Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Thoughts on the 375 Ruger vs. 338 Win Mag for 1, do-it-all rifle

I'd do the 338. I've never needed more.

Any real advantage for a 338 Ultra Mag?

Can't speak from direct experience, but a good buddy of mine found 338 RUM to be be "too much" from a sporter M700. He's a very experienced rifleman, and has owned numerous other big 'uns. While everyone is different, I do believe him when he says it was pretty vicious.

If it were me, I'd be looking to a Sendero-type rifle, at the minimum, with a 338 RUM. Something heavier, set up to use the extra reach if indeed the shooter was up to it. Just me.

A plain ol' .338 Win Mag on the other hand is quite manageable from a sporter. Mine is scary accurate too, and will carry enough velocity to expand a bullet out past 600 yards. Great, great cartridge in my opinion. A big friendly shove, not sharp recoil.

I would LOVE to shoot a 375 Ruger. Very interesting cartridge.

I would send the 7mm Mag to Mickey Coleman, and have him rebarrel it with a 1:10 twist Shilen #3 in the .338-.375 Campfire.


Not my rifle (BUT) M70's look awesome in a brown McMillan!!!!

I like the looks of that gun, the bolt's even on the proper side

Jeff, have you actually seen that ? Or have you done it ? Seen a 225-250 gr. .338 WM bullet expand reasonably well out past 600 yds. ? Even with Barnes's exagerated BC's they simply aren't moving fast enough from what I've seem.
I'm not questioning their ability to punch a .338 size hole through a critter. But expansion ? E

Jesse, as Frank would have told you, your first idea was the way to go simply put. The .338 caliber is so much more versatile period. You can go go the route of 160 grain bullets up to 300 grainers for various animal situations.

Now with those Ultra mags comes a price and that my friend is Recoil with a capitol R...no joke says Ouch at the shooting bench. The more powder and bigger bullet, the more recoil and that is the doom to downrange accuracy generally speaking.

My .375-Wby shoots around 1.5 inch groups at 110 yards on targets. My .338 Win mag with 225 grain Accubonds, shoots .775 MOA and with 200 grain bullets will shoot .560-MOA. Just something for you to consider before you spend your cash ok.

The reason for the discussion is that the two cartridges are so close in the range of bullets and velocities that they are almost indistingushable, in termes of power,ranging ability,and trajectory,considering the range and size of game available on this continent.

Practically speaking neither one is "needed"on anything on the continent until you get to brown bear,and I'd lean to the 375 if Africa were in my plans;but that has nothing to do with what a guy "wants",and if I planned on spending all my time here,the 338 is a great choice. Oodles of bullets are no big concern because,if he chooses intelligently, a guy could pick one bullet and kill everything from pronghorn antelope to brown bear with just one in each.

Examples? You could load a 250 Swift Aframe in the 375,or a 225 in the 338,and nothing will get away; ditto some form of TSX.Possibilities are endless

Hi E,

I shoot the 225 Accubond exclusivley from my .338 (since Noz discontinued the 200 BT, at least). According to my software the bullet is still ~1900 fps at 600 yards. I've not had the balls to set up my chrono out there to see <g>. Anyways, according to Mosler, that's enough for expansion.

You don't hear of Accubonds penciling, so I'm reasonably confidant that it'll expand, if Nosler says it will.

I kind of doubt I'll be killing anything at 600 yards anytime soon. I'm hell on targets at that range, now, but I get pretty amped up if I'm about to kill something big. That doesn't lend itself to the kind of precision you need to shoot that far. But, we'll see. It'll be a game time decision. If I have enough time to get past the initial adrenaline rush, I might be OK.

Still tuned in.

I have been using my 375 RUM these past few weeks. I really need to get out my Chrony. I am trying to load it down to have "fun" with it. Still getting sticky bolt lift at times, most of the time. Just the last 1/8th of the cam to unlock the bolt.

In my mind, if I am getting sticky bolt lift, I must be up there in FPS.

There is a big difference in recoil launching a 260 Accubond at 2980 fps and 2670. I am pretty certain I am over 2900 with a 9.0 lb rifle. The book specs on the 375 RUM (depending on which data set-Hodgdon is about 2850, Nosler is almost 3100) vary quite a bit. I cannot fathom hitting 3100 if I am only at 2875ish.

And this is off the bench. Not something I am burning 20 rounds a session in, but 6-10. At times it's tough to focus(at times literally) and not flinch.

Part of the struggle on the choice is the platform of the LH Ruger 375. Looks nice to me, and is probably very functional for it's intended use.

It's tough not to hop in it right now or right away, because with lefties, it's feast or famine. There may be a ton of LH Africans next year just sitting on shelves 'cause no one wants something that big, or.....they may all dry up very quickly.

With the minimal finances, I may only get one good rifle a year. And I will have 3/4 of the cash on hand.

But I think I am coming to terms with reality. I will never get close to what I have in the custom 375 RUM with a bedded McM Supergrage, fluted barrel, all work done by Borden. It would take me getting the right Dr or rich dude to give me $1500 for it, and I would still be taking a decent loss.

Can get the rebarrel project ordered, installed and completed as it is right now. And have cash left over to either put towards a new scope or get M1s and BC installed in older one.

So I think I am getting ready to buy a barrel and go down that road.

I hate being sensible, as it's a true passion. But the 338 just makes sense. I will never do a Brown bear hunt due to cost. I still crave Trigger Time. I would rather burn the $15,000 on doing Africa 2X and filling an ark with neaty-coolies and whack 10-16 critters than just 1.

And the 338 will do everything I need. Will always have the 375 RUM in the stable should I need some extra horsepower.

And in reality, I use Uncle Sam as a savings account and get several thousand back each February (don't counsel me on the ideology of income tax-I cannot save it on my own). And if I still need one that bad 9 months, I will buy one.

I'll keep someone posted. It may be a while til it's all COMPLETELY finished, but I love the factory Win 70 Classic stock, and there are some of those at Numrich. So I may get a 26" tubed 338 with some type of metal coating, and have it bedded in a plain Jane wood stock, but believe me, if I draw a Gila bull tag, it's gonna get used in the next few months.

Can't answer your question about the 375 Ruger at 400 yards, as my longest shot on game with this cartridge has been at 330 yards (a black bear in the open I couldn't close on). The distance I shot doesn't require the B&C as the drop there is ~10" - confirmed by shooting at 300 yds - easily manageable without significant holdover with a plain duplex reticle (mine on this Ruger Alaskan is in a Leupold 1.75-6x32).

Based on my range shooting, the 400 yd shoots are doable with the B&C reticle alone, without need for turrets, but whatever you prefer is your best choice. BTW, the bullet I shoot is the 300 TSX, so a 270 TSX may give you a bit flatter trajectory (although I havent confirmed this up as I don't use it).

"I already have a semi-rare factory LH 700 in 338 Win Mag. Shoots well, and feeds well. Just blued steel, and a 24"tube. Not so neaty-cooly with a McMillan and Cerakote. But it's bedded into a B+C stock and has a 3.5-10X Leupy which could probably go back for the elevation turret. Scope is gloss, so the whole shebang is not so Campfire Cool."


So... Load this one as you see fit, sell all the others, and spend the money on a hunt!

Seriously - other than the really big African stuff - what couldn't you hunt with this one good .338 Model 70?

'Twer it me, I'd decide which action I wanted to build a rifle on. Once that decided, I would sell the others and build on the selected action exactly how I'd want it.

The second option I'd consider would be to sell all three and buy a Ruger 375 with the laminate stock and use the rest for a hunt or a top-end optics set up.

PS- I've hunted everything with my Ruger 338 and other than the weight have no complaints.

.375.

Load it down to .375Win. or .38-55 velocities for deer up close.
Load the .375Win bullets fast for a VERY decisive varminter (nasty......).
Load it up to .375H&H/Ruger levels for anything from bear on up.

Nothing.......but if you go three-six-bits you can do it ALL .............the great, the mighty, 375H&H

So far(being on only my 2nd H&H) I would say that it is a pretty fun cartridge.
Easy to load for, feeds and extracts very smoothly, and has some cool history behind it.

I like it.

Jesse Jaymes,

The last M700 I bought, a Sendero in 300 WM, had sticky bolt lift and even stuck cases with mild loads. Turned out, there was a burr in the chamber mouth. Just FYI.

I'd be plenty skeered of a full-boat .375 RUM too!

Never shot a 375RUM, but I had a 378Roy for quite a while, that thing would get your attention when you lit it off...

JJ, for a fun load in my 375 rum I shoot 225 hornadys over AA5744. I found a good loads at 57 and 61 grains. You should get around 2700 fps with the 61 gr. load and it is a great medium size game load.