The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Rifles Big Bores Winchester classic stainless .375 problemsGo | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
| One of Us |
Took my unaltered, synthetic stock, model 70 out to the range for the first time to shoot off the bags. Was getting 5-6" groups at 100 yrds. They realy weren't stringing, just big groups. Besides scope and bedding what else can I check before I head back to the range. It was a light load, 225 grain Hornadays at about 2600 fps, so I don't think I was flinching. I plan on trying some different bullets but I don't expect tweaking loads to make this rifle a tack driver. Any other suggestions? | ||
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| Moderator |
Check the crown for obvious damage. Try 300gr. bullets. My M70 .375H&H doesn't like 270gr. bullets. George  | |||
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One of Us |
Check the bedding. The sorry excuse little wad of bubblegum Winchester squirts under the recoil lug often doesn't adhere to the stock. The polyethylene they use has a mold release agent in it and that little glob detaches and ends up floating around under the action. Not very conducive to accuracy. | |||
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| one of us |
$s to donuts it is the sighting equipment. I have shot half a dozen of these and found them to not be that load dependant. My first guess is like you said scope, mounts, rings. For a cheep and easy try taking the scope off and use the irons at 50. 1" at fifty with the factory irons will rule out the gun. | |||
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Lot's a good advice here. My Win Model 70 was an honest sub MOA gun with 300 Barnes Xs and solids. Speer 285 grn grand slam was a 4 inch proposition. Take the scope of and use the irons and use 300 grn bullets...see what you get. Mike  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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One of Us |
Give the 300 grain bullets a try before you start screwing around with the rifle. I’ve had two 375s (Win & a Ruger) neither shot 260 grain bullets well, 3â€+ groups! When I switched to 300 grain bullets groups went down to under an inch in both rifles…… Matt V.. ______________________ Sometimes there is no spring... Just the wind that smells fresh before the storm... | |||
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| One of Us |
Thanks guys, I'll be heading back to the range next saturday and give all of these ideas a try. I will let every one know how it turns out. | |||
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One of Us |
micdis, I had the exact same rifle at one time. In fact, I wish I still had it! What it liked best was H4350 and plain old 300 grain Hornaday round nose soft points. With that combination, it shot GREAT. Dave Dave DRSS Chapuis 9.3X74 Chapuis "Jungle" .375 FL Krieghoff 500/.416 NE Krieghoff 500 NE "Git as close as y can laddie an then git ten yards closer" "If the biggest, baddest animals on the planet are on the menu, and you'd rather pay a taxidermist than a mortician, consider the 500 NE as the last word in life insurance." Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading (8th Edition). | |||
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| One of Us |
Right now I have some hornadys 270s and failsafes in 270 and 300 grains. I'll probbly pick up a few more brands to try. If anyone else has some more powder bullet combos that have worked out for them I'd love to hear it. Thanks. | |||
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| One of Us |
I think I my have found part of the problem. There is no bedding at all. I'm not sure if this is normal with the plastic stock versions, but I would think that if any stock needed some help it would be this one. | |||
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One of Us |
When the stainless Mdl 70 375 came out I bought 2. Gave one to a PH friend in Zim and restocked the other with a David Miller laminate. Both shot 1" out of box with 260gr Partitions. The restocked one shot a .70 20 shot group and has shot well ever since with whatever I use be it 260gr Partitions 300gr Partitions or 300gr Woodleigh solids. I would tend to believe it is either a scope or bedding problem although I had no problems with the factory synthetic as long as all screws were tight. SCI Life Member NRA Patron Life Member DRSS | |||
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| one of us |
I deal with this problem in the shop weekly. 9 times out of 10 it is a scope problem. Try another or the iron sight. Winchesters bedding on these is crummy so that is another place to check. Also check the obvious things like loose screws, dings on crown. | |||
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| one of us |
Not a Model 70........but I had the same aggravating problem with a 375 Wby. A-Bolt S/S. Loads were horrendously uniform. Just wouldn't throw them under 3" - 4". Changed powders and now am getting 5 shots under 1 1/2" and believe it'll go way better than that with a little tweeking. Founder....the OTPG | |||
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| One of Us |
May I suggest Remi 700 Custom 'Safari Grade' Stainless? | |||
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| One of Us |
Paolo, my hope is that I can get this gun up to snuff for far less than a new gun, but i'm starting to wonder.  | |||
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one of us |
My guess is it is simply the loading. I have not had good luck with accuracy and reduced loads myself. -------------------- THANOS WAS RIGHT! | |||
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| One of Us |
My plan is to bed the rifle, change scopes, load up some 270 & 300 grain bullets and head to the range Sunday. I suppose if it's not one of these three things than I have real problems. I'll let you guys know how it turns out. Thanks for all of the suggestions. | |||
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| one of us |
micdis,have no fear I am here! It's not the bedding or the scope,it's the load that is not working well for you.Try another powder and it will work.This is assuming you are shooting with a rifle that has a barrel in good shooting condition. | |||
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| One of Us |
Well, Changed scope, bedded rifle and tried new bullets. Nothings changed, still 5" groups at 100 yards. I took a 338 wm kimber to the range today also and got some 1" groups, so I don't think its me. Am going to call Winchester tomorrow and hope they still have replacement barrels on hand. If not, perhaps i'll have it rebarreled locally to 416 rem or sell to someone who wants a project. | |||
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| One of Us |
I wouldnt do anything untill you inspected the crown with a magnifying glass. Any tiny scratch on the crown will cause large unpredictable groups with no patterns. My biggest fear is when I die my wife will sell my guns for what I told her they cost. | |||
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| One of Us |
I'd get rid of that crap factory synthetic stock first. I'd be interested in the action if you decided to sell it. I want a 300 RUM. | |||
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| One of Us |
I'm interested in an update. I'm looking for this very model, and am quite attentive to your problems. If you decide to sell...I am interested in it for a project. DRSS | |||
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| One of Us |
Actually, I took it to a smith last week for a rebarrel to 416 rem mag. I have a pre '64 70 in 375 so the classic stainless was a bit redundant. I couldn't find any obvious problem that would cause such bad accuracy, and not being much of a fiddler I thought that it was a problem best suited to a gunsmith. I'm hoping the rifle appreciates all of the time and money im lavishing on it and turns its act around. | |||
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| one of us |
If you have time before he starts get it back and push a lead ball or soft lead bullet through it. The bore may have a tight spot. I don't know if you have a barrel band on it but barrel bands can cause constrictions if they installed to tightly. It can have a terrible effect on accuracy. I had a 45/70 that was much worse than your rifle. | |||
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