Affordable 375s

[Dr Ray]

Win 70 Safari Express for about $1300-1400. Put the rest of your money in trophies. For the ranges you'll be shooting it will work as well as anything three times the cost.

Excellent advice!

 

[wesheltonj]

EuroOptic has them in 416 for 8K.

 

[fourfive8]

I do love custom wood and well executed rifles, however the word "affordable" means different things to different people. I've owned a few 5 figure guns. Have sold them all and have basically broken even on them. BUT, they were collectible antiques, not hunting tools. Doubtful, many or most large caliber custom hunting tools, no matter the original price tag, will ever recoup the original price tag and that of course would apply to you or your family at some time in the future.

A well made factory rifle in the 1000-1500 range will be just as reliable as any custom job at 5-10X the cost (or much more for that matter!). But, I'd be the last to argue about what you should or would like to use for hunting. Just seems, as many have posted, there is a big gap between a perfectly usable and reliable factory gun and a very expensive custom gun with very few options in between. Like several here, I'd recommend a Winchester Model 70 CRF. My preferences being either 375 HH or 416 Rem Mag. I have owned and shot all manner of them from early pre-64s, post-64s and the post 2006 FN version of the Model 70. I found the FN 70 to be fine and not much different from the pre-2006. However, IMO, the late New Haven pre-2006 rifles were possibly the best Model 70s ever produced by Winchester. Just recently bought a late New Haven 375 HH in near new condition for under 1000. But, no matter what you select- get it, shoot it and go hunt with it!!

 

[Wyatt Smith]

I recently bought a 375 model 70 classic (New Haven CRF) for about $1000. I’m going to drop it in a McMillan stock ($650) then have a smith install NECG sights, a barrel band sling stud, and drill and tap the scope base holes to next size bigger. When it’s all done, it should cost me a touch over 2k. It should do all the jobs I want it to and I won’t have to worry about scratching it.
Now, if I can find some sucker to buy my ZKK 602 so I can afford the stock.

 

[Tra3]

A point to consider:
I wanted a blaser R8 after first handling one. The cost seemed high so I didn’t buy one. I then managed to buy a couple additional rifles and scopes on the path to finally just getting the gun I wanted. The cost of the extra rifles equalled the R8.
I am definitely not dissuading you from buying multiple rifles as I’m glad to have purchased the (now) extra rifles. I merely suggest to be realistic about what rifle you might really be hoping to buy and what might be a stopgap.

 

[JKS]

I'll be that guy... I recently picked up a Model 700 BDL SS/Synthetic in 375 H&H for under $700. Omg, a push feed gun.... But it shoots 300 gr A Frame Cape Shocks under 1 MOA off sand bags. And that's with a 3-12 Nikon Monarch

 

[Boomstick!]

I know all these $1500 guns are great and go bang every time I’ve owned and shot a lot of them. But I want a semi exotic gun I’ll either build or buy a 3k-5k gun because that’s what I want. I want a sexy smoke and Carmel stock. Hell I want to go “wow” every time I pull it out of the safe.

 

[fourfive8]

I fully understand the aesthetics of attractive wood and rifles. Have had a few of those and do appreciate them. However the real wow factor, personally at least, for performance in the field and for witnesses at the range of course, is the capability of the rifle.

First pic is the 450 MRC/Lilja bbl (top) and 416 Rem Win 70 factory (bottom). The 450 was about 2200.00 to put together and the factory M 70 about 900, both sans 200-300 for the scopes.

Here are some targets from a variety of non-benchrest type guns. 1st is 3 shots on the Shoot-n-C from a 58 cal, 157 year old Civil War musket with original sights, 2nd is 5 shots from a modern 45-110 M 1874 C Sharps with aperture tang rear and globe front and 3rd is 3 shots from a modern 450 Watts with 2.5 X fixed Leupold, on an MRC action w/ Lilja bbl in an original NOS Winchester M 70 stock from extras from the New Haven closure.

 

[fourfive8]

And, not to mention the grin on your PH's face when he sticks this red dot bull onto a stump at about 50 yards on the first day of your buffalo hunt, you lean over the hood of the Cruiser and touch one off to check "zero".

 

[Boomstick!]

I'll be that guy... I recently picked up a Model 700 BDL SS/Synthetic in 375 H&H for under $700. Omg, a push feed gun.... But it shoots 300 gr A Frame Cape Shocks under 1 MOA off sand bags. And that's with a 3-12 Nikon Monarch

I was working the bolt on my Bergara B-14 HMR basically a hopped up R700 and it feeds in all positions and doesn’t drop the round out of the gun.

 

[Rule 303]

I recently bought a 375 model 70 classic (New Haven CRF) for about $1000. I’m going to drop it in a McMillan stock ($650) then have a smith install NECG sights, a barrel band sling stud, and drill and tap the scope base holes to next size bigger. When it’s all done, it should cost me a touch over 2k. It should do all the jobs I want it to and I won’t have to worry about scratching it.
Now, if I can find some sucker to buy my ZKK 602 so I can afford the stock.

WTF your going for a Winshitter over a ZKK 602. Are you feeling alright?

 

[Wyatt Smith]

WTF your going for a Winshitter over a ZKK 602. Are you feeling alright?

I know right.

 

[BeeMaa]

I was working the bolt on my Bergara B-14 HMR basically a hopped up R700 and it feeds in all positions and doesn’t drop the round out of the gun.

Yes, that could indeed be the case.
However, there is a big difference between CRF and PF.
Without starting a war of the worlds on which is better...here is a short video.
I'll leave it to you to decide which suits your tastes best.

 

[Boomstick!]

Yes, that could indeed be the case.
However, there is a big difference between CRF and PF.
Without starting a war of the worlds on which is better...here is a short video.
I'll leave it to you to decide which suits your tastes best.

oh ya I was brought up and learned to shoot on CRF pre 64 M70’s and FN 98’s. Hell I didn’t know push feeds existed until I was about 18. For a long range gun that I shoot mostly prone a push feed is fine. If my life depends on it I want CRF.

 

[fourfive8]

I am still stuck in the reality of a rifle as a tool primarily and an art form secondarily. You can throw a lot of money at something and end up with a very pretty claw hammer.

After looking at lots and lots, and owning a few, of custom and factory and semi-custom guns, I've come to the conclusion that no matter how attractive a tool is it must function properly. I'm also a big fan of a particular era of Win Model 70 rifles. Save for the pillar bedding or basic bedding that may be done after the fact, a factory rifle should be correctly designed and fully functional from the get go. It seems, IMO, that the Win 70, from the '92 rebirth of the CRF until the 2006 closure of the New Haven plant, has all the right stuff. It has the excellent improvement of the anti-bind bolt design. That change had already been done during the post 64, push feed era. It also has the best hunting rifle trigger ever designed, IMO. That trigger was retained in all Model 70s, from the original Model 70 right through all the New Haven rifles until the closing in 2006.

I have had three 375s in the past but haven't had one for a few years and started suffering withdrawal. So I began perusing the better LGSs and Gunbroker. About 2 weeks ago found a candidate on GB. It was a Win 70, Super Express model in 375 HH. Pics seemed to show it was either never fired or for certain handled very little. Hmmm? Unusual for a rifle made between 1994 and 1998. I could see no issues and it was under 1000.00. I also picked up a candidate scope from evlbay, a Leupold M8 4x28 for under 200. Add dual dovetail mounts for under 50 and done.

The rifle arrived in good shape and actually looked better than the pics. Check for function and- What!? Won't eject. Looked at the standing ejector and it is flush with the bolt face at full rear bolt travel. Yikes. Take it apart and the ejector looks fine, hasn't been trimmed or modified and is even coded correctly but it is about 1/4" too short. What!? Poke around my junk box and find one of correct length, install it and plink, plink, plink! Perfect ejection. Some possibility that the incorrect ejector as installed at the factory, an $8 piece on evlbay, was the reason the gun had been sitting, possibly un-shot since 1998 or earlier. And may have accounted for the nice price tag. For simple repairs like that, I'll take the discount every time. That's an hour to change the ejector and an hour to mount the scope. An hour at the range. I would not hesitate to take this rifle DG hunting tomorrow.

Mounted the scope, loaded some 270 and 300 gr loads and headed to the range. Bore sighted by adjusting the X hairs to center of bull with the bull viewed in bore center at 50 yards. Put the 1st shot about 3 inches left of bull. Adjusted scope and next shot within 1/2" of center of bull. Shot 6 more rounds watching for function, accuracy potential, potential scope problems, pin strike, head spacing issues, feeding issues or other oddities. None. I measured the trigger pull- crisp, right a 3 1/2 lbs. The cycling and feed were flawless and super smooth as was expected for this model and era. Also interesting, with the same medium load of 4895 bulk pull down, the 300 gr Hornady RN whatevers and the Barnes 270 TSXs shot to exactly the same POI.

Here's the culprit ejector and rifle ready to go

 

[Rob404]

Wow, thats a sharp looking Rifle

 

[Bonk]

I'd look for a lightly used CZ550 375. You can find plenty of them around for $800. Send it off to AHR for upgrades I and II. Total out of pocket: about $2600 and IMO you'll have one of the best field rifles money can buy. You can spend more but you won't get a better rifle. Prettier maybe, but not more functional/reliable. Don't get me wrong. I like pretty rifles and I'm having one built as I write this but if acquiring a rock solid reliable good looking field rifle is what your after go buy a used CZ550 and send it off to AHR. You won't be sorry.

 

[BWH]

Ruger... browning...?!?!? $1000+ great firearms

 

[Tanks]

Why not build your own for about $5K. I am doing similar for my .300 RUM for next year. I am at the first step.

1) Defiance Machine Deviant Hunter long action with CRF and 3 position safety $1,900 (12 weeks)
2) Shaw custom barrels and their gunsmithing service to fit the barrel to action $1,500 or so. (12 - 16 weeks)
3) Accurate Innovations stock (or McMillian) anywhere from $1000 to $3K (depending on wood if you go with AI) (12 -16 weeks).

Action comes in, goes to Shaw for barreling then to AI to build stock and fit to the barreled action. Voila 1 MOA minimum (Shaw guarantee with factory ammo) rifle.

 

[Brent C]

I picked up a CZ550 375 yesterday for $750 very happy with my purchase