Barrel Length for 375 H&H

[Bonefish2150]

23" is my all round favorite length, in saying that I do have shorter barrel rifles .

it really depends on how the rifle feels on your shoulder .

A Weatherby guy had all his barrels cut to 23 inches.

 

[Bonefish2150]

During my 10 year career as a professional shikaree , I observed that all of the .375 Holland & Holland magnum caliber pre 64 Winchester Model 70 rifles used to have 25 inch barrels . The later push feed designs had 22 inch barrels . I personally consider 24 inch barrels to be ideal for a .375 Holland & Holland magnum caliber rifle . Long enough to burn all of the propellant powder . But not so long , as to become unwieldy to the average sports man .

Of course , this is dependent up on each and every individual sport man’s height , weight and build .

22 inch barrel for the 375 H and H is ideal. Mag Na Port.

 

[Bonefish2150]

22-25 inches, in general it should be fine as it comes from the factory. I would not shorten it.

Personal preference though, just make sure you do not negatively affect the balance of the rifle.

For me too much emphasis is put on "swinging ability", pointability etc. 99.9% of the time you as a client will be shooting off of shooting sticks or some form of rest and this is not a bird gun after all.

Rather stick to a rifle that fits you and is balanced and that you are comfortable with.

Shorter barrels lesson powder burning time(especially in a magnum) which may affect ammo performance. Depending on how much you shorten the barrel, muzzle flip may increase which in turn increases recovery time on your second shot. Muzzle blast will also increase with a shorter barrel, all in reason though.

Again anything between 22-25 inches will work fine and if you are happy with it go for it, I cannot see any real advantage of a 22 inch barrel vs 24 inch. You ain't going to shoot faster or better or be more comfortable carrying a 22 inch vs a 24 inch for all practical purposes in Africa, the difference is just too small.

Go with what you personally prefer.

Shorter barrel's Mag Na Ported.

 

[Bonefish2150]

I own two 375 H&H on Brno ZKK 602 actions, one has a 24" thicker barrel the other the standard 25" thinner barrel. Both balance well the one I use in the thicker stuff and the other in the more open areas, not that I think there is any difference in handling, just different loads that I use for different applications and game.

Chopping too much off a barrel is not something I recommend especially in a magnum DG rifle, yes it needs to balance but 20" barrels are not something I recommend.....

I believe Warren Pages 460 Weatherby had a 20 or a 21 inch barrel. It looked awful short next to that elephant.

 

[Andrew62]

All of us have a personal preference, I had the barrel of my Kimber Talkeetna shortened to 20" long, absolutely love how well it balances now. Before it was too front end heavy, especially after having my shoulder joint replaced plus 2 subsequent shoulder surgeries! Since my rifle is mainly used for buffalo and elephant I am not shooting long distances, however, I did connect on a hartebeest in Cameroon earlier this year at over 200 yards!

 

[IvW]

Shorter barrel's Mag Na Ported.

For what??? If you cannot handle a 375 H&H find something smaller....magna porting...what a waste....
Gun needs to be balanced.....

 

[IvW]

I believe Warren Pages 460 Weatherby had a 20 or a 21 inch barrel. It looked awful short next to that elephant.

Probably downloaded to 2100fps.....rediculous to say the least.....

 

[IvW]

Magna ported
Magna ported
Are you trying to up your post count or what??

 

[SAFARIKIDD]

I had Lon Paul do me one for Alaska in all Stainless at 21"...Loved it and sure it lost a little velocity but I like handy guns and I would answer your question with 22-23" ...

 

[RudiB]

Mine is cut at 22”. Works great. I dont mind loosing 50-75fps.

 

[F. Vaccaro]

An observation, a 24” bbl on a Ruger #1 is like a 20” bbl on a bolt action.
If you like single shots you can get the advantage of a longer bbl & still have a short rifle.

 

[Bonefish2150]

In my 22" 375 H&H the 270 gr comfortably goes 2650 fps. I don't think there is a loss of speed that makes any difference.

You're absolutely right the velocity loss is minimal. 60 fps maybe a little more. Truly insignifcate.

In my 22" 375 H&H the 270 gr comfortably goes 2650 fps. I don't think there is a loss of speed that makes any difference.

 

[grand veneur]

As I have already written on the same topic, short barrels are not ideal for a cartridge that holds a large amount of powder.

If you want a medium caliber rifle with a short barrel, then prefer to use one caliber 9,3x62, a cartridge which is much better suited for shorter barrels than the cartridge 375 H&H Magnum.

 

[375er]

Mine has a 26 inch barrel and I have never found it to be a hindrance in thick brush or shooting wise. I think it is all what you are use to.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

I am perfectly content with 24-25” barrels on .375 Holland & Holland Magnums. I’ve been hunting with .375 Holland & Holland Magnum caliber rifles in Africa ever since my life’s first safari to Kenya in 1974. The barrel length was never an issue for me, even in places with dense foliage like Tanzania.