Your Thoughts on .375 Ruger?

[Laplacian]

I've been entertaining the idea of getting the Alaskan version, but there is very little recent information about this caliber on the net; most reviews are just before or just after introduction around 2006/2007.

I'm looking for the next step above 30-06 without going to the super magnums. This weapon would mostly reside in the safe, but carried on infrequent trips to Alaska.

I like the lightweight/power combination at a relatively low price that this platform offers. Not interested in semi-autos or distances past 300 meters.

I would reload so ammo availability is not a great concern.

Please share your recent thoughts and experiences about this platform.

 

[H&Hhunter]

The .375 Ruger is nothing more than a very slightly more powerful .375H&H in a shorter non belted cartridge.

As a matter of fact I have a 20" .375H&H and with my hand loads VS a 20" Alaskan .375 Ruger they chrono within 100 FPS of each other.

A slight performance gain is a mute point however as both are totally capable of handing anything on any continent quite easily and the .375 Ruger on the Alaskan Platform is the best off the shelf Alaskan cruising gun ever built. It exactly mimics what I built with my carbine .375H&H 15 years before the Ruger came out. If I had it to do all over again I'd simply buy a .375 Ruger or a .416 Ruger in an Alaskan and skip the $1,000 worth of gun smithing to make my stainless .375H&H the perfect Alaskan gun.

One word of warning however..Ruger QC SUX..Do not buy a used .375 Ruger as almost everyone I've seen come off the used rack had issues. Buy a new one I'd get the stainless gun that has the black flat finish on it. If it has issues send it back to Ruger IMMEDIATELY don't mess around with gun smiths who will nothing but void your warranty.

If you get a good one I can't think of a better rifle for general Alaskan carry and hunting. My buddy has a .375 Ruger in African version he is launching 270 gr TSX @ 2800 to 2850 out of his gun mine does the same bullet @ 2600 to 2750. Once again it's not performance you are getting it's the platform and for your purposes it's the way to go.

 

[DM~]

I've been entertaining the idea of getting the Alaskan version, but there is very little recent information about this caliber on the net; most reviews are just before or just after introduction around 2006/2007.

I'm looking for the next step above 30-06 without going to the super magnums. This weapon would mostly reside in the safe, but carried on infrequent trips to Alaska.

I like the lightweight/power combination at a relatively low price that this platform offers. Not interested in semi-autos or distances past 300 meters.

I would reload so ammo availability is not a great concern.

Please share your recent thoughts and experiences about this platform.

The 375 Ruger is two steps up from a 30-06, and is really more recoil and weight than you need for ANYTHING in Alaska.

The .338 Win. Mag will kill anything in Alaska just as well, and do it with less recoil and easier to get ammo.

DM

 

[Kachok]

I agree that the 375 is two steps up from the 06. 338 win is sufficient for anything in North America, but for whatever reson I want a 375 too. Mabey it is because it makes a better stopper then the 338, mabey it is because the most experenced hunters I have ever known perfer the 375 like 20 to 1 over the 338, mabey because I am still holding out hope on hunting the big 5 in Africa someday. Besides it is not really that much more recoil if you do the math.

 

[H&Hhunter]

The .338 produces almost the same energy as a .375 the recoil is pretty close to the same and it has to have longer tube than either of the .375's especially the Ruger to perform. I tried a 20" .338 once upon a time BIG MISTAKE. It was blowing unburned powder out the nose.

There aren't any flies on a .338 WM but If you blind folded me and put me on a bench I probably couldn't tell you which had less recoil.

 

[Kachok]

Biggest difference to me is 50 extra gr of bullet weight the 338 can use up to 250gr spritzers and 300gr RNFB, 375 can use 300gr spritzers and 350gr RNFB. The powder charge is almost identical both usualy run 70-75gr.

 

[Kachok]

Why is it that the 375 Ruger can effectivly use a shorter barrel then the 375 H&H while packing a slightly larger powder charge?

 

[Robert]

Want to go a step up from 30-06 take a look at 35 Whelen. Think of it as 358-06.

 

[trultemor]

9.3x62...

 

[Kachok]

The Whelen is a real sleeper, most people see the cheasy underpowerd 200gr factory loads and don't think much of it. But truth be told it can push a 310gr bullet in excess of 2400fps from what I have read. That will hit much harder then any 06 load that I know of, and really give the 338 win a run for it's money. Still not a 375 caliber though, but there is the 375 Hawk which is also based on the 06 case (well 280 rem really) That might be the magic bullet, you can order a 375 Hawk barrel to easly change over any standard action length Savage, and brass can be formed out of any 06 case. Sounds intresting.

 

[H&Hhunter]

Why is it that the 375 Ruger can effectivly use a shorter barrel then the 375 H&H while packing a slightly larger powder charge?

A 20" .375H&H .375H&H runs pretty close to a 20" .375 Ruger. But barrel length vs velocity has to do with several factors.

A 20" .375 Ruger will toss a 270 gr Bullet @ 2750 to 2850 a 20" .375H&H will do the same at 200 to 2750 depending on the powder used. It is simply a matter of slightly more case capacity in the Ruger. The pressure curve of both rounds is really pretty close.

 

[dgarvin1]

I kinda think the 375 Ruger is an unnecessary "improvement" on the 375 H&H, and there is definitely something to be said about belted cases when hunting dangerous game.

But if you can get a sweet deal, why not?

 

[H&Hhunter]

I kinda think the 375 Ruger is an unnecessary "improvement" on the 375 H&H, and there is definitely something to be said about belted cases when hunting dangerous game.

I agree that the .375 is probably a redundant caliber but what advantage does a belted case have in DG hunting? I know a rimmed case has some very real merit in a double rifle but I've never heard of a belted case adding to a rounds reliability or extraction?

 

[dgarvin1]

It adds reliability during extraction because the case headspaces off the belt, not the shoulder, leaving a smaller surface area for the case to build friction/get stuck. It basically acts as a rim on a rimless round.

 

[S. Hill]

It adds reliability during extraction because the case headspaces off the belt, not the shoulder, leaving a smaller surface area for the case to build friction/get stuck. It basically acts as a rim on a rimless round.

What??? I understand the function of headspacing on the belt for the long tapered H&H cartridges, but to say that a belted .300 Win. Mag would extract better than a non-belted .300 Dakota?!?!? I think you are blowin' smoke up somebody's......

Also, to get the best accuracy from your belted magnums, you should headspace off the shoulder! Now, I understand you can't do that with the .300 and .375 H&H, but your 7mm Rem. Mag will shoot better and the brass will last longer if you aren't pushing the shoulder back each time you resize the cartridge case. The belt is simply a cosmetic advertisement that it is a "Magnum".

 

[H&Hhunter]

Now, I understand you can't do that with the .300 and .375 H&H, but your 7mm Rem.

S.Hill,

I head space my .375H&H's on the shoulder not the belt. They have plenty of shoulder to space off of.

I have to agree with you about the extraction thing though. I like you can't possibly see how a belted case adds any extraction advantage over a non belted case.

The ONLY old time Dg caliber that was belted was the .375H&H. All of the other bolt cartridges were not and those included the .404 Jeffery, .416 Rigby, .425 WR, .303, .318,.275 Rigby, .500 Schuller/Jeffery any of the metric calibers such as the the various 9.3's ETC.

No offense dgarvin1 but I ain't buying this one about belts and extracting. What the .404 Jeffery and the 375H&H both have in common is a long tapered case to a sloping shoulder and a longer neck. That shape tends to really extract and feed well. My .404 Jeffery and my .375H&Hs feed slicker than whale snot.

I could be wrong but this is the first I've ever heard of it and it isn't making sense to me for several reasons the least of which is that every time you fired a belted magnum that is head spaced off the belt that case fire forms to the chamber on the shoulder anyway. Which is why your cases won't last very long if you space them off the belt and not the shoulder each time.

 

[wlewisiii]

9.3x62...

+1 unless you go with 9.3x74R in a double rifle.

 

[dgarvin1]

I could be wrong but this is the first I've ever heard of it and it isn't making sense to me for several reasons the least of which is that every time you fired a belted magnum that is head spaced off the belt that case fire forms to the chamber on the shoulder anyway.

This is really the first you have ever heard of this? I mean absolutely no disprepect by saying this, but I thought this was pretty common knowledge. Obviously you are very knowledgeable and your arguments do make sense, especially the chamber fire-form part. I've definitely questioned this too.

I will also whole-heartedly agree that the common "belted mags" that were developed off the 375 H&H parent case are unnecessary. But for a long, tapered round like the 375, there certainly isn't anything wrong with smooth feeding and postive headspacing when facing something that can eat you to death.

From personal experience, I have never had a failure to extract my 375 H&H, but I can't say the same regarding my 300RUM or some of my other high pressure rounds, especially those with rebated rims. Occasionaly (and in the case of the RUM-somewhat frequently) I have an extraciton failure.

For now I will side with Holland and Holland, I think they are a reliable source. But I got some good advice here and learned quite a bit, thank you guys.

 

[Kachok]

I cannot imagine anything that would make belted cases easier to extract. Belts on cases are genraly considerd a useless design feature with modern production rifles. Some still swear they are more accurate, and they can make a case for that, but easier to extract is a new one on me.

 

[kludge]

Re the .375 Ruger...

I'm looking for the next step above 30-06 without going to the super magnums.

That there is made me Seriously though, the .375 Ruger is a BIG step up from the .30-06.

The next step up from the .30-06 would be a .338-06 or the .35 Whelen, and the difference between the two will be endlessly debated. And I'll put the .350 Rem Mag in the same boat as the .35W and puts you in a short action. Unless bear hunting in Alaska I would feel confident with any of those three cartridges for any of alaskas big game... and in that case a couple friends with big rifles would be a fine thing.

Between the -06 offspring and the .375's you've also got the .338 Win Mag and the 8mm Rem Mag, along with some of the new short magnums, .325 WSM, .338 RCM, etc. After that, the .340 Weatherby... anyway, I think you get the point.

 

[Laplacian]

Thanks for the responses so far.

By step up; I meant non-overlapping step up. The 30-06 will push a 220gr pill 2500 ft/s at its upper capability. The .375R will push a 225gr pill 2600 ft/s at its lower capability. Basically, the 375 picks up where the 30-06 quits.

 

[Mike1234567]

^^^ Seems logical to me.

 

[H&Hhunter]

For now I will side with Holland and Holland, I think they are a reliable source. But I got some good advice here and learned quite a bit, thank you guys.

dg,

I am not saying you are wrong just that I am not familiar with that piece of information. The day I stop learning is the day I stop living. I'll definitley look into it further.

 

[HOOfan_1]

.375 Ruger will push a 250 grain pill over 2800fps. I am thinking a 225 grain bullet would be over 3000 fps

 

[Laplacian]

Just going by the 8th ed Hornady manual as a reference. The minimum caliber for my preferred bullet construction (out of the US manufacturers) is the .375 based on my research. GSC makes nice bullets for smaller calibers, but they are pricey after shipping is included. The benefit is less barrel wear, but I don't know how much benefit that corresponds to given the low volume shooting I will be doing with it.