Whats the low down on the .375 Ruger?

[Pathfinder]

Hi,

Anyone have any experience with the .375 Ruger in the Hawkeye? I'm interested in one but I would like to hear from others on their experience.

Thanks
8)

 

[dxdog]

I'm also interested in one and would like to find out more. The other day a guy told me that the models that have the Hogue stocks have been recalled because they were having troubles with the stocks splitting. Can anyone confirm or deny this?

 

[DPris]

I borrowed the Alaskan version to try out. The sights are regulated to about 50 yards.
At 100, I got the following best groups with iron sights:
300 RNFMJ 2 13/16 Inches
300 RNSP 2 11/16 Inches
275 SP 1 15/16 Inches
The two 300-grainers shot 3-6 inches below POA, the 275 shot 2-3 inches above.

Chrongraphing showed the three rounds to equal the .375 H&H Magnum, and in a shorter action with a shorter barrel.
As bear country artillery, it's an excellent package, and I ended up keeping the rifle because of it.
In my hands, this rifle shoulders like no other rifle I've ever handled. It comes up and those highly visible sights are instantly right there. Not saying it'd match the same for everybody, but for me it gives a fast first shot.

Hogue has been shipping replacement stocks, they sent mine a little over a month ago. No need to send anybody your rifle, just call Hogue & give 'em your address. They send the stock directly to you.

There are those who feel there's no reason to buy the Ruger .375 when the various boltguns chambered for the .375 H&H are well established, and the Ruger .375 does nothing the H&H .375 doesn't, ballistically.
When I hear that, I point out that the Ruger has to be viewed as a PACKAGE. Same ballistics, but with a rifle that's at least five inches shorter (in the Alaskan model). For open country or stand hunting, that may not be important. For me, working it through thick brush and in & out of the Yamaha Rhino, length matters very much.

I thought (& still do) on opening the box that the rubber stock was ugly as hell. But, it is grippy, and in cold or wet conditions it doesn't get slippery. The recoil pad is actually usable, which is a nice change from most heavy-hitting Ruger rifles.

Denis

 

[pete44ru]

Let me welcome you the the forum, Pathfinder!

And..........Thanks for the lowdown, Dennis.

 

[DPris]

Denis

 

[KAOS]

I have to agree, you have to look at the .375 Ruger as a package. Currently I hunt almost exclusively in grizzly country in Alaska, so I carry a .338 Win Mag. The only problem is, to get the full benefit of the .338 Win Mag I have a 24" barrel. With the advent of the .375 Ruger Alaskan model, I am considering a change. It would be nice to drop 4 inches of the end of the rifle, and still have plenty of power to deal with bears while hunting moose.

I am also looking at the new .338 RCM, the only problem is I like the 250 grain bullets, which are not offered in factory loads. Big heavy bullets have been more usefull to me than ultra high velocity light bullets.

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

Welcome to the forum Pathfinder and there has been some good responses. I'd like to give my take on the 375 Ruger that I think is more important than what has been brought up. That is the rifle is a Long Action. In otherwords if you have been using a 30-06 all your life (or similar round) you have developed muscle memory for a Long Action Rifle. Got to a standard 375 H&H and now you have a Magnum Length Action. While the difference may not seem like much in a big hurry muscle memory comes into play and people regularly in Africa end up saying "my rifle has never done that before" when it jambs on them from short stroking the bolt. Your mind knows how far you have been pulling a bolt back all these years and that's as far as it goes. You will swear you went all the way back. If there is no hurry everything may go just fine but it's that emergency when muscle memory kicks in that can make a real difference. In addition to that I like the same performance as the H&H on a shorter pkg. I've got too much game with my H&H to get rid of it but I certainly like all the things mentioned on the Alaskan
Short(er) handy barrel
Standard Long Action
Good grippy stock
A real life recoil pad that comes stock.
GREAT SIGHTS. Which is a fact and very fast.
I don't see how you can go wrong!!

 

[DPris]

Ruger announced left-handed Hawkeyes today.
Denis

 

[Silent Sam]

A friend recently purchased a Hawkeye Alaskan and I had an opportunity to shoot it a little bit. I have a Ruger magnum in 375 H&H so I was very interested in the comparison. Here is my take... It is a very functional package as already noted. The stock is very "grippy" almost too much so for me. The only negative I have with the stock is the wide grip flare. That combined with the stickiness of the stock required that I adjust my grip practically everytime I shouldered it and there is no "sliding adjustment". The rifle is light for caliber ( about eight pounds I think) and for all that complain about the Magnum being too heavy, you got your wish. Recoil is commensurate with the weight reduction. We shot both the 270gr and 300gr loads. The pad is a good one and the forend is easy to hold onto but felt recoil to me was stout and fast. It would take me more time to be comfortable with than either my 375 H&H Magnum or my 338 WinMag All-Weather. I would put up some reduced power practice loads for this one and I have not felt the necessity with my 375 or 338. I don't recall all the chronograph data we did collect but I do remember that the 270gr load was at about normal 300gr H&H velocity - mid 2500's. I didn't get to use the sights as he had already mounted a Leopold 2.5-8 VXIII. Three shot groups ran around an inch and a half and both loads printed pretty close together. Closer than what DPris saw. Important I think with this type of rifle. Overall I am undecided I guess. The stock does what it is supposed to do but it doesn't fit me well in the grip area. It is lighter than most 375's and will be relatively easy to carry but there is a definite step up in recoil. I am anxious to see how handloading the new case works out. The H&H case is a joy to reload, very predictable and prints most loads very close to the same point of aim out to 200 yds or so. Very nice attributes in a DGR. If the 375 Ruger case acts the same I think it will be a winner.

 

[DPris]

I'd expect at least fractionally tighter groups at 100 yards using glass than I got with irons & old eyeballs.
Yup, it tells you when it lets loose, but I cheerfully accept that as part of the price for the power/portability ratio.

My chrono showed:
270 Grain Soft Point at 2760 Average (5 shots)
300 Grain Soft Point at 2624 Average (5 shots)
300 Grain Solid at 2578 Average (5 shots)

Denis

 

[Silent Sam]

I believe your numbers. Not my chrono so I'm not attesting to anything other than what I saw and remember

 

[Coloradoyaler]

:?:

DPris
Were are the hogue stocks cracking?

Thank You
Mark

 

[DPris]

Mark,
Hogue says it was a few cases of cracks in the wrist. Not every stock was affected, but enough to cause them to offer to replace every one shipped up until that point of "recall", about two or three months ago.
Mine showed no cracks, but I took 'em up on the offer anyway.
Denis

 

[Coloradoyaler]

DPris

Thanks, I did the same. My Alaskan is my new go to rifle for alaska. I need to be able to trust it.

Thanks again!
Mark

 

[DPris]

Ubderstood.
Mine ain't for rabbits, neither! :lol:
Denis

 

[Boxhead]

I have no use for the 375's. Either it's a 338 Mag/9.3x62 or it's a 416. I do not need to fill in between.

 

[wunbe]

This niche rfle and caliber for a niche market faces a serious uphill battle.

The survivability question seems to swing on whether all the cited package features in one rifle by one company with a specific design targetting a dedicated but small client base will assure a long term run for the caliber.

Does anyone think Remington, SAKO, or other major makers will produce rilfes using nthe .375 Ruger -- thereby advertising for a rival company and undercutting their own H&Hs while vying for a miniscule market? Rember that Ruger dropped its plans to build rifles for the FEDERAL .338 for much the same reasons.

At best, the Rguer .375 could work out OK and come to claim a good share of the market for that use. But even then, what happens after intial break-in, when all the users have one? How many rounds will get used every year per rifle? 5, 10,...? Will shops worldwide renew orders for the cartridge and for the brass...?

And, remember the .376 Speyer of just a few years ago. Did much the same thing in a much morre sophsiticated package -- including the promise of spinoff wildcatting possiblities -- and died dead, very fast. Poor marketing and followthrough was a factor, but the market is just not that big with H&Hs on shelves and in gun safes everywhere.

I have a feeling that in five to ten years, when the hoopla dies down, it will be as tough to find the .375 Ruger as it is to find the Steyers now.
And the H&H, because of the numbers alrready out there, will still be alive and kicking (dumb pun).

wunbe

 

[JJ_Miller_480]

Ah wunbe, I have a MKII in 338 Federal in my safe, I don't think Ruger dropped their plans for building them.......................JJ

 

[wunbe]

S orry,

Ruger showed a Ruger 1a at last years shot show but when I asked the company two weeks ago they said they had no plans to market it at this sime.

I was not aware that 77s in .338 F3deral were on offer, Kind opf make you wnder....

wube

 

[Coyote Hunter]

From what I can see the .375 Ruger is getting a lot of interest. It's certainly a cartridge I would like to add to my battery. Was fortunate to shoot a few rounds from an Alaskan using the iron sights and liked everything about it.

Granted the .375 H&H isn't going anywhere any time soon, but I think the .375 Ruger will sell well. As a mountain hunter the smaller, lighter Ruger gets my vote. People have complained elsewhere that it can't match the ballistics of the RUM or Weatherby cartridges, but I don't think it needs to in order to succeed – the .30-06 is still doing well even though it doesn't match the WM, RUM or Weatherby cartridges. Velocity – and the attendant recoil – is not always the determining factor.

Wunbe asks if anyone thinks other manufacturers will chamber for the .375 Ruger. Short answer, "Yes". The question that needs to be answered is "Why wouldn't they?" Unlike the WSM, RUM and Weatherby cartridges, the .375 Ruger is "manufacturer friendly" meaning that manufacturers can reap the rewards of offering rifles chambered for it with little or no redesign of existing rifles. Very little economic risk and lots of upside potential – just the kind of opportunity that smart business people look for. Savage, CZ, Howa, why not? When Winchester gets back in production at the FN plant they have nothing to lose either, as I doubt they'll come out with their own .375 cartridge.

I've stated on other forums I think the .375 Ruger case will be "the" case for cartridge development for the coming years. We already have the first two offspring, the .300 and .338 Ruger Compact Magnum and I suspect both will do well.