Heym Martini Express .404 or .375H&H?

[Bonde]

Which one of these had the nicest handling?
I see nothing but praise for the .404.

Is the .375 balanced just as well?
What is the weight difference between them?

Scope mount. I see the talley configuration in 30mm is rather high? Would anyone know how high above the top of the bases the rings comes with the lowest ones in 30mm?

 

[TOBY458]

I had one in 404. Beautiful, impeccable rifle. Mine weighed 9lbs 12oz empty, with no scope mounts installed. The scope rings and scope were going to add at least another pound and a half. Not sure how much the 375 weighs. Give Chris Sells a call at Heym USA. He will share all the details.

 

[BeeMaa]

At Heym they build the entire rifle under one roof, nothing is outsourced.
As such, they have the ability to control every little detail about a rifle.
Including the balance, regardless of caliber.
Listen to @TOBY458 and call Chris Sells.
Have your Heym custom fitted and never look back.

Choose the largest caliber you are comfortable shooting accurately.

 

[Bonde]

Thanks for the advice! I live in Norway, so will check with the importer.

I have a 450/400 3 double, that weigh considerably more, and it is verst Nice to shoot. Heavy but Ok.
Also have a light Kimber BGR .375 I feel give me more of a hiding... I prefer slower and heavy recoil over the lighter and quicker recoil impulse.

What do You think about the scope mounts? Are they low enough for some cheek weld?

 

[TOBY458]

Thanks for the advice! I live in Norway, so will check with the importer.

I have a 450/400 3 double, that weigh considerably more, and it is verst Nice to shoot. Heavy but Ok.
Also have a light Kimber BGR .375 I feel give me more of a hiding... I prefer slower and heavy recoil over the lighter and quicker recoil impulse.

What do You think about the scope mounts? Are they low enough for some cheek weld?

You don't have to use the 30mm rings they usually send with the rifle. You can opt for 1" rings if you prefer those. Since there are no bases needed, the lowest rings that Talley makes that will allow you to use the scope of your choosing, should be plenty low to use with the comb height they make these with. The stock is relatively straight, and they get away with it by installing rather tall iron sights, so it works well either scoped or with iron sights.

 

[Bonde]

I would actually prefer to use a 30mm scope, but would at the same time like to have as low a mount as possible.

 

[TOBY458]

I would actually prefer to use a 30mm scope, but would at the same time like to have as low a mount as possible.

Just ask for low rings, as long as you're not using a scope with a large objective, they should do what's needed.

 

[C.W. Richter]

What do you plan to use it for? That would be my criteria for the decision. (I prob wouldn't be shooting a kudu at 300 yds w/ the 404.)

 

[ALbowhunter]

My rifle came with the quick detach rings, and I bought another set of rings with my rifle. The quick detach rings are .625” from the top of the receiver to the bottom of the ring. The other rings are .5” from the top of the receiver to the bottom of the ring. I am currently using the taller rings with a Trijicon 1-6x24 scope. The shorter ring caused the bolt to hit the adjustment ring on the scope.
I used the shorter rings for a Leupold VX6HD 2-12x42 with no clearance problems. I do not have a problem with cheek using either set up.

 

[The Engineer]

I have one in 416 Rigby and it is the slickest cycling {Each receiver and magazine machined for the specific caliber of that rifle.} bolt gun I have ever handled and extremely accurate.

In my case I also wanted a low scope so I did not opt for the Swaro Z6i {Very large eyepiece precludes a low mount.} that could be packaged with the purchase of the rifle. After some research I went with the Zeiss Victory HT 1.5-6 as it has a small eyepiece and the objective is also small enough to to clear the barrel when mounted low. It should be noted the shape of the bolt handle creates an interference with the scope a bit further down the bolt handle than most rifles. That being said, I opted for Alaskan Arms detachable rings. If you tell them it is for a Heym Martini Express than will provide the correct rings as they are actually two CZ550 front rings. The Alaskan Arms rings gave me the lowest possible mounting for the Zeiss Victory HT scope and absolutely go back to zero when reinstalled. I was so impressed by the precision that I purchased a second set of rings and a Zeiss Victory HT 1.1-4 so I could carry a pre-sighted in backup scope.

 

[Bonde]

&The Engineer:

It would be very interesting to see a picture of that 1,6-42 scope on the rifle. I actually have the very same scope sitting on the shelf. Superb choice!

I’ll use it for moose, mixed plains game and som DG hunting like bear, Lion and elephant. Got the elephant bug in 2018 so will definately be more tuskless ele hunting!

A 375 would probably be a more practical choice but it isn’t a 404 and I’d prefer a beltless cartridge?

 

[ALbowhunter]

This is my 404 with the quick detach rings and a 1-6x24 Trijicon.

 

[machinistbutler]

Man what a stock on the rifle! Great looking set up.

 

[cpr0312]

Go with the .404

 

[IvW]

Which one of these had the nicest handling?
I see nothing but praise for the .404.

Is the .375 balanced just as well?
What is the weight difference between them?

Scope mount. I see the talley configuration in 30mm is rather high? Would anyone know how high above the top of the bases the rings comes with the lowest ones in 30mm?

All depends on what you are hunting..

 

[IvW]

Thanks for the advice! I live in Norway, so will check with the importer.

I have a 450/400 3 double, that weigh considerably more, and it is verst Nice to shoot. Heavy but Ok.
Also have a light Kimber BGR .375 I feel give me more of a hiding... I prefer slower and heavy recoil over the lighter and quicker recoil impulse.

What do You think about the scope mounts? Are they low enough for some cheek weld?

Impossible to determine each shooters has his own dimensions....have it measured or custom made is the only way to get proper fit...

 

[Professor Mawla]

I would personally opt for the .404 Jeffery . Heym makes some beautiful magazine rifles on Magnum length Mauser Model 98 actions . I was quite pleasantly surprised to see one in .505 Gibbs last year , in Hill Country . Even though they are not listed as an available chambering on Heym’s website , they also clearly make them in .505 Gibbs .

 

[The Engineer]

Good luck with you hunting and I would vote for a 404. However, you may want to take that opinion with a grain of salt as I enjoy pig hunting with a 450 NE Heym 89b (IE: I am biased towards large calibers.)..

Some pictures of the Zeiss Victory HT 1.5-6 on my 416 Heym Martin Express follow. If I remember correctly this mounting is about 5mm lower than the Z6i would have been. This combination of scope and mounts clears the bolt handle by about a mm..

I also agree with you on this Zeiss 1.5-6 scope. While, as an ex target shooter that used a 20x scope for 1000 yard any sight prone matches; I appreciate the higher magnification and presumed utility of the 8x zoom ratio on the "current" scopes. However, for hunting I appreciate the compactness, light weight, and inherent strength of the lower power scopes such as the 1.5-6 a great deal more. With the excellent optics of the Zeiss scope I find I do not need any more than 6 power for any range that I would be taking a shot while hunting. This belief evidenced by my removal of the 2-12 Z6i from my 300 Win plains game rifle and replacing it with a Zeiss 1.5-6.