Should I cut my 375 H&H barrel?

Hunter-Habib said:
Is cutting down the barrel really necessary ? If a rifle was originally built with a 20” barrel, then I totally get it. For for some reason, the sentimental side of me absolutely can’t bring myself to mutilate a fine weapon by cutting down the barrel. I just feel very bad.
Click to expand...
This makes no sense. It's great if it is a factory carbine, but making a carbine is somehow butchery? I respect your experience in Africa, but I have lived and worked with a rifle in hand for 40+ years... I have "carbined" more than a couple dozen of them, not once was the accuracy affected in a negative way, and to my sensibilities, the balance was better and the handling was better and the weight was clearly lighter. I struggle to find the downside? What? Giving up 40-80 feet per second (with big bores), makes virtually no difference on trajectory or terminal performance... not enough to ever make or break the shot. To each their own, if you want to lug around rifles with 26" tubes that is fine, I vastly prefer an 18-20" carbine. One of my most prolific hunting rifles in NA is a Ruger M77 Frontier carbine with 16.5" barrel in .358 Win... none of the game complained... at least, not in this life.
 
This past September I took a tuskless and a land based hippo using my .375HH that I had the barrel cut down from 24" to 20". Upon asking both the tuskless and hippo what they thought about the 4" shorter barrel, neither had much to say!! :)
 
Hunter-Habib said:
Is cutting down the barrel really necessary ? If a rifle was originally built with a 20” barrel, then I totally get it. For for some reason, the sentimental side of me absolutely can’t bring myself to mutilate a fine weapon by cutting down the barrel. I just feel very bad.

I’ve carried .375 Holland & Holland Magnum rifles equipped with 25” barrels through some pretty dense thickets (such as Rift Valley in Kenya, Zambezi Valley in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe, Luangwa Valley in Zambia & Southern Sealous in Tanzania). The Southern Sealous is particularly bad, because some paths are only accessible by cutting through foliage with a machete. I (much like yourself) initially thought that such a long barrel would be unwieldy in the bush (esp. for on-foot safaris). But it quickly proved to be a complete non-factor. And I’m definitely no Hercules.

Of course, by all means… cut your rifle barrel down if it serves you well. But do take my words into consideration. The longer barrel offers slightly higher velocity, better accuracy and recoil mitigation.
Click to expand...
I will also add, I get this sentiment if it were a purpose-built custom-rifle.

But this is a rack grade mass production Winchester. Likely the features were decided by accountants and the bell-curve of moronic buyers was taken into consideration with a total of 1.5 focus groups. Some engineer that got fired from General Motors or General Electric likely put their final stamp of approval on the cookie-cutter design.

I know more than Winchester. And I'm sticking to that hahaha
 
hoytcanon said:
This makes no sense. It's great if it is a factory carbine, but making a carbine is somehow butchery? I respect your experience in Africa, but I have lived and worked with a rifle in hand for 40+ years... I have "carbined" more than a couple dozen of them, not once was the accuracy affected in a negative way, and to my sensibilities, the balance was better and the handling was better and the weight was clearly lighter. I struggle to find the downside? What? Giving up 40-80 feet per second (with big bores), makes virtually no difference on trajectory or terminal performance... not enough to ever make or break the shot. To each their own, if you want to lug around rifles with 26" tubes that is fine, I vastly prefer an 18-20" carbine. One of my most prolific hunting rifles in NA is a Ruger M77 Frontier carbine with 16.5" barrel in .358 Win... none of the game complained... at least, not in this life.
Click to expand...
You’re right, @hoytcanon
My reasons are purely sentimental. Sentimental thoughts are seldom based upon logic and mostly based upon emotion.

I just feel bad if somebody (for instance) takes an out of production firearm and shortens the factory barrel.
 
Last edited:
Hunter-Habib said:
You’re right, @hoytcanon
My reasons are purely sentimental. Sentimental thoughts are seldom based upon logic and mostly based upon emotion.

I just feel bad if somebody (for instance) takes an out of production firearm and shortens the factory barrel.
Click to expand...
Would you cry if I did a chop on my Ruger RSM Lott??? LOL
I have debated on it many times and may still do it. I think the balance of the RSM would be greatly improved at 20" or 21".
 
hoytcanon said:
Would you cry if I did a chop on my Ruger RSM Lott??? LOL
I have debated on it many times and may still do it. I think the balance of the RSM would be greatly improved at 20" or 21".
Click to expand...
Not you, Mr. Canon. The original poster who owns a New Haven made Winchester Model 70…

Even then, it’s his rifle at the end of the day and he’s free to do as he pleases.
 
Oh yes cut it off, the shorter the better, no problemo. If you cut it off at the end of the forend you have a Mannlicher. You might want to leave enough sticking out to thread for a "can". Then put the biggest optics you can find on it and a new set of quad-sticks.
 
Well... What do you guys think of this color for the stock?? Just to really get everyone fired up...

Desert camo pink??
Screenshot_20260124-160154.png
 
Hunter-Habib said:
Not you, Mr. Canon. The original poster who owns a New Haven made Winchester Model 70…

Even then, it’s his rifle at the end of the day and he’s free to do as he pleases.
Click to expand...
It almost sounds like you place a New Have M70 above the RSM... that is silly... I think I am going ahead with the chop on my .458 Lott... I think 20" off the tube, with the factory front sight set back and about 3/8" off the buttocks, even though I am 6'4"... I am not afraid of the scope.
 
I think you made the gun exactly what you wanted, short handy brush gun. Great job.

I have a new Ruger Alaskan 9.3x62 and it handles great in the brush. However, I have seriously debated cutting it to 16-18”, threading barrel, having the front site put back on. Sort of like what Ruger does with the new Hawkeye African. They you can suppress, run a muzzle brake, or just use thread protector. I would use a suppressor. After having used one on other rifles, even my smokeless ML, I absolutely love not having my ears ringing!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Members online

... and 1032 more.
Total: 114,248 (members: 1,082, guests: 113,166)

Forum statistics

Threads
67,425
Messages
1,496,370
Members
145,930
Latest member
CamilleDes
 

 

 

Proudly sponsored by

Latest posts

Latest profile posts

idjeffp
idjeffp wrote on Fish2table's profile.
I will be looking for a set of these when my .505 is done... sadly not cashed up right now for these. :(
Need anything in trade?
Cheers,
Jeff P
•••
HENRY GRIFFITHS SAFARIS
HENRY GRIFFITHS SAFARIS
•••
HENRY GRIFFITHS SAFARIS
HENRY GRIFFITHS SAFARIS
.
•••
cwpayton
cwpayton wrote on Halligan1975's profile.
what kind of velocity does the 140 grains list, curious how they would fit in with my current 130 gr, supply of 270s. maybe a pic of the box data listing vel. and drop. Oh and complements on that ammo belt, nice.
•••
HENRY GRIFFITHS SAFARIS
HENRY GRIFFITHS SAFARIS
Impala hunt !

•••

Share this page

 
Top