How many of you out there have short-barrelled 375's or other big bores? Thinking about cutting my 375 from 24 to 21, (pre-64 mod 70, factory barrel) just to make it a little more handy in the bush. Gun will be used for both buffalo and plains game at moderate range, and for Pacific coastal bear hunting. Don't see any significant ballistic loss. What is your collective wisdom?

While I would not mind having a short barrel on a 375 H&H I sure as hell would not ruin that pre-64 to do it. I would rather purchase one that was already bastardized/ re-barreled and chop it up or rebarrel a standard 70 to 375 H&H with a short tube.

I have a blaser R93 with a 20"in 375 barrel. Very short and handy. Cant wait to get it back from Tip Burns he is putting some Racknagel sights on it for me.

505ED

If you must shoot a short barrelled 375 H&H don't mess with your pre-64. You will loose more than half of the value of the rifle and make it very difficult to get more than an action price out of it later on. Better to pull the barrel and have a good gunsmith install a new barrel for you at your chosen barrel length. You could sell the original barrel to fund the project but I would not as you can reinstall the original later on and have done minimal damage to the value of the rifle. If you decide to sell the barrel let me know. I will give you a fair price for it if it is unmolested and in reasonable condition.

I have a M70 CRF about 1985 Mfg. with a 20 in. barrel that used to be a "Bear Control" gun for the Alaska dept. of Fish and Game. It's down right handy in tight quarters.

It shoots almost exactly 100 fps. slower that My similar gun with a 24 in. barrel. The stock was also cut short (LOP 22 3/4) and as I'm 6' 3'' had to put a spacer and thick recoil pad on it. You know I got really tired of pulling My thumb out of My nose every time I dropped the hammer.

Any other questions I can answer for you?

Roi

Both my stainless M-70 375 and MkX 458 have barrels around 20 inches, both are quite handy and nothing I've ever shot with them has ever complained about any reduction in velocity.

My 458 Lott sports a 21" barrel, and I luv it!!

can I play both sides of the discussion?

A "shortie" DGR is an asset in thick brushy conditions.
That said, they absolutely are NOT making any more old model 70's and the 300 and 375 H&H are too valuable to be chopping up. A good gunsmith can order a barrel that will drop-in and not trash the stock or collector value.
Cutting the factory barrel is a quick way to turn a $1500+ rifle into a $750 rifle.

As a suggestion, and not because I am selling one; you can do better with a new rifle. I horse traded into a commercial FN Mauser barreled action several months ago with a 27" barrel chambered for the 375 Improved. It's drilled and tapped for scope bases, and has the side safety and an adjustable trigger, and mikes 5/8" at the muzzle. At 20" it mikes .715", and a synthetic stock and appropriate barrel/action coating would make a super brush gun like you are contemplating. I'm selling it because I fell in love with my CZ 550 medium FS in 9,3x62.
On the other side of the 375 bore I have a CZ 550 Safari Magnum in 416 Rigby. The 375 Improved version in mine will still give H&H velocities with a 20" barrel, and preserve that neat old model you have.

Just a decent alternative...

Rich
DRSS

My stainless M70 Classic has a 20" tube along with a complete lightweight job done to it. Handy and at just over 7lbs loaded its easy to carry around all day. I didn't notice much of a reduction in velosity either.

Frankly, 3" of barrel length is not worth bothering with. Do it only if you don't mind throwing money away.

Hi TWL,

I have the following all are 15 inch barrels for
my Encore pistol except 470 Capstick is sixteen inches

375 H&H, 416 Remington, 458 Winchester Magnum, and the 470 Capstick. The 375,416, and 458 are all under 200 feet/second less than the publish data.

The 470 capstick have not shot it yet waiting on dies. Hope this data helps you.

BTH

Well.... you guys are right, of course. I must have been half-way through my second martini when I came up with the idea of cutting down my pre-64 model 70. Thanks for saving me from myself. Next time I walk up to the ledge like that, go ahead and let me jump. Just take the gun out of my hand first!
I'm still interested in a shorten 375, and in hearing how many shortened DGR's are out there.
Thanks.

TWL
I would not modify your Pre 64.

However I have had 2 different @20" 375's.

One a SAKO Handy Rifle, my brother has it now as I replaced it with a Blaser R 93 375 H&H Tracker [19 3/4" bbl].

It shots as good as my standard Blaser 375 bbl.

I like a short 375 a lot.

Mine is 23" and it wouldn't bother me in the least to shorten it a couple more inches.

If you like "runt-style" barrels try to locate Sako with 18,5" barrel and 2 piece 'Alpini-style' stock. Funny, I don't seem to see any on 2nd hand market in that caliber, so fewer must have been made in that chambering.
The 9,5H&H has plenty of velocity to start with, so some loss will not hurt it's performace at usual shooting ranges.

Buy a new 375 ruger alasken with its 20 inch tube. It well do you just fine.

Hello,
p dog shooter has the best suggestion if you insist on having a short 375 HH power level rifle. I spent number of years in Alaska and used a Win. Model 70/pre 64 in 375HH for everything, but ended up with a Magnum Mauser w/26" barrel and truly never noticed the extra length as a hiderance at all. Believe the optimum performance for the 375HH is w/ 25/26" barrel and w/ light bullets, 235gr-250gr all you had to do was pretty much point and shoot at reasonable range and the moose or caribou went down and stayed down. 300 gr bullets seemed to shoot very close to the same POI. Tough to beat that 375HH, but perhaps the new Ruger round will work well also. I will "dance with the one I brung...."

.............Since dangerous game is only dangerous when very close a short ,light, rifle is very useful.....Like a Marlin Guide Gun , or something.....One of the big points for a double , overall compactness.......My summer gun is a 19.5 " barreled 458 win mag that has a break on it, so the result is about 22" .....As I,m opening the chamber up to something simular to the 458AR , I will have 1 1/2" taken of the bow end.............I will still have the same velocity probably that I do now in the win mag..IE 300 gr bullet @ 2700 fps ,plus.............That is a Shilen Stainless barrel and it has always given book velocities with book loads and factory ammo.......I,ve got my eye on a winchester model 70 Classic,with a 21 " barrel in 375 H&H It,s not so different from The Bear 78 ,s rifle execpt it has a black T finish and express sights.... The 375 Ruger Alaskan is pretty much the right answer probably ........IMO...

a couple"ifs"

IF you want a good short barreled 375
IF you want it on a CRF
IF you want ZERO feeding hassles
IF you want dies and brass avialable in a week

well, you want a 20" 376 steyr on a mauser, and it can even be an m48.


jeffe

quote:

well, you want a 20" 376 ruger on a mauser, and it can even be an m48.

or Steyr...

T

opps.. MEANT steyr!!

LOL

Its your rifle do what you want with it. Myself
I wouldn't cut it off.

I wouldn't hesitate to cut a 375H&H down to carbine length if that is what I wanted. But, I would hesitate to cut a rifle down at all if it was collectible.

GVA