Why is the 375 Ruger poised to be the premier big game hunting cartidge in North America?

My 375 Ruger Africans are muzzle brake free and have a barrel band front sling swivel. They are the discontinued wood/blue model with the above features.

So, my reply to your query is:

1) small light weight rifle (7.75 lbs.)
2) standard length action
3) more powerful than a 375 H&H
4) ammo available in the US
5) will take any animal of any size in NA
6) top of the medium bore list
7) beginning of the big bore list
8) shorter bolt throw than 375 H&H

Your question was for America. I still feel more comfortable with the H&H in Africa just due to ammo availability there.

I am a 35 caliber nut and own a 35 Whelen, 358 Norma Mag. and a 358 STA. But ever since the 375 Ruger came out, I question myself on what the Whelen or Norma can do that the 375 Ruger cannot. I suppose the STA has more reach and flatter trajectory, but I don't like shooting over 400 yards anyway, so I think the 375 Ruger is probably my huckleberry for my hunting of large game.

Having said all that, I seem to pick up my 35 Whelen for large game in NA. I need to take my 375 Rugers out hunting more often I think...

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Having said all that, I seem to pick up my 35 Whelen for large game in NA. I need to take my 375 Rugers out hunting more often I think...

I probably need to take that advice to heart, too. It's hard for me to choose between my 338 and relatively recent 375 Ruger. The 375 Ruger is 3/4 pound lighter and better for mountains.

Surefire about said it all..I have the same gun he has, I suppose the stock fits me better as its a light gun and has less felt recoil, super accurate gun, no belt if thats means anything, it does to some..It has become my favorite rifle..and it does the best job on elk and up anyway you cut it..Is it better than the H&H, I suppose that would depend more on the gun itself than the caliber..In my case its replaced my H&H..Its a limited production rifle made in 1903 or 1908?? don't recall offhand..I bought it new in Utah last year, new still in the box..I saw one in GI in a Ruger collection, they are asking $2020.oo for it...All in all I like it better than any 375 Ive owned, and Ive owned quite a few over the years..The only down side I have on it is my Afican hunting is over I suppose, and do I really need a 375? jUst another bump in the road...

For North America, the 338 Win is without a doubt the better caliber for our hunting..and best for long range shooting IMO..No real need for a 375 Ruger or H&H on this side of the pond, the 338 can handle that, even on the big bears if need be, then again so can the 30-06 with a 200 gr. Nosler partition at 2700 FPS..Big difference between need and want.

Only thing that hurts the 375 Ruger is you cannot buy anything factory chambered in 375 Ruger! If one shows up, its gone is heart beat and at a outrageous price! I would have another one custom built but that brings up another question, will I live long enough to enjoy two!

Live Oak, you’re right - took me ~6 months to find one, and eventually had to start searching by product number to find a single store in the US that had one Ruger African 375 in stock. Plan on this being my lifelong, go everywhere, rifle.

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Originally posted by 416Tanzan:
Why is the 375 Ruger poised to be the premier big game hunting cartidge in North America?

It's not ever going to be anywhere close to that. Not with only one manufacturer making guns and factory ammo for it.

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Originally posted by Cougarz:

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Originally posted by 416Tanzan:
Why is the 375 Ruger poised to be the premier big game hunting cartidge in North America?

It's not ever going to be anywhere close to that. Not with only one manufacturer making guns and factory ammo for it.

I agree it will never be the premier big game round.

As most people never see the need.

But if you have one and use it .

It is a heck of fine round and rifle.

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Originally posted by Cougarz:

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Originally posted by 416Tanzan:
Why is the 375 Ruger poised to be the premier big game hunting cartidge in North America?

It's not ever going to be anywhere close to that. Not with only one manufacturer making guns and factory ammo for it.

Because it's a great round (just like the HH), fits in standard actions, and is a PREMIER (that doesn't mean common, ubiquitous, or "Everyone had it" .. it means highly desired for prestige -) not 30-30. 22. 30-06/270 common, everyday rounds

btw, there's now two factory makers, and i hear winchester is seriously considering adding it

https://savagearms.com/content...duct_summary&s=57043

Its going to be a winner, that I guarentee, it may take awhile to earn its reputation, much like the .338 Win..the good ones earn it, the flash in the pans do not last as a rule..IMO.

Yep, Ruger and Savage both producing rides today. Hornady loads routinely, but Swift is also making factory ammo for 375 Ruger (has been much harder to find).

I’ve reached out to Barnes to see if they’ll add it to their repertoire, no plans currently, but fingers crossed for one day!

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Originally posted by whisk(e)y hunter:
Yep, Ruger and Savage both producing rides today. Hornady loads routinely, but Swift is also making factory ammo for 375 Ruger (has been much harder to find).

I’ve reached out to Barnes to see if they’ll add it to their repertoire, no plans currently, but fingers crossed for one day!

We must add Mossberg to the manufacturers' list. I just got one three months ago as a backup elk rifle in the US and for load development for my wife's 375Ruger in Africa.

Also, Howa was reported to have produced some 375Rugers a few years ago, although I do not see 375 Ruger listed in their current catalog. For that matter, they don't even list a 338 Win Mag, focussing on the 22 to 30 caliber market.

Jeffeoso's comment on Winchester is intriguing. A full Model 70 with a 3.6" magazine would allow the use of extra-long, high-BC bullets from several manufacturers. If Winchester makes good on this, I would recommend a 10" twist to accomodate those long bullets in .375".
In the meantime, I'm happy with both Ruger and Mossberg with 12" twist and the 244grain Hammer Hunter (AKA "248gnHH") in 3.4" magazines. Although the bullet is best seated seated a little too long for the magazine, it can be loaded on top of standard bullets like GSC, Nosler, and Barnes 250TTSX and 270LRX.

Bullets for .375" are improving all the time. Below is a ballistics chart for the "248gn Hammer Hunter", which is actually 244 grains. The sectional density is plenty for a monolithic, equivalent to a 165gn 30 cal, but will penetrate like a 200gn 30 cal. A 3000fps muzzle velocity is more than enough for hunting out to normal reasonable distances and then some.



Note that the drop at 400 yards using a 2.1" maximum height of the trajectory is only 18". Winddrift at that point is around 13". If a person can't hunt roan or elk, or even impala or whitetail, with that, they should go fishing. Because of the resulting flat-head cylinder terminal slug, I would happily hunt buffalo with it, something that hopefully awaits within a year or two.

PS: the above is set for a cold US hunt at relatively low elevations, 1200fp, 30* degrees F. Drop and winddrift only improve as the elevation or temperature rise.

Ruger, Mossberg and Savage made rifles for the 375 Ruger. I saw two European makers, one bolt and one kind of a reverse pump for the 375 Ruger. The 375 and 416 Ruger were answers to questions no one ask, right? The two RCMs were jokes that were not wanted. As someone said "Friends do not let friends buy Rugers"! Alright, where did they all go?

The 375 Ruger is highly popular with Alaskan guides and every season more and more hunters are bringing them up. My bear hunter who just left loved his.
And I have yet to meet anyone who used one who didn't remark on how accurate they were.
Now that Ruger makes the barrels they all seem to shoot great.

I have 4 of them.

2 ruger Alaskan - left handed
1 ruger African - left handed

Custom browning blr

I am going to spend some $$$ - getting McMillan stocks for them.

Mike

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Originally posted by 458Win:
The 375 Ruger is highly popular with Alaskan guides and every season more and more hunters are bringing them up. My bear hunter who just left loved his.
And I have yet to meet anyone who used one who didn't remark on how accurate they were.
Now that Ruger makes the barrels they all seem to shoot great.

I like my 375R and would consider it for a bear hunt. But maybe a 416Ruger would be available. I bought 150 416Ruger cases for "whenever".

I've used my Weaver Rifles .375 Ruger on brown and black bear in Alaska and two buff and plains game in Moz. Great cartridge and since mine is cerakoted and in a Hi Tech stock it is a perfect nasty weather gun. Next up, moose!

In the safe now are a 375 Ruger Guide gun and a Win Pre64 M70 H&H. Also a No. 1 Ruger 375 H&H. Either the No. 1 or the Guide Gun handle better and are much easier to carry, esp in brushy areas. The Pre 64 is a great gun but probably not for me.

The 375 Ruger will soon enough rule the roost, so all us H&H fans better hook a ride or they will be walking..

Mine is for sale with lots of ammo in the classified, as we speak, but only because this 86 year old mans hunting is winding down as is to be expected, and my need for anything but my old worn out pre 64 win fwt in 30-06 is where I stand today, and btw I could have hunted any beast with it, and damn near did..

Nice, Ray -- well said

Ray, I hope you have many more adventures and continue to post. I'm sure I'm not the only one that enjoys your posts.

I have 3, 375 Rugers. I have killed everything from turkeys neck shot with iron sights to elk.

Here is why it works.

Rifles can be had in the Model 77! Hawkeye that replicates the PRE64 Winchester, Mossberg 400 dollar Patriot, to whatever custom 30/06 length action you want which are just easier to find.

The cartridge is not huge like the RUM/Jeffery based cartridge, but gives ballistics that use to take a near 3 inch case. I even have to tip my hat to that geometry.

My 375 HH Winchester FN/SC Alaskan with factory ammo up to 300 grains with the 25 inch barrel matches the factory Ruger ammo with 23 inch barrel. However, the Ruger having slightly better capacity actually delivered on the performance level it advertised.

The Case is amazing to me. So much accomplished in a simply not too big straightforward design. How no one thought of it before Ruger (including me), I will never know:

Well, Newton almost did.

Atkinson if you never stop, you can’t die. Or at least you want know it until it is over. Keep swinging. If time stands, I will be there someday.

.375 H&H. End of discussion.

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Originally posted by 375er:
.375 H&H. End of discussion.

The front end of the discussion

The new 375 Ruger slightly surpasses the ancient H&H and will do anything it is capable of from a shorter, cheaper, standard length action.
It holds the same advantage as the 300 Win mag did over the 300 H&H

Phil, I thought you were a purist!

I have two H&H and two Rugers !
Guess I am somewhat trans

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Originally posted by 458Win:

The new 375 Ruger slightly surpasses the ancient H&H and will do anything it is capable of from a shorter, cheaper, standard length action.

I didn't know the Ruger was that much cheaper than a new Winchester model 70 which can take a .375 H&H without modification since it's already that length.

I am not sure. But, I really enjoy using my rifles chambered in the cartridge. I like the 338 Winchester a lot. Though for the limited visibility area that I hunt, the 20” 375 Ruger has kept my 338 in the safe. The 375 H&H’s have not been used other the range in years. The closest competition for my use of the 375 Ruger has been the 20” 416 Ruger. Not judging what is “the best” of any of the ones mentioned or not mentioned, merely my preference.

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Originally posted by 416Tanzan:
Why is the 375 Ruger poised to be the premier big game hunting cartidge in North America?

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Originally posted by Cougarz:

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Originally posted by 458Win:

The new 375 Ruger slightly surpasses the ancient H&H and will do anything it is capable of from a shorter, cheaper, standard length action.

I didn't know the Ruger was that much cheaper than a new Winchester model 70 which can take a .375 H&H without modification since it's already that length.

But Howa and Mossbergs most certainly are !

And I suspect the only reason Ruger hasn't chambered their American series in it is because they might have to call it the African American.

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Originally posted by Cougarz:
new Winchester model 70 which can take a .375 H&H without modification since it's already that length.

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Originally posted by jeffeosso:

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Originally posted by Cougarz:
new Winchester model 70 which can take a .375 H&H without modification since it's already that length.

For a Win model 70, there would be an added blessing in a 3.6" action if it is matched with the 375 Ruger. Bullets with nose lengths longer than 0.8" can be loaded in the magazine and do not need to be single-loaded on top. This takes advantage of the kind of design seen in the 6.5Crdm and the 338Norma. So a Model 70 would be win-win in 375 Ruger.

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Originally posted by 416Tanzan:
Why is the 375 Ruger poised to be the premier big game hunting cartidge in North America?

It’s not. The 30-06 is and the 375 H&H is for the rest of the world. The 375 Ruger is the solution to a non-existing problem (except for Ruger and Hornady’s desire to sell a cartridge/rifle combination to lower market segment).

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The 375 Ruger is the solution to a non-existing problem

Not to dump on a fine cartridge, but this is very true. 375H&H feeds in the now standard M70. The standard Ruger 77 is long enough and has enough bolt throw for 3.60" cartridges. I bought a donor stainless M77 300 winmag and converted it to the H&H with ease.

So where exactly is all of the weight savings from a smaller, shorter, lighter action and the hypothetical speed advantage of a shorter bolt throw? It isn't in rifles from ​Ruger itself or Winchester. The Ruger has slightly better ballistics and higher pressure. The H&H can be loaded to similar pressures in modern guns too, but why? The H&H also has an easy to feed shape, but that too should be a non-issue in any rifle that has been properly sorted out.

The 375 Ruger is a solid cartridge, but was always much more about marketing that ballistics. Nothing wrong with that at all, but if I really thought the extra 100fps or "speed advantage" of a .3" shorter bolt throw, that isn't even there on Ruger's own guns, made any difference at all on a hunt in the real world then I'm doing it very wrong. Cheers

The claim that the Ruger get its ballistic advantage over the H&H due to it operating at a higher pressure is pure bunk.
The Ruger case is slightly larger and holds more powder, which means it can produce H&H velocities at LESS pressure.

In the real world the differences between them are statistically insignificant.

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he Ruger case is slightly larger and holds more powder, which means it can produce H&H velocities at LESS pressure.

I completely agree. With equal bullet seating depths the Ruger case has about 4-5% greater volume. Using the old wildcater's rule of thumb that it takes about 4% greater case volume to get 1% more velocity at equal pressures, we would expect the Ruger to be 26-35fps faster than the H&H all else being equal. As you said, insignificant, and less than rifle to rifle variations.

And the slightly shorter case might mean someone quick with the bolt might be a split second faster operating it.
Which doesn't seem like much on the range but when you have a raging nightmare rapidly approaching it can seem significant!
At least WDM Bell, Richard Harland, Finn Aagaard, Mike LaGrange and I seem to think so.

For those with 3.6" actions and model 70's:

You can seat the 375 ruger bullets out farther. That is an extra asset for the 375 Ruger. This is simply a fact that also needs to be included in discussions.

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Which doesn't seem like much on the range but when you have a raging nightmare rapidly approaching it can seem significant!

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You can seat the 375 ruger bullets out farther.

Fair points!