Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa .375 Ruger question for Hawkeye owners

I am a 375 Ruger and Hawkeye African/Alaskan convert and have a couple of questions:

Which model do I buy? I live in Oregon, mostly interested in Africa, but may hunt Alaska on occassion.

Do I buy the African and use it for both? (It is wet here in hunting season in Oregon and that Alaska salt air is viscious on rifles).

Or...

Do I buy an Alaskan and also buy an African stock and put the stainless Alaskan in the wood stock? Best of both worlds.

I am ready to buy now and was just thinking it over. What do you .375 Ruger enthusiasts recommend? What would you do?

Muledeer...I'd really like to hear from you especially, since you hunt both regions and own a .375 Ruger!

How about buying the African and having it Cerakoted? That's likely to be my solution if I ever get to Alaska.

SOS

I think MD (just a guess)did recently do an article about blued/wood guns around the world. I believe that he said that he never had any troubles with them in AK, BC or other with standard upkeep.

He or Phil may use a paste wax or just several coats of oil to soak into the micro pores if there is such a thing.

Regardless, looking for an African as well, but will be in Africa before AK I would guess.

I also don't think it's very easy to get a buy the African stock seperately.

Well, I'm sort of like My Other Brother Darrel in that, while I own and hunt with both synthetic and wood stocked rifles, and stainless, teflon-coated and blue-steel barrels and actions -- I've never had much trouble with blue-wood rifles. I'm becoming fond of black teflon or cerakote or some such derivative, with a well-bedded and well-sealed wood stock. If I had the spare coin, I'd put Serengeti Zephyr stocks on a few rifles.

I bought the African because I despise the Hogue stock on the Alaskan; and frankly think the African stock might look a little funny with a 20" tube. (Kind of like my wood-blue .338 RCM, but that's a separate subject.) If Ruger ever builds a right-hand black laminated Alaskan stock, I'll put one on my African. I do plan to have the barrelled action coated with something, because steel will rust most anywhere, not just here. Stainless will too, just not as badly.

The other option is to buy the Alaskan and put it in a standard Ruger synthetic stock, or move up to a McMillan. Either one will get rid of the "clunk" factor of the abominable Hogue.

My choice was the African -- because I like it better. And people have been hunting in Alaska and Africa with blued-steel wood-stocked rifles for a long time. That being said -- I do take my extremely low maintenance stainless synthetic .260 on pack-in blacktailed deer hunts .

That probably didn't help you at all... .

Dennis

I would say buy the model that is best suited to the weather you will hunt or shoot in the MAJORITY of the time.

I myself have the 375 Ruger Alaskan model as I prefer the shorter barrel and the all-weather Hogue stock.

While others dislike the Hogue, I on the other hand favor it and don`t fully understand the dislike. It`s impervious to moisture, weather warping, all cleaning oils and solvents. There are no wood dings, chipping or scratching to ever worry about should you accidentally drop the rifle or fall and drop the rifle, lay it on or accidentally scrape it against rocks, trees, brush, etc.

Many don`t like its very grippy pencil eraser type of feel or the added bulge in the stock`s fore-end. Again, I believe those to be assets, especially in very adverse conditions. Some say that the eraser surface sticks to or won`t slide well enough against the clothing should an emergency charge occur where the rifle needs to get into action fast. As an experiment, I have taken every piece of hunting clothing I own, put them on and did so in dry condtions and hosed myself down to simulate wet conditions while wearing gloves as well. There were no hinderences for me in getting that rifle into quick action. NONE! I tend to think that the more grippy feel is an asset when hunting dangerous game because your less likely TO lose the rifle due to slipping in very wet conditions under a charge, even though there is checkering on the wood stocks.

The Hogue stock isn`t suppose to be pretty like the woods. It is instead, a rough it, a go anywhere, a flexible, a grippy and an abuse me kind of stock.

For a very comprehensive article on the Ruger Alaskan by Holt Bodinson, find the 12/07 issue of "Guns Magazine."

From that article, quote......"The Hogue OverMolded synthetic stock is a well designed, well porportioned and has a nice "grabby" feel to it. You will not lose your grip on this stock if it`s raining or if your hands are sweaty. In fact it`s so grabby, it grabs up any dust or dirt within reach. That`s not a complaint, just an observation. When I first saw what looks like a very tight radius in the pistol grip, I thought this is not the stock design for a heavy recoiling rifle. I was wrong. The grip angle works just fine. In fact, I like this stock so much I am tempted to use the all-weather Hogue OverMolded stock on a future rifle-building project.".....Unquote

You can buy the Alaskan as is, try out the Hogue on some hunts in bad weather and then convert over to another type of synthetic stock should you not like the Hogue for any reason.

On the other hand if you prefer the looks of the wood, then go with the African but be prepared for those little tiny wood dings, dents and scratch marks that always come,,,,sooner or later. Some don`t mind them.

JBMan,

I bought the African.

I have hunted with it in the weather, but not Alaska yet. I don't have trouble with wood/blue steel guns in most conditions, a little wax can go a long way.

jim

If I were in the market for a dangerous game rifle and looking for input into buying and using it, would I be more likely to take the advice of a guy who only writes about guns, or the advice of a guy who hunts and guides hunters on dangerous game, and who carries a rifle to actually use it 300 days a year?

Kinda like choosing advice on saddles between a working cowhand and a parade rider. They both ride horses...

It's nice that you like your Hogue stock, but don't try to put Holt Bodinson (Who...?) up as an expert vis a vis Phil Shoemaker. Because they ain't hardly in the same league. And I will point out again...not a single actual Alaskan has weighed in favoring, or even expressing anything save disgust toward, the Hogue stock in the other thread where this came up. There might be a message in there somewhere.

No one is suggesting that you should stop liking your stock or change it out -- just don't expect anyone else much to share your viewpoint.

Dennis

I bought the African first because it was the only model available when I was ready to head for AK (eastern Prince William sound - plenty wet and rugged terrain), had it Teflon coated (couldn't get the Cerakote done in time for the trip) and had the barreled action bedded into a Rimrock stock. The external surfaces were fine but the trigger mechanism, bore and other internal steel parts required daily attention to keep the rust off during the trip. For subsequent bear hunts in AK I bought the Alaskan version and bedded it in the Rimrock - perfect combo for AK and other wet environs IMHO. As to Africa, it depends where you're headed. When I go back to RSA, the African will go along in the wood stock. When I head for Moz this summer, the Alaskan in the Rimrock is my bet for the swamps. I took the Hogue off the Alaskan and it's only sitting in the corner still because I haven't figured out how to get rid of it - can't imagine anyone would want to buy it and it's too bulky to put in the recycling bin. FWIW there's my $0.02. If I went with the African for the conditions you describe I'd Cerakote it, drop it in a synthetic stock and go, but my idea of the close-to-perfect heavy cartridge rifle for the rough weather world sits below - it works

............In my previous post, my goal wasn`t to convince or "expect" anyone to share my viewpoint regarding the Hogue stock. To be honest, I don`t care! It`s up to individual preference. Also, I`m not familiar with individual qualifications or any comparisons between Shoemaker and Bodinson and wasn`t "trying" as you say, to put Bodinson up as the expert against Shoemaker......

I did not have the opportunity to read Shoemaker`s article. And I haven`t been able to find the thread about why the native Alaskan residents dislike the Hogue stock. Perhaps you can please enlighten me as to the specific details of their dislike as well as Shoemaker`s dislike so that I can be aware of them?

If I go to Africa I'll rent a 458 Winchester from the PH. Actually, I have always wanted to shoot a Cape Buff with a 30-06 and 220 solids, like Francis Macomber. I know damn well I could do it (if it were legal and with a good PH behind me)- but, born too late.

Just buy the gun for the environment it will live in most of the time.

Well thats too easy

I would buy the Alaskan.
I would hunt with it in Alaska.
I wouldn't change anything to hunt with it in Africa.

If your PH wonders why you brought a stainless gun to Africa ask him if he would bring his 375 that he knows like the back of his hand to hunt with in Alaska or would he buy a new one.

I took a teflon/synthetic Rem 700 .35 Whelen to Africa. PH only wanted to know if I could hit anything with it. Didn't ask about the stock; didn't ask about the metal finish; didn't ask why I didn't have a CRF rifle. Only wanted to know how well I could shoot it.

Dennis

In the end, that's what matters. Amazing how much time I spend on this forum talking about stuff that, in the end, don't make a hill of kudu poop!

It's a hobby... .

Dennis

Zactly.....