Well it looks like my .375 build has gotten bloated with the McMillan stock. All told loaded with scope and sling near 11 lbs. It is not what I wanted but heck of a nice setup. Can't think how to shave any more weight off unless I flute barrel. Any suggestions? I just pumped a bunch of money into getting this setup and may have to live with it.

I'm sure my brno 602 is about the same.

I was hoping for a much lighter gun. I did not do my proper research on the McMillan stock and weight. It was 8 1/2 with factory stock and I was very happy with it at that weight

My 375 is a Zastava M98 clone with a light contour Lilja barrel, 22 inches long. I put it on a B&C Medalist - the one with the aluminum bedding block. Without scope it weighs 6-7 pounds.

One way to save weight is to go with the light weight one piece aluminum Talley rings/bases and stick with a smaller scope. What is on yours?

Also, if your barrel is long, like 26 inches, cut it back a few to 24 or 22.

My CZ 550 Mag in 416 Rigby with Kevlar synthetic alluminium bedded stock is 9.5Lbs with a 1.5-5X VX3 illuminated 30 mm scope.

It handles very well for off hand shooting of feral goats out to 120 meters.

It's a 24" Winchester model 70 classic. The barrel profile is thick on these guns but they are great shooters. I have a leupold 1.75-6 vx3 on it now and QW mounts. I weighed it with scope, sling and 4 rounds of 300 grainers. I guess it's not to far off but the "magnum fill" McMillan really brings the weight up. Also my gunsmith did a heck of a bedding job using a lot of epoxy, put in bigger pillars and made it absolutely perfect in that regard. It looks great with the molded in woodland camo that's for sure. It was on the shelf at McMillan as a customer ordered and never picked it up. Saved some doucats but never asked the details as running across one of these ready to go is pretty rare. Lesson learned. I can't say I am not happy just a bit surprised

Bummer! Might get a bit heavy slogging after buff. My P64 weighs 9lb 6oz empty with a 2.5-8 on it. It's about as heavy as I want to carry.

Would it be possible to remove some weight judiciously hollowing out the buttstock under the buttplate and machining a corresponding amount of material away at the bottom of the barrel channel? I agree that 8.5 pounds is about all the weight of rifle that I would want to carry for any distance.

I had the opposite problem with my McMillan stocked .577 bolt gun. I ended up epoxying lead shot in the cavity under the butt plate. It is now rather muzzle light, but much more pleasant to shoot at 12.5 pounds.

I think a 375 is just right in the 8.5-9# range.

Checked the Brno 602 .375 H&H with 6 in the mag, as it is when hunting 11.25 lbs.

My Classic SS in a wooden stock and scoped it 10lbs. It is better balanced than before so the weight is ok and I think it is better than before, but I'd not want more. In fact I am restocking hoping to shed a half pound to a pound. I guess the question is how it feels. If you didn't know the actual number would it have bothered you? I always figure I can lose weight easier than the rifle and carry the same total weight in the field , provided the rifle handles well.

How well you shoot it has a tremendous amount to do with how good a rifle it is in reality.
Leadwood got it right. . I really like packing light rifles but I like shooting 11 lb rifles.
A lot depends on how you will hunt. Do you carry your rifle in your hands, slung on your shoulder, in a backpack, or with the sling hooked over the horn of a frame pack? Does your rifle have a barrel band sling swivel or is the sling attached to the foreend? If you don't wear a backpack, a double shoulder sling works very well. Especially if it is attached to a barrel band sling swivel . If the muzzle is still too high you can move the rear swivel up to the grip cap. That will keep the muzzle below head height so its not hanging up on everything.

For you to be able to make a near perfect shot, quickly from field positions including off hand 11 lbs is a good weight. If the rifle fits you it will settle in very well. My 9.3×64 weighs around 11 lbs all up and with 10 rounds of ammo in a Velcro ammo carrier on the sling. The rifle fits like a custom made glove and consequently all the game I've shot with it has been 1 shot kills with the bullet put exactly where I wanted it. Including running animals. All from field positions.

My 9.3x64 unscoped with 4 is a tad under 8 lbs nice to carry and hunt with, not so much fun as a target rifle.

I have a Ruger RSM 375 H&H, pretty darn heavy. I think 9.5 or 10 lbs from the factory before scope, sling, ammo.

I moved to a Mauser M03 in the standard profile that is 7.75 lbs before scope, etc.

I really like the lighter weight and am running 300 gr bullets at 2,650 fps. Now, it had a lot of muzzle jump so I magnaported it and it really holds the muzzle down.

If I could start from scratch, I think a stainless synthetic Sako 85 at 7 lbs before a scope would be perfect.

I have a custom built using an FN Commercial action in a dense walnut stock. With3-9X Leupold in Talley rings and bases it weighs just under 10 pounds. It has a sporter contour 27" barrel.

Eleven pounds...?

That seems to be the fantasy of a synthetic stock, lighter weight. Then a couple pounds of epoxy, and you have this issue.

Our Rem XCR II in 375 H&H (now a 375 Weatherby) weighed in at 6 3/4 lbs without scope or rings. It has a 24" barrel. With our leupold 1.5-5x and Talley rings it weighs just over 7 1/2 lbs I think the stock is "soft" because it kicks less than my CZ 550 did in 375 H&H with H&H factory rounds so it must be absorbing recoil. It shoots good though!

My CZ 550 in .375 was 10.5 pounds empty with Warne rings and 3.5-10 Leupold. Rem 700 Custom C was about the same though it felt lighter.

My current favorite is a Model 70 Alaskan which weighs in a 8.5 pounds with a 3.5-10 Leupold. That's just about perfect, a .375 just doesn't need to weigh over 10 pounds.

I have a 458WinMag built on an 03A3 action probably in the 50's. I'm guessing built as a backup for a professional. Maybe Africa maybe Alaska. It was built by A&M Rifle Co in Prescott,Az. Handle has been forged lower and root is marked as one of the name gunsmiths of the time used to do. Safety is a 3 position Mdl 70 type, Trigger is a Timney. Scope is a Norman-Ford Texan (basically same as a Lyman Alaskan) in a G&H side mount.Front sight base is a long Lyman banded ramp with a very long Sourdough blade with gold insert. Rear sight is a Williams adjustable island type. Stock is a nice piece of what appears to be Birch with a Niedner stel buttplate and a Steel grip cap. Stock is a lightweight with crosspins and a schnabel foreend. Nice basic checkering pattern.Front slingwivel base is a custom barrel band type. The hooker is the barrel is 16 1/2" and it weighs 7.5 lbs. It is the handiest quick shooting big bore I have ever handled. Would have liked to have used it in Africa. It does occupy your attention when you pull the trigger. I wear a PAST shoulder pad and use a slip over recoil pad and it's really not too bad. That's one of two short bareled 03's I have and both have Mdl 70 safties the same manner and marked forged bolt handle,both have G&H mounts with Lyman Alaskan 7/8's scopes and both have 16 1/2" barrels. The othe is 30-06 with all the wood cut down and replaced so it looks like abreviated 03. Have no idea who built it but he was a pro for sure.

I hear what you guys are saying. I am a big strong guy so carrying a 11 lb loaded ready to go rifle is no big thing. I was just surprised at the outcome. These rifles have thick barrel contours for sure. I have no doubt (I haven's shot it yet) that this will be an excellent shooter and will handle most excellent. It is going to be an Alaskan rifle so I was hoping for a bit less weight but I have no doubts that it will do it's job. I will weigh my other big bores to compare. Should be interesting. Should be a pussycat shooting in any case, And remember that in hunting trim scope sling and 4 rounds so it's not out of the realm of realistic big bore weights

g-s55,

My Winchester Model 70 with it's as issue 24" tube, 1.5-4.5x26 scope w/Leupold mounts & rings, leather sling and 4 rounds of ammo weighed in at 11 lbs.

Shoots like a 30/06 Sprg. w/220 grainers; even from the bench; what's not to like about that?

The very stout barrel is the culprit as you mention. Balance was awful with a sling carry; way too muzzle heavy.

Chopped the barrel to 20" and Voilá; still considerable heft but carries & balances better.

Never weighed it again - perfect the way it is.

About 6 lbs.; maybe a little less.

I was able to get the weight of my stainless M-70 .375 H&H down by cutting the barrel to 21", turning it down to the ftw contour.
I picked up a McMillan M70 ftw stock and now with a 1-4 Leupold scope and four in the magazine it weighs a hair under 8 1/2 pounds.

Yep that would do it. 8 1/2 is a good weight and what it was with factory cheesy stock. Possibly was a mistake going for the "express" stock as it is designed for big magnums on a safari so weight was secondary. Lesson learned. Since I have over a grand in bottom metal stock and bedding I don't see it's going to change anytime soon. Maybe a barrel chop. What velocity can you get with 300 grainer and a 20-21" barrel? 270 grain?

2500 fps

For the CZ owners, like myself, Manners stocks has a Carbon Fiber stock coming out for the CZ-550 action at the SHOT show this year. If it weighs in the same as their other "elite hunter" stocks, should go under 2 pounds and really help lose some weight for those big CZ's. It actually maintains the African Express rifle lines too.

http://snipershide.scout.com/f...new-product-addtions

Dakota 97, 7 lbs, 12 oz. Naked. And it handles recoil better than some of my 0-6s

Phil, after reading about one in one of your articles, I opened up a stainless M77 action a hair and put on a light (.62 at the muzzle) 22" barrel and ended up with a nice 7.5lb 375 H&H that isn't afraid of rain. With a fixed 2.5 Lpd in QD mounts it's a bit over 8 unloaded.

I love it and wish Ruger had offered it from the factory vs the 375R. I bet they would have sold tons of them.

Bob

quote:

What velocity can you get with 300 grainer and a 20-21" barrel? 270 grain?

Haven't put it over the chrony since it got chopped - but not to worry; the 300 gr. Hornady R.N.'s haven't bounced off anything I've shot it at yet ....

Have fun with your choices.

Wait! Are you daring to tell us that even without warp speed it kills? Outrageous.

I confess ....

..... My name is Gerry and I'm not a speed junkie .....

Yeah, ..... my 9.3x62's & 74R's are loaded to 2300 & 2100 fps, don't tell anyone, please.

I guess I'll just have to top the List of "wasted ft./lbs." persons.

Now that I think about it ..... there may be hope for me yet; my 300 Weatherby and 25-06 Remington get every potential fps I can wring out of them ..... is my soul still worth saving?

So how much with bases, scope, rings sling and 4 rounds of 300 grain ammo? Probably 10?

quote:

Originally posted by eny:
Dakota 97, 7 lbs, 12 oz. Naked. And it handles recoil better than some of my 0-6s

270 or 300? Either way it does not seem to lose much

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:
2500 fps

I build a 375 to 8.5 to 8.3/4 lbs. with a scope it should be 9 to 9.5 lbs. I wouldn't want one any heavier than that for a huntng rifle.

I also believe whatever the specs on a .375 H&H the velocity should always be 2500 FPS, all 375 bullets seem to perform better at that velocity and nothing much is gained at the maximum velocity of 2600 plus IMO...Some have suggest the fast loads shoot flatter, and they must be a walking, talking, living bench rest to come up with that, the difference is less than an inch if that on my 300 yard local range.

I am weighing loaded 4 rounds, scope sling ready to go. I don't think mine is too far off but a tad lighter would have been nice.

NEWSFLASH! I reweighed it carefully with and without ammo. Notice I am just using a luggage scale hung from sling. It appears I was a bit off on initially weighing. Did it slower and more carefully and several times both loaded and unloaded. Looks like 9.5 lbs loaded, 10 lbs loaded. So off by a pound it seems. Probably need a better scale but that makes me feel better anyway.


Well I just got a reading around 9 empty so I think I am going to buy a better scale and start over

Ok used my wifes fancy electronic scale and weighed myself 10 times with and without gun. Loaded ready to go with sling etc. Coming right in at 10.1-10 lbs. These electronic scales still have some variability in them but look like it's a pound less than originally thought

Haha that must be fun in .375!

quote:

Originally posted by Grumulkin:


About 6 lbs.; maybe a little less.

My 375/404 is 9 pounds with scope and magazine full of ammo.

I have been using it for years hunting in Africa.

I carry it all the time myself, and do not find it tiring at all.

Saeed, 9lbs all up is a very good weight.

How much work to keep it that low?

Cheers,

Chris

Africa is a different animal than Alaska, as far as lugging a rifle around. I am going to weigh my safari express rifles to compare. This will be interesting