.300 H&H a long time coming!

[taylorce1]

I've posted this on a couple of other forums, thougth I'd share it here as well.  This build has taken me almost two years to build and I've got a little over $1K invested now with the scope.

It has been a long time to get my .300 H&H into shooting shape but it is finally done.  I orginaly found the rifle setting in a used rack at a local gunshop for $99, already had the guard straightened, speed lock kit, rails modified, and chambered in .300 H&H.  First thing I did was install the scope you see pictured below. 

Went from this modified military stock with military trigger and B&L 2-7X35 Elite 3000 scope:


Never did shoot it in that configuration however as I had plenty of other stuff ready to hunt last year. So I took it to this next, a roughed out Richard's Microfit stock, and replaced trigger with a Timney.  Stock had more problems than I was comfortable fixing so took it to Kevin Weaver and he shaped and bedded the stock for me, but left the rest for me to finish up later:


Finally to this Minwax antique oil finish, Minwax polyeurthane sealer, Leupold VXIII 2.5-8X36.  I has been cold and miserable lately and gave me plenty of time to finish the stock:





I have finally shot this rifle.  Picked up some factory Winchester or so I thought off the forum here, but the rifle wouldn't group better than 4".  Pulled all the bullets and powder from the ammunition.  Boxes were labled 180 grain but the bullets actually weighed in at 148.8-151.5 grains and the powder charge ranged from 0 grains in once case but the rest were 69-72 grains.  Probably why my groups were all over the place and probably not factory. 

I reused the bullets and powder but now every thing has a 70 grain charge.  And since most of the bullets were within .5 grains of 150 I just took out the extreme ones.  I'm going back to the range today to see if I can get it to group better.  I got a good deal on the ammo so I'm not too upset it not being factory, brass looked brand new and unfired inside.  Couldn't touch new factory brass for what I bought the loaded ammunition for. 

I'm going to load this rifle up for hunting elk.  I will be more than likely using 200 grain Nosler Partitions come hunting season.   Since this rifle has a long 26" barrel I'll be looking at those slow burning powders to get the most I can out of the barrel.

This is from the other forums as well from my afternoon att ther range.

Well she shot pretty good today had 19 rounds to play with after pulling bullets and reusing the componets. I shot one fouler shot to the right then I put three shots at the bullseye.  Wound up 3" high and a pretty awesome three shot groups for no thought into my reloading other than to get onto paper so I could start loading up some 200 grain loads.  Shot the next 10 rounds popping 20 oz coke bottles filled with water I'd set up for shooting with my varmint rifles.  Went back to 275 yards and rang the 8" gong 5 out of 5 tries from the bench with no holdover. 



BTW still a heavy SOB weighs in at 9lb 13oz! :grin:

[Rangr44]

Yep, and a lamo stock doesn't help it get any lighter, either. 

In the 70's, those Enfields were the cat's meow for making a huge belted magnum rifle, like a .375+, where a heavy rifle was a blessing.

Your's looks like you developed it rather nicely, and it'd be nice to see how you do with the Noslers.

BTW - Years ago, the .300H&H was often referred to as the Super .30, since that was well before any other .30 belted magnum, like the Weatherby/Winchester/etc.

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[taylorce1]

I could bore the butt stock out some and probably get it down to a 9lb rifle.   I'm just afraid if I did that I'd ruin the balance of the rifle.

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

 ;)Glad to hear your H & H is shooting well...Mine is current load with 150 grain Serrias for coyote hunting and varmit shooting later this spring...I didn't weight my H & H. but have many 9 # plus rifles...while one may get a bit tired carring these, when the shot comes, they steady down wonderfully....what is the point of a nice light 6 pound feather on to miss a good shot because the rifle is difficult to hold steady??? I had one Rem. mt. rifle ...shot one coyote and one antelope with it...trying to steady that thing down on the prairie and in the wind, was difficult...to say the least...I got the antelope, but with in two days that rifle was gone...

[Curt Dawson]

I am a lefty but I truly love the 17 Enfield. My oldest son has mine that I built into a tack driving 375 H&H about 20 years ago. I keep thinking about building a F class rifle using a 17,but never seem to have the needed funds.

[mauser98us]

I'm liking it