Your endorsement for a limited edition of Ruger Rifles

[318AE]

If Ruger asked YOU to endorse a limited edition of five rifles, each in a caliber ideal for an iconic African game species, which five animals and calibers would you choose and why?

As examples (likely not to preempt anyone’s contribution):
- Rock Hyrax - 204 Ruger
- Genet - 243 Winchester
- Baboon - 6.5 Creedmoor

What would your five choices be and why?

 

[Neil Molendyk]

7X57 Mauser (275 Rigby)
300 H&H
375 H&H
416 Rigby
404 Jeffrey

All classics in African Calibres in older proven calibers and all available in Ruger No. 1

 

[Red Leg]

What model Ruger? If the "All American," I am uninterested. If a No. 1 then I think @Neil Molendyk has it about right for Africa, except I would have either a .416 or .404 and the fifth would be for small game and night critters - maybe a .22 Savage Hi Power or .22 Hornet.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

Impala 7x57
Kudu 300 H&H
Eland 9.3x62
Lion 375H&H
Buffalo 416 Rigby
Elephant 500 nitro/Jeffrey depending on the action.

 

[318AE]

What model Ruger? If the "All American," I am uninterested. If a No. 1 then I think @Neil Molendyk has it about right for Africa, except I would have either a .416 or .404 and the fifth would be for small game and night critters - maybe a .22 Savage Hi Power or .22 Hornet.

You pick the iconic animal, ideal caliber and model should you choose. Most may assume a No 1; choose a RSM etc if you’d like….

 

[Tundra Tiger]

Since it's Ruger... and since they have assumed ownership of Marlin... bring back the .338 Marlin Express. Because I took 8 animals with mine in 2021, from springbok to kudu and wildebeest, I know it's a solid choice for PG. But 5 eh? Just to offer variety I am going to go with lever calibers...

.250 Savage - impala
.300 Savage - warthog
.338 Marlin - kudu
.444 - zebra
.45-70 - buffalo

If you are meaning a gun they already produce, I guess that narrows it some. With the .45-70 being produced and a .30-30 being introduced, that'd be a good start.

 

[112Savage]

How about making the African series available in all calibers for left and right hand. Use different naming system from previous models
223 Rem “Springbok”
7x57
280AI “Nyala”
30-06 “waterbuck”
9.3x62
375 Ruger “Eland”
416 Ruger “Rhino”

 

[JimP]

A old model 77 tropical in 404 Jeffery

It would make a sweet buffalo rifle

 

[318AE]

Since it's Ruger... and since they have assumed ownership of Marlin... bring back the .338 Marlin Express. Because I took 8 animals with mine in 2021, from springbok to kudu and wildebeest, I know it's a solid choice for PG. But 5 eh? Just to offer variety I am going to go with lever calibers...

.250 Savage - impala
.300 Savage - warthog
.338 Marlin - kudu
.444 - zebra
.45-70 - buffalo

If you are meaning a gun they already produce, I guess that narrows it some. With the .45-70 being produced and a .30-30 being introduced, that'd be a good start.

All iconic African animals, in classic lever cartridges - I like it!

 

[geoff rath]

This could turn into a very interesting thread, but then, I'm a Ruger tragic, especially from the days of William B ...

 

[ldmay375]

Any chamberings .338 and below in the Ruger Express rifle, 375 & above in the Ruger Safari Magnum.

 

[Desperatezulu]

Why Ruger? I'm a bit lost on the relevance/significance of Ruger here?

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

I would endorse a run of No1's with upgrades wood, trigger and sights.

 

[PARA45]

I would request Ruger RSMs with beautiful wood in the following calibers.

22 Hornet - small game
275 Rigby - Med game
300 H&H - Large game
375 H&H - Extra large game
416 Rigby - XXL Game

 

[Tango]

Why Ruger? I'm a bit lost on the relevance/significance of Ruger here?

They have a history of doing small-run specialty rifles for US distributors in unique calibers and configurations. Real passion project stuff. No 1 is most likely as it's so easy to chamber. The RSM action tooling is gone, so anything in the 300H&H-375H&H length is highly unlikely (sadly)

 

[318AE]

Why Ruger? I'm a bit lost on the relevance/significance of Ruger here?

Some time back, Ruger worked with Craig Boddington to do a limited edition run of No 1s, named after iconic African game animals, each in a caliber best, or well, suited for them. IMO, there were some interesting choices, likely driven by ammunition commercial availability and marketing. The 450 and 450/400 make perfect sense to me - classic rimmed cartridges. The 7x57 and 300 H&H are also classic, but I think rimmed, vs rimless, cartridges are more ideally suited for falling blocks. The 375 Ruger (vs a 375 H&H or 375 flanged) was clearly marketing driven IMO - I mean, it’s Ruger‘s round designed for their bolt gun I think, but just about anything can fit in a No 1. Don’t get me wrong - they are a cool set of guns. He left out rhino, likely because so few are hunted these days, and included Kudu in the selection of five. By comparison , Uberti did their “Selous” in 303 British (?)

I’m in part poking fun at all of this (Rock Hyrax - 204 Ruger), and in part seeing if this group can do better - either in the choice of iconic animals or cartridges.

 

[baxterb]

An older express in 318WR with at least 24” bbl. . But only if they can get hornady to commit to making a hell of a lot of brass and woodleigh a hell of a lot of bullets.

 

[PerH]

5,6x50R

.25-35

7x57R/ Option 2 8x57IRS

.350 nr2 Fl

.416 Rigby nr 2 Fl

Option 2 on last one ,400 3 inch ,ammo from .41 RM bullet up to the 400 grain

 

[93marlin]

For a few of us, we're limited a bit to left handed rifles. Ruger has been willing to produce a number of models for lefty's.
Quality of the finish inside and out could be better though.

 

[Bullthrower338]

Ruger has already done a good job at putting these rifles out there, the CB No. 1’s and the express and RSM 77’s. The Lipsey Ruger African series was well thought out up to the 280AI, great cartridge but as African as I am! Sadly we will never see a run of the express rifles or RSM again.