KUDU RIFLES

Hi Beau416,
Thanks for your answer ... but .... now, I know it's possible to get the new .375 Ruger with my Winch Safari Express (new model, I'd bought it last year) !!!
It's not good for my $$$$, I suppose!
According to what you say, I feel it's very interesting to get this new cal. 375 Ruger ... More than the traditionnal HH and not so strong, (break shoulder ? barrel burner ?) like .375 RUM.,
I own
- a Howa 1500 .270W, bipod Harris, Bushnell 4-12x40 paralaxe correction (shots until 300yds soon, 2", not so bad ...),
- a CZ 550 synthetic stock, 20" ,9.3x62, scoped 1.25-4.5x24,very good machine gun, very very accuracy notably thanks to its "stetcher" , zero at 150yds
- and my Winch 70 SE .375H&H scoped with Leupold V2 3-9x40, and Warne quick detach so! Middle range : Zero at 170/180yds
Winch 70 SE last model : so pleasant : look-design, weight, trigger MOA, accuracy, efficiency, pre 64 etc .. etc ... and all that out of the box !!! The Return of Winch!
I was looking at .416 (Rigby, Rem) but $$$, I had had a Parker Hale .458WM , pleasant but not efficient ... and the Lott is very expansive in Europa ,close to .416 Rigby price....
I'd seen tests about .375 Ruger .... well ! Your opinion comes and confirms my feelings ... and now I know it's possible to have a new barrel ...
Would you send me more details to get this barrel ,an URL for instance ?
Thanks Beau416!

Originally Posted by Beau416

Hi bebo, congrats on having a very nice Safari Rifle. Mine is a new 375 H&H. I have the barrel removed & had a new 24" barrel contoured to original spec & the iron sights.
& chambered it for the 375 Ruger which I believe is a much better case design. It is a few hunderd feet per sec quicker. I have it throated so I can load to an overall length of 3.600". The advantage here is that I can load the incredibly good 300gr North Fork SS without intruding into the powder space. This bullet at 2700 fps or the 270gr North Fork SS at 2900 fps is enough for anything I will ever hunt on this Planet. My mounts as always are Warne quick detach levers & again as always a Zeiss Victory HT.
My very favorite rifles are the new Win Model 70, CZ 550 & of course the Weatherby Mark V of which I've had 6 or 7 maybe 8. I have on order a new Weatherby Mark V Custom Ultramark in 300 Wby Mag. I have had several 300s since the mid 70s. They kill like a bolt of lightning. cheers, Beau.

Talk about a custom rifle, I never do projects like take a brand new 375 H&H barrel off and change it out to a 375 Ruger. Thank for your post, I found informative for sure. Learned something new today.

Hi Bebo. If you want the 375 Ruger in your Win M70 S.E. any gunsmith with a 375 Ruger reamer can do this for you. I only did it for something different & because I like the Ruger case.
However, you have to weigh up the expense of doing so. The 375 H&H is a truly splendid hunting cartridge & ammo can be obtained anywhere. It makes more sense to stay with the 375 H&H if you are going to travel to another country to hunt for obvious reasons. It is probably the most sound choice for the one gun traveller if the game is big ungulates or bite back critters like the big Bears. In either cartridges I use either North Forks, A-Frames or TSX. either will do what they are meant to do. While we are on this subject, my very favorite case for any 375 is the splendid 375 Dakota. But I would not take it to another country as ammo would be difficult to procure if it got lost.
I personally think that in the not too far distant future 375 Ruger ammo will be available where it should be. If you are a handloader Reloader 17 is the best powder to use.
In this case it is better than RL 15. I am also having very pleasing results with RL 17 in the excellent 9.3x62. (250gr at 2700 fps) Regards, Beau. beaupride375@gmail.com

Take the .375 and you have all the bases covered.

I for one would never change my 375H&H for a Ruger, just my opinion.

My best always

Originally Posted by Jaco Strauss

I for one would never change my 375H&H for a Ruger, just my opinion.

My best always

Agreed,I have a Musgrave K98 .375 H&H which I have been shooting for the past 23 years,nothing fancy,but I will not change it for a brand new Ruger.

Originally Posted by BARTFRNCS

Have so many rifles cant decide which one to bring on my may 2013 hunt for large Kudu. Should i use a classic like 7x57 or go big with my 375 H&H. Something in the middle? Help me please!!

Bart of the two calibers you mentioned - i will take the one i shoot best - period! "
Something in the middle" which i am familiar with here where I hunt in Namibia, and can recommend without hesitation for a Large kudu hunt, are the 30-06; 308 and 300 WM

Whatever caliber you are going to decide on - given that your preferred shot placement is behind the shoulder (boiler room), just keep in mind that large kudus (bulls) have considderable shoulder bones. As with any other caliber / hunt bullet choice and ultimately -shot placement....remains the 2 key aspects to considder with whatever caliber you will use.

Good luck!

Kudu = 9.3x62 (until 150 yds) or .338WM (230 yds ++) or .375 H&H ("all around") (180yds)

Maybe : (to try ..) javelin (20yds) .22mag (one yd) if Kudu is co-operative

Originally Posted by Jaco Strauss

I for one would never change my 375H&H for a Ruger, just my opinion.

My best always

I agree, why change, it was never broke in the first place (lol). Ammunition widely available.

Originally Posted by Jaco Strauss

I for one would never change my 375H&H for a Ruger, just my opinion.

My best always

OK .... And thanks for Pieter & Enysse.
Now I'm thinking "keep quiet, see later ... maybe ... .375 H&H is quite efficient & reliable".
And I" know" it ! I 'm going to keep my Winch like it is ... nearly perfect ... nearly ..

Originally Posted by Jaco Strauss

I for one would never change my 375H&H for a Ruger, just my opinion.

My best always

I agree that I wouldn't buy a 375 Ruger if I already had a 375 H&H, but if I didn't have a .375 and was going to buy one, my choice would be to buy a 375 Ruger and that was exactly what I did

And I am not regretting it at all

Originally Posted by Norwegianwoods

I agree that I wouldn't buy a 375 Ruger if I already had a 375 H&H, but if I didn't have a .375 and was going to buy one, my choice would be to buy a 375 Ruger and that was exactly what I did

And I am not regretting it at all

Ok .... I think I must rent or buy a "warehouse" and stock rifles, doubles and their ammos : one per day, one per kind of game ..

That's our problem : the perfect gun with the perfect ammo : versatile, reliable, cheap ... let's dream !!!

Originally Posted by jeffpg

The only two Kudu that I ever shot were on the same day. I shot one in the morning and then another that afternoon.

They were both shot with a 30.06, and neither one of them ever complained.

I shot mine with a 30-06 and 180 gr round. Like you, mine didn't complain much either!

Originally Posted by Diamondhitch

Take an 8mm rem mag, if for no other reason than I beleive it is among the few calibers that has no haters or followers on here thus far. I dont even think it has been mentioned.

I am taking a Model 700 in 8mm Rem Mag to Zimbabwe in late May this year and Kudu are on the menu. I am taking two loads. The 250gn Woodleigh RN driven at 2650fps and the 175gn Woodleigh Hydrostatic Stabilized Solid driven at 3000fps. Hope to have a full report and pic's in a new thread after we get home.

good hunting drew look forward to your report and photos
alot of hound hunters here in australia are goin towards 8mm in browning lever action they call it 325 short magnum .and the few that i know that are using them are impressed with them

Originally Posted by bluey

good hunting drew look forward to your report and photos
alot of hound hunters here in australia are goin towards 8mm in browning lever action they call it 325 short magnum .and the few that i know that are using them are impressed with them

Thanks bloke. The 8mm Rem Mag was before it's time. With today's ultra slow burning powders and projectiles that can withstand the magnum velocity, the cartridge is really coming into it's own. It is devastating on brumbies out to 500m with one shot kills.
There were only six 8mm Rem Mag rifles registered in Queensland at the end of 2011. I know of two more since then. Slowly people are re discovering it.
It really is a wonderful cartridge. Mine is accurate like a varmint rifle with a strong medium bore punch.

Yes, the 8mm Rem Mag or 325 WSM are wonderful cartridges...one is old and one is modern and either seem to be popular. That doesn't really mean much, I like them both! Deadly on kudu or eland!