Did ruger change the weight of there barrels in the express rifle in 375H&H?Are they lighter now?Which one is the best if they were changed?
has anyone shot the ruger,winchester,whitworth,browning,remington,sako and cz?If so which one handled the felt recoil the best?
I have shot the winchester and it handled felt recoil very well,have not tried the others.

1: The first Ruger .375 H&H and .416 Rigby rifles offered about 1990 or '91 had fat barrels of 0.810" muzzle diameter. They also had the forward sling swivel mounted through the forearm and screwed into a barrel band that was inletted into the forearm, like the old M-77 .458 WinMag pushfeeds with the tang safety.

2: Then sometime after 1995 they changed to having the forward swivel mounted on a barrel band out in front of the forend tip, in the usual express rifle style. They still had the fat barrels. I have one of these, purchased in 1998.

3: Then around 2000 or thereafter, they slimmed the barrels down to 0.750" at the muzzle, but otherwise no change from the 1995 vintage.

We could call these variations RSM-1,-2,-3.

The RSM-3 , at 9.5 lbs. bare/empty, weighs (depending on the wood) about 1 to 1.25 lbs. less than the RSM -1 and RSM-2, which are too heavy.

However I am attached to my RSM-2 in .416 Rigby. It went to Botswana and killed a 42" cape buffalo with one shot. That load was 105 grains of H4831, GM215M primer, GSC 380 grain FN, and Norma brass. It also put three of these bullets into 0.147" at 100 yards, during load development.
It was sub MOA for every 350 to 400 grain bullet I tried, and there were many.

That fat barrel is accurate, but I would rather lighten the weight.

The CZ 550 Magnum in .416 Rigby is 0.666" at the muzzle on the two I have owned. They are accurate and just right in weight, about 1/4 to 1/2 # lighter than the RSM-3, again, depending on wood.

That is my experience, IIRC.

I know a guy who recently ordered an RSM .458 Lott through a dealer for $1389 USD. I think he is still waiting for it to come from the factory, but that is what a good dealer can get it for, your cost. Hard to beat that for a new one. That is an amazing bargain for an integral quarter rib alone.

Just as a point of reference, Ruger is currently showing a MSRP of $1,975.00 on their web site for the M77 Magnums. Now, the actual "street price" is usually less but the MSRP does provide a comparison point for actual retail prices.

-Bob F.

It is good to kiss up to a dealer.

Ruger's annual production averages about (125) M77 RSM's PER YEAR for all calibers combined, so does that qualify it as factory semi-custom rifle? That's why you don't see many of them in stores.

I haven't shot the Browning or Remngton in .375, but have owned all the others at one time or another. The Ruger will probably be the heaviest, it and the Winchester, and recoil similarly to me. I shoot a Whitworth currently with a glass stock, it is quite comfortable. The Browning I haven't shot, but they are damn light. The Sako I had was not a Safari version, weighed about the same as my 7Mag, was pretty rough from the bench, the stock really doesn't suit me as a .338 I had was pretty uncomfortable too. The CZ with the American stock isn't bad, I haven't shot one with the Euro. stock.

While on the subject of the Ruger RSM, I ordered a .416 last yr. paid $1110. for it. Mine has the .750 barrel, which is the lighter one and I wouldn't want it any lighter in the .416, but in .375 like the weight of the Whitworth better.

I just brought home a Ruger Express in of all things 270 Win. Sure is a cute little bugger.............JJ

I would prefer the Ruger (latest model) to any of the others mentioned...that is one heck of a lot of gun for the money what with decent to outstanding wood, an intragal quarter rib, barrel band swivel, and front sight and control feed with a M-70 type of safty...hard to beat IMO....

There's a RUGER RSM 375 H&H for sale (used) on GunsAmerica for $995 here.

I walked into the Gander Mountan store about a week ago, and they had just placed a new Ruger RSM in 458 Lott in the glass case. The person that ordered the rifle failed to pick it up, so I purchased it for $1459.00, plus Illinois state sales tax (6.5%). In my humble opinion, these rifles are a bargain at that price. The quality is excellent throughout. Now, if I could only find brass or factory loaded ammo, I could shoot it. If anyone on this list knows who has either in stock, PLEASE let me know.

Very best regards,
Starcharvski

Brad, Cabelas has A-square ammo listed in the '05 shooting catalog for the Lott. They have three variations including solids. Prices are $85-$95 per box of 20. They also have Hornady brass for the Lott. $20.00 per 50 pieces.

Thanks, ChuckWagon, for the lead. I bought a couple of boxes of the solids. I also found some Hornady 500 gr. FMJs at Sportsmans Guide. I will use these for the break in phase. Unfortunately, the Hornady brass is out of stock at Cabela's and everyplace else. Midway said that they don't expect a delivery until May! I call Hornady, and they said that they are scheduled to produce 458 Lott brass in two weeks, and that everything is "on schedule". I have an order for a significant quantity placed with Hornady. It appears to me that the Lott is rapidly becoming very popular. Thanks again for the lead.