Lately I've been remorseful for selling my 416, and thinking of replacing it. If I do, it will probably only be a range gun, unless a herd of buffalo storm through my zuchinni.
I've been reading about the Ruger 375 and 416's. The walnut stocked ones handle very nicely, but I've read that the walnut stocks tend to crack under recoil. Is that internet experts, or real experience? I never had a 375 stock crack, but I splintered the first stock on my 416 Taylor. It had a poor bedding job.
If you were buying one of the 375 Ruger walnut stocked Africans, what would you do with the bedding?
Thanks
Bfly

Ive owned a couple of Ruger 375s, a couple of .338s, and three 9.3x62s in the Ruger African, liked them all, like the look, the feel, My present one is a 338 and it has the muzzle brake which I didn't like at all until I shot it and now I love it, I have the option of using the brake or capping the threads..None of them split out, I intended to glass bed them, but they all shot good, so I didn't and they held up just fine..I traded most of them off as usual, but not for any reason other than I like change. I have some old keepers, but they are all ventage rilfes like old custom English Mauser, custom rifles and pre 64 mod. 70s..I think you will be pleased with a Ruger African, I believe it to be the best thing since the pre 64 Win. and sliced white bread.

Walnut is the premier wood for rifle stocks, European varity is the best IMO..Walnut can handle any caliber, but like any wood it must be inletted properly and in big bores I like a gun to properly hand bedded and then apply a thin paint coat of clear glass, and two cross bolts glassed in with a thin coat of glass..If your just going to glass bed a factory the thicker coating of glass without the hand inletting is fine and probably more practical..Some folks tend to blame wood for splitting and cracking, its not the woods fault its improper bedding most of the time but can be lack of proper cure and drying..Most factory guns benefit by the use of "proper" glass bedding.

I have not split a stock on my 375 Ruger but picked up my rifle from the gunsmith a week ago .
He fitted a second cross-bolt , the new ones have two as standard , it was bedded with an epoxy compound and it was pillar bedded around the rear action screw . The gunsmith did not pillar bed the front action screw as he was not happy with it being angled .
Hopefully this will prevent the stock splitting .

Mark

[quote]Lately I've been remorseful for selling my 416, and thinking of replacing it. If I do, it will probably only be a range gun, unless a herd of buffalo storm through my zuchinni[/quote)

I told the wife that I built my 416 to keep any elephants out of the garden.

She said we don't have any elephants.

I said see it is working.

A herd of buff would work the same I would think.

I remember reading a few posts on here and on another forum where people had cracked their first generation 375 Ruger African stocks. I believe Ruger fixed it with installing the second cross bolt which is what I have. The third generation has the muzzle break so I really doubt the stocks will crack at this point.

Hmm, maybe instead of a Ruger Alaskan 416Ruger, I'll get an African. We'll see what they offer in a couple of years.

They make a nice stainless .375 Ruger in a laminated stock. I have found the laminated stocks to be almost as good as synthetic as a stable, worry-free platform that holds up to repeated shooting.

Just a thought... most good accraglass bedding will help too if you want walnut.