#1 in .375 Ruger question - recoil?

[Poprivit]

I just bought a Talo #1 in 375 Ruger to take on a tusk less elephant hunt in 2015 in Zimbabwe. I took it out to the range to sight in, and after 11 rounds down range over a one hour period, by shoulder and arm turned black and blue. I'm looking for recoil reduction suggestions.

Back story: My last #1 was in 458 Lott. In 2008 I took a Cape Buffalo in Botswana. Shot other plains game and warthog with it. Zero problems with recoil. I'm 69 and am not in the same condition as I was back then. I am thinking a Magnabrake (yes, I know it's loud), Limbsaver, and mercury recoil tubes in the stock.

What's your suggestions?

 

[firecaptain]

No 1's can be a bit nasty for recoil due to the design of the stock. Me personally, I really don't care to modify a nice gun like the No 1. I think a Limbsaver may be in order. I put one on a turkey shotgun for my son and it made a world of difference for him. Just bought one for my turkey gun.

 

[ohiosam]

+1 on the limbsaver. You can try a slip on one first to see if to helps enough.

 

[Poprivit]

What's all you guy's' thinking on Mag-Na-Brake? I've used Mag-Na-Port before - good but loud. Stuck it on a 416 Remington and nailed a Cape Buffalo in Botswana. The PH, the trackers, the apprentices- no one would stand along side me.

"Course, when I shoot the S&W 500 in a covered range ...

 

[dfletcher]

Limbsaver and mercury reducer work well for me, even on a CZ 550 in 416 which for some reason tends to belt me more than the #1 in 458 WM.

 

[montana outfitters]

I packed a #1 in 375 H&H for 3 years guiding in G-Bear country..........shot the hell out of it and I don't care what anyone says......the #1 doesn't recoil any more then a 3 inch 12 gauge shotgun!!!!!!!!!!!!! they have weight and a good stock design, shoot cast bullets fantastic and take a horrible beating in rain,snow,mud
on a daily basis for 4 months at a time.........You can make them a BB gun shooting round balls at 500 fps to practice offhand shooting, bump up to 255 gr
cast for shooting deer, 220 Hornadys for deer, 235 Speer, 270's Hornady for Elk
or all the magic hard core bullets for mastodons or whatever.........I sold some giant white tail horns and bought a stainless browning and sold my #1 in 375and am still kicking myself for doing such a stupid move as I felt bad beating the
#1 the way I did but the Browning ended up being a light weight, crappy trigger
poor shooting waste of money..........If you want recoil try a Sako in 338 Win
mag...that will make your lungs hurt inside your chest when you detonate a round off........after 3 you end up flinching so bad it's useless.......Reload the 375 and make it what ever you want.....if you don't like it I'll buy or trade you
out of it......I still got all my notes from all 3 rifles I have owned in this caliber..............Ron Oates/Montana Outiftters

 

[Greg Mercurio]

For extended sessions, I use a PAST recoil pad that slips on like a vest. It spreads and attenuates recoil nicely.

For general plinking and practice with really large bores, I use Trailboss and cast bullets.

Also, suggest you shoot standing up, if you were sitting for the session you described, you're just going to get pounded. No way around that. Shot my .416 Rigby sitting down once. Won't try that again.

 

[chuck]

Montana fitter, I second that recoil on 338 SAKO bought one shot 6 rounds sold it to a loud mouth rail roader that said I was a wimp, saw him about a mo later and asked him about it, he said he shot it 2 times and took it to another town and sold it. I do shoot some big boomers like #1s in 45-70,375hh,416Rem Mag and none of them can hold a candle to a sako 338 RECOIL hahhahahaha

 

[TRanger]

As with most firearms, experience differs based on how well the rifle fits you. The stock on my #1 .375 H&H is just a bit short and the rifle is a bit light for its cartridge in my opinion. It belts me pretty firmly. The Winchester M70 in the same cartridge is quite comfortable to shoot. The stock needs to match the physiology of the shooter.

 

[Big Old Boy]

Practice with light loads think trailboss powder I don't think you will shot 11 rounds in a week.

 

[AKBman]

Was the 375 Ruger on the Tropical or the Medium Sporter? I shoot the 375 Ruger in the Hawkeye Alaskan with the Black Laminate stock and 23" barrel. Recoil is quite peppy in such a light rifle, but not really any worse than my M77MKII in 300 Win Mag. I shoot cast bullets for reduced recoil trigger time, and limit my full power stuff to 10 or so rounds per session.

 

[63November]

I packed a #1 in 375 H&H for 3 years guiding in G-Bear country..........shot the hell out of it and I don't care what anyone says......the #1 doesn't recoil any more then a 3 inch 12 gauge shotgun!!!!!!!!!!!!! they have weight and a good stock design, shoot cast bullets fantastic and take a horrible beating in rain,snow,mud
on a daily basis for 4 months at a time......

I really enjoy my #1 H&H. In fact it is more pleasurable to shoot than the Ruger 77Magnum Rifle in H&H, IMO, in spite of the greater weight of the latter. 15-20 rounds in a session is nowhere near recoil-fatiguing as some have suggested. If shoulder-whack-em is what you desire, you'll be better off running the #1-S in 93x74R; that one nearly matches what the H&H puts out the spout but in a significantly lighter rifle.

 

[wunbe]

Two points.

Some PHs will not allow use of a vented barrel. Temporarily blows out their ear drums and anyone else's in the vicinity and repeated use over time makes them candidates for sign language school.

The 375 Ruger may well have more violent recoil than the old H&H. My H&H is a sweetheart with a decent after market pad but I will not shoot any of the larger bore modern mags due to the felt recoil generated in those non-tapered cases.

wunbe

 

[AKMATT]

I have monkey arms and require a long length of pull. I put a slip on pad over the original..it is just right.

The other thing you can do is take off the original pad and take a few 30 cal cast bullets and tape them together and slide them into the stock to increase the weight. It does make a difference. Save the pad and put a better recoil pad on. That way you do not alter the barrel and the value of the gun remains intact.

Lots of folks shoot #1s off a bench that is too low. When you are hunched over the recoil can be cruel. Make sure you are sitting upright or shoot off hand. The recoil will be much better. When you are all bent over you are like a nail waiting to be hammered.

 

[Rocdoc]

At the range with heavy recoil rifles sighting in, a few time's I've put a sand bag between shoulder and rifle,worked good. I have never felt recoil when hunting, so never needed to alter a rifle.

 

[Bunta40]

The recoil is only severe at range; when hunting you wont notice it as you will be standing. At range I now kneel rather than sit to ovoid that direct locked in recoil.