Purely subjective, and non-scientific. What would be the lightest .375 you would shoot comfortably? Yeah, yeah, get the oxymoron.
Anyway, what say you all, eh?
Stephen

About 8 lbs with scope is not too bad and it's easy to tote about. I see a lot of recommendations for 375s coming in around 9 lbs.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Scott:
About 8 lbs with scope is not too bad and it's easy to tote about. I see a lot of recommendations for 375s coming in around 9 lbs.

+1,000,000

I've seen 11#ers .. recoil is nice though

If I could, 7# scoped ..

I can only guess. The lightest one that I have with scope on is 9# 3oz. It is a 375 Ruger, 20” barrel, Kahles 1.1-4x24 Scope with Warne detachable rings, McMillan Hunter swirly colors with magnum fill in the action area. I have others that are heavier. A 458 Lott that I have with a 24” barrel and scope is 7 ounces heavier.

I think I would prefer an 8.5 pound 375 H&H or Ruger with scope.
Without scopes, I have 375 Rugers and 416 Rugers that are 8 pounds. I don’t find the recoil an issue.

At this point I am going with what I have. I don’t really own any lightweight rifles.
7.5 pounds is the lightest rifle and scope combination that I have. It is a Kimber Montana 325 WSM.

quote:

Originally posted by Lord Frith:
Purely subjective, and non-scientific. What would be the lightest .375 you would shoot comfortably? Yeah, yeah, get the oxymoron.
Anyway, what say you all, eh?
Stephen

Had a M-700 KS mountain .375 H&H. 6# on the nose unloaded and minus glass, sling.

"Had" is the operative word. Though it was accurate (the gun, not me).

I took my pre 64 Win 70 in 375 H&H to Africa and it weighed 10.57 pounds scoped with sling and 10.91 pounds with the magazine fully loaded. It carried very well and shot great! The weight really helped on a 270 yard shot on a trotting Kudu in a stiff breeze.

My 375/404 weighs just over 9 pounds with scope and 3 rounds.

I carry it all day, and have been hunting with it fir many years.

Lightest is 7 3/4 pounds which is the 375 Ruger in the African 2nd gen. Heaviest is 9 pounds such as the 375 HH RSM.

More than weight, I find LOP to be of more important. The Ruger Africans and Number 1 all have a shorter length of pull than my 375 HH Alaskan.

Using equal loads the 375 HH Alaskan kicks less bc it has about an inch more length of pull. I have killed game unsupported sitting down with the African 375 Ruger and made multiple hits in seconds while doing it.

My Dakota Safari weighs 8.5 lbs. bare, and 9 lbs. 6 oz. with bases, rings, and a Leu. 2.5-8 scope.

I own lighter rifles that feel heavier. I think the balance of a rifle accounts for that. A well made and balanced rifle can feel much lighter between the hands than it is.

I love this rifle, and all of my Dakotas in fact. I really like carrying my Dakota 458 Lott and 404 Jeffery, as they also weigh 8.5 lbs. bare, and that is how I hunt them, sans scope, bases and rings. Joy.

I definitely agree about the balance / "feel" of the rifle in my hands. At some point and time probably all of them have felt heavy.
Some I simply like more than others and the actual weight plays less of a factor. It appears my 375's and larger are 9-10 pound range with scopes.

I weighed another 375 Ruger with fiberglass stock and 23.5" barrel, with a heavier 1.5-8x42 scope. It weighs 10 pounds.

My 416 Remington M70, fiberglass, with scope weighs 9# 14 oz.

375 H&H, M70, 22" barrel, fiberglass stock and scope is 10# 2oz. I believe this is my heaviest hunting rifle.

My Ruger pre African model made only for year 2008, was a test entry I suspect, Weighs 7.5 lbs with the iron sights and 8.5 with a 3 Leupold in Ruger rings..Its the best .375 Ive ever owned as for as Im concerned its the perfect weitht..I only shoot 300 and 350 gr. bullets in my .375s..recoil is on the "verge of mild!"

My 1913 H&H Magazine rifle weighs 8lbs 2oz and is sweet to shoot as it fits me, iron sights only.

My scoped custom mod70 doesn't weight much more, and is nice to shoot too. 375Flanged Mag double is over 10lbs and nice to shoot.

Worst 375 I have shot was a custom BRNO weighing over 10lbs but didn't fit or balance, horrible. It was magna-ported too.....

I’ve always thought that the Ruger #1-S with a 26” barrel would be sweet in 375. The largest caliber I am aware of in this configuration was 338 mag. I don’t know what one would weigh, but with a 2.5x or 3x Leupold, I wouldn’t mind it.

quote:

Originally posted by ColoradoMatt:
I’ve always thought that the Ruger #1-S with a 26” barrel would be sweet in 375. The largest caliber I am aware of in this configuration was 338 mag. I don’t know what one would weigh, but with a 2.5x or 3x Leupold, I wouldn’t mind it.

COMatt,

Caliber-wise, the largest made in the Ruger No.1 S that I know of, would be the 9.3x74R, 405 Win., and 45-70.

quote:

Originally posted by surefire7:

quote:

Originally posted by ColoradoMatt:
I’ve always thought that the Ruger #1-S with a 26” barrel would be sweet in 375. The largest caliber I am aware of in this configuration was 338 mag. I don’t know what one would weigh, but with a 2.5x or 3x Leupold, I wouldn’t mind it.

COMatt,

Caliber-wise, the largest made in the Ruger No.1 S that I know of, would be the 9.3x74R, 405 Win., and 45-70.

450/400 NE i believe

The 450/400, I think, was a Tropical H.

quote:

Originally posted by surefire7:

quote:

Originally posted by ColoradoMatt:
I’ve always thought that the Ruger #1-S with a 26” barrel would be sweet in 375. The largest caliber I am aware of in this configuration was 338 mag. I don’t know what one would weigh, but with a 2.5x or 3x Leupold, I wouldn’t mind it.

COMatt,

Caliber-wise, the largest made in the Ruger No.1 S that I know of, would be the 9.3x74R, 405 Win., and 45-70.

I guess I wasn’t adequately specific. I was referring to the 1-S contour that was 26” long and chambered in 7mm Rem mag, 300 H&H, 300 Win mag, and 338 Win Mag. The 1-S-C in 45-70 had a 26” barrel but used the “H” weight 375 barrel, but 2” longer.

The ideal .375 H&H in walnut and blue is the Winchester M70 Alaskan assembled/finished in South Carolina or Portugal.
Out of the box with no added scope, rings, or bases, it weighs 7-lbs 10.5 ounces with barrel sights and no ammo.
That is the average of the two I have weighed: 7# 10-oz and 7# 11-oz.
Walnut stock weights were 2# even and 2# 1-oz on those two specimens.
Barrels: 25" long and muzzle diameter 0.640" on both.

That is 1.5 oz. lighter than my one first-generation Ruger M77 Hawkeye African which weighed 7# 12-oz out of the box with barrel sights only.
That walnut stock weighed 1# 12-oz.
The barrel is 23" long and has a muzzle diameter of 0.675".

To build a 6.75# .375 H&H by using a Pre-64 M70 .300 H&H action, my recipe:
Brown Pounder stock, 1# 9-oz after paint, studs, bedding, and 1" decelerator pad.
Use a No. 3 sporter contour Douglas barrel that is 24" long, 0.625" muzzle diameter with NECG banded, hooded ramp front sight.
Add a minimalist peep sight for rear sight.

Roughly, a rule of thumb:
A. Light walnut-stocked .375 H&H: 7.75 pounds.
B. Light synthetic-stocked .375 H&H: 6.75 pounds.

Adding ammo, scope, rings and bases will add about 1.25 pounds with a decent little variable scope.
Field ready, scoped weights:
A. 9 pounds.
B. 8 pounds.
Both well balanced and lively, stock weights and barrel weights proportional.

Ruger 1-H "Tropical" .375 H&H (K1-H-BBZ) stainless/laminate with 24" barrel, 0.750" muzzle diameter: 8# 6-oz with barrel sights only, I like it.

Ruger 1-S 9.3x74R, Model 11319, blued/walnut, 22" skinny barrel: 7# 6-oz with barrel sights only.
A .375 H&H Ruger No. 1-S could be done to about 7.5 pounds with light barrel.

Factory Ruger No. 1-H "Tropical" 450/400 NE 3", walnut/blue: 8# 2-oz
Factory Ruger No. 1- S "Sporter" 405 WCF walnut/blue: 8# 2 oz
Both have 24" barrels with 0.750" muzzle diameters, same weights.
Only 0.001" difference in groove diameters.

Factory Ruger No. 1-H "Tropical" .458 Winchester Magnum walnut/blue, 24" barrel with 0.815" muzzle diameter: 9.0 pounds
The laminate/stainless version: 9# 3-oz.

The Leupold 2.5x20mm scope in low Ruger No. 1 rings (a pair of #3's): 11 ounces

It all boils down to if you are happy with it.

I personally do not like rifles that are too light.

Hard for me to shoot off hand accurately.

Mine handles like a shotgun.

I have taken very fast shots with it at running very close game.

I had a Dakota in 375 with a Clifton stock. It was just a little over 8# with a Leupold 2.5x8. To me that rig was about perfect.

Mark

Like stock styles and forend length, rifle weights are personal preference. The original 375 H&H rifles made by H&H weighed around 8 1/4 to 8 1/2 pounds, which is handy for a person who carries a rifle. After all, recoil lasts but a fraction of a second, while gravity lasts forever !

I'd think a 8.5 lb .375 H&H ready to hunt with scope and ammo would be ideal. I've owned two that were heavier.

My current 9.3 x 62 with about equal ballistics is only 7.7# with a 3-9x40 scope, sling and 4 cartridges. It's recoil is much faster than my former .375s. In fact, in shooting game it has surprised me as to the quickness of its recoil. But I like it's handling and carry weight.

Bob
www.bigbores.ca

quote:

Originally posted by .458 Only:
I'd think a 8.5 lb .375 H&H ready to hunt with scope and ammo would be ideal. I've owned two that were heavier.

My current 9.3 x 62 with about equal ballistics is only 7.7# with a 3-9x40 scope, sling and 4 cartridges. It's recoil is much faster than my former .375s. In fact, in shooting game it has surprised me as to the quickness of its recoil. But I like it's handling and carry weight.

Bob
www.bigbores.ca

+1

And that's the beauty of Ruger's African in 9.3x62 at 7.0 lbs. With rings and a Leu. 2.5-8 scope, mine weighs 8.0 lbs.

Bob has a very light 9.3x62mm Mauser. Tikka ?

My walnut&blue Ruger M77 Hawkeye African in 9.3x62mm Mauser weighs 7# 5-oz as out of the box.

A Leupold 2-7x33mm scope in low Ruger M77 rings (#3 front, #4 rear) weighs 1 pound flat.
The rifle is 8# 5-oz scoped with that, no ammo or sling.

It is an interesting rifle in having a very skinny barrel,
24" long with 0.570" muzzle diameter under the banded front sight.
That is about like a No. 2 sporter contour.
With 0.366" groove diameter, the wall thickness in the grooves at muzzle is 0.102".
Good to have a barrel band around that muzzle.

Call me a wuss, but I’m glad my Lipsey’s Ruger African is on the heavier side. A denser stock, I assume, has mine weighing 7lbs 10oz bare bones. I’m planning on running an NECG aperture while my eyes are good enough to use them. I won’t be shooting +P loads. No need for more power or flatter trajectory for where and what I hunt.

Matt,

Does your Ruger 9.3 have a silver bolt or a blue bolt?

I own a couple of the early 9.3x62 Ruger Africans with silver bolts and a couple of the Lipsey's Africans with blue bolts. The early silver bolts had a heavier contour barrel and were consequently heavier rifles. The Lipsey blue bolts had thin barrels, like the Lipsey 275 Rigby and 6.5x55, and were about a quarter to half lb. lighter. So, it may not be a denser wood stock, but simply a heavier barrel, which in your case, fits the bill perfectly. Congrats!

I prefer the lighter contour Lipsey for carrying weight, but of course I have to put up with a bit more recoil. We're both happy! Thank you Ruger!!

My Ruger African 9.3x62 has a shiny-bright-silver/in-the-white bolt handle, and a very skinny barrel.

Using an aperture rear sight with the African fixed standing leaf not removed kills the speed of sighting but may sharpen the open sight picture for old eyes.
Express train sights become freight train sights.

I have a Rem XCR II (synthetic/TriNyte coated stainless) rifle in 375 Weatherby (was originally a 375 H&H) that weighs 7 1/2 lbs with a Leupold 2-7x firedot scope (not counting sling and unloaded). It has a 24" barrel. Recoil is mild with 375 H&H Remington Premier Safari ammo (300g A-Frames at 2500 fps). It's a little snappy with Weatherby loads (300g Partitions at 2800 fps). If you can live with a push feed and can find one, I recommend it.

quote:

Originally posted by surefire7:
Matt,

Does your Ruger 9.3 have a silver bolt or a blue bolt?

I own a couple of the early 9.3x62 Ruger Africans with silver bolts and a couple of the Lipsey's Africans with blue bolts. The early silver bolts had a heavier contour barrel and were consequently heavier rifles. The Lipsey blue bolts had thin barrels, like the Lipsey 275 Rigby and 6.5x55, and were about a quarter to half lb. lighter. So, it may not be a denser wood stock, but simply a heavier barrel, which in your case, fits the bill perfectly. Congrats!

I prefer the lighter contour Lipsey for carrying weight, but of course I have to put up with a bit more recoil. We're both happy! Thank you Ruger!!

Mine has the blue bolt and skinny 24” barrel. Similar to the 6.5x55 and 275 Rigby models from the two previous years.

Hey, cool Matt.

You got a 'good' one!

quote:

Originally posted by chuck375:
I have a Rem XCR II (synthetic/TriNyte coated stainless) rifle in 375 Weatherby (was originally a 375 H&H) that weighs 7 1/2 lbs with a Leupold 2-7x firedot scope (not counting sling and unloaded). It has a 24" barrel. Recoil is mild with 375 H&H Remington Premier Safari ammo (300g A-Frames at 2500 fps). It's a little snappy with Weatherby loads (300g Partitions at 2800 fps). If you can live with a push feed and can find one, I recommend it.

Now, that's a light 375. Congrats Chuck!

I rebarreled a Weatherby 7mm Rem Mag Mark V Ultra Lightweight 6 3/4 lbs to .375 H&H, so a little lighter still with the bigger hole & it was fine, I cut it back to 21in & that meant it hit my cap peak ever shot, if I knew then what I know now I would of put a suppressor on it & all would be good !

Have a Tikka T3 lite in 9.3X62 at 6.5lbs & that is close.

I like 375s at the weight of the M70 Express. I have had heaps of 375s but all used on kangaroos, pigs, goats and also spotlight shooting kangaroos. Plenty of target and also shooting a lot from improvised rests and across sandbags on the bonnet of the car, so high volume shooting.

I find 375s that are in tht general weight class of 7mm Rem/300Win/338 Win to have a bit too much of a jolt. Not a problem for low volume shooting.

What s quite interesting with the recoil of a 375 is with high volume shooting is the difference between loads like 71 grains 4064 and 279 grains and 68 grain and 300 grains, 2650 f/s and 2450 f/s and also 65 and 68 grains of 3031 as compared to very compressed loads of 4350 and Re 15. Loads like the 65 grains and 68 grains of 3031 are about as close you will get to the ballistics and powder weight of the original cordite loads.

I think most rifles for big game should weigh about 8.5 to 9 lbs as they settle faster and steadier than lighter rifles, yet they carry easy over a hard days walk. Thats what I used back in my younger days and still do today. The only change I made was I now prefer a shorter 22 to 24 inch barrel..I praised the 26 inch for years and its still great for off hand shooting..Ive always been an off hand shooter, loved to walk or hunt horseback and jump hunt deer, elk and most all game where the terrain allowed it.

My Sako AV Fiberclass, with Leupold 2.5-8 weighs 8.5 lbs.