quote:

The .375 Ruger is the answer to a non-existant question.

It seems as though we have had a lot of cartridges along these lines lately. First off it was all the short, fat wonders. From Winchester, Remington, and now Ruger with their own version. There is no way the current market, especially with todays economy, will absorb all of them. Many of the Remington SAUM's are already obsolete. At least to the point of hunting for brass and ammo for them. Ruger stopped making guns for the .480 Ruger cartridge because it wasn't selling. I heard they had resumed for a while, but I haven't seen any .480 revolvers in a long time. Unless a cartridge really breaks new ground, like the .500 S&W did, it really is going to have a tough time in todays market. There are simply too many different cartridges today, and not enough customers. Bill T.

Since, the 9.3x62 and 450/400 were in use when the 375 H&H came about, couldn't it also be claimed it too was an answer to a non-existant question?

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:
Since, the 9.3x62 and 450/400 were in use when the 375 H&H came about, couldn't it also be claimed it too was an answer to a non-existant question?

Good point!

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:
I own two of each - so guess it's a tie.
BUT - if forced to go in after a wounded animal I'd take the Ruger.

..

This says a tremendous amount .. I have had both , several H&H,s , 1 Ruger . and hands down it was the rifle that made the Ruger the best of the bunch ........ I prefer my 9.3x64 Brenneke tho ...If I had to fight a bear with one , I would pick the 375 Ruger Alaskan with a regular hawkeye stock ..........

I just arrived back down in the valley yesterday and did my standard run around of a few pawn and gun shops today and so far have seen 3 - 375 H&H & 2 -458 MkX/Whitworths for sale so that their owners can buy 375 RUGERS!!
Alaskans are folks who actually use big bores and are not hung up on irrational sentimentality nor nostalgia.It appears many of them are betting on the new Ruger round staying around awhile.

Phil, did you see the sweet Rem 673 350 Mag in Eagle River, I have always been fascinated with the rib & shark fin front sight

I recently got a 375 Ruger Alaskan and so far I am very happy with it.

One aspect that has been particularly good about it is the velocity spread across my handloads - only about 6 fps which really impressed me!

I think this topic has become a tempest in a teapot, to some extent. There are legitimate reasons for wanting either of these two fine cartridges. Phil, for example, a working Alaskan guide, views his .375 Ruger Alaskan as a tool, to be carried/used every working day in the performance of his job. Absolutely nothing wrong with that.

To others, such as myself, we collect rifles for reasons different from a working guide. To me, the lore and legend of the .375 H&H is one of its big attractions. I like fine guns, and hope to take my H&H (still being built as I write) to Africa on a safari. For me this will be a once in a lifetime experience. The rest of the time I'll admire this fine rifle, occasionally shoot it on the range, and let it help me bring back fond memories of a few treasured days in a mystical country.

There is nothing wrong with either approach to owning one or the other of these fine caliber rifles. As the old 1960's saying goes: "Different strokes for different folks."

I think the 375 Ruger cartridge has a long way to go to someday lead the inquiry. Not for nothing the old 375 H & H Magnum has shown throughout his more than one hundred years excellent benefits.

Oscar.

As much as I like the 375 Ruger and am anxoius to try the new 416 Ruger, Neither of them will ever "replace"the older H&H and Rigby rounds for nostalgic, traditionalists. I even have a custom 416 Rigby in the works that I fully intend to use.

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:
As much as I like the 375 Ruger and am anxoius to try the new 416 Ruger, Neither of them will ever "replace"the older H&H and Rigby rounds for nostalgic, traditionalists. I even have a custom 416 Rigby in the works that I fully intend to use.

NEW SALES ONLY who wants to bet that there was more 375 rugers made last year, and sold, in the US than the last 5 years of winchesters?

As I said on another thread, I got my 375 Ruger last week and have been extremely pleased with the rifle and the cartridge in the limited time I have owned at shot it.

The only beef I have so far is that the Hornady brass is very thick..........like .018 around the neck making the expander ball tough to pull through. This seemed to make chambering a round tougher than my other rifles even though the action is nice a smooth. Also it makes putting a crimp on the bullet without bulging the shoulder nearly impossible..........so I hope they figure this out or I will have to thin the necks before hunting with the gun.

Matt

About what I expected, there is place for the 375 Ruger but I don't see it replacing the venerable 375 H&H

quote:

Results (241 votes counted so far):

1. For hunting Africa
191 (79%) 375 H&H
50 (21%) 375 Ruger

2. For hunting North America
162 (67%) 375 H&H
79 (33%) 375 Ruger

3. For hunting around the world
190 (79%) 375 H&H
51 (21%) 375 Ruger

"About what I expected, there is place for the 375 Ruger but I don't see it replacing the venerable 375 H&H"

Depends what you mean by replace. The 375 Ruger will be a commercial success in the US. It will outsell the 375 H&H by orders of magnitude. Same for the 416 Ruger and the 416 Rigby.

Simply because Ruger will make a rifle available at a cost that will make it affordable.

Watch for other manufacturers to adopt both.

If it were not for Ruger offering economical firearms for these new Hornady cartridges, they would probably all be commercial flops. They are repackaging the same ballistics that currently exist in cartridges decades old.
With the exception of the CZ 550 most rifles available for these big cartridges are fairly expensive.
Ruger and Hornady are providing a economical big bore package. They are offering a fellow with limited income a path into a big bore arena. I bet they sell more guns than anyone else.

EZ
Kudos to their joint marketing skills!

quote:

Originally posted by Abob:
About what I expected, there is place for the 375 Ruger but I don't see it replacing the venerable 375 H&H

quote:

Results (241 votes counted so far):

1. For hunting Africa
191 (79%) 375 H&H
50 (21%) 375 Ruger

2. For hunting North America
162 (67%) 375 H&H
79 (33%) 375 Ruger

3. For hunting around the world
190 (79%) 375 H&H
51 (21%) 375 Ruger

Lady's will always need a rifle...
I bet there was a like ludditte reaction to the 416 rigby vx 416 rem...

Now, when winchester picks it up as their default bigbore, and CZ is making it, and it is the best selling bigbore for 2009, there will be some "oh, it won't last... now that DID happen on the 416 rem..

and then "well, it's not as good as the 375 HH" (nevermind that it IS better, especially if loaded to the same velocity, in EVERY measurable aspect of a round)

until, eventually, begrudingly you get around to buying one..

same thing happened with the 308 "why should I wnat that, I have a 30-06" ..

270... why, it's smaller than my 30-06...

etc etc etc