RE: Grandpa's gun.
 

I'm so happy to have it back:)

Someone said it may not kick as bad as a 338 Win Mag?? The 338 I have isn't too bad, more snaps your neck than kicks sharp, more push than kick. Muzzleloaders and Shotguns can kick harder that that. This thing isn't a light weight. 26" barrel and the tapper isn't like a mountain gun either. My guess is around 9# w/o a scope and rings on it. A new 'premium' recoil pad is a good idea. Dad used to put a slip on pad over the one that's on the gun and then place a small pillow on his shoulder when shooting it. Us kids were scared to death of that thing, I never did shot it.

Uncle and his family hunted with it, don't know the talley for it but it has been on many elk and deer hunts as well as many trips to the range. The rear sight is a two piece folding leaf. The leaves don't like to stay up, there kind of loose. Think I'll wait to shoot it untill I have a scope on it. Got 5 boxes of reloads with the gun, and found out a buddy has a set of dies that he will never use, I know because he's a bit recoil shy and ain't now way he's ever going to own a big gun like this.:)

RE: Grandpa's gun.
 

Herr Bruder Gamswilde, I don't believe you would hurt that rifle's value much if you were to refinish it-at least the stock, using a good hand-rubbed oil finish! I don't think that recoil pad is an original, but from time to time I have seen somepre-64 M70 pads for sale in unused condition. Your metal finish doesn't look too bad.

The .375 is an excellent round, and don't let anyone tell you it is too powerful for deer and other "small game". In mine I use a cast bullet load consisting of a Lyman 375449 cascheck bullet driven by 60 grains of H4831, which gives a MV of 1850 FPS and is quite accurate in the two .375's I've shot it in - a 1949 M70 Super Grade, and a Ruger No. 1H. This load is about like the HV load of the old .38/55, and kills deer very handily out to 150 yards or so. In addition, some of the .375 300-grain factory bullets are very tough, and will kill deer without destroying a lot of meat (not as bad as a .270 Win., for example)!

RE: Grandpa's gun.
 

I would restore it. I think this is the right thing to do whether you hunt with it or not. I don't think you would hurt it by hunting with it, and from one perspective you continue to bring honor to the rifle and yourgrandfather by using it to hunt. I have a sporterized .30-06 that my father made from a springfield .30-06 military rifle. I would very much like to take a bull elk with this rifle, and my thought is to use the rifle in a way my father never had the opportunity but would approve heartily. In my thought this would bring honor to the rifle and honor my father's memory.

RE: Grandpa's gun.
 

He would easily double or triple the rifles value if it were properly and professionally restored to original condition. Original pad, original finish, replace the hood on the front sight, fix or replace the rear sight, etc...

RE: Grandpa's gun.
 

pretty sweet setup.

use those 235s and 270s for deer, who cares. That kick won't be too bad, wouldn't say any worse than a 300 win mag etc....

RE: Grandpa's gun.
 

Recoil is determined by several factors: The weight of the gun; the weight of the bullet; and the weight of the powder charge. The .375 H&H Magnum with 300-grain bullets and a powder charge of 68 grains will produce nearly 1/3 more total foot-pounds of recoil than a .300 Win. Mag. of the same weight firing 180-grain bullets....... here I am speaking of free recoil. However, there may be considerable difference in felt recoil. The stock shapes may be different, and when firing a 180-grain bullet at + 3000 FPS, vs a .375 with a 300-grain bullet at a MV of only 2500, the .300's recoil is applied over a shorterperiod of time. It therefore may FEEL as bad as the .375 to some people. I never thought so, but some might....

What I DO know, is that neither is as bad as my .416 Rigby......... Actually, Ii ENJOY shooting the .375 H&H. It is a pretty nice cartridge!