375 Ruger vs 375 H&H

[sestoppelman]

Thanks Eric, I thought he meant celsius but was unsure. Close to 100 degrees anyway you slice it.

Woods, no doubt the Ruger will slightly surpass the H&H all else being equal, its just not enough to excite me. The old '06 is another matter. I used to feel the same way as you in that it was boring. But its really such a good useful cartridge and so capable it has a charm all its own. I currently have two sporters so chambered- a BRNO Mauser ZKK model 600 and a 1903 Springfield sporter. Both shoot very well. But have never taken one hunting! Always using something else. Same with the .308, I love it but dont own a sporter in that cal. Have a replica Marine Corps M40, and an M1A Super Match. Both shoot wonderfully. I did take a nice Idaho black bear many moons ago with a Remington 700 in .308. No problems.

 

[Norwegianwoods]

I think the 30-06 is the most sensible medium bore anyone can own.
I guess that is one of the reasons I find it boring.
I very often recommend other hunters to buy it because it is very good and versatile, but it just doesn't give me the buzz when using it

 

[enysse]

I was looking through the latest bullet offerings by manufactures....and it looks like the 375 Ruger is doing very well. Lots of offerings in factory ammo. It seems to be building momentum. It is better engineered bullet. It really should be a excellent plain game rifle...with a edge that it can kill any of the Big 5. The rifles will be lighter in weight too.

I like the history of the 375 H&H.

It will be interesting to see if any other rifle improvement come along? The only thing I can see...is more comfortable stocks that take recoil away better and better power to load bullets.

 

[Rohan]

I did some research regarding the difference in velocities between the Ruger and the H&H, as well as the overall differences.

I have never used a Ruger in the field or on the range...but is 150fps really that much of a difference to say that the Ruger is superior? or over-powered? or that the H&H is step-down from the Ruger etc? Or that either is better? I dont think its anything substantial and ultimately it boils down to what the shooter feels comfortable with; physically and psychologically because these two aspects count a lot when facing any type of game. I also understand that there are certain benefits in the structural aspects of the case of the Ruger but I dont think a wounded Buffalo or charging Elephant will mind if your barrel gets worn down at a fraction slower than 'normal'; how well you hold your nerve and where you place that shot under that amount of duress is what essentially stops the charge!

But, hey...to each his own. I would rather stick to a H&H because I 'know" it and the overall differences between it and the Ruger are almost completely insignificant (for me).

Perhaps people, such you guys, who have tried and tested both in various scenarios see things a lot differently and have an acute sense of the "why" and "how" of certain claims.

 

[Bhfs300]

I agree!

I like the 375 H&H and believe it is a great gun, because ammo is widely available...own one myself.

I still love the 375 Ruger and 416 Ruger because they are super efficient. The engineers made everything better, IMO. That said I wouldn't buy one because of ammo availability problems. The 375 Ruger has the belt removed...it is not needed in todays rifles.

Most of my guns and straight and simple. The most exotic gun I own is a 7mm Ultra Mag. and a 325 WSM, other than that everything is very vanilla.

I believe the Ruger engineers have come up with a lot of great products in the last 10 years.

I doubt the 375 Ruger will ever catch on...because it's new and there are a ton of 375 H&H fans. Doesn't mean it's not good though. The physics say it's a great innovation.

I am about to get a Ruger 375 African but people in my area are telling me not to. There are only two places in my town that sell 375 ruger. They have almost talked me out of it. I don't think anyone has said anything about

Real Guns - The 375 H&H Vs the 375 Ruger Part I of II

What do you think should I get the Ruger 375

 

[philip in china]

Standardisation

I am about to get a Ruger 375 African but people in my area are telling me not to. There are only two places in my town that sell 375 ruger. They have almost talked me out of it. I don't think anyone has said anything about

Real Guns - The 375 H&H Vs the 375 Ruger Part I of II

What do you think should I get the Ruger 375

I didn't read the whole thread. Where are you proposing to use it?

In most places in Africa I would suggest you stick to the most widely available cartridges so .375 would be the wiser choice.

 

[Norwegianwoods]

I am about to get a Ruger 375 African but people in my area are telling me not to. There are only two places in my town that sell 375 ruger. They have almost talked me out of it. I don't think anyone has said anything about

Real Guns - The 375 H&H Vs the 375 Ruger Part I of II

What do you think should I get the Ruger 375

I have a 375 Ruger and I am very happy with it.
I don't regret the buy at all and don't see any reasons why I should have bought a 375 H&H instead.
Being worried that I wont be able to buy ammo for my guns if I happen to lose it during flights is not a good enough argument for me to choose a cartridge or not.

Going abroad to hunt I bring my 6.5-06 and/or my 375 Ruger
Worst case scenario would be to rent/borrow a gun if I should happen to lose my ammo.

 

[enysse]

I am about to get a Ruger 375 African but people in my area are telling me not to. There are only two places in my town that sell 375 ruger. They have almost talked me out of it. I don't think anyone has said anything about

Real Guns - The 375 H&H Vs the 375 Ruger Part I of II

What do you think should I get the Ruger 375

I still think it is smart to get a 375 H&H, the caliber has a huge following, is widely available and it's a good caliber. I see "no real" advantage to the .375 Ruger. I'm happy to own the 375 H&H! I would bypass the .375 Ruger due to finding ammo components, I would say the same about the .416 Ruger. And this from a guy that loves Ruger.

 

[bebo]

Ref Real Gun : " Ruger and Hornady try to permit and promote this cartridge with other manufacturers." ????
Today it's always a proprietary ammo ..... no ? ....
The succes can only come from abandonement of the proprietary status : ie 300WM, 7RM, .270W etc .. .375 H&H , .416RM .. and so on.

 

[enysse]

Ref Real Gun : " Ruger and Hornady try to permit and promote this cartridge with other manufacturers." ????
Today it's always a proprietary ammo ..... no ? ....
The succes can only come from abandonement of the proprietary status : ie 300WM, 7RM, .270W etc .. .375 H&H , .416RM .. and so on.

You are correct success can only come from abandonment of the tried and true calibers. I have tried some of wildcats, they are smooth and get the job done, but I find myself back to basics at the end of the day. Maybe it was the way I was brought up. I love cheap ammo, in today's turbulent market, it is a BIG PLUS. Driving and searching for ammo wastes time.

 

[Lpart]

I have had a 375 Ruger four years now. I got the Alaskan model with the 20 inch barrel. I have to say that I love this gun. It has as accompanied me to both Alaska and Zimbabwe and has performed flawlessly. I love the standard length action and the Ruger rifle. I am not concerned about the availability of ammo. As a matter of fact I think this will only continue to be an issue if people continue to harp on it. Take that issue off the board, try the cartridge in a standard length action and I think it will grow in popularity over time. If that happens the issue of ammo availability will resolve itself. It is really a self-fulfilling prophecy. I personally reload for all of my rifles and I'm using North Fork bullets in mine and the performance been outstanding. I look forward to using it with North Fork 350 grain solids on a jumbo with Wayne Van Den Bergh in 2015.

 

[Red Leg]

There is not an animal on the continent of Africa which could differentiate between being hit by either round.

 

[bebo]

Question :
What about the recoil ? The Ruger is lighter than Rem or Winch for instance ... or M77RMS ...?
Is the recoil pad so efficient Ruger says ?

 

[enysse]

Question :
What about the recoil ? The Ruger is lighter than Rem or Winch for instance ... or M77RMS ...?
Is the recoil pad so efficient Ruger says ?

It's all advertising, I think most guns today have good recoil pads. I still think some of the after market stuff is better.

Nobody can tell the difference between a 375 Ruger or 375 H&H.

 

[sestoppelman]

Ruger pads are thin for sure, but I notice the pad on my newer Hawkeye 9.3 while thin, does offer a bit more cushion than previous thin pads. It would not bother me too much should they begin putting real pads on at least their big kickers. I used to get recoil headache quickly with my Number 1 in .450-400 but no problem when shooting my CZ .404 Jeff. Same power level, but the cushiony pad on the CZ was worlds better than the Ruger.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Ruger pads are thin for sure, but I notice the pad on my newer Hawkeye 9.3 while thin, does offer a bit more cushion than previous thin pads. It would not bother me too much should they begin putting real pads on at least their big kickers. I used to get recoil headache quickly with my Number 1 in .450-400 but no problem when shooting my CZ .404 Jeff. Same power level, but the cushiony pad on the CZ was worlds better than the Ruger.

I'm not sure why the gun manufacturers don't just have a big contract with Pachmayr or Limbsaver and put proper pads on all of their rifles. It's a small expense that most people do with any reasonable kicker. But in my opinion every rifle whether it be a .223 or a safari caliber feels better with a proper recoil pad.

 

[enysse]

In general I hate the Ruger pads, I like the Remington and Browning, I think th Winchester is good and had my CZ replaced with a Limbsaver. I do like the Pachmayr.

 

[sestoppelman]

Absolutely! On the Win 1895 .405 I have I took the shiny blued steel buttplate it came with right off and found a thin red Win pad and fit it to it. The steel was slippery and of course offered very little recoil protection! I had to go thin because I didnt wish to change the length of pull and really did not want to chop the stock for a pad, no way.

 

[Norwegianwoods]

Question :
What about the recoil ? The Ruger is lighter than Rem or Winch for instance ... or M77RMS ...?
Is the recoil pad so efficient Ruger says ?

The original recoil pad that was on my 375 Ruger Alaskan is thick enough, but the one that was on my model was total crap in my opinion.
Only thing I disliked about my gun, but that was easy to fix
The original recoil pad tended to buckle a bit sidewise now and then resulting in different ways the gun recoiled and kicked.

I replaced it with one from Limbsaver and I am a very happy camper with my gun now.
It easily shoots 1" and smaller 3 shot groups at 100 meters and the recoil is very nice.

 

[B9.3]

I love the 375 Ruger. I prefer it in a long action like the Win 70 Mag, Rem 700 so bullets can be seated without sitting deep in the powder room.
I personally think an extra half inch of bolt travel is meaningless. I can't understand the aversion some have to 26" barrels. I have been hunting with Weatherby's since the early 70s & I have never had a problem. I put Limbsaver pads on all my rifles, however the R3 on my Remington 700 CDL is very good & will stay as will the Decelerator on my new Winchester Model 70 Super Grade 300 Win. The new Super Grade is an outstanding rifle. I cannot fault it in anyway. The word perfect is appropriate for this rifle. Beautiful walnut & all steel. All bottom metal including the follower is steel & the bluing is exceptional. I wish they would chamber it in the 375 Ruger. Seeing they don't, my next 375 Ruger will be a custom Winchester Model 70 Super Grade 26". The 270gr Swift A-Frame in the 375 Ruger is extremley good as is the 270gr North Fork SS.