.300 H&H action?

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Loyalist84

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I'm playing with the idea of building a .300 Holland and Holland as my longer range heavy rifle, mainly because it's a pre-1940 round and roughly comparable to the .300 Win Mag. I already have a 9.3x62 for closer work, but some moose and elk hunts will require a 400 yard shot that I'm not comfortable with using a 9.3. However I've heard that it necessitates an extra-long magnum action, and I'm curious as to any experiences that you folks have have building or modifying them as to a choice of action in a CRF, twist rates, barrel contours, etc.
 
Any Remington 700 or G Series Model 70 standard/long actions will work. Some modifications may be required for the Model 70 depending on what you start with.
 
Essentially the same length as the .375 H&H, RUM series, many weatherby's, 8mm RM, 416 RM, 7 STW ect. Many manufacturer's standard long action will work, some will not (e.g. Ruger), most will need some mods depending on the original chambering. As Chuck said, a 700 or a CRF Mod 70 would be a good start.
 
The 300 H&H is one of those oddball cartridges, like the 6.5 X 55, the 308, its big sister, the 375 and a few others that just seem to get everything right - moderate recoil, powder load measured in grains, not cups, very accurate, moderate recoil. The 45-70 seems to be in that class as well. Good luck on your build, and keep us posted.
 
chuck nelson said:
Any Remington 700 or G Series Model 70 standard/long actions will work. Some modifications may be required for the Model 70 depending on what you start with.
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The modifications to the Model 70 are pretty easy to accomplish at home if you have some metalworking skills.

That being said, when I lengthened my 300WM to allow for seating heavy bullets out long, it was fairly easy. But I would be suspicious that the tapered 300 H&H case might not stay in the magazine as well due to the feed rails being made for the more modern, ostensibly straight-bodied magnums. Now I'm curious to see if the mag on my 300 WM will hold down 300 H&H ammo. I'll give it a try when IU get home...if I remember!
 
I've had some Model 70's without rear bridge modifications fail to eject the longer cartridges. I just picked up a 338 Win Mag and have all the parts for a longer box conversion. When I get ambitious I'll check this one out.
 
Any action and mag box that housed a 2.8" belted case cartridge should work (donor from .375 H&H, .300 WBY, .458 Lott etc.). I have a No1 in .300H&H and love it, cool cartridge!
 
My old faithful 300 H&H barreled up on a VZ24 Mauser by Bevan King about thirty years ago. Originally an 8X57, it had a set of SAKO iron sights installed on the barrel, and an old B&L Balvar 8A in Buehler Micro-Dial mounts. You can get a bit creative with a Franken 300. :) It rode for miles in trucks, boats, and airplanes, and is now kicking around in Northern Manitoba.

View attachment 113262


This FN Sporter was originally a 30-06. Rechambered to the old girl, it is now one of the sweetest and accurate H&Hs I have ever used.

IMGP5778.jpg

Both rifles were originally for the standard length cartridges. Both needed the magazines lengthened and the feed ramp altered and polished. The 300 H&H will feed out of just about anything.

Ted
 

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chuck nelson said:
I've had some Model 70's without rear bridge modifications fail to eject the longer cartridges. I just picked up a 338 Win Mag and have all the parts for a longer box conversion. When I get ambitious I'll check this one out.
Click to expand...

I think that the ejector is the trick. If you undercut a standard Long Action ejector to allow the cartridge on the left hand side of the action to ride up to where it can feed and don't shorten it then it should work fine. If you shorten it at all I think you run into problems.
 
I'm on a roll today. Remembered to get food for the cat, paid the visa and fed 300 H&H rounds into my lengthened 300WM. They went in the mag just fine fed from the mag, ejected loaded rounds and everything stayed in the mag despite serious bouncing of the butt on the floor. So the only modification necessary to a G-Series Model 70 Classic is to square up the rear of the feed rails (the corners come rounded from the factory due to the nature of machining), to relieve the underside of the ejector so that a round on the left-hand side of the magazine can sit tight to the feed rail, as well as adding a full-length mag box and follower. As I recall it took me about an hour with a fine file.
 
I built mine on a Montana 99 Left hand Long action with a long magnum mag box. No modifications required and it feeds perfectly.
 
Wow,bringing back some fond memories here! I had a Rem 700 Classic in 300 H&H and like a fool I parted ways with it. Was a very accurate mild mannered cartridge that would spit 200 grain Partitions into under an inch at 100 yards. When I got it I had to have some stock repair done, but other than that she was a beauty!
 
Why not? said:
My old faithful 300 H&H barreled up on a VZ24 Mauser by Bevan King about thirty years ago. Originally an 8X57, it had a set of SAKO iron sights installed on the barrel, and an old B&L Balvar 8A in Buehler Micro-Dial mounts. You can get a bit creative with a Franken 300. :) It rode for miles in trucks, boats, and airplanes, and is now kicking around in Northern Manitoba.

View attachment 113262


This FN Sporter was originally a 30-06. Rechambered to the old girl, it is now one of the sweetest and accurate H&Hs I have ever used.

View attachment 113264

Both rifles were originally for the standard length cartridges. Both needed the magazines lengthened and the feed ramp altered and polished. The 300 H&H will feed out of just about anything.

Ted
Click to expand...

Love that FN Ted. Nice, nice rifle. - dan
 
BigUglyMan said:
I think that the ejector is the trick. If you undercut a standard Long Action ejector to allow the cartridge on the left hand side of the action to ride up to where it can feed and don't shorten it then it should work fine. If you shorten it at all I think you run into problems.
Click to expand...

Could that result in any potential weakness/failure of the ejector in the long term, or is it a fairly small amount of metal that has to be removed?

Also just in general, would the bolt face of a standard rifle like an 8x57 or .30-06 have to be opened up in a conversion, or would feed rail and magazine length modifications be all that's necessary?

In addition, is a lengthened magazine something of a gunsmith-only job or is it accomplishable with a few ordered parts and some sandpaper?
 
I never mentioned that in my post above, but the bolt face did have to be opened up in both rifles.

The extractor was ground slightly, after the bolt face was modified, until it held a loaded round firmly in a horizontal position while out of the action. It doesn't take very much metal removed to be too much. :runaway:

Ted
 
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