376 Steyr

[358Win]

If one wanted to make up a 376 Steyr on an action that is readily available here in the USA.  What would be the best action to start with?  While I could live with a right handed action if I absolutely had too, I'd much prefer a left handed action.

Mu current favorite rifle is my BLR Lighting in 358 Winchester.  Which has the advantage of being able to be fired off either side.  Somethimg I'm prone to do in long sessions at the range.  Once the left side starts to get worn out I just switch to the right side.

Given that the 376 Steyr is basically a longer version of the 284 Winchester with a larger rim that might help give the gunsmiths among you some ideas where to start.

Cartrige      Rim       Base     Shoulder
284 Win     0.473     0.500      0.475
376 Steyr   0.496     0.501      0.474

The last note being that the 376 Steyr must be built on a standard 30-06 length action rather than the short actions suitable for the 284 Win.

[358Win]

While it deeply saddens me the 376 Steyr seems to be dying already.  Essentially a still birth.  The 375 Ruger on the other hand will probably be a wild success.  Too much case capacity for the bore if you ask me.  But I'll happily build a 400 (i.e. 0.410, 0.411, even 0.412 bullets) on this case.  Small game loads can be worked up using 41 Magnum Revolver bullets.  Of course I'll get a matching 41 Magnum revolver.  Which seems like a much better finisher for lions and other big game than the 357 Revolver so many guides use for that sort of thing.  Then there are Woodleigh bullet at 0.412 for the 405 Winchester which weight 300 grains and would be suitable for all medium game.  Then there are the Woodleigh 400 grain bullets in both softpoint and solids that when driven between 2,375 and 2,425 would be perfect for all big game from Elephant on down.  I'd surely trust that a whole lot more than the under powered 458 Winchester weakling.  A lot can be said for the 458 Lott (note pun intended).  One can do general practice and in a real pinch actually use the 458 Winchester round while reserving the very capable 458 Lott throwing a 500 grain at 2,300 +

If one wishes for real ballistics advice, rather than the high velocity crap put out by the American press take a look at a source which is backed by real world experience:
http://www.africanhuntermagazines.com/

[panhandle]

I had thought about this cartridge also and someone on this forum suggested the 9.3x62 instead and I decided to go with the mauser round.  I had just purchased 2 of the Charles Daly left hand actions and one will go for the 9.3x62.  When I bought the first action I did try the 376 Steyr through the action and it fed very smoothly from the magazine.  My main problem with the Steyr is that it has never caught on.  I think it a good cartridge, but I guess no one else does.  They have even stopped inporting them.  How long will brass be available?  Brass for the mauser had been around for 102 years.  There both good cartridges.  If you used a action like the Rem 700, the bolt face only has to opened up .010 per side which isn't much.  I think any left hand action would work.

Panhandlepr

[358Win]

Hi PanHandlepr:

   It's pretty hard to come any closer to perfection than the 9.3x62mm.  As far as game from 50 to 15,000 pounds I don't see much use for anything else.  It was a wild success in Africa from the day of its birth in 1905 until the 1960s.

   "This is how 'Pondoro' Taylor sums up the 9,3x62 in his classic book, African Rifles & Cartridges. From the moment of its introduction in 1905 until ammunition supply problems in the late 1960's, the 9,3x62 Mauser reigned supreme the "all rounded calibre" and probably most popular non-military in Africa."

   The real life hero of the "The Ghost and the Darkness" had this to say: "George Rushby favoured his 9,3 double for both elephant control work and for shooting lion. Ten of the man-eaters of Njombe fell to George's 9,3, and he records with sorrow how he was forced to sell the 9,3 for financial reasons and purchase a .400 which, although just as effective on elephant lacked the "shocking power" on the big cats. This of course was simply a matter of velocity as the 9,3' s velocity is above the critical velocity at which explosive wounds occur in flesh (2200-2250fps), and so the bullets tend to produce a much more extensive wound and "shock" to the central nervous system than the larger, slower bullets."

   Now in its 2nd life the 9.3x62 can be counted on the world over for everything but the professional's some times nightmare of having to finish a Wounded Elephant at close range in the jesse or other dense cover.

[Dave in WV]

IIRC the .376 is based on the 9.3x64 case but is shortened to about the 57mm case length. That's strike one as it's in btween the long and short action length.  A fairly new wildcat cartridge is a .350 Rem mag necked to 9.3 . It's about the same as a 9.3x62.

[rickt300]

Actually the Steyr Works very well in the many M98's out there and the now common 24/47 actions which are a bit shorter than the M98 standard length action is perfect for the Steyr. I have a 24/47 action and a 375 barrel but I haven't found anyone with a Steyr reamer yet locally. I bought a 358 winchester and haven't found any reason to build the 376 just yet.

[Badnews Bob]

I have a .376 built on a M48 action, Looks like they were made for each other. Man does that thing hit hard, Major hammer here boys.

[rickt300]

The 24/47 is very similar to the M48. My planned use for the 376 is mostly as a big hog gun, now that the 358 is in the testing I have to rethink because the 358 will most likely kill big hogs very well.