looking on the 'run of the mill' .375 H&H rifles, they seem to be rather heavy(9-9.5lb).
i dont know if its because of mass production(they usually have one safari model with caliber from .375 to .458 lott, that all weigh the same).

i intend to use a .375 for absolutely everything under all conditions.
so i want it to be light enough to carry all day in mountainous terrain,
but heavy enough so that i can learn to shoot it well.

i was thinking of something around 8.5lb, what do you think?

As light as you can handle. I'm happy with my Kimber BGR 89 and its over 8lbs. I think the Ruger RSM is way to Heavy in 375 H&H as well as the Win Safari Classic. Just my 2 cents.

Brad

I do not believe there is a exact answer to your question. It might depend more on your personal physical characteristics and health.
If you are 6' 4" tall and weigh 220 # of solid muscle and can run 10 miles a day, I would take a heavier rifle you can hold steady. If you are built like George Castanza (Seinfeld)and breath heavy climbing one flight of stairs get a gun bearer to carry your weapon.
If you have hunted enough in rough terrain, you know what is comfortable and your limit.
I would get a gun that fits you well and shoots straight.

I handled a 375 Talkeetna and found it perfect.

From the American Rifleman

American-made production rifles. But dangerous game rifles are different. A magazine rifle in .375 H&H Mag. or better needs weight to tame recoil. Many authorities give an ideal weight of around 10 1/4 to 10 ½ lbs. Named for a town that begins many a backcountry Alaskan adventure, the Model 8400 Talkeetna shaves about 2 lbs. off the "ideal" number, weighing in at 7 lbs., 9 ozs. unscoped. With a Leupold VX-7 1.5-6X 24 mm and accompanying steel Talley bases and rings, the rifle tips the scale at 8 lbs., 13 ozs. So is the Talkeetna too light? The answer is an unequivocal "no." Does it kick? Yes, briskly. Can it be managed? Yes, quite well. And can it be carried comfortably? Yes, all day every day.

ideal weight 10,25-10.5lbs???
that has to be with scope, mounts and loaded magazine.

im right in between george costanza and the 220lb superhuman

quote:

Originally posted by eezridr:
I do not believe there is a exact answer to your question. It might depend more on your personal physical characteristics and health.
If you are 6' 4" tall and weigh 220 # of solid muscle and can run 10 miles a day, I would take a heavier rifle you can hold steady. If you are built like George Castanza (Seinfeld)and breath heavy climbing one flight of stairs get a gun bearer to carry your weapon.
If you have hunter enough in rough terrain, you know what is comfortable and your limit.
I would get a gun that fits you well and shoots straight.

I'm not close to 220# or 6'-4" but humping a 9# rifle around all day is not a big deal, even at 53. I am not recoil shy either but a 375h&h much lighter than 9# scoped just kicks too much to shoot a lot, especially w/ heavier 300gr loads IMO. For the mountains, yeah I like a light rifle, but would nto choose the 375h&h as my cartridge for a 7.5# rig.

I believe that 8-8.5lbs bare is about right, tops 8.75lbs. That makes it about right at 8.75-9.5lbs scoped, with the lighter end preferred.

JPK

without scope? 8 .. and then whatever it weighs, dressed

I'm 6'4 and 222 .. does that count?

I have fired 375's of differing weights. I have two 375's, the one I use most is a Sako 75 24" Stainless Synthetic with a leupold 1.75-6 on top. I call it my larger 30-06, it often hurts the pocket book long before my shoulder.

At 8 lbs they feel snappy, but controllable. 8.5lbs-9lbs, feels like the perfect weight, moderate recoil and easy packability. 9-9.5 lbs, wouldn't mind in an express rifle for Africa or any place else I would pack light. Anything over 9.5 lbs just feels too heavy.

John

quote:

Originally posted by JPK:
I believe that 8-8.5lbs bare is about right, tops 8.75lbs. That makes it about right at 8.75-9.5lbs scoped, with the lighter end preferred.

JPK

+1
My wife's pre64 Win M70 in 375 bare weighs 8lb 10oz and is balanced quite nice I don't know what weight my CZ is I'll have to weigh it. I had a post 64 CRF M70 and it was too heavy, bored it out to a 416Rem mag and it was perfect.

Mine weights 9lbs 7 oz empty.

quote:

Originally posted by Steffen:
looking on the 'run of the mill' .375 H&H rifles, they seem to be rather heavy(9-9.5lb).
i dont know if its because of mass production(they usually have one safari model with caliber from .375 to .458 lott, that all weigh the same).

i intend to use a .375 for absolutely everything under all conditions.
so i want it to be light enough to carry all day in mountainous terrain,
but heavy enough so that i can learn to shoot it well.

i was thinking of something around 8.5lb, what do you think?

If you mean 8.5 lbs with scope, then I think you are on the right track. There is no need for a 375 H&H to weigh more than this.

I am not some recoil proof braggart(I really "feel" 416s and 458s), but I will tell you that an 8.5 lb 375 is a joy to carry shoot.

My favorite 375 H&H is a Sako Fiberclass that weighs about 9 pounds with a Leupold 2-7. It's about perfect for my taste. Lou

If you need to go on a diet yourself, like me,
it helps to put your "African Sheep Rifle" on a diet.

A 6.75-pound dry weight .375 H&H is sweet.

Add a 2.5-8X Leupold in Kimber QD rings and bases, 5 rounds of ammo, plus a light sling, and this Pre-64-Re-Make comes in under 8.5 pounds.
Accurate too.
No. 3 Douglas.
Brown Pounder stock.
The original "African Sheep Rifle"
It's on my shoulder in my avatar, standing on "Ol' Kopje Top."
Not just another "shooting ballerina":

Sweet gun Rip

IMHO 6.5 to 7.5 with scope.

quote:

Originally posted by RIP:
If you need to go on a diet yourself, like me,
it helps to put your "African Sheep Rifle" on a diet.

A 6.75-pound dry weight .375 H&H is sweet.

Add a 2.5-8X Leupold in Kimber QD rings and bases, 5 rounds of ammo, plus a light sling, and this Pre-64-Re-Make comes in under 8.5 pounds.
Accurate too.
No. 3 Douglas.
Brown Pounder stock.
The original "African Sheep Rifle"
It's on my shoulder in my avatar, standing on "Ol' Kopje Top."
Not just another "shooting ballerina":

Not exactly my ideal 375, but that rifle would be dang near perfect for any hunt.

quote:

Originally posted by JBrown:

Not exactly my ideal 375, but that rifle would be dang near perfect for any hunt.

Thanks!

Those who do not like the perfect balance and light weight can add 10 rounds to the elastic buttstock carrier.

It's a 5-shooter, so 10 rounds will be 2 reloads for herd shooting.

Mine is about 8.75 pounds bare and I find it to be perfect. Recoil isn't bad at all and it is easy to carry.

My MIGHTY ,375 RUger is about 8 lbs +. not much more...

About right, IMHO

8.5 lbs would be just fine. I do a lot of shooting off shooting sticks and therefore like the way a heavier rifle settles in sticks, in particular I like the stock bottom shape and weight of the Ruger RSM chambered .375 H&H.

I think you could get down to 6.5 lbs without problems.

My .375 Ruger Hawkeye African comes in at 7 3/4 lbs bare + a 14.5 oz Zeiss scope, according to the books (haven't weighed it myself).
Recoil is not really an issue except from the prone (it's the angle of the shoulder to the direction of recoil I guess). But, offhand, kneeling and sticks are (in my opinion) FUN.
A couple hours in to a day long walk, the lighter weight is much appreciated although the wildebeest didn't seem to care one way or the other.

ChetNC

My M70 SS Classic in .375 H&H with an HS Precision stock and a 3-9x40 MC Zeiss Conquest weighs in at just over 10 pounds.

The weight is attributable to a heavy profile barrel and a not so light scope. Is fine for sticks in Africa or from a blind in Texas. If I was going to carry 10+ pounds around I'd prefer that it be the Commercial Mauser in .458 AR.

I do have an FN commercial Mauser action made up in .376 Steyr on a Hogue stock. It weights just under 9 pounds with a 1.8-5.5x38 MC Zeiss Conquest. It is much more "carry friendly" and seems to be adequate for North America.

As the .375s approach 9 pounds they can get a bit exciting to shoot. Is obvious to me that you fellas who shoot 8 pound rifles in .375 H&H are pretty recoil tolerant

My 375 RUM is 9.5lbs scoped and loaded. And sadly, it needs it.
I shot my buddies "light weight" Sako 75 in 375 H&H the other night. Not sure on the number of pounds but it has got to be around 7-8lbs scoped. Very handy, shoots steel plates at 450yrds and after the RUM feels like a 270 Win. Something like this will be my next rifle as a similar "all arounder". Maybe with an AI chamber and fluted barrel to shave a little more weight. After lugging my 9.5 pounder up the mountians a 7 pound or less rig feels pretty sweet.
Either way, if you go the light weight route be sure to practice dry fireing. I do it every time I get back from the range and it is amazing how much it helps to "re-train" your brain. Good for avoiding developing a flinch. Call it preventative maintenance.

Good luck.

BTW, What kind of scope are you thinking for this "all around" rig?

My 375 Ruger Alaskan with canoe paddle stock is around 7 1/2 lbs . I,m going to put a light weight 4x scope on it in high rings so my thumb fits under the scope for packin it around ... About perfect for an all around rifle .........

After carrying around Service Rifles, M1's, M14/M1A, and various match type rifles, I don't mind the weight of my Ruger RSM in 375HH at all. The old 1903 in '06 kicked like a mule and want no part of that anymore. I'll hump the weight and for me anyway, the extra weight gives more stable off hand shots. Mine weighs right in at 10lbs w/ peep sight and sling. Have a Win.Mod 70 pre'64 Ftwt, '06 and it is about like shooting the Springfield. No thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by Steffen:
looking on the 'run of the mill' .375 H&H rifles, they seem to be rather heavy(9-9.5lb).
i dont know if its because of mass production(they usually have one safari model with caliber from .375 to .458 lott, that all weigh the same).

i intend to use a .375 for absolutely everything under all conditions.
so i want it to be light enough to carry all day in mountainous terrain,
but heavy enough so that i can learn to shoot it well.

i was thinking of something around 8.5lb, what do you think?

It depends on what you want. I had a Mod. 70 that weighed 7.0 lbs. (24" barrel).

With a straight stock it was plenty heavy.

quote:

Originally posted by Will:

It depends on what you want. I had a Mod. 70 that weighed 7.0 lbs. (24" barrel).

With a straight stock it was plenty heavy.

I have found the perfect rifle weight per caliber formula to be: whatever weight Will posts and just add one pound then it's about perfect IMO. Therefore the perfect 375 weight is 8lb's.

I do have an 8lb 458wm that Will would not mind carrying around.

quote:

Originally posted by dirklawyer:

quote:

Originally posted by Will:

It depends on what you want. I had a Mod. 70 that weighed 7.0 lbs. (24" barrel).

With a straight stock it was plenty heavy.

I have found the perfect rifle weight per caliber formula to be: whatever weight Will posts and just add one pound then it's about perfect IMO. Therefore the perfect 375 weight is 8lb's.

I do have an 8lb 458wm that Will would not mind carrying around.

If Will is going to carry it for me.....I don't care what it weighs

quote:

Originally posted by dirklawyer:

quote:

Originally posted by Will:

It depends on what you want. I had a Mod. 70 that weighed 7.0 lbs. (24" barrel).

With a straight stock it was plenty heavy.

I have found the perfect rifle weight per caliber formula to be: whatever weight Will posts and just add one pound then it's about perfect IMO. Therefore the perfect 375 weight is 8lb's.

I do have an 8lb 458wm that Will would not mind carrying around.

8 lbs.??? You have to be kidding. My 458 WM weighs 7.57 lbs. and is a lard-ass.

quote:

Originally posted by Will:

quote:

Originally posted by dirklawyer:

quote:

Originally posted by Will:

It depends on what you want. I had a Mod. 70 that weighed 7.0 lbs. (24" barrel).

With a straight stock it was plenty heavy.

I have found the perfect rifle weight per caliber formula to be: whatever weight Will posts and just add one pound then it's about perfect IMO. Therefore the perfect 375 weight is 8lb's.

I do have an 8lb 458wm that Will would not mind carrying around.

8 lbs.??? You have to be kidding. My 458 WM weighs 7.57 lbs. and is a lard-ass.

Alas! The perfect 458wm rifle weight has been unveiled by Will, 8.57lbs. Actually Will my 458wm is semi-obese at 7.9lbs but I can fix that to bring it to the coveted 7.57lbs.

My .375 Roy weighs 8.5 lbs. ready to hunt.

It's light enough to carry for miles in rough terrain yet heavy enough to not be overly vigorous when fired. Just about optimum for my needs.

quote:

Originally posted by mstarling:
Is obvious to me that you fellas who shoot 8 pound rifles in .375 H&H are pretty recoil tolerant

I can only speak for myself, but I am a "recoil sissy" and I will admit that a 9 or 10 pound 458 of 416 gets my attention. My 8.5 lb 375 is a pleasure to shoot with 300gr @ 2550fps.

A very wise rifleman told me once:

He would rather carry a light rifle and shoot a heavy one!

A proper 375 Remington Ultra Mag: 8-9 pounds?

Factory weight for a SS 700, plastic stock & 24 inch barrel is about 7.5 pounds, and it will kick the crap out of you with 300 grains @ 2800fps (personally chronographed) factory ammo.

My #1 458 Lott is much more comfortable to shoot!

Here's my 'beater" push feed M70 375 H&H:

It comes in at 9.3# as shown. I've fired several hundred full loads with it. It is very manageable. Note the 'cushy' recoil pad and soberthane check pad. These go along way to keep the gun "fun" rather than painful. Hunted last fall with it; whitetail deer, and found it never a burden as far a weight/portablity (300grRN Hornady do a fine job on whitetails with very minimal meat loss).

I had a friends Rem700 SS with synthetic stock that was 7.5-8# for a while. For me it was unmanageable. It had no scope and the recoil was into you so quickly. Very difficult to shoot and keep from developing an industrial grade flinch.

Better a bit heavy than bit light IMHO.

Pete A.

My InterArms Mark X loaded, and topped with a Cabela's Pine Ridge fixed 6 power scope weighs in about 9.5 pounds.

I am fixing to be 59 years old, stand 5'9" and weigh 250 pounds.

I have carried that rifle 7500 feet high in the Colorado Rockies and at sea Level on the Texas coast.

To me, 8.5 to 9.5 pounds in a properly stocked and scoped rifle is perfect for a 375 H&H, JMO.

Dont ask me You all know Im crazzzzeee about Light weights...Lon Paul built me a Win 70 Classic SS at 7pds,but scoped it was 8...way to much for me...Just to prove I'm bona fide Nuts...I would like one in the 4 pd range
I do have a 700 Titanium Custom in .416 Rem Mag that weighs 4pd-8oz w/o scope! Yes,I love it!

If you are going for a light 3/8" then stay away from a CZ 550. They start at 10 pounds and hold 5 down plus one in the snoot. With scope I believe mine weighs just over 11 pounds and I think that was without any ammo. Personally I don't see how you guys can sight in your light weight rifles w/synthetic stocks. Either you let someone else do it or you all weigh as much as the game you're hunting. (I didn't say you were fat). IMO a 375 with even 270 grainers should weigh at least 10 pounds. Even with my 11 pounder and 270 gr. bullets, I've had it come up and whop me between the eyes a few times. If you really want to develope a good flinch, buy a Tikka T3 in a 338 WM. That will learn ya!