Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots Ruger No1-H 375 H&H Inbound!

G'day folks, I've manage to track down a 375hh Ruger No1 Tropical. She's an 85 model going by the serial number, it has a few small bumps and some light wear here and there, more from a gun that's been used rather than abused. It should make a nice partner to my No1-S 45-70.

I'll pick it up in about 2 weeks but in the meantime here's a pic.

Cheers, Scott.

Very nice looking gun. My son and I both used Ruger no.1 H, 375 H&H mags on our dangerous game hunt to Zimbabwe, in August of 2011. The guns performed great. Helluva gun and helluva caliber. Congrats.


maddog

A really, REALLY nice lookin' rifle !~!~!

While deer don't run very far (if at all) when shot with a .375 H&H cartridge, it's certainly "over-kill" for deer unless you have an "iron" shoulder and do a lot of elk and/or moose hunting with griz-bears thrown in for good measure.

That said,I have to admit I used a .338 Win. Mag. on deer (as well as other big game) for a good many years, but always thought the .375 H&H was a heck-of-a fine cartridge and a sure candidate for the fabled "best all-around big game round".


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

G'day folks, no bear, moose, elk or whitetail in my neck of the woods. ;-)

This will be a pig, Sambar deer, scrub bull and buffalo gun. ;-)

Cheers, Scott

Opppppppssss... sorry, mate...

I was so focused on looking at your fine looking .375 that I didn't notice you were an Aussie.

Hahaha, that's ok mate, I get distracted by nice guns too.

Cheers, Scott.

Thanks for being so understanding, Scott...!

Your Sarbar deer are easily as large as our American elk... and the .375 Holland & Holland is a wonderful elk cartridge, so it seems that you've chosen a perfect caliber which should easily handle the largest Sanbar deer as well as the often even larger feral/wild water buffalo which I understand can weigh 1500 pounds or more.

That's a lot of muscle, bone & gristle to penetrate in order to get into the buffalo's vitals with a killing shot, but your .375 H&H should handle that chore with relative ease as well. I also understand those "buffs" can get a bit "difficult & cross" at times, too, eh? Yep... they can be a nasty bunch, that "mob" with a bad temper and horns up to 10 feet across!~!~!

I wish you and your cobbers good luck, good hunting & straight shooting, mate... !


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

Congrats Obewan! Nice rifle.

I've been using a .375 Number One for a few years now as a bear rifle here in the Pacific Northwest. It's accurate, and easy to carry. I thoroughly enjoy hunting with it, handloading for it, as well as shooting it at the range!

Congrats on a fine rifle.

Regards, Guy

Very nice - I think you will really enjoy that one (I sure do mine).

Nice job on the Aussie slang there mate, well on your way to becoming an honorary Australian. ;-)

Yeah the Buffs can get nasty so I'm told, haven't had the pleasure of hunting one yet, I'm down the southern end of the continent and those fellas live up "The Top End".

One day......

Thanks for the congrats guys, the count down is on.... More pics when I get it home.

Cheers, Scott.

top it with a 1-5x leupold in some warne QD rings and you'll be set. Love mine

It's actually coming with those exact rings! ;-)

And those little Leupolds do seem custom made for this type of rifle don't they.

Cheers, Scott.

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Being an "honorary Australian" would be a great honor, mate!

I learned that "Aussie slang" from a cobber (fellow "Yanks": "cobber" means a "mate" or "buddy") of mine during several years of lively "snail-mail" (letters) correspondence many years ago. Somehow, suddenly... Eric's letters stopped and we "lost touch". I've always wondered what happened to him.

I even attempted to telephone him (back in the days when foreign, long-distance calling was very EXPEN$IVE), but never got any further than a local phone operator in his town. I dunno why they couldn't make a phone connection, but it never happened and his letters stopped as well. Apparently, he didn't have a telephone.

I always wondered if he had a fatal accident or illness, but both of us were only in our 30's back then and very healthy... which was 40+ years ago.

He seemed to be a sort of a "rough-and-tumble" kinda guy and gave me the impression that being so was fairly common with a lotta Aussie lads who were "that way"... much like the tough and hard-living men of the USA in the mid-to-late 1800s.

In any event, he caused me to have a great deal of honest respect for the Aussie fellas... and your beautiful "sheila's" ("lovely ladies" to you Yanks who don't know the "Aussie slang") as well!~!~!

I've always very much regretted losing contact with my cobber down there in "Aussieland", we were both very active hunters back then and shared a good many hunting tales in our letters.

Now... almost 50 years later, I still think of Eric in my "quiet times" when I sit by the fire in our family-room's fireplace and stare into the flames...


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

Obewan - will you be handloading the .375 H&H?

I've found it real easy to load, and surprisingly easy to shoot well.

Using the 260 gr Nosler Accubond on bear, via RL-15.

The 300 gr bullets seem to work real well with H4350.

I borrowed my load data from gunwriter John Barsness. Made for real easy load development.

And yes, that 1.5-5x Leupold is a good match for the rifle!

Guy

Yes indeed I will be. I've had good results with the Barnes TSX projectiles in the past so I'm keen to get some of those loaded for it. In the meantime I've just grabbed a couple of boxes of Federal 270gn Powershok, should be plenty for pigs... ;-)

Cheers, Scott.

Congrats,

Your "H" Tropical with the "C" contour BBL. should feel a little heavier than your Medium Sporter .45-70 Govt. but not nearly as bad as any of the other Tropicals which are "D" contour BBLs and feel like your hauling around an axle with a stock!

My .375 H&H SS/Laminate is totable, while not as light as the Medium Sporters, it is manageable.


Careful!! your starting down the road of the Ruger No.1 fanatic! One, then two, then soon it will be 16.
Best of luck with your new No.1!!

Mitch

I wish I could get a stainless medium sporter in 375 H&H.

Medium Sporters weigh in around 7.25 LBS. I'll bet that would be a handy set up and kick like mule!!

Mitch, thanks for the info, I wasn't aware of different weight barrels for the 1-H.

As for becoming a fanatic, well I've been making enquiries about a 9.3x74.... So I see your point! :-)

Cheers, Scott.

Nah. Wouldnt be that bad. Nowhere near as bad as ruger 45/70 loads

Scott,

I had a medium sporter in the 9.3X74R and it is fantastic set up! It is an "S" model so you get the light weight and the great round. (Not up to the 375 H&H but I'm sure the reloaders could fix that!)

Something about loading a single-shot when you slide those shells that seem 5" long and rimmed into your rifle. Made me feel like I was Africa bound.

The 9.3X74R is an absolute winner!! Woodliegh makes numerous bullets that should be right up your alley!

Mitch

Hey Mitch, you're right about guns having a certain flavour, my stainless laminate 45-70 gives me visions of tramping through a snowy boreal forest, whereas a nice blued timber 375 or 9.3 gives me thoughts of Africa too. I think that's part of the charm of these No1's, they have a certain character to them that inspires.

Just got some loads done for the 45-70 with some 350 gn FPs loaded to give approx 1900fps, so I'm keen to get out and give those a run!

The 375 Holland should be in my possession by Saturday week. :-)

Cheers, Scott.

Scott,

Be prepared to be spoiled. Assuming you can handle the recoil. Actually recoil isn't that bad. But I've seen guys who never shot anything bigger than a .243 try a .375 and they thought it was horrible.

I have owned three #1's in .375 H&H. The first two were surprisingly accurate. The 3rd has yet to be fired. (by me) I've no reason to believe it will be any different.

Just holding a .375 in your hands makes one think of Lion, Leopard and Cape Buffalo. Most of us will never journey to the Dark Continent to hunt, but just by owning a .375 we can have visions run thru our heads...

GH

Scott,

Be prepared to be spoiled. Assuming you can handle the recoil. smile Actually recoil isn't that bad. But I've seen guys who never shot anything bigger than a .243 try a .375 and they thought it was horrible.


I have a #1 tropical in .375 H&H and find the recoil right smart, especially at ranges where you can only shoot long guns off a bench. With a scope it comes back so quickly I tend to dodge the scope. I also have one in .458 Win mag and recoil with it does not seem as severe. I think it is because the .375 seems to recoil much quicker, don't know if that makes much sense.

On the other hand I have one of the CZ Safari American models in .375 H&H and it is a pussycat. Recoil with it is not as bad as my first centerfire a pre 64 Win mod 70 featherweight in 30-06

A lot of perceived recoil has to go with the stock configuration, length of pull, and weight, as well as the caliber and load.

On the other hand, I love shooting mine, even from prone! Prior to bear season, I'll take it to the range for some good practice sessions, banging steel out to 300 yards. To me, the recoil is more like a big push than a sharp rap. Mine does have a good Pachmayer recoil pad. At any rate, the doggone things can be quite accurate, and a lot of fun to shoot!

Regards, Guy

mine is a tackdriver as well. wish I could use it on a bear one day

Good looking rifle/scope package. That's probably what mine will end up being set up like. ;-)

How old is your rifle Guy, it looks pretty new? Also what rings are they? They look lower than the std ones?

Cheers, Scott.

Not sure the age of the rifle, I'm the third or fourth owner. John Barsness used to own this one. That made load-development a snap as he'd published loads he worked up for this particular rifle!

It's been around at least 15 years I'd guess. I've had it on several bear & elk hunts. John took it to Africa, twice I believe.

Standard Ruger rings, 1.5-5x Leupold sighted in at 200 yards. Works great!

Regards, Guy

That's very cool that you know it's history, I'd like to know where and what my 25yo rifle ran into in its time. It's gotta have got those character marks from somewhere.

Cheers, Scott.

G'day folks, well I picked it up this morning. Awesome gun! More pics soon.

Cheers, Scott.

More pics with my 45-70.







Cheers, Scott.

A really great-looking rifle, Scott... small wonder you were so excited about it !~!~!

Ron T.

That's a nice looking pair of Rugers!

obewan,

Wanna have some fun with that pretty new bangstick of yours? Try loading 40gr of 5744 under a 270gr bullet. You're gonna like it!

They say "don't shoot the donor. Pretty sound advice most likely. Well, I went one worse and went out and started shooting the "for sale". And now it ain't anymore (for sale). I surely enjoy the 375 H&H in a #1; I believe the recoil 'fits' me better in the #1 than in the even heavier M77 Ruger Magnum Rifle 375 H&H. So now I'll probably move that one instead. They're both nice rifles and redundant in the fact that they are nice 'gentlemen hunt'-type rifles. (I already have a beater M70 stainless so I hardly need one, let alone two nice 375s.)

Thanks folks, I'm taking them both out on Friday for a sight in session. Hope my shoulder holds out! ;-)

Cheers, Scott.

You can shoot the 40gr/5744 load all day long, and still have a shoulder left at the end of the day!

I think you're hooked!

Well folks, I went out and put some rounds through them both today, surprisingly there wasn't a lot of difference in recoil between the two of them.

The heavier Tropical soaked up the 270 and 300gr Federal factory loads nicely. It definately kicks, but it's a big thump rather than a sharp jab.

The 45-70 had a little less push, but a little more muzzle climb probably due to being 2" shorter and 2lb lighter. I was shooting 350gr FN @1900 FPS.

A good fun day was had!

Now to hunt up a Leupold 1-4x20 for the 375.....

Cheers, Scott.