Originally Posted by Riflecrank
Late to the thread.
I have the 20" stainless Hawkeye Alaskan .375 Ruger and .416 Ruger rifles with barrel bands.
Bare/empty/dry weights in the Zytel canoe paddle stocks:
.375 Ruger: 7.5 pounds
.416 Ruger: 7.0 pounds
The 23"-barreled, matte-black and walnut Hawkeye African .375 Ruger weighs 7.75 pounds.

The .375 H&H I used in the 1990's in Alaska and 2001 in Botswana:
Pre-'64 M70 .300 H&H action
24"-long Douglas No. 3 sporter contour (as light as I go in .375-caliber)
Brown Precision "Pounder" Kevlar and fiberglass stock with textured paint and 1" Decelerator pad
NECG banded front sight
Kimber QD scope bases
Weight was 6.75 pounds bare/empty/dry

One cannot sensibly flute a No.3 sporter in .375 caliber that is 0.625" diameter at the 24" muzzle.
Dan Lilja fluted his stainless No. 6 sporter contour .375 barrels for two of my other rifles.
They weigh about the same as a No. 4 sporter.
Simple No. 3 sporter contour, nonfluted is the way to go for light weight and usual 24" length.
Then you need a really light stock like the Brown Pounder to make it balance properly.

I reckon Phil Shoemaker got Dave Scovill's Ruger M77 Mk II .375 H&H or one just like it ?
Expert action opening to the rear and an RSM sheet metal box slipped into and some work on shortening the ejector ...


Dave gave me the Ruger Mk II .338 Bill Atkinson converted to a 375 H&H over 20 years ago and it has been a popular rifle with my guides. I like it a lot as well. It split the wood stock stock after only a few rounds when Mule Deer shot it, but I dropped it in an old Ruger canoe paddle stock and it is lithe and lethal ! It has earned the name "pointer" as everything it points at dies !

Phil Shoemaker
Alaska Master Guide,
Alaska Hunter Ed Instructor
FAA Master pilot
www.grizzlyskinsofalaska.com

Anyone who claims the 30-06 is not effective has either not used one, or else is unwittingly commenting on their marksmanship.