looked good all over).

Take out the scope mounting screws. Screw in the four 6-48 taps you brought. Are the ends of the taps all in a row? Does that row run down the top of the receiver? Does the line formed by the four taps line up with the iron sights, or are the sights a few degrees off top dead center?

Grab a scope base off the shelf. Do its holes line up with the holes in your rifle's receiver. Note: The rear receiver bridge holes are supposed to be close together like that, so don't freak out. Just special order a properly fitting rear scope base it you're going to mount a scope.

The barrel on this rifle is supposed to be free floated. Is it? Or is there a big gap on one side with the barrel resting against the inside of the barrel channel on the other?

Are there marks on anywhere from clamping your rifle in an unprotected vise?

Check the recoil pad. Does it hang over the wood on one side? Does the wood hang over the plastic on the other side?

Try feeding your dummy ammo. Start out very slow. Does the cartridge jump out ahead of the extractor? Try closing the bolt anyhow the manual says this is okay). That's about as quiet as you're going to be while hunting with this rifle.

Now try cycling some dummies through the action briskly. It helps to do this over carpet or have a friend catch the ejected dummies. Does each and every case come out with gouges in it? Is each and every bullet nose dented a little way ahead of where it will contact the rifling? Try just chambering them at moderate speed and then extracting slowly and picking the dummies out by hand. Still gouged and dented aren't they?

H. C.

I have a USA made Stainless Weatherby in the standard 375 H&H. It is a very fine looking rifle. They cataloged the standard chambering for a few years now. I just don't see many for sale. Mine was ordered with the removeable accubrake. It unscrews with a rod that is inserted through the holes in th break and replaced with a knurled threaded cap. Recoil shooting from the bench is manageable with the break on. Point of impact changes about 1/2" at 50 yards when removed.

Ben,

If buying a Model 70 I would recommend you find an one that was made before the one piece floor plate if the blued/walnut model.

The stainless still has the two piece floor plate so get the one that does not have a "scoop" or disked out or grond out section from the magazine follower. These also have a magazine box that has been narrowed slightly. They are easy to pick when you open the floor plate as the "narrowing" has been achieved by crimping the box in at the ends.

The blued/walnut models with the one piece floor plate also so have the "scoop" out of the follower and the narrowed maazine box.

I am only guessing, but probably the very latest ones will have solved the problems, even though thy will have the narrowed magazine and scoop out of the follower.

Apart from the feeding problems, the Stainless is good becuase it does not have the problem that Winchester creates when brazing on the barrel recoil lug since the stainless does not have the lug. More recent models of the blued rifle have the lug induction welded which is supposed to avoid the problem of the barrel with stress.

By the way, the barrel lug is not at all required on a 375, especially a Model 70.

As to alternatives to the M70 or CZ 550, it all depend on how you see the 375. For me personally, a 375 H&H simply does go a with Wby Mark V or Rem 700.

I think the Model 70 (especially those from the last 18 months or so) should be seen as the ideal platform to make a good 375.

The CZ and Sako are probably better as out of the box rifles.

Mike

The pick of the litter for a 375 would be a nice used FN or a pre 64 Mod. 70....

I have little use for any of the new guns, the bean counters have gilded the lilly and mucked the duck....

And look at the M70's ejection port area carefully. See if it is pitted because the casting they made the receiver out of didn't fill out all the way. That was a problem with my Classic Safari Express M70 (shipped March 2002) and the replacement gun.

H. C.

That's all I have to say about Winchester.

Ben H,

For the price the bet choice is a CZ 550 Mag.

You can improve this rifle in changing the barrel and/or the stock if you like fiberglass stock.

Sako! I have three in 375 H&H and they all shoot and feed great. Workmanship is superb. I don't think you can buy a better production rifle for the price. I know, I am a little narrow minded.

[ 06-14-2002, 00:16: Message edited by: DOCTOR LOU ]

Yous sound like my gun dealer (sako lover)

If you get a CZ 550 Lux in 375 that is HALF as good as my CZ 550 American (except that funky stock...sorry guys, not my taste) you have an excellent weapon. I looked at the Winchesters (in 375) before I bought my CZ in 9.3x62....NO COMPARISON. I wish I was wrong as I hate to see a company like Winchester get bashed....but they deserve it. Gary.

I have a Mod. 70 Safari Express. I am impressed with the accuracy and function. I thought the wood should be nicer, but I like my Mod. 70

Rusty
We band of brothers!

I have a Browning A-bolt 2, in cal 375 H&H, I bought it because all of the parts are stainless except for the magazine body. It is the stainless stalker version. It has the 26 inch barrel, and iron sights. It is drilled and tapped for scope mounts. I don't know why more people don't buy these rifles. I have yet to hear anything negative about them. I don't know how the price paid, 679 dollars, compares to what other 375's are selling for. I would buy it again if I were looking for a 375. It is left handed also. I really like it, and I would recommend it to someone looking for a good left hand 375. - Best

I have a Rem 700 BDL SS in 375 H&H and it has been completely reliable with no problems what so ever.

I have to agree with Ray an old model Browning safari grade FN is as slick a functioning .375 as you will ever handle. A pre-64 Winchester in good shape would be my next choice and as one of the other posts mentioned for a truly rough and tumble rifle a Browning A-Bolt SS stalker with Boss. These Brownings are pretty ugly, but ultra reliable and like most .375's will shoot different ammo to the exactly the same point. They are cheap ( not much more than a CZ550), but very very shootable particularily with the Boss system.-Rob

Howdy Gents,

I keep hearing of the various makes, but no mention of the Savage 116FSAK. Is there a reason why no one has or shoots this model in .375 H&H??

ShondorP

Ben H

Don't have any experience with the Model 70, but have read quite a few sad stories concerning the new lefties.

I have a 375 Browning A Bolt in stainless, (left handed) and really like it.

It has the boss system with muzzle brake and with the brake installed it is quite pleasent to shoot. There is an attachment with mine that allows you to remove the brake and install a threaded extension for non brake shooting.

The ejection port seems to be too small for the 375, but it will kick out the empties with no problem. Not a single jam yet!

With the brake on, it has less felt recoil than the 300 Win. I used to shoot alot.

Good luck with your future buy.

Roger

QSL,

My Browning SS LH has the 26 inch barrel with no boss. I don't like a lot of gadgetry. I appreciate that yours is reliable. I have yet to shoot mine, despite having it for over a year. I want to get it set up just right before I use it. It has been a back burner project. I have a good Thompson Center scope, 50mm, for it. I only need to get a good set of Redfield two piece mounts and I will be ready to go. I have a question, do you have to remove it from your shoulder to cycle the action, or do you just work the bolt from the shoulder? I have been cycling mine in order to break it in some, and it seems easier to drop the gun, cycle it, and bring it back up. Thanks -

Ted,

Your rifle has got quite a bit more barrel than mine. With the Boss unscrewed, my barrel is only 19 inches in length. With either the Boss or the non Boss replacement, the overall lenght is 23 inches. It is very handy at this length but looks like a tank barrel.

As to cycling the bolt, it loads and ejects nicely from the shoulder. This may be do to the shortness of the barrel. Not sure.

Not to bad mouth Redfield two piece mounts, but I installed a set on a Stainless GG in 45/70 and had poor results. The rear base locking screws worked loose from recoil and caused me nothing but grief. I sent them back to Brownell's and purchased a cheapie Weaver see thru and so far no problems. The Weaver also lets you use the factory iron sights.

Get that 375 out and shoot it. It's a fun gun.

Roger

I tried to use Redfield mounts on a Sako L-61 in .375 Impr. The rear windage screws opened up from recoil. While that is a very poor design anyway it will work if the screws are thru hardened steel. The Redfield screws were soft, mild steel. I got some Leupold mounts and the screws were made right but the dovetails kept coming loose. The Sako has male dovetails on the action.

So I finally got Sako mounts and they stay put very well. But I would not get a Sako for a DGR. That was a mistake.

Ted,

I hope you have better luck with your Redfields then I did. The windage adj. screws would work loose under recoil from the 45/70. Don't know what it would be like under 375's. I mounted the bases myself and not being a smith hope this wasn't part of the problem. Redfield is a fine product.

The mounts I used on my 375 Browning are Leupolds, Quick Release, two piece. The ejection port on the A-Bolt, as you are aware, arn't that large. The rear base hangs over the port by about a half inch. Visually it appears it will obstruct the ejection of fired cases. This doesn't happen however. The spent cases eject just fine and you have to run around the bench looking for them.

Hope this helps.

Roger (QSL)