dcpcd put together another fantastic piece of work. Picked up a Wilson 375 blank here in the classifieds and put it aside for years.

Picked up 2 unfired M70 Classic in 300 Wby from cabelas for a steal, eventually sold one and finally figured screw it, I'll build a gun! I currently have a factory M70 375 that is just too dang heavy (will be selling it as soon as I finish the stock, another custom shop left over) So I had dpcd install this one, @22" and put a barrel band sling swivel on it.

Today I picked up a Leupold Vari-X III 1.75-6x32 E for basically nothing.

All that's left is opening up the channel a bit and I'll have a nice trim and handy 375 H&H ready to do about anything!



tree of souls in avatar

Looks like it's going to be a pretty little rifle.

Now, go shoot something big!

MileHighShooter,

Beautiful walnut, excellent grain flow through the grip.
Should be a solid stock that will never break through the grip.
You must be sure there is a crossbolt behind the primary recoil lug,
in addition to the one that is in the web between magazine and trigger wells.
Either visible crossbolt to match the one you already have, or hidden allthread under the glass bedding, it matters not, whatever suits your taste.
No secondary recoil lug on the barrel is necessary, good metal work as current.

I am guessing No. 3 Sporter Contour, and dry/empty/no-scope weight of rifle is about 7.0 to 7.5 pounds, depending on weight of wood.

That is excellent for an African Soup-to-Nuts, Sheep-to-Elephant Rifle.
My sympathies for its residence in Colorado, the Rocky Mountain High state.

Rip ...

Im thinking it'll be closer to 8lbs bare. The barrel is lighter than my factory M70 375, but its not as skinny as some Sako AV's I've seen.

Umm curious about the hidden cross bolt, I may look into that as I really didn't want to have to pay for another one (i don't have the space/ know how/tools to do it myself). Not sure how mutch full power 300's it'll ever see. Im really more interested in this as a heavy non-DG gun, so it'll eat mostly 235-250's

No bases/rings, bedding or cross bolts, with the 1.75-6x32 comes out to 8 lbs 11.5oz so I think it'll just kiss 9lbs empty

Sans scope

Dug out a set of Leupold rings and found the cross bolt

9.2lbs

That is perfect weight for a walnut-stocked, well-balanced rifle.
Barrel must be a little heavier contour than I thought.

The walnut-stocked, factory, Winchester M70 Alaskan .375 H&H rifles from FN, SC & Portugal assembled,
weighed 7#10oz and 7#11oz respectively,
of the two I have had in my hands.
Bare/empty/dry weight, no scope or rings, just iron sights and double crossbolted.
Barrel is a nominal 25" (24-7/8" actual length from crown to breech face)
and muzzle diameter is 0.640".
Some say muzzle diameter is meaningless, but not when one can see the rest of the barrel as here.
What is your muzzle diameter?

If you are glass bedding the rifle.
The hidden-allthread crossbolt backing up the primary action lug is a cinch.

Rip ...

RIP,

The muzzle is .710 @ 22" long. The shank is thicker than my factory M70, but its shorter and tapers much faster

Nice.

Rip ...

I think I'll end up ordering some Talley rings, which will take everything in the pic to 9lbs even. Have to see what bedding and another cross bolt will add. Contacted my stock guy (Rick Steinhour @ Extreme Rifle Works) and he has a quote for the work needed that I can live with. Little out if the immediate gun budget, but it'll get done before the end of the year. I don't have any tags to use it on this year anyway and I sure as hell ain't going to Africa in the next 6 months haha.

Now I've just gotta finish the other 375 so I can peddle it here on ARbay