Hi, since a few days, I’m the happy owner of a Big bore rifle (my first), a nice vintage 375 HH Parker Hale Safari; here are some photos:
According to the previous owner, it has been built 35-40 years ago; it’s in good conditions, with no rust, 95% of the blueing, few little scratches on the stock, but the rifling is like new; the action should be a FN. I’ve shot a handful of Federal 270 gr RN rounds and the recoil was stiff. Some of you, bold men, probably are laughing at me, but I will not shoot more than 10-15 rounds per range session with it; anyway, I’m a new member of the Big bore family.
Congratulations, Nice find, sweet rifle, enjoy. If your not use to recoil, your thinking properly, shoot 5-8 rounds OFF HAND at the range and end up shooting some with a small bore. That way you'll never develope a flinch from hell.
"An individual with experience is never at the mercies of an individual with an argument"
Posts: 1827 | Location: Palmer AK & Prescott Valley AZ | Registered: 01 February 2005
It's a sweetie.....practice and get good with and someday it'll take care of you.
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Posts: 28849 | Location: western Nebraska | Registered: 27 May 2003
Nice rifle. My step-father has a Parker Hale Safari Deluxe in 30-06 that I've always admired. It was given to him by a good friend who has since passed. I've always been fond of the rifle and have considered trying to buy it, though I doubt it is for sale.
Again, nice rifle.
David
Posts: 539 | Location: NE Alabama | Registered: 11 February 2007
Looks a lot like my Parker Hale except mine was built on a Santa Barbara action. It also looks to me like these rifles were assembled competently. Mine is a .458 that I had opened to a Lott and put a XS ghost ring sight on.
Hope you enjoy it, you have a very nice rifle.
Posts: 1912 | Location: Charleston, WV, USA | Registered: 10 January 2003
In their 1962 catalogue Parker Hale made a *Special Announcement "We have been induced by the egerness with which sportsmen have received our line of Safari Mauser Rifles to meet the long-felt want through the economic production of a Safari cal. .375 Magnum rifle".
It can therefore be assumed that your rifle is no more than 45 years old, but it's doubtful that it's an FN action. At the time a new Safari Magnum rifle could be had for 31 pounds and ten shillings sterling. The catalogue shows FN Mausers at 60 pounds sterling and Cogswell and Harrison at 150 pounds sterling.
Just out of interest, what do you consider constitutes a "vintage" rifle?
Posts: 1374 | Location: New Zealand | Registered: 10 February 2005
Looks like they surface-ground and polished a milsurp M98. It is probably better than any Santa Barbara or FN action, except for the possibility of aluminum or "pot metal" bottom metal.
Could even be an Oberndorf Mauser action in disguise.
Waffen Frankonia was doing the same thing back in the mid 1960's. I have one of theirs, in 30-06, the "Favourite" model, and it is a favorite of mine. It is all highly polished steel in the bottom metal and even came with German Claw mounts and a 4X scope of Waffen Frankonia brand.
You did well to grab that one.
Posts: 28032 | Location: KY | Registered: 09 December 2001
I have a 7mm parker hale--It beats the hell out of me. I'd definately look at a stock upgrade for that bad boy. Watch your eyebrows near the scope by the way- I learned that stock likes to jump at you.
While I'm the first to admit the Ozhunter is a TOP bloke and great hunter, the handsome bloke with the buffalo and Parker Hale is me and not him!!
The rifle is a standard model 81 in 375H&H with a 1-6 Schmidt & Bender in Rechnargel QD mounts, finished off with a Trader Keith canvas sling. The rifle likes a diet of 300gr Swift A Frames followed by 350gr Woodleigh FMJs. The rifle is quite user friendly and recoil is certainly not a concern, that may be in part due to the moderate velocities I'm working with.
As a side note, I got him on day 9 of a 10 day hunt in the Omay with Ozhunter in 2004, after many long and fruitless tracking sessions. I'd been waiting along time to enjoy such a hunt, therefore while the head is ordinary, the experience was priceless. By the time i got him, i was almost starting to regret passing up 3 good bulls in the first 2 hours of my first buff hunt! Turns out the boys found a broard head and 4 inches of cedar shaft in its belly when they butchered him. I'm told an American client lost him about 6 weeks before our hunt. Cheers, Jim
Posts: 164 | Location: Sydney, Australia | Registered: 31 July 2006
The owner of this Parker Hale 375H&H is Spartan. This Safari Model came standard with the straight stock which is great and also a quarter rib The Swing Mounts are ERA Recknagel's with a Schmidt&Bender "MAGNUM" 1.5-6X42.
Posts: 5886 | Location: Sydney,Australia | Registered: 03 July 2005
