.375H&H BRNO - A positive gunsmith experience

[deewayne2003]

I had a .375H&H BRNO 602 that I wanted to be an all around “Swiss Army knife” of a rifle and went down the rabbit hole of starting a thread on barrel length(see thread for before pictures).

Thread '.375H&H Barrel length… what say you?'

Apr 12, 2025

I’ve got a BRNO .375 with the factory 25” barrel, plan is to have it cerakoted, synthetic stock & 3 position safety as an all weather rifle.

Question being, for you guys that have had several different barrel lengths of .375’s; what’s your preference on barrel length?

• deewayne2003
• Replies: 146
• Forum: .375 & up

• 

Well it’s done - 23”

Barrel cut to 23”
Recessed crown
NECG full replacement front sight with silver bead
AHR Trigger & 3 Position safety
Lap lugs
Polished bolt raceway/ General action smoothing
Polish feed ramp
NECG barrel band sling swivel
Fill bolt handle
Black Cerakote

Fit & bed B&C CZ550 stock to BRNO 602 barreled action.

Leupold VX5 2-10x44 ZL2 fire dot in Alaskan Arms 30mm QD rings.

I mounted the scope myself, Tipton Burns in Canyon Lake TX did the rest.

Not only did he do great work and in a timely manner, he’s also an honest man which I appreciate as much as his fine work.

My pictures were hurried while trying to get out of town and there is more to the story that may take me a couple days to update because of schedule.

 

[Grumpy gumpy]

Looks like an honest hunting rifle, what will become a favourite workhorse
Gumpy



And who can find the fly in photo 1

 

[CoElkHunter]

Very nice rifle. Congrats! Oh, and it’s a barrel band fly. Very common this time of year.

 

[RR 314]

Tip is the best! Here is a similar .404J he built me on a CZ. And the barrel lenght is . . . 23”!

 

[Boyd Brooks]

Nice rifle for all conditions. Fly number two on the lower chair leg.

 

[Grumpy gumpy]

We are a sad bunch who love nice rifles and spotting flys.


One on the arm of the chair in pic two


Gumpy

 

[deewayne2003]

Tip is the best! Here is a similar .404J he built me on a CZ. And the barrel lenght is . . . 23”!

Nice!

Wish to hell I would have known about Tipton before I sent my other 602 off to Montana to a gunsmith….. 3 YEARS ago and counting!!!!

 

[BJH65]

Your rifle really turned out perfect, very happy for you, this is the perfect all around rifle for Africa and Alaska. I think we share the same tastes, I love the Brno ZKK-602 as a base model for customization, perfect stock color, barrel length and custom features. Curious what your preferred bullet will be? I think a 300 grain Swift A Frame, Trophy Bonded Bear Claw or North Fork Soft Point would be about perfect, whatever groups best.

 

[Boyd Brooks]

Nice!

Wish to hell I would have known about Tipton before I sent my other 602 off to Montana to a gunsmith….. 3 YEARS ago and counting!!!!

Not to hijack this post, but I had a similar experience with a gunsmith here in Ontario. After two years I gave him a drop dead date for finishing my rifle. I went to pick it up on the day and it wasn’t finished. I left with my rifle all my cash and a very large apology.
It might help to do the same, even starting with a new Smith might still be quicker than what you have now.

 

[Ruraldoc]

Looks like a great rifle for Alaska and Africa.

Very nice

 

[deewayne2003]

Your rifle really turned out perfect, very happy for you, this is the perfect all around rifle for Africa and Alaska. I think we share the same tastes, I love the Brno ZKK-602 as a base model for customization, perfect stock color, barrel length and custom features. Curious what your preferred bullet will be? I think a 300 grain Swift A Frame, Trophy Bonded Bear Claw or North Fork Soft Point would be about perfect, whatever groups best.

For buffalo it will be 350gr Woodleigh RNSN HD

Not to hijack this post, but I had a similar experience with a gunsmith here in Ontario. After two years I gave him a drop dead date for finishing my rifle. I went to pick it up on the day and it wasn’t finished. I left with my rifle all my cash and a very large apology.
It might help to do the same, even starting with a new Smith might still be quicker than what you have now.

I hear you @Boyd Brooks

Shame is Dennis is the second smith it’s been to, I’m at 5 years and counting on the 404J project.

 

[Fatback]

Great looking rifles. They should serve you well

 

[mdwest]

I had a .375H&H BRNO 602 that I wanted to be an all around “Swiss Army knife” of a rifle and went down the rabbit hole of starting a thread on barrel length(see thread for before pictures).

Thread '.375H&H Barrel length… what say you?'

Apr 12, 2025

I’ve got a BRNO .375 with the factory 25” barrel, plan is to have it cerakoted, synthetic stock & 3 position safety as an all weather rifle.

Question being, for you guys that have had several different barrel lengths of .375’s; what’s your preference on barrel length?

• deewayne2003
• Replies: 146
• Forum: .375 & up

• 

Well it’s done - 23”
View attachment 727496
View attachment 727497
View attachment 727498

Barrel cut to 23”
Recessed crown
NECG full replacement front sight with silver bead
AHR Trigger & 3 Position safety
Lap lugs
Polished bolt raceway/ General action smoothing
Polish feed ramp
NECG barrel band sling swivel
Fill bolt handle
Black Cerakote

Fit & bed B&C CZ550 stock to BRNO 602 barreled action.

Leupold VX5 2-10x44 ZL2 fire dot in Alaskan Arms 30mm QD rings.

I mounted the scope myself, Tipton Burns in Canyon Lake TX did the rest.

Not only did he do great work and in a timely manner, he’s also an honest man which I appreciate as much as his fine work.

My pictures were hurried while trying to get out of town and there is more to the story that may take me a couple days to update because of schedule.

I went down a very similar rabbit hole with my 375.. and we ended up with pretty similar rifles (although very different product/brands used to get there)..

Im running a Winchester M70 Stainless Classic with a 23" barrel. Dropped and bedded into a B&C stock (I went dark grey with black spider web.. but got very close to going with the same green with black spider web you did).. Topped with a Zeiss 3-12x44 Conquest.. Polished the ramp and the raceway as well..

I also wanted a "swiss army knife" 375.. something capable of chasing a buffalo.. but also that would be very well suited for large PG and potentially bear and large NA deer like elk/moose, etc.. since PG/bear/elk are going to be hunted with MUCH more frequency than buffalo...

Im super happy with the final result..

While its obvious overkill for the tiny things we call whitetail deer in East TX, Ive been thinking pretty hard about taking it out with me this weekend just for the fun of it..

 

[dchum]

Wow, that is a fantastic hunting tool you created. It’s a perfect hunt the whole dang world gun!

Just don’t forget to put your CDS dial back to zero lol, you might miss high if not

I just sent this to my buddy who has a shot out CRF mod 70 in 7mm STW. I told him send that magnum action to Tipton and let him copy this rifle!

 

[deewayne2003]

I went down a very similar rabbit hole with my 375.. and we ended up with pretty similar rifles (although very different product/brands used to get there)..

Im running a Winchester M70 Stainless Classic with a 23" barrel. Dropped and bedded into a B&C stock (I went dark grey with black spider web.. but got very close to going with the same green with black spider web you did).. Topped with a Zeiss 3-12x44 Conquest.. Polished the ramp and the raceway as well..

I also wanted a "swiss army knife" 375.. something capable of chasing a buffalo.. but also that would be very well suited for large PG and potentially bear and large NA deer like elk/moose, etc.. since PG/bear/elk are going to be hunted with MUCH more frequency than buffalo...

Im super happy with the final result..

While its obvious overkill for the tiny things we call whitetail deer in East TX, Ive been thinking pretty hard about taking it out with me this weekend just for the fun of it..

Go ahead and take it hunting, I’ll be using this .375 on whitetail this year with 270gr SP.

No better practice than live fire practice.

 

[Fatback]

@mdwest, nothing wrong with shooting smaller sized whitetails with a 375H&H, I try and take a couple with my 375H&H every season here in South Georgia. I find that it causes less meat damage than some of my faster cartridges and dead is dead. I will be using mine this weekend hoping to add some more venison to the freezer. Let us know how yours does on your local deer and pigs.

 

[mdwest]

@mdwest, nothing wrong with shooting smaller sized whitetails with a 375H&H, I try and take a couple with my 375H&H every season here in South Georgia. I find that it causes less meat damage than some of my faster cartridges and dead is dead. I will be using mine this weekend hoping to add some more venison to the freezer. Let us know how yours does on your local deer and pigs.

I was sort of thinking along those lines.. Im thinking a 270 SP from a 375 H&H will likely drop them faster than a 168gr from my 308.. and will likely do less actual meat damage in the process.. I know when I used to hunt with a 45-70 I could pretty much eat up to the bullet hole.. with the 308 shooting TTSX thats never possible..

The only reason I switched from 45-70 to 308 years ago was that when we moved from E TN to N TX shots started getting a bit longer (although still not long at all).. I went from hunting places where 100 yards was a long shot and 50-70 was more typical in E and W TN.. to a 200 yard shot being long and 120-150 being more typical... Not that 200 is out of reach for a 45-70.. but youre definitely already dealing with quite a bit of bullet drop at that range to deal with..

With the 375 shooting 270's Im still pretty flat between 100 and 200.. (+/- 2")...

All of that said.. my "eat up to the bullet hole" theory could be completely invalid.. as the 168gr TTSX is trucking along at about 2750 fps.. and the 270 TSX out of the 375 H&H is moving at about 2650 at the muzzle.. so Im not sure I wouldnt have the same high velocity impact problem with the 375 that I have with the 308...

but... I doubt there would be more meat damage.. and I am pretty certain the terminal effect on the deer or pig would be substantially different (they arent going to run far, if they run at all)..

 

[Fatback]

@mdwest, I shoot 260 grain Accubonds or Nosler Partitions out of mine. Both going between 2,600-2,700 ft/ second. Most go straight down as if struck by lightning. The few I’ve had run never made it more than 30-40 yards and the blood trail was very easy to follow. I have never tried any of the Barnes on them So I can’t speak to how they perform. I’m sure they will do just fine.

 

[deewayne2003]

270gr SP (rifle before metal work)

300gr DGS - entrance in face, exit by my boot toe

 

[Clodo Ferreira]

Hi deewayne,

A perfect 375 H&H rifle, to my taste!!!!
In a BRNO 602/CZ550, 23" barrel is, again, the perfect length. Even 22" would be OK.
I say this because the action lenght and weight. So, it ends with a rifle with great balance for all uses the 375 H&H is good for!
And you have a rifle not only with the right barrel length but with a great stock, the forward band and sights. Love it!

CF