375h&h barrel length

[Papabear55]

I have a mod 70 stainless classic that im debating having chopped down to 18 or 20 inches. Just to make it a little more handy for my kodiak/raspberry island brown bear tag I drew for next year.
Any thoughts or experience with cutting one of these down?

Also debating taking my custom marlin in 50 alaskan

 

[samson7x]

S

Post in thread '375 H&H project barrel chop w/ velocity data'

Dec 25, 2025

So the after were with the suppressor in place?....if so any idea what the difference is without using it..or won't it make any difference?

Yes, after threading I only shot it with suppressor and RR brake attached. From what I’ve read, it should have minimal impact on velocity with these relatively slower rounds and particularly with the endcap brake bleeding gas as it exits. However, that would be interesting data to add at a later date.

• samson7x

• 

 

[Papabear55]

S

Post in thread '375 H&H project barrel chop w/ velocity data'

Dec 25, 2025

So the after were with the suppressor in place?....if so any idea what the difference is without using it..or won't it make any difference?

Yes, after threading I only shot it with suppressor and RR brake attached. From what I’ve read, it should have minimal impact on velocity with these relatively slower rounds and particularly with the endcap brake bleeding gas as it exits. However, that would be interesting data to add at a later date.

• samson7x

• 

Thanks! I knew there was a post a few months ago but I couldn't find it

 

[Choupique]

Any thoughts

Do it!

 

[samson7x]

Thanks! I knew there was a post a few months ago but I couldn't find it

Yessir, should be some great data in there for you. If I were to do it again, I'd go 18" or 19". It's really not that difficult to get around 2500fps with handloads and certain powders. I have even more data I need to add to that thread.

 

[Papabear55]

I was debating 18" myself. Seen someone on FB that had one cut down locally and it sparked my interest yet again.

I do alot of hunting in thick brush and it would make the rifle quite handy

 

[Miletic]

Don’t cut anything

 

[Papabear55]

Don’t cut anything

Why not?

 

[Miletic]

Which is lenght now?

 

[Papabear55]

24" I believe

 

[Miletic]

Fabric now whay is that lengh good.
When we cuting a barrel,we will probably miss the amplitude. But,in first post with this story,other people how have a biger expiriance from me say a cutting is ok. I ever have a problem after cutting the barrel. May be i dont have enough knowledge for thih job. You must be a very careful with a top to the barrel (the mouth)

 

[NIGHTHAWK]

I wouldn’t cut it…

 

[450 Dakota]

I wouldn’t go that short. 22” would be it for me. Going to get a lot of muzzle blast that short.

 

[JG26Irish_2]

I love a good short handy rifle. I can see the desire to do this. But, I would not chop the bbl on your rifle unless you are committed to handloading to regain some of the lost velocity. In fact, I have never been all that impressed with the 375 on big game and my rifle has a 26" bbl and I get almost 2600fps from factory Barnes TSX loads. I have used Barnes, Swift A-Frame and a few others but the TSX seemed to perform the best. I have a 235g TSX loaded to about 3055fps in my long bbl. That might be just the ticket for you plan. It is a factory load from Double Tap.

I have taken four animals in recent years with the 375HH and the results are:

• Blue WB with 300g TSX at 180y, wheeled ran 60y and dropped. Took two more shots at close range to finish but never regained its feet. Two bullets recovered with about 2x expansion. This was the most impressive in my opinion of all those taken with the 375.
• Whitetail Deer with 250g TBBC at 55y. Dropped in tracks, took 2nd shot to finish. Bullet damage was as if I had used a solid with no evidence of expansion at all.
• Cape Buffalo at 120y with 300g TSX. Three well placed shots and one in the liver finally put him down and a 5th was fired for insurance that was not needed. None of the bullets penetrated thru the beast.
• Kudu with 300g Swift A-Frame. Shot was a bit low in the brisket and broke front leg. Ran about 250y. Long tracking job ended with a 2nd shot broadside with 300g TSX to finish it.

I have or witnessed five animals taken with 338 RCM and/or the 338wm:

• Whitetail Deer at 105y with 338 RCM 225g SST - Bang/Flop. 4" hole in heart. DRT.
• Nilgai at 237y by my son with his 338wm loaded with 225g Nosler AccuBond - Bang/Flop with 2nd anchor shot to finish. Heart neatly blown into two pieces.
• Nilgai at 155y by with with 338wm loaded with 225g Barnes TTSX - Bang/Flop with 2nd finisher at 10y to end it. Heart was destroyed and unrecognizable.
• Nilgai by a friend with his 338wm at 150y loaded with Barnes TTSX - Bang/Flop. Heart also destroyed.
• Coyote by me with 338wm at 160y loaded with 200g Federal Trophy Bonded Tip ammo. Bang/Flop, dog was nearly blown in half.

My longwinded point is that in my limited experience the terminal performance of the 338's are more impressive than any I have seen in the 375's. I think Nilgai may be a close equivalent to the Wildebeest in overall toughness. Buffalo is tougher than all of them. bears by comparison are hard to judge the shot due to all the fur but comparatively easy to kill with one or two well placed shots.

An alternative is this: Ruger Compact Magnum in 338 RCM. This little baby is running 2738fps with a 225g bullet from a 20" bbl. That is about 93% the speed of a 338wm running a 24" bbl from a bullet no longer than a 308 and in a short action. You would still need to reload to get it loaded with a decent bonded core or mono bullet as the factory loads are limited to only the Hornady SST. Great for deer but I would not bet my life on it with a bear. My experience with the 338's both the RCM and the Win Mag is they simply hit harder than the god old Holland & Holland. Any one of them would put a big bruin on his arse me thinks but that is my 2 cents. Pic of the handy little Ruger below.

 

[Boela]

I had a huge debate with myself regarding this. I ended up trimming my Mod70's barrel to 20", and had it threaded for a silencer.
Tally QD basis and rings now allow me to interchange and shoot a 1-4×20 scope zeroed at 50m without the silencer. And a 4-12×44 scope zeroed at 100m with the silencer fitted.
The weight of the 4" piece of barrel that was cut off, is now displaced by the weight of the silencer - which improves the overall balance again.
Velocity loss was minimal enough to allow me to shoot as per usual.

Since then, the rifle has taken all the dangerous game species available, a bunch of the Tiny-10 and ton of PG.

IMHO: Cut the barrel down to 20" and enjoy your rifle.

 

[uplander01]

I'm pretty sure using Varget or 4320 and a 20-21" barrel you could still have the velocity.

 

[IvW]

I would not cut it......

 

[chino_cba]

Remington 798 custom, 375 H&H, length barrel 21.5". apel and Leica Scope 2.5-10x42 ret 1. stock custom. ammunition hornady factory Superformance 270grs : 2770 F/s.

 

[coreydb]

Don't cut anything. The rifle manufacturers install the rifle barrel that maximizes the caliber's performance. Although I have a suppressor, I find I'm more concerned with recoil and my follow up shot(s) if required.

 

[BJH65]

I have a mod 70 stainless classic that im debating having chopped down to 18 or 20 inches. Just to make it a little more handy for my kodiak/raspberry island brown bear tag I drew for next year.
Any thoughts or experience with cutting one of these down?

Also debating taking my custom marlin in 50 alaskan

A shorter barrel may be just the ticket for that thick alder and willow choked environment. Make sure your gunsmith reattaches the front sight. 20 inches would be a good compromise. It’s a working man’s rifle so you’re not really harming the value, I say cut away!