Saturday I bought a used 375 H&H stainless. Now I'm looking to set it up for Africa and I'm thinking of replacing the factory stock with a McMillan, replacing the missing iron sights, and maybe even spray painting the metal a flat black or dark gray. Which stock and sights would you recommend? How about the sunny hill drop box? Is it worth the added cost?

Put some NECG sights on it, a barrel band swivel and kill something with it, even if it's only a coyote.

Mark,
A set of NECG sights, a laminated stock from Brockmans glassed to the gun and your in business..Check the feeding before you do anything, and its probably OK, but check never the less...If the SS is too bright which I don't think it is then just have it bead blasted with a little courser beads...

If you want a glass stock, I like the old Pacific Research stocks, but they are under a new name now and I can't recall what that new name is...They are super nice for glass, but few if any glass stocks have a low enough comb for iron sights IMO...thus my like for a laminate.

Mark leave the Confederate gray metal and black African stock. Just change the bore to 375 weatherby, more distance and not British. That is a fine rifle, I like the flip down rear site . The site is out of the way til needed,and can be pushed up with your left bird finger.The trigger can easily be tuned down . good luck Rug

I would be very hesitant to "spray paint" the barrel. I think a far superior aproach would be to get a teflon finish on it. The barrel will then have the darker color you're looking for, but it will also gain a durability that would be much better than anything you'll find in a can of paint.

Hello,
As for the spray paint finish, if there is a hobby shop in your area or know of one somewhere, they usually sell a spray on finish used for model airplanes and it is completely oblivious to any sort of solvent, oil, etc. you may use with a firearm. The fuel used for those models is apparently some "nasty stuff..." but the paint is 21st Century and can be had in military flat blacks, browns, greens, grays (light and dark) and the finish created is actually quite nice and smooth. Would warn you, do it outside for this paint is very strong in the smell/odor department and probably would destroy brain cells if used in closed areas. Try it on a piece of pipe or something, but it is very durable and in the event you do marr it, easy to repair w/ one squirt or two!! Again, 21St Century is the brand. Good Luck
Favor Center!!
dsiteman

Ray
When you say glass the stock to the rifle are you meaning full length bedding of the bbl or just your normal action glass/bedding?
Is this something more peculiar to African hvy rifles?
Why?
Thanx

Paint the darn thing, buy brass, bullets, primers, powder, and get to shootin'! If it doesn't shoot good as it is, then start the bedding process.

This reminds me of the first time I chose to use a .45 auto, Colt 1911, Series '70 as a duty pistol. I asked a NRA Distinguished range master what I needed to do to make the pistol, "street ready." He told me to buy two box cars of ammo, shoot it up, then come back and we would discuss what I needed to do with the pistol. 42,000 rounds and 6 shoot outs later, it has some minor changes, but, man, can I deliver steel on target.

Mark,
Give Matt Bettersworth a call at Hill Country Rifles. He can drop the barrelled action in a McMillan Safari stock, add Sunny Hill bottom metal and extend your mag capacity and add new sights. They will pillar bed and teflon it if you want as well. Check out their website...they had a rigged .375 they were carrying around the convention circuit that will give you an idea of what they can do. They have built two rifles for me and both are shooters and hell built for stout! Good luck!

Sorry the website is www.hillcountryrifles.com .

I like what I've seen of Hill Country Rifles as well. They know what they're doing, no question about it.

The first thing I'd do is make sure the actions screws are properly tightened, then I'd mount a scope and go shoot that rifle. I'd what to have an idea of its accuracy capability and chamber concentricity right from the start.

It would be heck to invest in good open sights, a quality fiberglass stock, etc., only to find that the barrel was no good to begin with.....

My number one rule with any gun project is to never turn good money into bad money. So start with a basic accuracy test, then take it from there.

AD

Thanks everyone. I ordered some brass, bullets and dies yesterday. I also looked at the NECG sights on Brownells web page, which model would you recommend?

Ray, I've had one of the old Rim Rock stocks and they are great.

Mark,
Why don't you use a barrel band front sight and a peep sight..Brockman makes a pop up peep on his Talley mount bases that work great with a scope..A Rimrock stock is sure nice but all glass stocks are deminsioned for scope use only, thus my like for a lamintate and Brockman has those too at a very nice price and with or without a drop box pattern.

At any rate the Ghost Peep is much faster on target than any other sight.

Mark,
You have some very nice trophy in that display..

I'm with Ray, on the ghost ring sight. Very fast.

Hog Killer

Well I guess Ray's ignoring me.
Can anyone else field my post question re. the bedding issue or what he was referring to?

The larger caliber rifles actually have fairly thin barrel walls with reference to the bore size. They often do well with full length neutral pressure bedding. Have the action bedded in per normal, then do the barrel channel.

lawndart

Lawndart
Thanx muchly, I get it now.

fwiw,
It should be noted that the Brockman Pop-up Peep will not work with a variable scope on a Winchester M70 Classic Express Action(.330" rear bridge screw spacing). It will gall the magnification ring. Making magnification change difficult and scope damage assured. This sight was intended, according to Mr. Brockman, for a SA M70 or a LA mounting a fixed power scope...

Regards, Matt.

quote:

Originally posted by mark65x55:
Saturday I bought a used 375 H&H stainless. Now I'm looking to set it up for Africa and I'm thinking of replacing the factory stock with a McMillan, replacing the missing iron sights, and maybe even spray painting the metal a flat black or dark gray. Which stock and sights would you recommend? How about the sunny hill drop box? Is it worth the added cost?

Mark,
FWIW, if you are replacing the stock, you should seriously consider going to someone who fits stocks and get yours custom tailored to you. You will find that the rifle will be an extention of your body and when you look at the target and raise the rifle, the sights will just magically appear where you want to shoot. Unless you are the "average" person that factories make firearms to fit, getting your guns to fit you is well worth the price.
Good hunting!
Russ

Who makes a ghost ring sight that will fit the .330 hole spacing? I like the Williams, WGRS-70, but it fits all mdl.70's EXCEPT the .375, anyone know why? Is it just the hole spacing? I have the NECG aperature sight and don't like it at all, its huge and blocks out everything except the aperature.

quote:

Originally posted by loboga:
Who makes a ghost ring sight that will fit the .330 hole spacing?

Brockman makes a pop-up peep on a Talley base for the .330" spacing.

George

quote:

Originally posted by jstevens:
Put a barrel band swivel.

Maybe a bit off topic, but why is such an item deemed preferable to a sling swivel in the stock?

As far as I can tell, it makes using a sling as a shooting aid impossible, since you are pulling straight on the barrel.

Westcoaster,
Not ignoring just have not checked the thread in some time...

Either way is fine...I like to full length bed a laminate stock from tang to forend as it provides better waterproofing and/or a better seal...I usually find out how the gun likes to be bedded and proceed from there...If it likes to be freefloated for instance I will use two thicknesses of paper tap on the barrel from 3"s in front of the action to the forend..

Reasonable people can differ on this,but I think that the coke bottle plastic stock from Winchester looks a lot better than the Brockman plywood deal from Home Depot. However, I would change the sightes to NECG masterpiece front and rear, plus a new pad. Maybe Williams bottom metal. Have a gunsmith smooth the action, take the sharp edges off the chamber mouth and the extractor cut. And install a Williams extractor. Adjust the trigger to 2.5 pounds. And go shooting.

I have the exact same rifle and I carry it professionally three months a year. To date, heres what I have done to mine. I replaced the original folding leaf rear sight with a Willams Guide Model and a shallow vee blade. The stock rear sight has only ONE screw!!! holding it on and I didn't want to accidently have the blade folded down, when I need it. Also, when it is set for short range the blade blocks out, way to much! The Willams sight works well, but I will replace it with a ghost ring at some point. I hated the "poly milk bottle stock" look, but liked the fit of the stock otherwise, so I sent it to Bell & Carlson and they painted it matte black with gray web and it looks awesome. I replaced the useless Win. "recoil" pad with a Pachymar Decelerator, what a HUGE differance, best money I spent. I had the sharp edges smoothed inside the the action. I replaced the front bead with a Williams Fire sight, its much easier to see, but I'm still looking for something better. I going to rebed the action and remove the Win. "hot melt glue". I'm undecided on a barrel band, the stock sling position dosn't bother me at all, so it would just be a looks thing, not sure its worth the trouble!

After shooting it about 50 times the factory stock has to go. So I ordered a McMillan supergrade Friday

Get some bullets and powder!!!
270gr and RL15 powder.
300gr and H4350 powder.

Well for those that don't like the plywood look of a lamitnate then I suggest that you buy a Turkish walnut stock that is plain on one side and fancy on the other and have it laminated with the pretty wood on the outside and the plain wood on the inside...You then have a really pretty stock with the benifit of laminate...

I built a nice 9.3x62 this way and it was a real nice gun, with exhibition laminate!! Sold it a year or two ago to Mike D. that posts here....