Cheapest .375 Yet

[Shawn.54]

RookHawk I have let a moment take me again and useing it as motivation to get off my butt and start something I have been putting off for years. This will be my next big bore was thinking 416 Ruger so I don't have to cut it all up I will open the magazine well a little to make extra room for length but not as much to fit other cartridges. Hoping to find a short chambered barrel to make things go easier.
Shawn

 

[rookhawk]

@Shawn.54 looks like a great start to a fine rifle!

What do you hope to hunt with your rifle?

You are correct, a .404 is a very tricky think to get to feed correctly compared to the .416 Ruger but it would also be a mighty accomplishment and one of the most storied rifles in history. (Making a major comeback too)

As you map out your caliber plan, I have a suggested resource. Buy the book by Pierre Van Walt "African sporting rifles and cartridges". It's a seminal work that addresses every cartridge for dangerous game, their issues, loads, benefits and ballistics. It's a veritable shopping list of options for your build. It's about $55 hard back or $10 on amazon kindle. You could use the hardbound edition as a backup deadly weapon if your rifle ever fails you.

Suggestion for you: I think you said you had Talley lightweight mounts and rings already? For no restock fee, exchange them with Talley for their steel mounts and lever quick detach 30mm low rings. You'll want the weight and rigidity as you plan to build a powerful dangerous game rifle like the one you have planned.

Please create a build thread on here so we can follow along with your project.

 

[rookhawk]

Random thought? Have you considered buying a really nice stocked Mauser with a trashed bore for cheap and using the stock, screws and sites along with bottom metal as a donor to save on parts costs?

 

[Shawn.54]

I have the rest of action setting in a box disassembled it over the weekend when I was trying to figure what action I had. As near as I can tell it's a Santa Barbara commercial action made in 1933 with C ring. It Rockwell tested at 26 on the C scale so it's right up there with the best. Under what topic should I open build thread.
Shawn

 

[rookhawk]

I have the rest of action setting in a box disassembled it over the weekend when I was trying to figure what action I had. As near as I can tell it's a Santa Barbara commercial action made in 1933 with C ring. It Rockwell tested at 26 on the C scale so it's right up there with the best. Under what topic should I open build thread.
Shawn

There is a gunsmithing section where you could post your build process/progress.

 

[LivingTheDream]

I love 416 Ruger. Should be a cool project.

 

[Shawn.54]

Yes it will be fun as long as everything works out I started a build thread in gunsmithing.
Shawn

 

[ChrisG]

Yes it will be fun as long as everything works out I started a build thread in gunsmithing.
Shawn

I have a .416 Ruger and it is a blast! Mine is the African version with the 23" barrel. The thing I will mention, if you handload, the price of components goes up quite a bit when moving to the .416.

As to push feed rifles, my issue with them isn't the reliability aspect, it is that I see my rifles as investments and assets. A crf rifle will always be more valuable and desirable to a certain crowd. They also tend to be pretty rifles. If doubles are a Bentley, then CRF rifles are the Mercedes Benz of the rifle world. Push feeds are a Chevy Cobalt. They work well but no one grows up dreaming of owning one, I grew up with stories of Bell, Stigand, Corbett, Ruark, Taylor and Capstick. Those were the guns I wanted.

For the price of one CRF rifle, I could buy 2 or 3 PF rifles... but I still opt to save my money and buy a crf rifle because a rifle is more than just a tool to me. I don't dote on my wrenches the way I do on my rifles.

 

[Osama Mahdi]

the multi million machines that used to make the expensive barrel in the expensive rifes is different from the cheap ones pluse the quality of materials

 

[Philip Glass]

I guess my question is why? Why buy a Mossberg when you can get THE
.375 Ruger in a high quality Ruger rifle for $900! In my mind a .375 is only for Africa or Alaska so where is the need for something cheaper? Where is the market for this gun when the original Ruger is in everyone's price range and superior in design to most guns made today.
Now don't get me wrong in a sense I am glad to see more guns chambered in the superior .375 Ruger!
Regards,
Philip

 

[ActionBob]

Yep would buy a crate and never have to clean a rifle again .....

I've seen those rifles in Africa... the ones that never get cleaned

 

[rookhawk]

I've seen those rifles in Africa... the ones that never get cleaned

A bore snake every three years = clean in Zimbabwean English.

 

[curtism1234]

I guess my question is why? Why buy a Mossberg when you can get THE
.375 Ruger in a high quality Ruger rifle for $900! In my mind a .375 is only for Africa or Alaska so where is the need for something cheaper? Where is the market for this gun when the original Ruger is in everyone's price range and superior in design to most guns made today.
Now don't get me wrong in a sense I am glad to see more guns chambered in the superior .375 Ruger!
Regards,
Philip

My personal opinion is many people who go on paid outfitter hunts can't afford to be going in the first place. Buy the cheapest rifle, go with the cheapest outfitter, deplete your family's emergency fund / retirement, and then wonder why you're always broke.

On the flip side, if you just want a 375 just to say you own one, then there's no sense per say in doubling your cost with the Ruger you mention.

 

[mdwest]

A bore snake every three years = clean in Zimbabwean English.

Now thats completely unfair...

Im sure they get hit with a bore snake at least once every 2 - 2 1/2 years...

 

[Philip Glass]

My personal opinion is many people who go on paid outfitter hunts can't afford to be going in the first place. Buy the cheapest rifle, go with the cheapest outfitter, deplete your family's emergency fund / retirement, and then wonder why you're always broke.

On the flip side, if you just want a 375 just to say you own one, then there's no sense per say in doubling your cost with the Ruger you mention.

Yea I suppose but what scope would that person put on the heavy recoiling $400 gun? Not sure that makes much sense to me. Put a Tasco on it and see if it makes it through a couple rounds before cratering?
Regards,
Philip

 

[ActionBob]

Yea I suppose but what scope would that person put on the heavy recoiling $400 gun? Not sure that makes much sense to me. Put a Tasco on it and see if it makes it through a couple rounds before cratering?
Regards,
Philip

There are some low power, low cost Leupold options such as the 1.5-5x20 and the 1.25-4 VXR. And an even more more economical 1-4x20 Nikon. Those should work well and cost about equal or less than the gun

 

[Ridge Runner]

There is always something special about finding something affordable that doesn't break the bank. Congrats to anyone that finds a great firearm at a low cost. The first firearm I bought in 1985 was Mossberg 20 gauge, it was not a quality weapon, I killed my first deer with it but it didn't work a darn. The gun always jammed, I wish I had saved more and bought Remington Wingmaster.

Mossburg went into a tail spin during the 80's thru the early 2000's. They were known as"lottery" guns. One could get lucky, that the gun they purchased would be accurate and without any flaws. And they were cheap; in price, and in quality.

Of course the same can be said for Savage. Now Savage is producing out of the box accuracte rifles.

Comparatively, Weatherby use to be the brand name firearm enthusist wanted. Now Weatherby brand is hardly mentioned good or bad. From my understanding, Weatherby's quality has slipped some over the years so as to compete with other gun manufactures.

 

[sierraone]

Mossburg went into a tail spin during the 80's thru the early 2000's. They were known as"lottery" guns. One could get lucky, that the gun they purchased would be accurate and without any flaws. And they were cheap; in price, and in quality.

Of course the same can be said for Savage. Now Savage is producing out of the box accuracte rifles.

Comparatively, Weatherby use to be the brand name firearm enthusist wanted. Now Weatherby brand is hardly mentioned good or bad. From my understanding, Weatherby's quality has slipped some over the years so as to compete with other gun manufactures.

I easily remember in the 80's when, excluding the English and Europeans, Weatherbys were very expensive guns, too expensive for the people I new and hunted with to own one. In the late 60's and early 70's, Browning was the guns to own in my world. And I couldn't afford them!

 

[Philip Glass]

There are some low power, low cost Leupold options such as the 1.5-5x20 and the 1.25-4 VXR. And an even more more economical 1-4x20 Nikon. Those should work well and cost about equal or less than the gun

ActionBob I suppose you are right about the Nikon being a good match. Inexpensive and fair quality. Good suggestion.
Philip