Opinions please: Pros/Cons of .375 Ruger vs .375 H&H

hoytcanon said:

Savage is Mossberg's older brother... he brews moonshine too... his trailer is four feet longer, but he is still in the same trailer park...

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That's snobbery....but its really funny so no worries!

Deepfork said:

Seriously though, the reason why on the Mossberg. I have owned one Mossberg rifle, it would not group, ever. And sometimes it would not go boom.

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I saw in your above comment you own a Howa 375 Ruger. How have you found the accuracy and reliability to be with it? I almost bought a Weatherby Vanguard (essentially the same rifle) in 375 H&H awhile back. It was their Safari model I believe they called it. At the time they were only like $1000 or so. It came with good iron sights, a Mcmillan stock and barrel band sling swivel attachment. A lot of rifle for the money, but I never got around to trying one out before they took them off the market.

I've come to like the several Weatherbys I've owned over the years. I did a search and found a website " georgia-gunshop.com " showing a new Vanguard in 375 h&H for under $950. Address is in Georgia, but their tel is a Texas number. Wby discontinued that caliber a few years ago, so I'm thinking this is a scam site. Price seems to good to be true.

akrifleman said:

I keep hearing people going on about the ammo availability myth. Since the "the virus" everyone seemed to be pretty desperate for ammo. Nobody on the properties we were on had any, and our leftovers were eyeballed pretty heavily. When we were there in August, the big two had a few boxes of 375 Ruger and no 375 H&H. Now, both are on the shelves in many of the ammo stores. Both are pretty damn common now.

And if your gear doesn't show... you'll be shooting a camp rifle in whatever cartridge and ammo they have. Then you can't control it.

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My experience was the exact opposite in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Every camp I was in (9 different ones across 3 countries) had .375H&H Ammo. Both Safari Outdoors stores I went to in both 2022 and 2023 had .375 H&H Ammo available on their shelves. Only 1 time was it the load I was zeroed for, but I've shot the other load and would've been ok re-zeroing. I believe it was only this last visit in 2023 where they had .375 Ruger Ammo on their shelf from Hornady, but I don't recall with 100% certainty.

One thing to consider but worth mentioning is that the 375 Ruger in a Ruger rifle has a shorter stroke on the eject reload cycle than the 375 H&H in a CZ550 or BRNO 602 Magnum action. Short stroking a rifle on reload can be a potential life threatening venture and the action on the Ruger is the same stroke on their 270 WIN, 30-06 G'OVT family and for some users it may be more familiar muscle memory. Just for some thought.

Neil Molendyk said:

One thing to consider but worth mentioning is that the 375 Ruger in a Ruger rifle has a shorter stroke on the eject reload cycle than the 375 H&H in a CZ550 or BRNO 602 Magnum action. Short stroking a rifle on reload can be a potential life threatening venture and the action on the Ruger is the same stroke on their 270 WIN, 30-06 G'OVT family and for some users it may be more familiar muscle memory. Just for some thought.

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The 375RUGER uses a long action length of 3.34 inches while the 375H&H uses a magnum length of 3.6 inches.

I fully understand that there is a 0.26 inch difference, but if a quarter of an inch is causing someone to short stroke the action, it's not the fault of the action. The blame lies in the one holding the rifle. Get real and train properly.

BeeMaa said:

I fully understand that there is a 0.26 inch difference, but if a quarter of an inch is causing someone to short stroke the action, it's not the fault of the action. The blame lies in the one holding the rifle. Get real and train properly.

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Precisely, I personally know of a very experienced hunter and competitive target shooter who sheepishly admitted to me that he did short stroke his rifle on a cape buffalo hunt. That is a real as it can get my friend.

Neil Molendyk said:

Precisely, I personally know of a very experienced hunter and competitive target shooter who sheepishly admitted to me that he did short stroke his rifle on a cape buffalo hunt. That is a real as it can get my friend.

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I get it and totally believe you. That very experienced hunter and competitive target shooter made a mistake. Not the fault of the rifle. However, if you are trying to tell me that if his action was 1/4" shorter it would have prevented him from short stroking in that situation...I'm not on board with that.

Muscle memory is real. This is a training issue that he did not address properly before the hunt, regardless of how experienced he was. Complacency, arrogance and lack of training are the most likely culprits. That is what's real. The fact that he has to admit to himself that he stumbled at the critical point because of a training issue. REALITY.

EDIT - By the way, I'm not perfect. None of us are. That's why continuous training before a hunt is so critical.

I think short stroking is a risk with any bolt action in a high stress situation.

I try to emphasize hitting the bolt stop firmly on my back stroke with my bolt guns when I shoot offhand and off sticks. Most handloaders don't like to do this because it really flings your brass!

Bush Buck said:

I think short stroking is a risk with any bolt action in a high stress situation.

I try to emphasize hitting the bolt stop firmly on my back stroke with my bolt guns when I shoot offhand and off sticks. Most handloaders don't like to do this because it really flings your brass!

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Catching brass is a huge problem imo ( at least on video of a safari) during DG hunts
catching or looking for spent brass after shooting a game animal or dangerous game
just seems ridiculous ! That and having to have a PH screaming “reload,reload reload “ are my top pet peeves

Muscle memory, that is what we do recorded into our subconscious is very real. Proper training will provide proper performance, when necessary, i.e. when General Quarters are sounded, or a Cape Buffalo wants to kill you!

Hard cycling of an action will sometimes dent the mouths of cartridge cases, and often send them into hiding places. It is so much easier to softly cycle the bolt until the brass is ejected. Then the brass isn’t bent up and we don’t have to search for it. But if we do that, it may affect our performance and cause a short stroke when shxt hits the fan!

To solve this natural subconscious reaction, I use two different methods.

1. Bench method: I cycle the bolt grasping it with my thumb and first two fingertips. I use this method when working up loads, sighting in, and shooting groups for accuracy. This is done while sitting on a stool at the bench, of for big bore rifles, kneeling behind the bench so my torso can sway with the recoil.
2. Hunting method: Always used when shooting standing off the sticks, or shooting offhand (without support).
   1. After I’ve recovered from most of the recoil, I slap the bolt hard with the open palm of my shooting hand in an up and backward arch movement. Contact with the bolt is made with the innermost area of the hypothenar region of the palm.
   2. When my hand comes to a stop when the bolt reaches its rearward most position, I reverse the palm of my hand until it is pointing toward the muzzle. Contact with the bolt is made with the innermost area of the thenar region of the palm
   3. Without stopping I again slap the bolt hard in a forward and downward arch movement.

Some may describe their bolt movements as up then back, followed by forward then down. My arches are mostly like that but I think I combine the vertical and linier movements at the transition.
The arch movements I use can be best visualized as the ogive of a round nose bullet.

My bottom line is if I operate a bolt with my thumb and fingertips, I am operating it easy. When I shoot standing I work the bolt hard, very hard as if I’m trying to break it.

The above two different bolt operating methods may work for you. If so, great!

If not, then do whatever flips your trigger.

Diagram of the palm of the hand

Apologies if already covered but the responses I have read to date deal mainly with pragmatic issues of ballistics, cost, ammo availability, shipping, etc.
Having been blessed to own several rifles, I consider/value romance and nostalgia when considering what rifle to use for what game. To me, the H&H is classic Africa, esp for cape. Besides being an effective equal to the Ruger, I believe there is romance to using the H&H in the dark continent esp on DG. Going further, I would prefer to wear “safari clothes” in Africa (dress like your PH) rather than wearing west Texas camo in my pics.
Coming back to the states, I think the Ruger, albeit newish, feels more appropriate for brown bear or other Alaskan game than the H&H. Some may not care and there is no absolute rule of gun romance, but I personally believe romance/nastalgia is a factor to consider if one’s wallet affords that luxury.
Of course most everything is better shot with a bow!…just wish I was skilled enough to have that luxury.
Cheers and happy hunting

I'm a CRF snob. There I said it, that's why my .375H&H is a CZ550.
It's gotta be Blued and Timber for "The look"
If I was real snobby I would fork out for a barrel band.
Ruger Vs H&H is the least of your worries if it's not CRF

TOBY458 said:

I saw in your above comment you own a Howa 375 Ruger. How have you found the accuracy and reliability to be with it? I almost bought a Weatherby Vanguard (essentially the same rifle) in 375 H&H awhile back. It was their Safari model I believe they called it. At the time they were only like $1000 or so. It came with good iron sights, a Mcmillan stock and barrel band sling swivel attachment. A lot of rifle for the money, but I never got around to trying one out before they took them off the market.

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I have owned a few Vanguards and along with My Howa in .375 Ruger they have all been very accurate and reliable. I don't think the Howa or Weatherby Vanguard is available is .375 Ruger any longer. I also own one of the Howa 1500 Superlites in .308 that came out last year. Very cool rifle! Carbon Fiber stock and a 20in threaded barrel. It weighs 4.7lbs!