Plan for a used bespoke rifle

[BJH65]

An used Mauser Model 98 Diplomat in .375 Holland & Holland Magnum would get my vote.

Blaser R-8s personally don't thrill me much. But they are flawless weapons of their class. And extremely practical.

Your opinion backed by years of practical experience are certainly noteworthy. A Mauser M98 Diplomat is a most excellent rifle if we go that route.

 

[BJH65]

Nice rifle here, worth a look...

Davenport Mauser .375 H&H for sale

Davenport Mauser .375 H&H for sale online.

www.gunsinternational.com

That is a very nice rifle. I actually bid on it and several others right before I left for my African hunt this past September, from that past online auction. Clearly not enough! Plus I was too busy hunting to really follow the auction. We are now seeing them reappear. Even with the markup, it’s probably not a bad price. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Altitude sickness]

I would say it’s a steal of a price for a Davenport rifle.

 

[BJH65]

I would say it’s a steal of a price for a Davenport rifle.

Cannot tell if that’s simply a deep scratch or possible a crack next to the rear cross bolt left side?

 

[Altitude sickness]

Looks like a dent

 

[BJH65]

Looks like a dent

It does, seems to match some of the wood figure, maybe it was colored in to blend the scratch.

 

[MD Driver]

Attend DSC or the SCI shows and head straight to the firearms section of those shows. All the big makers and dealers are there with lots to look at and handle and even purchase. It’s really your best option to shop for a quality rifle; there’s just so many to look over.

Ed Z

Couldn’t agree more, Ed. It’s been costly, though. The quality and selections are tremendous. FWIW, Purdey only attends DSC, and I think they hang with Griffin & Howe there.

 

[MD Driver]

An used Mauser Model 98 Diplomat in .375 Holland & Holland Magnum would get my vote.

Blaser R-8s personally don't thrill me much. But they are flawless weapons of their class. And extremely practical.

Yeah, tough one there. Have both, and they’re exceptional but very different. The tie breaker is your tolerance for stock dings and scratches. Some think it shows character and memories, while other obsessive types (me) hate the thought of it.

I’ve been trying to get Blaser to state whether or not they’ll ever produce a 7 PRC, and they still say that it’s “in the works.” That would be an awesome setup…. .375 H&H and 7 PRC.

I like the way you think, good searching!

 

[BeeMaa]

Yeah, tough one there. Have both, and they’re exceptional but very different. The tie breaker is your tolerance for stock dings and scratches. Some think it shows character and memories, while other obsessive types (me) hate the thought of it.

I’ve been trying to get Blaser to state whether or not they’ll ever produce a 7 PRC, and they still say that it’s “in the works.” That would be an awesome setup…. .375 H&H and 7 PRC.

I like the way you think, good searching!

What is the intended purpose of the 7PRC barrel? If it's hunting, I'd think you might happier with a 7mmRM because of ammo availability and because the ballistics aren't that much different to normal hunting ranges of less than 300 yards. Certainly not enough for the game to notice.

Accuracy could be a another reason, but considering most Blaser barrels are sub-MOA with factory ammo this could be a push.

If you are hunting at extended ranges beyond 500 yards and possibly longer brass life for reloading, then I can see some advantages.

On the other hand, sometimes you just want what you want for no other reason than you want it. And I'm in no position to criticize you for that. Happy hunting.

 

[One Day...]

Hmmm...........

I am afraid that all the "new" 6 ARC (Advanced Rifle Cartridge), 6.5, 7 or 300 PRC (Precision Rifle Cartridge), 6.8 Western, etc. etc. cartridges that have been flooding the blogs and YouTube over the last few months/years will go the way of the dodo promptly, just like the Imperial Magnum (Canada), Lazzeroni, Dakota, WSM (Winchester Short Magnum), RUM (Remington Ultra Mag), SAUM (Short Action Ultra Magnum), etc. etc. before them, as soon as the next "flavor of the day" pops up, and the ammo manufacturers assess that, after the initial burst of fashionable interest, there may be 3,000 or 5,000 rifles sold in each caliber compared to hundreds of thousands, or a few millions, rifles in .223 Rem, .243 Win, 7 Rem Mag, 300 Win Mag, 270 Win, etc.

Sure, I understand and appreciate the advantages of longer bullets with lower ballistic coefficient on trajectories, but the days of extending the Maximum Point Blank Range (MPBR) are over. Most traditional hunters are completely OK with the 300 yards that the classic cartridges deliver and could not care less about an additional 15 yards; and laser range finders and BDC (Bullet Drop Compensator) turret scopes have made MPBR obsolete for long range shooters.

As to the wind, the challenge has always been to estimate the wind, not to correct for it, that part is easy...

Reloaders won't care about disappearance of factory ammo, but once their ammo has been lost in transit, good luck to find the once-latest American exotic cartridges in Harare or Bulawayo, Gaborone, Lusaka, Windhoek, Maputo, Dar es Salaam or Dodoma, or even Jo'burg or Pretoria...

Not to mention the fact that, as BeeMaa observed, the actual field differences for hunting purposes between 7 PRC and 7 Rem Mag or Wby, or .300 PRC and .300 Win or Wby, etc. etc. are mostly academic, especially if, as already mentioned, the trajectory is compensated for by a BDC turret.

To each our own, and it does not bother me in the least what other folks are shooting, as long as it is appropriate for the game they hunt -- hint: 6.5 Creedmoor or PRC, etc. are NOT appropriate for Elk or Kudu at 600 yards -- but I shall repeat: hmmm...........

 

[Rare Breed]

Your opinion backed by years of practical experience are certainly noteworthy. A Mauser M98 Diplomat is a most excellent rifle if we go that route.

I have tremendous respect for @Hunter-Habib who is one of my mentors