Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Is the Ruger 375 dead?

I have seen some guys necking down the Ruger 375 to 7mm and calling it the 7 LRM. Every thing I have read leads me to believe it to be a very good wildcat.

What about the Ruger 375? Is it relegated to novelty? If so, why do you think. Similar ballistics to the 375 H&H but in a standard length action and could be had in 20 and 24" barrels (I think). Anyone seeing the 375 Ruger on store shelves?

I see rifles and ammo, and the round sells well among those who have a use for such a thing. These aren't toys to wallop gophers and chucks on a Saturday in the off season.

The Hawkeye African is a nice trim and fast handling package at a very reasonable price. A lot of guys are taking them to Africa, and they have a following in Alaska in the stainless models. I would guess it has cut into sales of new H&H chambered guns like the Winchesters.

I'm curious as to what the gun writers here know about the current market.

It appears the market in AK is very good, not saying that is enough market. I am looking at getting one.

I can't tell you about the current market. But, I am one of the guys who doesn't shoot the smallest caliber possible for the big game animal at hand. I have killed several elk with my 375 Ruger Alaskan, and this fall I killed a nice whitetail buck with it. The 20" barrel is very handy for packing around in the woods and I don't believe a critter can be too dead. Big bullets at moderate velocities kill cleanly and you can usually eat right up to the bullet hole.

Not dead, like several other niche rounds. Not many available and a limited market. Really depends on availability of brass. It is a one off for the most part. Perhaps close to life support..

The .375 Ruger was developed for a relatively narrow application, providing .375 H&H +P ballistics from bolt rifles with .30-06 length magazines. The Ruger Hawkeye is one of the few commercial bolt actions with that magazine length anymore, though there are also plenty of military and commercial 98 Mauser actions available as well.

Aside from not many people needing (or wanting) a .375 magnum, there's the fact that the .375 H&H has been around for over 100 years now, and is still the most popular cartridge in its class. But the Alaskan model .375 Ruger provided the same sort of performance in a relatively low-cost, controlled-round-feed rifle, which is why the .375 Ruger has held onto its niche. It will never match the popularity of the .375 H&H, but does provide an viable alternative for specific purposes.

Thanks guys!
This is very interesting and useful info. I haven't done any research on this cartridge. Part of that is because I'm one who does NOT believe all publicity. I could give a few examples of where the performance does NOT live up to the sales pitch.

hummm...just what I need...another itch!!

My personal vote is .375 Ruger is not dead. I sold multiple H&H rifles that I used in Africa and kept the .375 Ruger after I got my Ruger M77 African set up. Bore Kote for for the bore, a gunsmith to modify the safety lever so I can move it from safe to fire with one motion and sealing the wood.

I have a stash of FailSAfe .375/270 gr bulleys, certainly enough for my hunting needs...

jim

HunterJim,

Can you show us a picture of your safety lever modification?

John,

I did not know the 375 Ruger would exceed the H&H from a shorter barrel.

Do you know of anyone who has successfully downloaded the round?

I don't see myself ever needing anything bigger than my 06. However, I have multiple places where I can kill feral hogs on a year round basis. I would LOVE to knock the squeal out of some with that round.

ANY medium bore rifle (.35 caliber and above) is going to have limited use for North American game. The .338 Magnum is about the most "power" that is required in North America except in very specialized situations. Because of that the .375 Ruger will NEVER be a big seller (that same is true of the .375 H&H).

I see no sign that the .375 Ruger is fading in popularity other than the fact that the few hunters who actually feel a need for such a round have already bought one. The demand for such a round will likely remain steady, but small....as should be expected for a round better suited for Africa.

G B - I'm not Mule Deer of course but...

In the Nosler # 7 loading manual they show loads for:

375 HH - 300 gr bullet at 2500--2600 fps

375 Ruger - 300 gr bullet at 2600-2700 fps

That's only one source but gives an idea of their comparison.

I also don't NEED a 375 anything but... As M D said here's an option of that performance at an affordable price. So for a trip for Brown Bear, Africa, or feral hogs, feral bulls etc. here's a less expensive option in rifles.

I can't comment on 'under' loading the Ruger but since that's a common practice for other cartridges, why not?

I agree, Rick. I'm just wondering if it would be around long enough for Hornady to launch a couple of long range offerings in conjunction with Ruger. Maybe a 7mm and/or 338 caliber with high b.cs based on the 375 case.

Do you think the two I mentioned (7mm & 338) might compete well against 7 Rem and 338 Win mag sales?

I see no benefit of the Ruger 375 over the H&H unless you only want to use a Ruger rifle. Winchester, Remington and most other bolt action "standard" actions work just fine with the H&H.

Howa and Savage chamber for it now. Also, try to find a new factory 375 H&H for around $700-$750 or one that is as trim and fast handling as the Ruger Hawkeye.

Appreciate what you are saying. Any merit in H&H performance with the overall compactness of the Ruger action and 20" barrel?

I gotta agree...I shot a Whitworth for years...standard m98 action...and there is only ONE .375....



That said...I think the Ruger has, and will have a following for some time...

Except that the 375 Ruger is chambered in a number of fairly inexpensive rifle, thus making it more available to the masses. The 375 Ruger is the 9.3x62 of the 21st century.

Is the Ruger 375 dead you ask! - Was it ever alive. - me thinks it was stillborn!

Not hardly.

In 2009, two years after it was introduced, I hunted bears and did a little fishing for two weeks in Alaska, and not only ran into several people who'd been hunting with the .375 Ruger for a year or two, but found supplies of ammo in every sporting goods store I visited, including the tiny general store in Sleetmute, population 96. In fact the store had a two Hawkeye Alaskans on the rifle rack behind the counter, one of which had a "Sold" sign on it. Some stores in Africa also carry .375 Ruger ammo, right alongside .375 H&H.