I'm considering a new M70 Alaskan in .375. The barrel contour seems to be light. I haven't been able to measure the muzzle diameter. Does anyone know how the counter compares with the Whitworth .375 barrels? Thanks

.600 to 620 at 24"s works for most folks, A .375 should weigh about 8-1/2 to 8-3/4 lbs without scope or loaded. With scope and loaded I like a 9 Lb. rifle give or take a half pound.

I like the #3 Douglas contour for a .375, most folks like a #4, pull up the Douglas barrel web site or go to a BRownells catalog and take a look at the specs..

The Winchester Alaskan is a nice rifle, I wouldn't hesitate to own and hunt with one.

I bought a new Winchester M70 Safari Express .375 H&H several years ago. It has the fatter 24 inch barrel. I like it a lot and have no plans to trade it.

Not long ago I got the chance to handle the M70 Alaskan and if I had to do it over I would likely choose it instead. It's a little sleeker, handier, and a bit lighter rifle even though the barrel is an inch longer.


If you can look at both side by side choose the one you like better. Both are excellent rifles in my opinion but I like Winchesters.

5/8ths of an inch or thereabouts is the minimum I would want. If I were building one today, I would want the 26" barrel and .700" at the muzzle.

Before I knew better, I hunted a couple years with a Hawken rifle that weighed 11 pounds. Never knew it was too heavy, and a 35" barrel that tapered from an inch and an eights to one inch at the muzzle never seemed too long to traipse thru the Idaho back country with.

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:

Before I knew better, I hunted a couple years with a Hawken rifle that weighed 11 pounds. Never knew it was too heavy, and a 35" barrel that tapered from an inch and an eights to one inch at the muzzle never seemed too long to traipse thru the Idaho back country with.

LOL. Now don't get started on Hawken's, that's one of my other weaknesses!

quote:

Originally posted by Cougarz:
I bought a new Winchester M70 Safari Express .375 H&H several years ago. It has the fatter 24 inch barrel. I like it a lot and have no plans to trade it.

Not long ago I got the chance to handle the M70 Alaskan and if I had to do it over I would likely choose it instead. It's a little sleeker, handier, and a bit lighter rifle even though the barrel is an inch longer.


If you can look at both side by side choose the one you like better. Both are excellent rifles in my opinion but I like Winchesters.

My model 70 is .725" at the muzzle. I like it at that weight, it makes the 375 shoot like a 30.06

quote:

Originally posted by Fjold:

quote:

Originally posted by Cougarz:
I bought a new Winchester M70 Safari Express .375 H&H several years ago. It has the fatter 24 inch barrel. I like it a lot and have no plans to trade it.

Not long ago I got the chance to handle the M70 Alaskan and if I had to do it over I would likely choose it instead. It's a little sleeker, handier, and a bit lighter rifle even though the barrel is an inch longer.


If you can look at both side by side choose the one you like better. Both are excellent rifles in my opinion but I like Winchesters.

My model 70 is .725" at the muzzle. I like it at that weight, it makes the 375 shoot like a 30.06

I agree. The part I really like about the Alaskan is the slightly slimmer stock from the wrist back. I also prefer the low Monte Carlo that it and some of the pre- 64's had. For me they just fit a little better.

quote:

Originally posted by faraim:
I'm considering a new M70 Alaskan in .375. The barrel contour seems to be light. I haven't been able to measure the muzzle diameter. Does anyone know how the counter compares with the Whitworth .375 barrels? Thanks

Winchester M70 Alaskan (SC-made) .375 H&H, 25-inch muzzle diameter = 0.640"
Whitworth Mark X .375 H&H, 24" muzzle diameter = 0.670", and it is considerably heavier than the Alaskan M70, more so than just the muzzle diameter comparison indicates.
Winchester M70 Classic Stainless (CT-made) .375 H&H, 24-inch muzzle diameter = 0.720", heavy like the current "Safari Express" models.

The M70 Alaskan is a perfect contour for a .375 H&H, IMHO.
My custom rifle barrel for .375 H&H is 0.625" at the 24-inch muzzle diameter, and it is a No. 3 Sporter, Douglas contour.
That is as light as I go for a .375 Whatever.

Here is that beautiful M70 Alaskan muzzle:



25-inch Alaskan above is 7.625 lbs in "dry" weight.
24-inch Safari Express below is more than a pound heavier:


The Alaskan is definitely a pleasure to handle and carry, the Safari Express is chubbier, but might have the stiffer-barrel-accuracy-edge, all else equal in the shooting.
I have shot 0.138" for three shots at 100 yards with one of those chubby Winchester .375-caliber barrels, and easily sub-MOA with the thinner barrel.

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My classic stainless has the .720" diameter barrel at 24", glad it does since I re-chambered to 375 Weatherby, quite a bit more snappier than the H&H. I also fitted a HS-Precision sporter stock. I actually get considerable torque from this rifle when firing 300gr Woodleighs at 2800fps.
I prefer the weight, around 10lbs with scope, sling and loaded.

Cheers.

While I've never handled one of the 375 model 70's from the "Nearly Perfect Rifle Battery", they appear to be more ideal in their configuration than either current 375 offerings from Winchester. They could delete the useless forend tip, and offer this rifle in the standard sporter line:

Forend tip? What forend tip? The current sporters don't have them, only the super grade does.

The "Nearly Perfect Rifle Battery" was 100 or so sets of 4 Super Grade rifles that were raffled off to charity through the Midway USA foundation. The 375 in the set had a thin sporter stock, and thinner barrel than on the regular Express guns.

quote:

Originally posted by Cougarz:
Forend tip? What forend tip? The current sporters don't have them, only the super grade does.

This will explain what I'm talking about, for those missed it:

http://forums.accuratereloadin...4671/xsl/print_topic

Believe it or not I won that set of rifles.
If you like I can measure the muzzle diameter of the .375.
It handles beautifully and looks just as nice.
It really likes 270 grain loads with a full dose of Reloader 15.
I also have a Classic Stainless M70 that has a much thicker barrel (.720" I think someone else said).
Will post the muzzle diameter when I get home from work.

Gotcha - I see it now.
Thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by 416RigbyHunter:
My classic stainless has the .720" diameter barrel at 24", glad it does since I re-chambered to 375 Weatherby, quite a bit more snappier than the H&H. I also fitted a HS-Precision sporter stock. I actually get considerable torque from this rifle when firing 300gr Woodleighs at 2800fps.
I prefer the weight, around 10lbs with scope, sling and loaded.

Cheers.

Here is my rifle, like yours, a most accurate rifle of most optimum external ballistics on both ends of the rifle:



It has been collecting dust, but always ready for action, can do everything Saeed's pet .375/404 will do, and more:
It can readily digest .375 H&H factory ammo in a pinch.





24" barrel of .720" muzzle diameter.

Dry weight WITH QRW bases and WITHOUT scope and rings: 8 pounds and 11 ounces

With QRW rings and Leupold 2.5-8x36mm scope shown: 9 pounds and 11 ounces

Add 4 rounds of .375 Wby ammo: 10 pounds
Forget the sling or go over 10 pounds when loaded for bear.

In the HS Precision stock it is almost exactly one pound heavier than the skinny-barreled Alaskan in walnut.

I will let the Alaskan stay .375 H&H.

My only needed improvement to this .375 Wby M70 is to move the fore-end swivel base out to the tip.


Riflecrank Internationale Permanente
NRA Life Benefactor and Beneficiary
https://home.nra.org/

Seems like Im in the minority..I like a .620 or even a .600 barrel on a .375 and I don't want it to weigh over 9 to 9.5 lbs. with scope and loaded. Same for a 416 or 404...I want a .700 or .720 on a 458 Lott..

quote:

Originally posted by Snellstrom:
Believe it or not I won that set of rifles.
If you like I can measure the muzzle diameter of the .375.
It handles beautifully and looks just as nice.
It really likes 270 grain loads with a full dose of Reloader 15.
I also have a Classic Stainless M70 that has a much thicker barrel (.720" I think someone else said).
Will post the muzzle diameter when I get home from work.

Snellstrom,
You lucky dog! What muzzle diameter did you come up with, and what does that rifle weigh? Thanks

I am a lucky Dog!
That rifle has a .710" muzzle on a 24" barrel.
With sights, Leupold quick release rings and bases and a 2.5-8 scope it is 9 pounds 14 ounces.
I thought this barrel was much thinner than my stainless but I was mistaken.
I really like the slim trim stock this rifle has.

quote:

Originally posted by Snellstrom:
I am a lucky Dog!
That rifle has a .710" muzzle on a 24" barrel.
With sights, Leupold quick release rings and bases and a 2.5-8 scope it is 9 pounds 14 ounces.
I thought this barrel was much thinner than my stainless but I was mistaken.
I really like the slim trim stock this rifle has.

Heavy or not, it's still a sweet looking rifle!

RIP, I have a .375AI which is very similar to your .375Weatherby, though not quite as pretty. Mine wears a McMillan,Douglas Match SS,folding express sights, Leupold QD' s,with a 3.5-10x40 CDS. It weighs in at 10# even, scoped,loaded(3rounds), and slung. My stock is just your standard black, well worn, as it's my everyday, go to, do everything rifle. memtb

My pre 64 Win 70 has the 25 inch barrel with a muzzle of .698" and weighs 11 pounds scoped and loaded. It points, shoots, and carries well.

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
Seems like Im in the minority..I like a .620 or even a .600 barrel on a .375 and I don't want it to weigh over 9 to 9.5 lbs. with scope and loaded. Same for a 416 or 404...I want a .700 or .720 on a 458 Lott..

Agree our Rem XCR II in 375 Weatherby (heresy it's not CRF!) weighs 7.5 lbs with Talley QRs and a Leupold 2-7x scope. With 375 H&H factory ammo it's a pussycat and a pleasure to carry, with 375 Weatherby factory it's a tad snappy. Not sure what the barrel diameter is but it will shoot sub MOA all day long.

what would be ideal in length, I was going to go about 27 or 28'' is there any difference in mv from 24 to 28? my feelings the muzzle should be 5/8(.625'') or slightly bigger.What twist? My action is a qualified 1917 enfield with lyman peep sight will add new england banded hooded sight.(qualified means that some bubba didnt wreck the conversion it has a high dollar conversion from an authentic gunsmith.)