.375 H&H Short barrel Encore rifle. How short should I go?

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Liftman101

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Joined
Jan 28, 2024
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Location
Gainesville FL
I have an Encore I bought to build a Hobbit rifle. I am eventually going to Africa next May. No dangerous game will be hunted. Mainly antelope. I thought it would be fun to order a .375 H&H barrel for the Encore. I doubt I would ever use it much but my friends might. I was thinking of doing an 18" or 20" Threaded barrel. I assume I will install a brake to reduce recoil since I do not have a suppressor that large. At the shorter length, the muzzle blast will be intense. Is that enough reason not to try the shorter barrel and to stick with the standard 24" or 26"? If anyone has used a short barreled .375 some feedback would be appreciated.
 
I have a 19in 375 ina rifle and never noticed it was bad🤷🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️of course i started using it before I spent so much time on the internet.
 
Liftman101 said:
I have an Encore I bought to build a Hobbit rifle. I am eventually going to Africa next May. No dangerous game will be hunted. Mainly antelope. I thought it would be fun to order a .375 H&H barrel for the Encore. I doubt I would ever use it much but my friends might. I was thinking of doing an 18" or 20" Threaded barrel. I assume I will install a brake to reduce recoil since I do not have a suppressor that large. At the shorter length, the muzzle blast will be intense. Is that enough reason not to try the shorter barrel and to stick with the standard 24" or 26"? If anyone has used a short barreled .375 some feedback would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
I just remembered I also have a 24in rem 700 in 375. I've never noticed any difference in shooting the two although I've never directly compared them side by side same day.
If you want it short go for it!
 
The Ruger Hawkeye Alaskan in 375 Ruger comes with a 20" barrel. To me it measures more like 19". The Ruger and H&H are the same ballistics. A break just makes it loud. I shoot my Ruger off a Harris benchrest bipod. Recoil is not fierce! With shortness of the Oncore frame a 20" barrell would be sweat!
 
With the muzzle of the barrel being that close to your ears on the Encore platform, I'd want no part of a cartridge burning 70+ grains of powder and an 18" barrel. Especially with a muzzle brake. I would suspect that one careless shot without hearing protection could result in permanent hearing damage. Encores already have a short overall length. I would choose at least a 22" barrel with no brake and also consider a cartridge that burns a little less powder such as a .35 Whelen or 9.3x62. I bet you would be a lot happier with any of those options in the long run.
 
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