I had a different thread going and all it did was put more ideas in my head. There are so many different options for this project I am totally lost where to go now.

The 375's based on the 06 case (Hawk, Howell, Whelen, AI, etc...) have a lot of merit. They can be easily formed from 35 Whelen brass and the mag will hold 5 rounds of the stuff. The action will require little if any modification or alteration which keeps it cheap. the downside is finding load data and chamber reamers and dies.

The 376 Steyr is factory available but I am not sure of how it compares ballistically to the other 375's. Not sure of mag capacity or work needed to the action either.

If anyone could please share their info on the different rounds (especially ballistics)it would help me gain a better understanding of each rounds merits and ease of finishing this project.

Thanks for the info and opinions you have shared with me so far.

From the weakest to the strongest:


375 Whelan
375 Whelan AI
375 Hawk/Scoville when 9.3x 62 brass is used
376 Steyr/375-338 Win Mag
375 H&H
375 H&H AI/Weatherby

The Steyr is the shortest of the bunch; it will fit an intermediate action without opening the action. In fact it fits my MRC 1999 short action with a bolt face mod only. Jeffe can say for sure but I think you get at least 4 down. It also matches factory 375 H&H ballistics in 22" barrels but a handloaded H&H will outperform it 100 FPS.

Thanks for putting that in scale for me. I really appreciate it. Do you have velocity figures of the Steyr?

What work would need to be done to a VZ-24 for the steyr?

Who is a good gunsmith for this project?

Hornady has pretty good data for it and if you google 376 Steyr; Eric Ching you'll come across some 300 gr data, Basically, 2400+ fps with 270 gr, 2300+ with 300 gr. All you need to do is open the bolt face slightly, they usually feed without mods to the rails. Any good smith can do it if they have the reamer.

Simplify your life, shoot a 9.3x62, 9.3x64, or a 375 H&H..These can be built up on a good Mauser action..Holland and Holland, Westley Richards, Browining, FN, and various Mark 10s including the Whitworth express have been doing it for years...Open them up in the rear is good advise and I would do that, but Whiteworth nor Browning bothered to do that and I have never seen nor heard of problems with either make.

These calibers beat any Wildcat caliber from a practical standpoint and will be around til hell freezes over.

The Styr is an interresting caliber, but its stay on this earth is surly limited, at least I suspect that, and brass may become a problem down the line...Sales for it have not exactly gone through the roof..and that is a shame.

You have a PM.

Just a thought, If you will soon have a 375 H&H why not just sell or trade the barrel for a different size?

Building a custom rifle on a surplus mauser action is a loosing proposition $$$ wise, why duplicate calibers?

Terry

Hunt101 is back up...here is what I sent you. Left to right, 338-06 AI, 376 Steyr and 375 H&H AI. The Steyr is fatter than apparent in this photo and has greater capacity than the 06 and 9.3 cases.

How about a .375 Taylor?

This outstanding wildcat uses a .338WM case topped with .375 bullets, so it's much like a .375 H&H, but lighter in weight. I have heard of some hunters up here in Alaska, already using the .375 Taylor for hunting bears, and love it. I don't have one, since I use a .338WM, but the .375 Taylor's ballistics are excellent. Take a look, and don't be surpriced if these ballistics closely match the .375 H&H:

http://www.geocities.com/bw_99835/375Taylor.htm