375 Ruger vs 416 Ruger for an all-around rifle

How common is lost ammunition? I've never known anyone to have the problem (wrong headstamp, yes, but lost ammo, no). As often as it gets mentioned, though, maybe it is a real concern, or at least in some areas. If anyone has an idea, or some numbers, or direct experience, please share. Thank you.
 
Have organised 42 clients to date 23 took their own rifles ...... 2 suitcases did not turn up for 2 or 3 days ....luckily I lay on a supply of ammo with the local dealer in PE so no hassles but that is my experience over 4 years ......

However once on your trip is enough why I recommend to my clients to take ammo that is available off the shelf ..... having said that I do arrange ammo to be available at the local gun store given enough time ....client buys it and if does not use it gets 50 percent refund ..... so have a collection down there ......

Personally hunt with an 8mm rem mag but been stocking up each trip and have 200 rounds down there for my rifle or 2 trips worth ...


2 cents poorer
 
Little tangent here, is it possible to simple ship your ammuntion to the PH ahead of time and confirm that he has recieved it? or is it too much of a hassle shipping ammo internationally?
 
Little tangent here, is it possible to simple ship your ammuntion to the PH ahead of time and confirm that he has recieved it? or is it too much of a hassle shipping ammo internationally?
Quick way to go bankrupt has to go surface shipping usually ......however even the most obscure ammo can be found in South Africa

So given six months you can get pretty much anything

Kynoch 318 wr had it shipped from UK manufacturer direct to distributor then shipped to my dealer in the Eastern Cape

425 wr this took a year client was stoked and took it all back to the USA with him
 
Have organised 42 clients to date 23 took their own rifles ...... 2 suitcases did not turn up for 2 or 3 days ....luckily I lay on a supply of ammo with the local dealer in PE so no hassles but that is my experience over 4 years ......

However once on your trip is enough why I recommend to my clients to take ammo that is available off the shelf ..... having said that I do arrange ammo to be available at the local gun store given enough time ....client buys it and if does not use it gets 50 percent refund ..... so have a collection down there ......

Personally hunt with an 8mm rem mag but been stocking up each trip and have 200 rounds down there for my rifle or 2 trips worth ...


2 cents poorer

Thank you.
 
  • Like
Reactions: WAB
I used the .416 Ruger for my buff and seven head of plains game. Love it! My other rifle was a .375 H&H which did the job on three head of PG. that said, strictly for buff, I'd take the .416 hands down. But for everything, including buffalo, the .375 has the versatility advantage.
 
Its already been said but ill say it again: The .375 is more versatile while the .416 is a better big game calibre - this due to greater bullet mass and larger diameter/cross sectional area.
A .338WM and .416 (either Rem or Ruger) or bigger (eg .404 Jeffrey) is a nice combo if you can afford 2 rifles (no sense in a .375 and a .416). However if you want a one gun solution then go for a .375 (either H&H or Ruger will do equally well and each has some advantages over the other).
Note: 416's are known to be heavy kickers. With the Ruger the muzzle break takes the edge off; however don't go for this calibre if you have any sensitivity to recoil.
 
BTW, take note of comments re availability of ammo over here. In big cities like Johannesburg you can get most calibres although some may be temporarily out of stock at times.
.375H&H you can get in pretty much every gun shop in South Africa and there is likely to be some available in pretty much every hunting camp. Other easy to come by calibres include .416 Rem , .404 Jeffrey, .458WM and .458 Lott.
If you plan to bring a .416 Ruger then you will be well advised to sort out ammo in advance - just to be sure.
 
Its already been said but ill say it again: The .375 is more versatile while the .416 is a better big game calibre - this due to greater bullet mass and larger diameter/cross sectional area.
A .338WM and .416 (either Rem or Ruger) or bigger (eg .404 Jeffrey) is a nice combo if you can afford 2 rifles (no sense in a .375 and a .416). However if you want a one gun solution then go for a .375 (either H&H or Ruger will do equally well and each has some advantages over the other).
Note: 416's are known to be heavy kickers. With the Ruger the muzzle break takes the edge off; however don't go for this calibre if you have any sensitivity to recoil.
Interesting comment on the 416's recoil. I have never shot one. I transitioned from the .375 to a .458 Lott for buff. I find the Lott very manageable and can group inside 3" off the bog pod at 100 with no problem. Do the 416's have more recoil than the Lott? I did find my buddy's 500 NE pretty stout in the recoil department!
 
BTW, take note of comments re availability of ammo over here. In big cities like Johannesburg you can get most calibres although some may be temporarily out of stock at times.
.375H&H you can get in pretty much every gun shop in South Africa and there is likely to be some available in pretty much every hunting camp. Other easy to come by calibres include .416 Rem , .404 Jeffrey, .458WM and .458 Lott.
If you plan to bring a .416 Ruger then you will be well advised to sort out ammo in advance - just to be sure.
My ammo got waylaid once. I was packing a .375 H&H and was able to find a box in Lusaka. I would take Daga Boy's advice seriously. You are very unlikely to find ammo for some of these newer calibers if yours does not make the trip.
 
BTW, take note of comments re availability of ammo over here. In big cities like Johannesburg you can get most calibres although some may be temporarily out of stock at times.
.375H&H you can get in pretty much every gun shop in South Africa and there is likely to be some available in pretty much every hunting camp. Other easy to come by calibres include .416 Rem , .404 Jeffrey, .458WM and .458 Lott.
If you plan to bring a .416 Ruger then you will be well advised to sort out ammo in advance - just to be sure.
My ammo got waylaid once. I was packing a .375 H&H and was able to find a box in Lusaka. I would take Daga Boy's advice seriously. You are very unlikely to find ammo for some of these newer calibers if yours does not make the trip.
 
Interesting comment on the 416's recoil. I have never shot one. I transitioned from the .375 to a .458 Lott for buff. I find the Lott very manageable and can group inside 3" off the bog pod at 100 with no problem. Do the 416's have more recoil than the Lott? I did find my buddy's 500 NE pretty stout in the recoil department!

It is a highly subjective thing. The Lott definitely has more recoil but if the rifle fits better, has a bit more weight to it, etc., it can feel softer than a 416 (which doesn't fit the shooter, is light for the caliber, etc.).
 
I find that Ruger rifles seem to beat me up, I have both a 375 Ruger and H&H the H&H is just a push, where the Ruger is about as bad as my 505 Gibbs. I can’t see me with a Ruger rifle in 416, but would like to try one. That said I would go with the 375 if I wanted a all around rifle and only had those choices. The biggest factor is shot placement, lots of practice makes a difference.
 
Recoil is interesting topic.
The objective reality is that each cartridge/load has a given recoil which you can easily calculate or look up.
However what we are really talking about is felt recoil. This is mainly a combo of actual recoil, rifle weight and stock design. Thus, for instance, my Ruger 77 .338 WM kicks less than some 30-06's.
Absolute recoil of a .416 (either Ruger or Rem) is about the same as that of a .458WM, (maybe a bit "sharper" and less of a "push"); however felt recoil will depend on the load and the rifle.
My bigger calibres are all fairly heavy and have custom stocks (straight comb Rigby style with a fairly broad top and quite substantial overall, plus a decent recoil pad). Built like this they are manageable - as in you can shoot them off a bench (with some discomfort) and pretty easy to shoot offhand.
Standard CZ rifles tend to belt like beasts because of the angle of the butt, which forces the rifle upwards into the shooter's face. This is easily rectified.
I hope this helps
 
I would choose a 375H&H loaded with woodleigh 350gr RN for the Dangerous stuff and a lighter bullet than 300gr for the other not so dangerous stuff.
 
Woodleighs have a great reputation, as do Swift A frames; however there seems to be a general trend towards monometals.
With Peregrines the solid and expanding bullets are pretty much identical and shoot to the same point of impact for a given weight.
That having been said, there is little need for solids if using monometals.
 
Hi Guys,

I am trying to combine my main hunting rifle with my "dreams of Africa" rifle, and want advice on cartridge. It will absolutely be one of the two I've posted in the topic.

For hunting in the US, I will be using cast bullets and significantly downloading the cartridge. It will be somewhat like a trapdoor 45/70 in that respect. For larger game, the sky will be the limit.

I see lots of financial advantages to select .375 over the .416, but as a large-caliber junkie (my current dreaming-of-Africa rifle is a .510 caliber) there is a tic in my head that says I am better off selecting a .416, even though it means that all other shooting will be more expensive. And yet, I see plenty of threads here of folks who have taken a 375 Ruger to Africa for their Cape Buffalo (which is my African Dream).

So I have to ask those who took a .375 to Africa for buffalo, am I being overly worried over something that may not happen in the next decade, and that if I get my lifetime chance to go to Africa, that 375 will take a Buffalo just as cleanly as a 416 given proper bullet and load selection?

Or is there enough of an advantage to the .416 for the case of very large game, that I should consider it more strongly over the 375, knowing that it will be more work to get it running well for all non-very-large game shooting?

Opinions? Am I agonizing over nothing?
You pose an impossible question. An all around rifle and a perfect buffalo rife can not be the same. I have both .375 & .416 Ruger. For certain the .375 is the all around good cartridge you are looking for. I believe from my experience the better buffalo gun may be the .416. I know you will reload but .375 Ruger can be found quite easily now but the .416 not so much.
Philip
 
An all around rifle and a perfect buffalo rife can not be the same
I agree with the last post. "An all around rifle and a perfect buffalo rifle cannot be the same." Purchase a Blaser Safari weight Professional Stock and a .375 and a .416 barrel, one scope and all fit will into a small pelican case. Best of both worlds!!
 
I agree with the last post. "An all around rifle and a perfect buffalo rifle cannot be the same." Purchase a Blaser Safari weight Professional Stock and a .375 and a .416 barrel, one scope and all fit will into a small pelican case. Best of both worlds!!
Ed now you’ve got the right idea! That is exactly what I am going to do, the R8 is incredible. Mine is on the way.
Philip
 

Forum statistics

Threads
53,618
Messages
1,131,277
Members
92,675
Latest member
jhonmark007
 

 

 

Latest profile posts

Impact shots from the last hunt

Early morning Impala hunt, previous link was wrong video

Headshot on jackal this morning

Mature Eland Bull taken in Tanzania, at 100 yards, with 375 H&H, 300gr, Federal Premium Expanding bullet.

20231012_145809~2.jpg
 
Top