• Watch Out for Scammers!

    We've now added a color code for all accounts. Orange accounts are new members, Blue are full members, and Green are Supporters. If you get a message about a sale from an orange account, make sure you pay attention before sending any money!

375 Raptor, bolt gun or gas gun for precision hunting rifle?

Scotts556

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Oct 23, 2009
570
113
30
Texas

So I know its not your typical precision rifle caliber, but however it is the caliber i have selected to build a precision hunting rifle in, cause the state I'm moving to sucks for caliber laws for hunting, minimum for .350 caliber.

The main question is which style rifle I should build? I will end up building a precision hunting rifle off of one of the two styles. Just cant decide on which one. I know the obvious pros and cons, bolt gun will be lighter, gas gun will be harder to shoot well. But what say the precision rifle general gang.


Scott



 
  • Like
Reactions: Eo12
For hunting, definitely bolt action. Quieter action, and lighter. What barrel are you going to be using? I’m building a tikka t3x with a 1/6.5 twist barrel from black collar arms. Just waiting for the shipment email hopefully soon.
 
Sounds like you are building a dangerous game rifle. Some states that regulate you to .350, such as .350 Legend, do so because they want bullets that drop quick and that round, like the .450 Bush Master will drop 5 feet in 300 yards. Just a smidge better than hunting deer with a 12 ga slug gun.

Does your state have a restriction on range, or MV? And is that only on public land? YOu might have some leeway on private land.
 
Sounds like you are building a dangerous game rifle. Some states that regulate you to .350, such as .350 Legend, do so because they want bullets that drop quick and that round, like the .450 Bush Master will drop 5 feet in 300 yards. Just a smidge better than hunting deer with a 12 ga slug gun.

Does your state have a restriction on range, or MV? And is that only on public land? YOu might have some leeway on private land.
Its just a minimum caliber law. Minimum of .350 and 500 ftlbs of muzzle energy, Id hardly call this a dangerous game rifle though, my other option I'm looking at is a model 70 safari express in 375 h&h
 
Its just a minimum caliber law. Minimum of .350 and 500 ftlbs of muzzle energy, Id hardly call this a dangerous game rifle though, my other option I'm looking at is a model 70 safari express in 375 h&h
Okay, then, back to basically having a straight wall and a big and fat bullet moving slow and dropping 5 feet in about 300 yards.
 
Okay, then, back to basically having a straight wall and a big and fat bullet moving slow and dropping 5 feet in about 300 yards.
Thats the annoying part lol, Iowa dropped the straight wall only catridge law a couple years ago, but your still limited on catridges due to the category your stuck shopping in. I don't agree with it, but its what I'm stuck with. I'm still exploring options, this year ill more than likely just hunt archery, but a model 70 safari express with a Leopold Mk5 2-10 would be a decent hunting rifle out to 450ish based on some intial playing around with the numbers, but 375 raptor lets me use more common rifle components.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ronws
Thats the annoying part lol, Iowa dropped the straight wall only catridge law a couple years ago, but your still limited on catridges due to the category your stuck shopping in. I don't agree with it, but its what I'm stuck with. I'm still exploring options, this year ill more than likely just hunt archery, but a model 70 safari express with a Leopold Mk5 2-10 would be a decent hunting rifle out to 450ish based on some intial playing around with the numbers, but 375 raptor lets me use more common rifle components.
It's hunting season now, I'm curious what you decided to go with for a cartridge.
 
I had to go look at Iowa hunting regulations. What an incoherent shit show in regards to rifle season regulations.

Want to use a .243 Win or 6mm Creedmoor for slaying a whitetail? Go fuck yourself.

Want to use a .416 Barrett? Totally acceptable.

Now they should both be legal to hunt with, even if one of them is complete overkill but what kind of bizzaro world bullshit regulation ends up with the less powerful less likely to over penetrate round being banned?

Idiots
Out
Wandering
Around
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Ronws
Make sure that the State you're moving to isn't also straight wall only.
That’s what I was thinking. If its not straight wall….

Lots of reloading manuals give great reduced loads and lighter loads for the .375 H&H. Realizing that a lot of folks don’t like belted cases, still, the .375 H&H has been very successful at killing critters large, very large and some not so large for 111 years.
 
How about a 35 whelen, you can get it over 2800 fps with a 180 grain bullet.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RUN8
I guess with those asinine rules I’d probably go .35 Whelen or .358 Winchester depending on what size action the OP wants to use for other calibers if he is running a switch barrel setup.
 
Well Slap me in the face. Me, who owns not one but two .35 Whelens and they are both shooters and both have multiple Whitetail kills to their credit.

Yep, if straight wall is not the case but .35 or larger is the rule, go with the Whelen. Again, plenty of light practice loads available In the loading manuals. And with my Brenda’s .35 Whelen, those light loads will Kill Deer!

If longer ranges are not available, the 180 grain Speer designed for the .35 Remington, flattens em. Killed three with that bullet. Make sure of your bullet placement. Otherwise it will make a mess of em. Also, shooting my Custom Ruger 77, my once and Guaranteed only shot i will ever try, shooting up the tail pipe missed by two inches to the right. It was a full house, “ought a get em” load using 225 grain Nosler Accubonds. The left side of the deer had the only edible meat. (the darned deer would not turn and he was too nice and it was too late in the season).
How about a 35 whelen, you can get it over 2800 fps with a 180 grain bullet.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ronws
Build something that pushes a .458 cal bullet at least 2200 fps…..be a man. Several rifles out there in .375 Ruger but brass/ammo are scarce. I don’t believe in overkill. F them deer.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: NewsShooter