Winchester Model 70 Alaskan- which caliber?

[SwampWolf]

Hard kicking rifles must have addled your buddy's brains or he's comparing a .257 Weatherby that weighs two pounds vs a .416 Remington Magnum that weighs fifty pounds. Or he's just messing with you.

From the Rifle Recoil Table:

Cartridge (Wb@MV) Rifle Weight, Recoil Energy

.257 Weatherby (120@3300) 9.25, 15.1
.416 Rem Mag (400@2400) 10.0, 52.9

 

[.308 Norma]

Or he's just messing with you.

Actually, my "buddy" could be messing with me.
The whole story is he bought a new Model 70, 416 Rem Mag for an upcoming Africa trip. But when he tried to get it sighted in, it was printing about a foot high at a hundred yards even with the scope turned down as far as it would go. And because he knew he was probably flinching from being kicked so many times, he asked me to take it home and shoot it to see if it really was hitting that high.
He asked me to shoot it once with the scope, and if it really was hitting that high, to pull the scope off and shoot it with the open sights. So that's what I did - the first time I shot it, I used the scope. I was standing, and I had the .416 resting on a sandbag on the hood of my truck. Good Lord! I'd never been kicked that hard in my life! And just like my "buddy" said, the danged thing hit about a foot high at a hundred yards!
Well, I'd said I would do it, so I pulled the scope, lowered the rear sight all the way down, and touched it off again. Same thing - about a foot high at a hundred yards. And by that time I was shaking.
Next, I walked downrange to about 25 yards from the target, and because it was muddy, I didn't want to sit down. So I just sort of squatted down and touched the rifle off one more time. Yeah! You got it - that danged rifle sat me down in the mud anyway! And it still hit almost 4 inches above the bulls eye.
Anyway, like I say, my buddy (Randy) could be messing with me when he tells me his .257 Weatherby hurts more. That's because every time I see him I remind him to never ask me to help him sight in another rifle.
BTW - Randy returned the rifle to Winchester. I think they screwed on a new barrel, and Randy took a nice Leopard and several species of African plains game with his .416 later on that year.

 

[igotta40]

OP Here,
My order has been placed. Photos ASAP. New Winchester Model 70 Alaskan chambered in 375 Holland & Holland.

I don't plan to put a scope on it initially, shooting paper @ 100 yards, but I'm considering a Mueller Eradicator 8-25 x 50 for longer range.

Thoughts?

 

[Robert]

Ok, the OP made his decision so any talk of what he should have bought is moot.

OP, that scope is way too much power to be useful on this type of rifle. I have a 2-8x36 Luepold VX3 on my Safari Express and have never felt under powered. I've shot targets, a cinder block, at 500y at 8x and felt very comfortable doing so. Now, I'd never take that shot on game but the scope was plenty powerful for plinking at a block. Were I you I'd look at low to medium power scopes for general hunting applications.

This is the newer version of my scope:
https://www.leupold.com/scopes/compact-scopes/vx-3i-2-5-8x36mm?selectedSku=

 

[igotta40]

Robert,
Thanks for the advice. I do have a new Vortex Diamondback 3-12x42 I'm not using. I'm always afraid I don't have enough magnification.

 

[Robert]

On a hunting rifle I'd rather run the risk of having too little power and not taking a shot than having too much power ruin a shot.

 

[ExAgoradzo]

Robert convinced me to buy the granddaddy of magnums. I finally got mine earlier this year, Sako Finnbear. It shoots pie plate accurate at least (of course, it is ‘me’ shooting!).

I also have a 1971 M70 in 338 WM. The recoil feels worse than the Finnbear.

I acquired via ‘inheritance’ a 1955 M70 in .30-06.

I could see an opportunity that might convince me to part with the WM. That .30-06 will be separated from me by death. That .375 only slightly less so. I think you made a good choice. But then again... I hope you enjoy your rifle.

Greg

 

[Slamfire]

OP Here,
My order has been placed. Photos ASAP. New Winchester Model 70 Alaskan chambered in 375 Holland & Holland.
Thoughts?

That is a great rifle in a great caliber. I have a push feed version, only shot it out to 200 yards with irons, it shot well. The recoil was manageable.

 

[igotta40]

Well wouldn't you know it, I went to Cabela's last night to use a coupon for some ammunition for the new rifle, and dropped by their library. Out on display what do I see, an Alaskan in .375 H&H magnum, with a low powered Leupold scope. The store rep said he could date it from the serial number just out of curiosity..... 1955! My birth year! The rifle looked to be in great original condition and I wanted it bad. Two problems- I already ordered a new one, and Cabela's was just too dear on this, about double what I just paid. But what a coincidence.

 

[Nature Boy]

I got to stay away from these threads that talk about

1. CRF M70 rifles
2. .375 H&H caliber

Dang if this one didn’t hit both!

Congrats OP. Can’t wait to see pictures and a range report

 

[igotta40]

Yea Nature Boy that makes two of us. I've never ordered a firearm online before, so I don't know what the timeline should be. The vendor, Bud's Guns, received my $$$$ last week but I'm still waiting for my email advising shipment to my FFL. I have 40 rounds of artillery shells LOL waiting in my ammo locker...

Pictures coming ASAP

 

[igotta40]

It's here fellas, hope the photos show up.... I have 2 boxes of 300 grain, can't wait to get to the range...

 

[MCMXI]

Congrats on the Winchester and for joining the .375 H&H club. I hunt deer and elk up here in MT with a Kimber Talkeetna which is chambered in .375 H&H. It's a great cartridge for sure and the Talkeetna is my primary hunting rifle. I have a 3-9x40mm Zeiss Conquest scope with an RZ600 reticle on mine and for me it's the perfect hunting rifle/scope combination. I shot a nice mule deer buck at 460 yards last year with the H&H so it's definitely got some legs with the right bullet.

Are you planning on shooting from the sled shown? If so they can hard on stocks.

 

[Pete D.]

About recoil: Free recoil for the .300 Win mag using 180 grain bullets at 2960fps from an 8lb rifle (model 70 Alaskan is 8lbs) is 28 ft.lbs./ 31ft.lbs with the 200 grain bullet
Free recoil for the 375 H&H using 270 grain bullets at 2690 fps from the same 8lb gun is 43 ft.lbs,
Felt recoil is another issue entirely.

 

[igotta40]

Congrats on the Winchester and for joining the .375 H&H club. I hunt deer and elk up here in MT with a Kimber Talkeetna which is chambered in .375 H&H. It's a great cartridge for sure and the Talkeetna is my primary hunting rifle. I have a 3-9x40mm Zeiss Conquest scope with an RZ600 reticle on mine and for me it's the perfect hunting rifle/scope combination. I shot a nice mule deer buck at 460 yards last year with the H&H so it's definitely got some legs with the right bullet.

Are you planning on shooting from the sled shown? If so they can hard on stocks.

 

[Robert]

Beautiful rifle. Now, go run a couple hundred through it from all kinds of field positions at different ranges and ring it out!