I am not a reloader and I'd like to get in more hunting time with my .375 Ruger on whitetails & mule deer before next African trip... I'm a meat hunter, so damaging those tasty steaks must be avoided at all costs!

At the cost of custom loaded ammo I would use factory premium bullets and keep my shots through the ribs. I have trouble seeing how a shot through the ribs will damage a tasty steak.

A 375R will probably do less damage than a 25-06 or some other high velocity light bullet.

The .375 isn't a meat ruiner if there is such a word! buy the 300 or 350 gr. bullets and they are designed for buffalo etc. They do not blood shoot a lot of meat and as old Elmer Keith used to say you can eat right up to the hole..

The other plus to this option is you don't give up much in trajectory..

I have helped keep the camp cooks, hunters and staff in meat many times while our hunters were out with the PH looking for elephant or whatever...I used what I had and that was usually a .375, 9.3x62 or 404, 416 Rem or something on that order..Also one could run into something injured and mad where I was hunting. Nice to have enough gun were what to happen.

The big bores are better an avoiding ruined meat than any 243, 270 or such. much like using a 220 gr. corelokt in your 30-06, it just does not ruin much...stay off the shoulder and keep shots behind it..I use neck shots if circumstances allow it, that being a easy shot with a rest.

Curious as to why anyone who is a meat hunter would buy a .375 Ruger to hunt deer? I would much prefer a 7x57, 30-06 with heavy bullets or even a 30-30 for meat hunting...If I have a doe tag or if i'm meat hunting a fork horn for example, I normally use my 30-30 or mostly my 25-35. young bucks and does are not all that smart where I have hunted them and its easy to get close enough.

quote:

Curious as to why anyone who is a meat hunter would buy a .375 Ruger to hunt deer?

Ray as I read his post he has the 375R for Africa but wants more shooting time with it before his next Africa hunt.

I agree with everything you said. I think you said it better than I did.

joester,

Give these guys a try http://monolithicmunitions.com/

Superior Custom will load them for you…

www.superiorammo.com

JDA

Safari Arms at 516-826-7516, or jlsafari@optonline.net

I have taken several deer and a wolf with the factory Hornady 270gr in my .375 Ruger. Double lungs puts em down with less damage than my 30-06 with 150's. No need to download anything. Plus way better to shoot your safari ammo under field conditions just for the extra practice.

I have taken several deer with my 375 H&H using the Hornady 220FP bullet and the 235 Speer bullet loaded to @2500fps. My brother has killed deer and pigs with the 235 Speer bullet. My buddy has used the 250 Sierra Spz at the same velocity.
These bullets kill them like the Hammer of Thor.

Recoil is fairly mild as well.

Superior should be able to load them up for you.

I use 64 grains of IMR 3031, with all 3 of the above bullets. These loads have proven accurate in at least 4 different 375 H&H rifles.

My current favorite deer rig is my 375 H&H 202 Sauer loaded with Hornady 225gr SP's @ 2500. sweet shooting & drills a quarter size hole right through them

Thank you
all for the helpful advice. I do think I'll go the custom load route- Intuitively it makes more sense to me to shoot a bullet/ powder load custom designed for a 150 lb. deer vs. using a " one size fits most" factory load that is meant for game up toward 1,000 lbs ( eg- eland, big stallion zebra, etc.) I've shot many medium African antelope w/ my .375R and, unless it was a perfect straight-through-both-sets of ribs shot, I've wasted a lot of nice meat, which bothers me. At least for me, every shot I take isn't always textbook perfect.