New to me 375 - This one is going to get my attention

[curtism1234]

I have been looking for a lightweight 375 and have focused my search towards the Browning Xbolt. However, a pre-accutrigger Savage H&H was available on gunbroker in pretty decent shape. 20", synthetic stock, stainless. A quick search showed the rifle should be about 6.5 pounds. That should be lively but a joy to carry all day.

 

[mark-hunter]

I avoid light rifles in medium calibers, not to mention 375.
But, if you are aware and know what you are doing, no reason not to do it. Go for it!

 

[Jaegger]

I‘ve handled but not shot one … Christensen Arms has a snazzy lighter weight .375 H&H in the ‘Traverse’ line all thou ^ priced compared to your current search. Quality rifle maker & allot of bells/whistles for +/- $2500.

I‘m equally a Fan of the Browning XBolt … I shot a friends 7MM, nice craftsmanship & deadly accurate - affordable price $ to boot!

 

[njc110381]

.375 in an X-Bolt. Rather you than me! That'll be a little monster to keep hold of!

 

[Fixfire]

6.5lbs - Ouch!!!
I go for the heaviest set up possible, and I’m only 150lbs. - works best for me. I’ll just step up the curls in the gym and utilize one of these.

 

[rookhawk]

Not sure about the xbolt, but the internals of the abolt are the lowest quality of any gun I’ve ever serviced. The trigger group is mostly plastic with some pot metal plated gold thrown in. Absolute junk.

Just something to keep in mind because there is no aftermarket trigger to replace the junk when it becomes brittle.

 

[Red Leg]

I am a great believer in a light, easy to carry .375 as well. However, my definition of such a rifle is 8 - 8.5 lbs before scope and ammunition.

 

[rookhawk]

I am a great believer in a light, easy to carry .375 as well. However, my definition of such a rifle is 8 - 8.5 lbs before scope and ammunition.

Good point of order. My son’s 375 Dakota is 7lbs 15oz and it’s shall we say “brisk”. Adding scope and mounts helped, but ultimately we are putting a 1lb recoil reducer in it because it’s just too unmanageable. By unmanageable, I don’t mean you cry from pain, I mean it jumps out of your hands like a greased watermelon.

Shooting a gun too light doesn’t prove anyone is tough, but it does suggest a slower second shot.

 

[TucsonFX4]

Show us pictures once you get it. And definitely give us a range review

 

[Rell]

I have a Joe Smithsonian 375H&H on a GMA action that wieghs 8.25 pounds with 1-8x20 8Xi, 4 shells and a sling.

Its as light as I can shoot and a joy to carry. I had a Sauer that was 7.75lbs and it hurt.

 

[TucsonFX4]

That is very light with everything on it. As long as you can handle it, that’s all that matters.

 

[curtism1234]

There is some confusion regarding the rifle, it is in fact a Savage and not a Browning

I have some shoulder and neck pain that prevent me from carrying heavier rifles all day (so far recoil has not caused additional pain). I have a Model 70 in 375 and I have found 8.5 pounds bare rifle is the max carry weight for me and it's also right at the edge of comfort during recoil; however it does not have a scope.

So I plan on scoping this Savage and preliminary calculations suggest the weight to be right at 8 pounds. If this happens to cause a flinch, I do have a heavier scope I could put on to make it 8.5 pounds. So I'm really swapping my iron sight Winchester for a scoped Savage (which may be controlled feed --- some of the savage 375s were...I will find out soon)

 

[rookhawk]

There is some confusion regarding the rifle, it is in fact a Savage and not a Browning

I have some shoulder and neck pain that prevent me from carrying heavier rifles all day (so far recoil has not caused additional pain). I have a Model 70 in 375 and I have found 8.5 pounds bare rifle is the max carry weight for me and it's also right at the edge of comfort during recoil; however it does not have a scope.

So I plan on scoping this Savage and preliminary calculations suggest the weight to be right at 8 pounds. If this happens to cause a flinch, I do have a heavier scope I could put on to make it 8.5 pounds. So I'm really swapping my iron sight Winchester for a scoped Savage (which may be controlled feed --- some of the savage 375s were...I will find out soon)

Sorry to hear about your neck. I think the solution is going to be the type of sling you use for carrying a weapon with your injury.

As someone that (unfortunately) has been forced to use savage actions for custom rifle builds many times, I think your win70CRF will prove to be your more trusted gun. There are many ways to lighten your win70 as well.

I’ve never heard of a savage CRF 375hh. Please post pics when it arrives as I’d like to learn.

 

[MAdcox]

My Ruger Safari Magnum is right at 11lbs, scoped and loaded. With the proper sling, I can tell you that it is fine to carry and a joy to shoot. For me, carrying the extra 3-4lbs is a lot less noticeable than the recoil of light weight rifles. I have an old skeleton stocked 270 that weighs about 5lbs and it is not fun to shoot. It is indestructible on horseback mountain hunts, but not enjoyable practicing or working up loads. I packed my 11lb 375 all over Namibia and enjoyed having it there.

edit- Just saw your post about the neck pain. As someone who has destroyed a knee and had a full replacement at 45, I completely understand chronic pain and finding new ways to keep doing what we love. I just wonder of their is a sling solution or carry style that would allow a 8-9lb rifle in heavier calibers. Something like a Kimber Caprivi that is very pleasant to shoot but still under 10 lbs.
Good luck with your set up.
Mickey

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Not sure about the xbolt, but the internals of the abolt are the lowest quality of any gun I’ve ever serviced. The trigger group is mostly plastic with some pot metal plated gold thrown in. Absolute junk.

Just something to keep in mind because there is no aftermarket trigger to replace the junk when it becomes brittle.

@rookhawk is your comment/observation for all A Bolts or is the plastic junk just the cheaper AB3? I thought the original A Bolts were good rifles.

 

[rookhawk]

@rookhawk is your comment/observation for all A Bolts or is the plastic junk just the cheaper AB3? I thought the original A Bolts were good rifles.

the ones brought to me were late 1990s era? Not sure if that makes them a-bolt 1 or a-bolt 2. They found the trigger wholly unsatisfactory so I figured, no worries, we’ll get a timney/riflebasix/geisele and be off to the races, or worst case it’s a proprietary trigger kind of like a Mauser or win70 and I just need to do some work with a stone. How wrong I was.

Trigger itself is pot metal plated gold. Housing and bearing parts were plastic of unknown type or white nylon, already showing some brittleness in contact with whatever solvents and lubricants for 20 years.

It turns out, no trigger upgrade exists as far as I could tell. The only thing that can be done is the poundage spring can be swapped out for a slightly lighter one but the bearing surfaces cannot be addressed.

The older I get, the more of a curmudgeon I become asking why everyone thinks they can outsmart Paul Mauser and John Olin. Just make Mauser clones and everything in life is so easy, but then lawyers get involved with the product team to make things cheaper and unmodifiable to reduce liability.

Sorry to derail your thread @curtism1234 , I know this thread is supposed to be about your new Savage 375HH lightweight and here I am talking about your Winchester and A-bolts you don’t own.

 

[TucsonFX4]

There is some confusion regarding the rifle, it is in fact a Savage and not a Browning

I have some shoulder and neck pain that prevent me from carrying heavier rifles all day (so far recoil has not caused additional pain). I have a Model 70 in 375 and I have found 8.5 pounds bare rifle is the max carry weight for me and it's also right at the edge of comfort during recoil; however it does not have a scope.

So I plan on scoping this Savage and preliminary calculations suggest the weight to be right at 8 pounds. If this happens to cause a flinch, I do have a heavier scope I could put on to make it 8.5 pounds. So I'm really swapping my iron sight Winchester for a scoped Savage (which may be controlled feed --- some of the savage 375s were...I will find out soon)

Have you tried a different carry system to get the weight off your neck/shoulder? Something like was posted above by @Fixfire ? I have a somewhat similar setup that I have used a couple times and enjoy. It’s by Kifaru and integrates into a backpack. I know that wouldn’t be completely taking the weight off your shoulder, but a properly fitted and secured backpack significantly reduces felt weight, in my experience.

 

[curtism1234]

I have found the left arm cradle to be the most comfortable for me. Slings tend to put too much weight on my shoulder - the stretched shoulder muscle travels up the neck muscle and hits a nerve at the base of my skull causing a terrible migraine. I limit binocular weight to around 14-16 ounces around my neck, otherwise they get slung across my shoulder. I don't use a backpack anymore, I have to use a hippack (shoulder straps could be attached to act more for balancing than weight distribution)

I have a Winchester Super Express so it does have the extra heavy barrel. I swapped the wood stock to synthetic to get it to 8.5 pounds. Should I keep the Winchester, the next step would be to rebarrel. I'm going to hold onto it until I get this Savage sorted out this Spring/Summer but my intention is to move the Winchester along to the next guy who could utilize it better. I have shot the same Savage rifle in 7mag for over 20 years - never 1 single issue with the feeding. I do not plan a buffalo hunt soon so controlled feed necessity is not a high priority of mine. If I have this rifle 10 years and it's served me well, I don't see a reason why it couldn't be taken on a single buffalo hunt. Controversial, sure.

 

[sestoppelman]

Good point of order. My son’s 375 Dakota is 7lbs 15oz and it’s shall we say “brisk”. Adding scope and mounts helped, but ultimately we are putting a 1lb recoil reducer in it because it’s just too unmanageable. By unmanageable, I don’t mean you cry from pain, I mean it jumps out of your hands like a greased watermelon.

Shooting a gun too light doesn’t prove anyone is tough, but it does suggest a slower second shot.

That sounds like the Steyr 9.3x62 I recently purchased, a Professional model with light plastic stock. Its quite lively on the bench to put it mildly.

 

[IvW]

I would buy neither.....
6.5lbs ouch....

Unless a 375 H&H is a legal requirement for whatever you plan to do I would rather get a 9.3x62mm