375/338 ?

[Buckeye]

What do you guys think of this wildcat?
I thinking of this cal. for my custom project.

[Advocate]

Specifically which action do you contemplate using for this project and wht type of rifle, what type of uses  do you wish to put it?

I  personally like the 375-338.  Because the cartridge casing has very little taper, if you can seat the bullets out far enough, its capacity is not unlike the .375 H&H.  Additionally, you can make .375-338 brass out of just about any other belted magnum case, unlike the .375 H&H which can't be readily made from anything else except .416 Remingtons.
Best of luck.
'

[Buckeye]

A VZ 24 or a Savage 111 .

[Buckeye]

If I'm going to have a custom gun , I want a  caliber that you can"t get off the local gunshop rack !
I attend to use it bear , and Elk hunting ,I could do without it 'but what the hay !
Theres a fellow that I trade guns with on ocassion who ended up with a .376 ster prohunter. He took it Boar hunting, useing the downloaded 225 gr. loads , He was very pleased with its performance ! He told me it kicked like a light 12 ga. shotgun, not bad.
Some of the guys he went with ragged him "bout being overgunned,but they where impressed with that littile carbine when they saw it put down a 260 lb. tusker as if it was hit with a freight train going down hill ,.

 He suggested that i should get one ,but I can't get over its ugly stock!
The 376 is right in there with the 375 H&H 'I think the 375-338 is a little faster.

Im not sure what barrel length to go with ethier a 20 or a 22in. ,even tho its  going to kick hard' Im not wanting it to weigh over 8.5 w/ scope.


Is any one else having a heck of a time wth pulling up this site and posting???

[Advocate]

That sounds like a great rig you're contemplating there.  20" sounds too short for a .375, but several years ago I handled a Sako .375 H&H that was  part of a speical run of  20" .375's and I'm still kicking myself that I didn't buy it.  It was really cool.  Very short. Very handy.   I think it would be a great gun for your intended purpose and if you're into big bores  and handloading you can easily tailor whatever loads you need for what ever intended purpose you have in mind.  Good luck.

[Buckeye]

Advocate,     How do you think the Savage action will workout ?

[Buckeye]

Alaskan AL,                                                                                          I saw it on Guns America, I'm going to get in to touch with you on it. I'm interested!

[Advocate]

Buckeye:  You asked about the Savage 110 action.  A guy named Mike Epstein designed a .375/338  wildcat and called it the .375 Epstein.  He built it on a left handed Savage 110 and it worked just fine for him.  Best of luck with your project.

[Yukon Jack]

For what its worth, Mike Epstein (aka Big Mike) was a major league baseball star for the Oakland A's.  First baseman, I think.  His passion was hunting and firearms.  He did develop the 375 Epstein, and I believe it is included in Wolffe Publishing's Wildcat Cartridges Vol II.  It may be in Big Bore Rifles and Cartridges, also, but I don't recall.

Just a little background on Epstein, he was quite a character.  I'm not sure if he's still alive or not, but the write-up on the 375 Epstein (written by Mike) is very good.

[260 AAR]

I put together 3-5 of the 375/338[375 Taylor] each year. Great calibre. Accurate, better suited to the shorter Mauser actions and a real powerhouse. Mine is on an old Win  70  action. Equal to most 375 H&Hs.

Aloha, Mark[in Ore]

[rimshot]

For what its worth, Mike Epstein (aka Big Mike) was a major league baseball star for the Oakland A's.  First baseman, I think.  His passion was hunting and firearms.  He did develop the 375 Epstein, and I believe it is included in Wolffe Publishing's Wildcat Cartridges Vol II.  It may be in Big Bore Rifles and Cartridges, also, but I don't recall.

Just a little background on Epstein, he was quite a character.  I'm not sure if he's still alive or not, but the write-up on the 375 Epstein (written by Mike) is very good.

I remember this guy! Yes, he played first and was a great player. I saw him play many times.

Rimshot
homepage: www.bluecollarshooter.com

[magnum308]

Hi, I'm from Brisbane, Australia and I have a 375 Chatfield-Taylor (375/338 or 375 Belted Newton) built on a Ruger M77. I would not call this a custom rifle (which see my post under "What constitutes a custom rifle "at  http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=8287&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=35.

See PO Ackley's "Hanbook for Shooters and Reloaders" Vol II page 212. I haven't done too much shooting with it, other things on my plate, but it does come highly recommended by the inventer Mr RF Chatfield-Taylor (also the inventer of the 416 Taylor, 458 WM necked to 416).

Magnum308

[magnum308]

Hi magnum308 here again. Since my last post I have tested a few loads with the Hornady 270 gr spire projectile. I found the rifle not pleasant to shot from the bench rest position; I had to work on not flinching. Nevertheless, I shot a 3 shot group at 1⅛" at 100 yards. I believe the rifle is capable of much better accuracy.

The load was Australian ADI powder AR2208 (similar to 4064 see http://www.adi-limited.com/handloaders-guide/equivalents.asp) 66grs in Winchester (originally338) cases and Winchester magnum primers. The ADI manual lists a maximum load for the 375 H&H at 67 grs giving 2,620 fps. This is jolly close to the original British load (see African Rifles and Cartridges by John Taylor). Accordingly, I suspect that the 66gr load on the shorter (but virtually identical volume capacity) case is very close if not slightly ahead of this, albeit at higher (but not unsafe) pressure.

This load will do me if I ever come across a bear, lion or buffalo in Australia.

Magnum308