Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only .375 ruger vs. 375 H&H

I know they say the .375 Ruger is faster then the .375 H&H even with the Ruger in a shorter barrel, but what do they compare this with? Do they take the same barrel length rifles and shoot the H&H with Hornady Heavy mag loads, or just the normal H&H loads? Has anybody chroned .375 H&H Hornady heavy magnum loads and then the Ruger loads using the same bullet? I believe the Ruger loads are comparable to the heavy mganum loads or the loads Hornady now call Superformance now.

The Ruger case is a little larger and holds about 6gr more powder than the H&H case so when comparing apples to apples it will either give a tad bit more velocity or less pressure - take your pick.
In my 24" barrel Ruger 375 H&H the Hornady 270 gr HM 375 HH ammo averaged 2755fps and from the 23" barrel African the 375 Ruger 270gr averaged 2720fps.

.........I`ll try and answer you as best as possible.

Before buying my 375 Ruger Alaskan nearly two years ago, I had a conversation with Hornady, asking them what their`s and Ruger`s goal was with the 375 Ruger, when it was conceived.

In essence, their goal was to produce a handier and shorter OAL rifle with a 20" barrel, with a shorter `06 length action, that would offer longer barreled 375 H&H ballistics. Both Ruger and Hornady recognized then as they do now, the continuing trend towards shorter and handier rifles and in so doing, maintaining as much velocity performance as possible, without sacrificing too much if any to the longer barreled bretheren. So why not try and do so with a 375 to be made for a shorter OAL rifle!!!

First, they needed more powder capacity than the H&H and in a shortened `06 length case. So less taper than the H&H was needed from the base to the shoulder (similiar to the Newton) to increase the powder capacity.

During the entire R&D process, the 375 Ruger was test fired for accuracy thousands of times involving many different powders, chrony`d from many 20" barrels and compared with numerous test firings from 24" and 25" 375 H&H barrels using all 375 bullet weights. Before the new Ruger round was intro`d, there was extensive range testing for accuracy and field testing on big game, including the dangerous African game. Hornady & Ruger really did their homework!

From my reloads, here are two load examples which I carefully worked up to and then chronographed. I will also include the source of these two loadings. These velocity results are from my "individual" Ruger Alaskan.

375 Ruger Alaskan; 20" barrel

79.5 gr RL15; 225 gr Horn SP @ 3000 fps. Source from Hornady. They e/mailed me a data sheet showing 79.5 gr RL15 @ 3000 fps. I threw in an extra 3/10ths grain at 79.8 gr and got 3016 fps. No visible pressure signs or sticky bolt.

87 gr H-4350; 270 gr Horn SP @ 2875 fps. Source is "gunblast.com",,,,"archives" section,,,,,scroll down to 2/6/07. See the test review of the Hawkeye African by Jeff Quinn, (a great read btw), in which there are about 20 chrono`d loadings. That same loading from Quinn`s 23" African which gave him 2875 fps, got me 2808 fps.

There is nothing that one of these cartridges can do, that the other cannot do. No debating that! What makes the 375 Ruger very appealing which the H&H rifles cannot offer, are the shorter rifles chambered for it. In the Alaskan`s case, its shorter, handier, faster to shoulder, with better manuverability, while still having the same wampum as the 6" longer H&H rifles. In the velocity dept, the 23" African is just a little more icing on the cake.

Though I suppose one can always cut the barrel down to 20" on an H&H rifle to make it handier and so on. But doing so would make the velocity gap greater between them, which would certainly not favor the 375 H&H if given the same 20" barrel length as the 375 Ruger.

It`s not just the cartridge, it`s the rifle more so!

In the field I will never see a difference. The Ruger is a better cartridge but it lacks the history and availability of the Holland.

.............You`re right! There will be no difference in the field.

Though the 375 H&H has nearly a 100 year history and I used to own one, I don`t place or associate any historical value, historical significance, nostalgia, or use the term "classic" for any rifle cartridge. Instead and regardless of the cartridge age or history, I look at the present merits of a cartridge and the rifles chambered for it.

As far as availability is concerned and considering that the Ruger round is only about 3 years old, dies and all necessary re-loading components are readily available from most distributors along with a great deal of reloading data. Hornady has acquired and is currently working on getting more licensing and distribution rights oversees including Africa for their factory ammo. Given a few more years, and as with all things which take time to do, worldwide factory ammo availability will not be an issue.

I have yet to hear or read of any stories in which a 375 Ruger was taken to Africa, only to then not be used because of transportation problems with lost ammo. Also according to Hornady, PHs and other outfitters can order factory ammo for their clients well in advance of any hunt just in case the ammo is lost.

Either way, if a 375 Ruger rifle and its ammo, and/or a 375 H&H rifle and its ammo are lost in the transportation shuffle, the client will have to use a back-up rifle and ammo provided by the PH.

Airlines and baggage handlers aren`t discriminatory when it comes to which rifle, caliber, cartridges and ammo are lost vs which get through ok.

I may get a .375 Ruger if Winchester will make the rifle and Federal will load the ammunition but I'm not interested in Hornady ammunition or M77MKIIs.

As it stands I was going to build a 416 Ruger but got a great deal on a Rigby and I'm going to use that M70 action elsewhere. I've read way too many African hunting classics to not care about history.

As another option, you can also buy a Winchester M70 30-06 new or used, and then convert it over to the 375 Ruger?? If I were you, I wouldn`t necessarily be waiting around for Winchester.

I have a .300 I was going to put a .416 Ruger barrel on. Would have been an easy modification, just spendy.

Could you convert the 300 over to the 375 Ruger? I`ve never converted any rifle over, so I have literally zippo experience as far as conversions. I just get the cartridge I want right off the dealer racks. The brand of rifle just happens to follow along.

I recently posted it on another thread but my Win 70 Sporter Classic was a 300WM prior to converting it over to a 375Ruger. All it needed was a little tweaking of the top of the mag box. The conversion was not expensive. If you keep the flowery options to a minimum, the cost stay reasonably low. Again...a pic



RH

They didn't do a very good job of matching the color on the barrel to the action.

I purposely did it that way because everybody knows stainless barrels are more accurate.

RH

I think it's pretty funny that some think the appeal of the H&H is based on "history" or "nostalgia";it's appeal is much more practical than any of those esoteric standards......it's popular(and has been) because it just "works",and has worked since it was introduced.

And those shlepping around heavy 375H&H's,thinking that the Ruger makes a lighter rifle,are only just about 30-40 years behind the times...it might have taken the factories all these years to catch up,but guys in the "know" have been building light ,svelte 375's since the 40's and 50's...no secret...it ain't the actions...it's the stocks and barrels......

The 375H&H is also "available",even in out-of-the-way places where big game is hunted...in our lifetimes, no matter how desperately it's fans may wish,the 375 Ruger(notwithstanding all its' virtues)will never over take the great....375H&H.

.............Ruger and Hornady really didn`t and don`t expect it to. Overtaking the H&H was really not in their game plan. If it does, it does, and if it doesn`t, it doesn`t!

Speaking for myself, I as a 375 Ruger owner don`t need nostalgia or history, and I don`t need ammo availability in every isolated nook & cranny on the planet, in order to "fully" enjoy its virtues and the handier rifle chambered for it!....

I don't understand the obsession with light rifles. Last season I hunted with a 9.5 pound 9.3 and backed it up with a 10 lb 2 oz 375. My primary .375 is 8.5 pounds in wood and I ordered a magnum filled stock for it to get it where I want it to be...

But short I understand. I like short.

..........I wouldn`t exactly call it an obesession, but rather a preference. You be a Herk-a-leeez! .......... My 375 Ruger Alaskan isn`t exactly light either at 8 lbs 13 oz. w/scope. But at only 40 3/4" long, that`s where the fun and easy part comes into play.

That would make it virtually identical in length to a limited run of 20" H&Hs which Winchester made a few years back; a handy size I would add.

And while I'm sure the Ruger would fill my needs most of the time, for the most serious of pursuits, it has nothing to beat the reliability of feeding which the slick, slender H&H has, nor the gentle taper and belt which ensure that the case will both feed in spite of crud and headspace adequately anyway. "Our" armchair wishes for better cases sans belts and stubby powder columns are fairly light in substance though hefty in cranial satisfaction.

................News flash!!....News flash!........ My 375 Ruger always has been and is a flawless feeder,,,,with crud or without crud!!!.....No armchairing wishes or armchairing QB`n! No hefty "cranial satisfactions" either!...................NEXT!

As long as it suits you. Winter, ice, and blowing snow have a way of sorting things out. So does days of exposure to gritty river silt such as that which the Yukon River can dish up. The old, but belted, slender shape of the H&H works acceptably where straighter cases begin to bind up. Nothing wrong with either cartridge; they're both great, but the biggest single advantage to the Ruger Mags is the fact that they fit the standard M77 without much fuss- which the H&H won't, while the H&H has been selling well in the competition's standard set-ups. Most hunters and most hunting situations can be well set with either. Then again, the same could probably be said about the 30-06.

I`m very familiar with the H&H cartridge and its particular merits as I had one hunted with it and reloaded for it for many years.

But that OA rifle length of 46.5" and 10+ lbs of rifle weight really gets old and it handled like a pig. The Ruger Alaskan was a refreshing change. A big difference.

Off the racks, that`s one big advantage that the 375 H&H rifles simply cannot offer that the 375 Ruger can! Sorry H&H boys!

I went from a 46.5" long rifle that weighed 10+ lbs w/scope, down to 40.75" long rifle, which weighs 8 lbs 13 oz. w/scope. And, I didn`t lose a darn thing ballistically. In fact, I gained a little.

But, I suppose anyone can always cut the barrel down to 20" on their H&H rifle and do other things to lighten it up, making it handier and better handling, which the H&H rifle makers don`t offer.

Between the magazine and the chamber, yes, the H&H will have more capacity, but that`s ok. I can put three into the magazine and one into the chamber, for a 3+1 loading. I don`t consider that any disadvantage for moose, bison or the big bears.

And if the 375 Ruger is good enough for Boddington and many others in Africa, it`ll certainly be good enough for me when I get over there someday.

Like I stated before, it wasn`t just the 375 Ruger cartridge, but more importantly, it was the rifle change itself.