Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska .375 Ruger or Marlin 45-70

My local dealer has both of them for sale and are used for the same price. For fishing and on the trail, which one would you buy? The .375 Ruger can also be used to hunt with is a nice plus.

I do not own either, but I would think if you were a reloader the .375 Ruger in that compact setup would offer more. Either one would work though.

Can't speak on the Ruger but I really like my Marlin 45-70 XLR and I like having a lever gun in my collection.

For bear PROTECTION I don't think you can beat a 16in 45/70 with the right loads. Put XS ghost ring sights on it, a good sling, and practice carrying/deploying/shooting from "African Carry", IE muzzle-down, support-side. A big-bore trapper is as handy as a pocket on a shirt.

Scouttracker
Where are you going to be around bears? Lower 48, Alaska?

It's a dilema readily addressed-

I sold a Marlin 1895 SS 45-70 with the 22" barrel and bought the 375 Ruger Guide Gun and have no regrets. Shooting a handloaded Hornady 300gr.RN at 2488fps with 4123 Ft.Ibs. muzzle engery. Factory Hornady 270gr. shooting 2777fps. and 4626 ft.Ibs. muzzle engery out of the 20" barrel Guide Gun.

45-70

For versatility, I would go with the 375 Ruger in the discontinued 20" barreled Alaskan model. The 375 Ruger with hand-loaded or DoubleTap factory loaded 270 TSX works for me. I am a fan of the 375 Ruger and 45/70. But, the 375 is definitely more versatile, especially with the addition of the new Hornady 250gr GMX load factory load at an advertised 2900 fps. DoubleTap offers TSX in 235gr, 270; a 250 TTSX and 260gr Nosler Accubond loads.
ETA = The Hornady GMX's advertised velocity is from a 24" test barrel.

I have both and only one seems to get any use. In my opinion, the 375 Ruger, in either the older "Alaskan" version or the newer "guide" version, is one of the most versatile and useful rifles ever introduce for Alaskan use. And from what I hear it is quickly catching on in Africa as well.

OK - some of you will call me crazy but I use my .375 H&H for everything I hunt larger than groundhogs. It may be a little bit of overkill but nothing that is struck with a 235 grain Speer at 2,850 fps walks away - BUT - when I was fishing in Alaska I had a choice of my Sako .375 H&H (Yeah, I am an old fashioned type) carbine, a chopped barrel Marlin .45-70 lever action, OR a Siamese Mauser chambered for the .45-70. I picked the Mauser carried in the "African" carry. This gave me my free hand to fish, and could have the rifle off my left shoulder, on target, and fired in just a hair over 5 seconds, the 2nd round was faster and both rounds were inside a golf ball at 40 yards.

There is no BAD choice here - pick one and learn to shoot it. Don't worry - it will do the job when needed.


Terry

I have both but my 375 is the African model. I carry my 45/75 guide gun when picking huckleberries in Island Park next to Yellowstone. It's just easy to carry and fast handling. I run the 350g hornady flat points over benchmark at about 2100fps.

I had an Alaskan 375 too and really liked it but rarely used it so I sold it. If I would have kept it I would have got rid of the houge stock and maybe tried a boat paddle on it. I had it in a African stock for a while and liked the feel and handling of the trim stock and 20" tube a lot. The 375 ruger is an awesome cartridge. I took 5 animals in 5 shots with mine in Africa in 2008.

Bb

I bought NIB Ruger Alaskans in both 375 and 416 Ruger when they were being discontinued. It seems to me to be the ultimate Alaskan rifle, being both stainless and synthetic. They're still in their boxes in the safe.

I bought NIB Ruger Alaskans in both 375 and 416 Ruger when they were being discontinued. It seems to me to be the ultimate Alaskan rifle, being both stainless and synthetic. They're still in their boxes in the safe.

Would that be due to the trajectory of the round vs a .45-70? I am a big fan of the old gubbermint round, but it does give up a lot in the trajectory department.

As a wee lad, I heard one of the strong points of the H&H round was it's trajectory, especially when compared to the .30-06.

No expert on Alaska or what works there, but I've owned three different Marlin 45-70's including a guide gun dating back to 1976. I have a lot, I mean a lot more confidence the bolt rifle is going to work when it has to. I have no doubt the round will work. It is the rifle that I have my doubts about.

The carbine length Rugers weigh about the same and I've found I can get off multiple shots just as fast with a bolt gun. The pistol caliber levers can be fast, but once you reach the recoil levels of hot loaded 45-70 and the longer lever throws of the rifle calibers the levers aren't any faster.

I'd go with the 375. I think you'll find terminal performance for a .375 with a 270 gr x or similar bullet will give you all the penetration you need, and I'd expect a larger dia wound channel than the 45-70. I've found a bolt gun can provide quick follow up shots, I've never timed one vs. a lever but I think you'll find not much difference. While the trajectory of the rounds doesn't matter for close in work, the 45-70 is barely a 200yd round w/o compensating for drop, the .375 w/ 270's is an honest 300 yd round. Finally I'd say day in day out dealing with water and grit the Ruger ss 77's are one of the toughest guns made.

For protection?? 45/70. For hunting that might include longer range?? Either. A good,slick levergun is way easier to keep on target for subsequent shots. Put up a paper plate at 25 yards and try shooting both action types with full power ammo and you can figure out which one is faster and easier for YOU to keep on target. Shoot the rounds in pairs.

NONE of us has Phil's background, we are all rank amateurs compared to him so HE is fully able to get the mostest out of a boltgun.

Just get both of them. Carry which ever you feel like that day. 375 would make a great hunter.

That's sound advice, IMHO�

Foxx

have cracked the second wrist on my 45/70

if I could only afford one, it would be the bolt rifle

Can't hunt with the 45-70? News to me. ;-)

I would pick the 45-70, as I handload and can run the lever quite a bit faster than I can a bolt.

Hard to argue with a 405 gr. flatnose pushing 2000 fps., but the .375 has a lot of killing power also. Probably a toss up.

I don't care for having a cocked bolt action on safe, and the lever carries nicely.