I have a Ruger M77 MkII in 7mm Rem Mag that's kind of "extra". I saw an article in one of the gun rags about converting one of these to 375 H&H magnum. What I want to know is if this is feasible and if anyone can recommend a smith that I could talk to about doing such a project?



PMs from gunsmith's interested in this are welcome if you're shy about tooting your own horn on the boards.



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I forgot to mention the Ruger and I are both left handed. There is no finding a 375 and selling the Ruger option.

I was thinking about rebarreling and converting my Model 70 in .300 Win Mag (a standard action length) to a .375 H&H. I assume the same thing would be true of that conversion. I am aware that the .375 is a 3.6" cartridge, and the .300 is a 3.340" cartridge, but what exactly is the problem with it, that results in metal having to be removed from the bridge? Does it have to do with the magazine box having to be lengthened to accommodate the longer cartridges? Can't the magazine be lengthened in the direction toward the butt end of the rifle, so that the cartridges will be in a position to feed into the chamber when the action is cycled, without having to remove metal?

I believe the problem with using a .300 WM, 7mm RM or the like is that the ejection port is too small to eject a loaded round. Metal is removed from the front of the rear bridge to enlarge the ejection port. There may be other action modifications needed but I am not sure what else those might be.

As far as converting a Ruger Mark II to .375 - Dave Scovill reported on that in Rifle around the beginning of this year - I'd have to go home and look up the exact issue. It apparently is feasible and makes a nice lightweight .375.

The basic .375 H&H has a lot going for it for foreign hunting but have you looked at a .375 Taylor? That is a .338 WM necked up to .375 and would work in a Mark II with only a barrel swap. I was just examining some load data and the velocities with 270 and 300 grain bullets were darn near what I get with my 24" barreled .375 H&H, almost identical actually. of course it is a wildcat with the attendant problems of any wildcat but since you are looking at some fairly heavy mods to the factory Mark II I thought to mention this as a way to get H&H performance and keep the "short magnum" action unaltered.

Thanks guys I edited my first post to include the fact that I am lefthanded and I should add that I've had zero luck locating a left handed M70 Safari in 375 since February.

I read the article in Rifle magazine, that's why I'm asking for gunsmith's to talk to about it. I'm trying to see if it's economical to convert mine or just sit on this grand I have set aside for a Left hand M70 Safari.

Dago, There hasn't been a new gun store opening in Bakersfield in a long time. One of the big gun stores here recently expanded but they jerked me around on ordering a 375 already so I won't do business with them anymore.

I've thought about going the 375 Taylor route but the way that gun laws are changing in Africa I thought that an H&H would be a more prudent choice.

For those that haven't seen it, here's the article:



Custom Ruger Model 77 MKII .375 H&H - Dave Scovill

Rifle Magazine

January - February 2004

Volume 36, Number 1



...I was having lunch with Bill Atkinson (A&M Rifle Co., Atkinson Barrel Co. and Bill Ruger's right-hand man for nearly 20 years). The question was simple: Could the standard Ruger Model 77 MKII action be modified to accommodate the .375 H&H without a lot of busy work? Bill pondered the idea for a moment and said, in his usual thoughtful manner, "I see no reason that it can't."







-Bob F.

Fireman here on the boards found a left handed M70 Safari Classic for sale in Michigan and told me about it, so I called the store up this morning and ordered it. My dealer is mailing up the signed copy of his FFL so hopefully I will have it in a couple of weeks. I'm crossing my fingers as this is the third one I've paid for and the first two were sold out from under me after they charged my credit card.

I guess I'll keep the Ruger as a 7 Mag for now although I do need a medium bore...maybe a 338... Hmmmmmm.