I'm really liking the Heym, but is the value there? I cannot see the two side by side, but if anyone has input it would be appreciated. This would be a Canada, Alaska, and Africa rifle.

Later, when I’m on a desktop rather than my phone, I’ll type out a couple of points.

And also something you need to check on all Mauser and Mauser derivative bolt rifles to be used to hunt dangerous game or where dangerous game lives.

At my desk...

A fine rifle like a Heym is always worth owning, imo. But if wear on an expensive, formerly pristine rifle causes you heartburn then maybe a Winchester is the rifle for you.

Africa is relatively easy on rifles, with endless fine dust being the culprit of rifle wear that needs attention. The fine dust plus sweat form a slurry that is hard on the bluing of rifles carried a lot, especially at the muzzle of rifles carried "African style." A sling will help, but if you're on your feet on tracks or walking dry rivers everyday you will end up carrying your rifle every possible way. Wiping your palms dry on your shorts or shirt helps some. A little post hunt evening maintenance helps too. With the generally low humidity a dry rifle is best, it picks up less dust. Its best to finish your evening clean up with with a good wipe down with a dry cloth to leave the rifle dry but slick. For bolt rails and similar, I found grease applied then wiped clean to be a good solution.

Alaska can be hard on rifles with humidity, rain and potential salt water being especially hard on blued rifles. A couple of oil wipes or an oily rag in a zip lock doesn't weigh much and can go a long way through a day. A good evening clean is required, with the rifle left well oiled. If the gun gets a soaking then stripping the bolt is a good idea, and maybe taking the action out of the stock to dry the underside and wipe it down. If the rifle is properly bedded (the Heym will be) then replacing the action in the stock and tightening action screws to the original tension will not result in significant POI change.

Don't know much about Canadian hunting.


For any Mauser or derivative actioned rifle, the following test ought to be performed - with an unloaded rifle, or course:
With the bolt closed and safety fully engaged, smack the bottom of the bolt handle, then try moving the safety to fire. It ought to move to fire, if it doesn't, it needs work so you don't get stomped, gored or eaten.

JJ Perodeau, a gun maker in Enid OK, can fix a rifle with a problem. If you're buying a new Hyem tell Double Gun Imports to make sure the rifle passes the test before it ships.

For any rifle taken into dangerous game territory, the feeding of your chosen ammunition ought to be checked. For African dangerous game hunting I would actually cycle every round of ammunition I was taking to Africa three times to ensure that it would feed in a pinch.

For Heym money plus a bit, I would get an Echols rifle.

But I like the Heyms. I like them better when there’s an extra barrel.

I'm not sure if you're refering to the doubles or the SR-21/30 series that can have "wechsel" barrels. Changeable barrels. To my knowledge the Mauser action Express does not have that option. Unless I'm mistaken. Not meant as objective, but what is the big deal with Echol's Rifles? I looked at their site and they just look like upgraded Winchester 70s with no actual sourcing of parts.

D’Arcy makes the parts. But they aren’t interchangeable they only fit the one rifle. I think it’s like 300 hours that go into one rifle. The stock is lovely, once you shoot a rifle with cast and cant you don’t want to go back to a 2x4.

And I meant Heym doubles. If I wanted interchangeable barrels I would get a Blaser.

I was going to buy a Winchester chambered in .375 H&H on the strong recommendation from a PH I have hunted with for years.

Then a Ruger Hawkeye chambered in .375 Ruger came up on the EE for a stupidly low price.

I like bolt actions better than doubles in the .375 range.
Heaven forbid you only wound a dangerous game animal and you get another shot at it from outside a doubles optimal range. Almost all doubles are regulated to an optimal range, usually 50 yards or so.

The barrels while individually very accurate, have different POI. The sights are set so they both hit the same place at 50 yards. After that, they usually diverge, sometimes quite significantly at 100 yards or so. Inherent issue with 1 sight for two barrels.

.375 is not considered a stopping round. It doesn’t have the energy of the .40 cal and up carriages.
That is not it’s strength. It’s strength is it’s penetration, which is measured in yards, with high quality EXPANDING Bullets. Chest to ass, I have shot a Cape buffalo with Barnes ttsx Bullets. If you have a path to the heart that is not blocked by the rumen, a .375 H&H or .375 Ruger can get there. The bigger cartridges don’t have that kind of pen.