Best Stainless 375 H&H for Alsakan Brown Bear

[hodgeman]

I’ve never owned one or paid much attention but isn’t an x-bolt push feed?

Yep... for what it's worth, I used to put a great deal of emphasis on having a CRF rifle. I've changed my opinion to it really coming down to the quality of the individual rifle. A poorly made or poor condition CRF is no more reliable than a poorly made or poor condition PF rifle.

If you have a PF rifle that works...it is likely to continue working without drama. I'd be a lot more comfortable tangling with a bear shooting a rifle that I've used a lot, rather than a new rifle without a track record.

Action type for DG in the modern era is (more or less)...a bunch of overblown hype.

 

[SDHNTR]

How many DG African PH’s or Alaskan brown bear guides carry push feed rifles?

 

[Cynoscion]

I’ve only been to Alaska once but I’ve been to Africa multiple times and in multiple different countries. I can tell you that I’ve never seen a Ph carrying a push feed rifle. Every one I’ve ever been around and/or hunted with carries a CRF of some kind or a double rifle. Most of the CRF’s will be old Mausers/clones, CZ’s/BRNO’s, Whitworth’s, Muskgrave’s or a custom similarly built.

 

[SDHNTR]

I’ve only been to Alaska once but I’ve been to Africa multiple times and in multiple different countries. I can tell you that I’ve never seen a Ph carrying a push feed rifle. Every one I’ve ever been around and/or hunted with carries a CRF of some kind or a double rifle. Most of the CRF’s will be old Mausers/clones, CZ’s/BRNO’s, Whitworth’s, Muskgrave’s or a custom similarly built.

Exactly, and I’ve been to AK a half dozen times and I’ve never seen a push feed rifle in the guides hands. Usually battle worn Rugers and M70’s. Just my experience. Don’t flame me.

 

[SkunkCabbage]

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[Steve O]

I’ve never owned one or paid much attention but isn’t an x-bolt push feed?

Yes and they have a pretty well documented history of the trigger rusting together rendering them inoperable in the coastal climate.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Yes and they have a pretty well documented history of the trigger rusting together rendering them inoperable in the coastal climate.

Well I didn’t know that. I guess that makes a sako kodiak pretty much the only viable stainless 375HH currently available. That or the used market.

 

[SkunkCabbage]

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[gbflyer]

The Sako kodiak is a nice rifle. Beauty iron sights on it with a really handy size. Nicest ones I’ve handled personally.

85 mag dents brass shoulders for the 375 and all 85s eject up and out into the scope turret denting case mouths if you reload it’s a frustrating thing.
My last one shot really well but I moved to a true CRF with the Talkeetna.

Also has a det mag that can fall out. True DG rifles have a blind mag.


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[SDHNTR]

The Sako kodiak is a nice rifle. Beauty iron sights on it with a really handy size. Nicest ones I’ve handled personally.

85 mag dents brass shoulders for the 375 and all 85s eject up and out into the scope turret denting case mouths if you reload it’s a frustrating thing.
My last one shot really well but I moved to a true CRF with the Talkeetna.

I wanted to like the 85 so much, but that ejector at 6:00 just killed it for me. Fine craftsmanship, with the exception of that darn ejection issue! With the prospect of a spent round potentially falling back into the port, even with slim probability, I couldn’t hunt DG with it!

 

[SDHNTR]

Also has a det mag that can fall out. True DG rifles have a blind mag.


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I tape my floor plate shut, just in case.

 

[snipe10]

Listened to PNWGATOR and went with an Echols, buy once, cry once, right?

 

[PNWGATOR]

Your expectations will be exceeded! Excellent decision.

 

[eamyrick]

Get ahold of D’Arcy Echols and have him put something together for you. If he can build rifles to meet the Shoemaker’s expectations in a dangerous game rifle, I’m sure you’d be happy.

His rifles are 35k, but yeh he is an awesome guy and probably builds the nicest custom rifles these days.

 

[AK Troutbum]

There's only one! Winchester M70.

^^^this, with a Kimber Talkeetna being the second choice.


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[thinhorn_AK]

^^^this, with a Kimber Talkeetna being the second choice.


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I got my m70 stainless classic after a few years of searching. Your pics with yours were stuck in my head lol.

 

[snipe10]

His rifles are 35k, but yeh he is an awesome guy and probably builds the nicest custom rifles these days.

Nowhere anywhere near that price unless you're going with fancy wood. You'd get a couple shooters for that kind of money.

 

[eamyrick]

Nowhere anywhere near that price unless you're going with fancy wood. You'd get a couple shooters for that kind of money.

I stand corrected. His wood guns are 32 and his synthetic guns are 15. Would love to own either one day.

 

[Trees91]

The Talkeetna might be your only “new” production option at this point other than going the custom route.

the Talkeetna is nice but it benefits in my opinion from a barrel chop to balance it out. Iron sights could be better in my opinion but they are functional.

I do some guiding in Alaska. I carry Luke Moffet's old Talkeenta chopped and threaded at 21". Pretty light, stock handles recoil surprisingly well. I couldn't think of a much better gun.

 

[SkunkCabbage]

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