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

Holy 2009 thread resurrection!!

For the guy who asked the question 4-5 years ago, I chronographed the 270 gr factory ammo in the barrel of a Ruger African and the stuff did about 2840 fps.

A 375 H&H and a 30/06 covers all hunting. Boring but true

for big game. ...with a .223, a .22 lr, and 12 gauge you got it all.

Jesse Jaymes,

Some input on the .375 Ruger-

I own and shoot a Ruger Hawkeye African, restocked with a Mcmillan McWoody stock, that I absolutely love. It is topped with a 2.5-8x Leupold VX3 scope.
I handload 270 gr. Barnes TSX bullets for it, ahead of Big Game powder, for 2800 fps MV and excellent accuracy. Sighted in 2" high at 100, it prints dead on at 200 yards.
A year ago I took a big Asian water buffalo with it, a job this rifle handled to perfection- no surprise.
What I really like about this rifle is its manageable recoil, relatively light weight, and great balance. In December, it goes along with me to South Texas for Nilgai.
I would not hesitate to recommend the Ruger Hawkeye African in .375 Ruger to anyone looking for a great medium-bore.

Sounds like JUST the rifle that a serious guy with a limited budget SHOULD buy and use. The ballistics are about as close to "perfect" as any possible to develop in a rifle that will really "do it all" and, IF, more folks BUY .375 Rugers, that superb cartridge will become, as it should, a mainstay of the hunting world.

I would LOVE one, built, first, by choice, on a Brno ZG-47 action, 4+1 mag. box, suspect Echol's rig for Mauser 98s will work fine here AND give the svelte silhouette that a regular 3+1 rifle has, so important for "one hand carry" and with a good, STS, cut-rifled tube to 23". Add Recknagels, two sets Talley QDs, Micky handle and a pair of Leupy 1.75x6 MHDs and some serious bench/range time and, in "Campfire" speak, "go fill an Ark!"

You got a 375 rum right? You're done.

Having the hots for a .375 Ruger myself, I'm not one to try and talk you out of one.

The .338 Win Mag is an excellent cartridge and, like you, I like the 225g AccuBond. With a BDC reticle I can shoot it well out to 600 yards. There is nothing I hunt that the .338WM can't handle so, also like you, the .375 Ruger is much more a want than a need. I look at it like I do my .45-70 - capable of handing any game that walks, capable of being downloaded and the Alaskan .375 Ruger I had an opportunity to shoot had manageable recoil - in short a rifle capable of being a gentle thumper of a heavy stomper.

Nothing wrong with satisfying "wants" as well as "needs". I say "Go for it!"

I nabbed one of these in 375 Ruger from a great member here. I am loving the little rifle!

I've had two Ruger Africans and an Alaskan in 375R. They were all great for the price. This little gun for 3/5 what I paid for the Rugers is accurate and reliable so far. I topped it with a Leupold 4X32 with Weaver bases and some unbranded QR rings.

With factory 270gr Hornadys and the AccuTrigger I get 1.25-1.5 MOA from the 20" barreled gun. That'll do for what I need this gun to do.


http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/model/116ALASKANBRUSHHUNTER

I am a lefty too and have taken eleven bulls and a few cows, and caribou, mostly with a 340 W but also with a smattering of others including a 45 Colt. I have liked "big" rifles for elk but have grown somewhat weary of carrying them at the same time.

That said, I have a 375 R in the African, tuned up and in a McMillan; with the 260's, you and your optics, not the rifle or cartridge, are the limiting factor to 1000 yds, not to mention 400, assuming the barrel is half way straight.

Do you need it? No. But if you like bigger cartridges and can shoot them, you'll like what they can do. IMHO, the Barnes 250-gr TTSX and the Nosler 260-gr Accubond make the 375 (any iteration) an excellent big, NA, big game cartridge.

Never seen a 375 H&H that was incapable at 400 yards with nothing more than the right loads and a Duplex reticle....so, only having owned one 375 Ruger, I would guess that 400 yards should be a sneeze with toorits or something like that.

375 Chatfield /Taylor?

Sure....about the same thing.

20" Ruger 375 LH with 300 gr NP 2585 FPS with H 4350

20 " Ruger 375 270 GR TSX 2725 FPS with RS Big Game

Sold a LH Rem 700 375 H&H and a LH Win 70 375 H&H and much prefer
the Ruger. Installed in a LH Mcmillion and it fit great with no mods.

Bob, there is no doubt in my mind, especially with the Nosler, 260-gr Accubond and the Barnes 250-gr TTSX. In fact with either at ~ 2900+ and a + 3" at a hundred, you'd need no turrets for 400 at the size of game usually sought. But, yep, they'd help. In fact, it's my exact platform for an all-around, "big gun" for NA.

George....I agree. Hammer!

In the 4 years or whatever since I posted this;

The custom 375 RUM went down the road for about half what I had into it.

I grabbed one of the " limited run" lefty stainless Rugers in 375 Ruger. Paid $619. A far cry from the $1200+ everyone was holding out for.

Also grabbed a little .338 RCM in LH

The .338 Winchester in Model 70 is still the gun that I would love to love the most. I think I've nailed down an accurate load with a 210 TTSX. Not what I'd prefer but no flies on it.

The .338 RCM gets grabbed the most by far. It simply seems lighter than it is. Topped with a 2.5-8 Leupy w B&C reticle I feel I can lob 185 TSXs into a kill so e to 300 yards.

Holy thread resurrection is right.