New to me .375 Ruger Alaskan

USMA84DAB

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OK, Lads!
Here is the new toy ready to go slay critters!

I put 20 rounds through it today. 1st 6 off the bench, then the remainder off sticks. 250 grain GMX Hornady. Box says 2800 FPS. These were shot at the 25 yard range.

After the first three groups, I was beginning to wonder if the Vari-X 3 was gonna go back to Leupold. It just was not adjusting right. After group #5, I thought I was headed for the goal line. #6 group didn't look as good as I thought I had squeezed the trigger. Then #7 seemed wonky. I thought maybe I had gotten tired.

So I take the gun inside and set it down. I finish picking up the other range gear and come back inside. When I pick up the .375 it rattles. I reach up and touch the scope and it wobbles an 1/8" back and forth. The Ruger rings had already shot loose!

I put it back on with blue loctite, pulled the ring screws one at a time and loctited them. Not a sign of it anywhere on any of the screws. If the prior owner had shot the gun 20 times, this would have happened, so either he was three rounds and back in the safe, or he never fired it. The tiny scratches on the bolt face must be from Gun.com's gunsmith test cycling dummies through it.

Every single spent case ejected perfectly. This was a problem I have been unable to resolve with the Turk Mauser based .35WAI. It ejects perfectly right handed, but something about how I pull the bolt back as a southpaw hangs the case on the bolt face much too often. The .375 ejecting robustly each time was a nice change!

I was very satisfied with the feel of the gun as it stands now. The Bear Creek cheek riser sleeve gets my eye right behind the scope. The overmold on the stock helps with holding on a great deal. Trigger seems light and crisp, but remember, I am used to two sheets of sandpaper rubbing together with military triggers!

Tomorrow I will head to Great Guns (local gun shop) to get the #4 shell holder so I can reload the 50 new cases I have. 250gr Barnes is going into the new cases with RL15.

BTW - I have inserted the rifle pic twice and have no idea why it keeps going un upside down.


USMA84DAB
375 Ruger 1st 20 rounds.jpg
375 Ruger on bench.jpg
 
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Nic addition Dan
 
BTW - I have inserted the rifle pic twice and have no idea why it keeps going un upside down.
View attachment 305699
I think your rifle is already acclimated to the Southern Hemisphere and needs to go to Africa to truly be "home".

Congrats on the rifle.
 
I am surprised you didn't go for the left hand Ruger FTW on gunbroker.com. they were going for $699. Now they are in the $900s, but still not a bad price. Something I should know about them?
 
Excellent choice! :whistle:

Mine is the stainless with laminated stock and 23 inch barrel and it's a shooter with 300 gr Swift A-Frames.
 
BeeMaa - I just cracked up on that observation - well played.

In June, it will be "home" and right side up
 
Smitty - the reason for me sticking with right-handed guns is due to a demonstrated propensity to follow my programed muscle memory.

I once had a .495 A-Square and was familiarizing myself with it by using it for whitetail hunting in MO. I was standing in a 1/4 section against the only tree while my buds were driving down a ridge to the field. A doe finally burst out and was running across the field. As I tracked her, she finally became aware of me due to the swing of the rifle, so she slammed on the brakes...I tracked right past her and the trigger broke three feet in front of her. I then reached with my right hand, OVER the top fo the rifle, and tried to cycle the bolt. (DOH!)

It was the first rifle I had ever been able to build left handed. My military training of using right-handed gear wasn't going to be overridden, at least not easily. Nor did I see that I would be able to always afford to buy/build left-handed guns, so Cabela's gun room got that one and I continue to enjoy left-handed use of, for example, Mausers, M1As and Garands (one instantly sees what is wrong when you have a malfunction, I use my stronger hand (left eye dominant, right handed) to rack the bolt.

OBTW - yes the doe got away - by the time I got myself un-FUBARed, she was in the next county!
 
BeeMaa - I just cracked up on that observation - well played.

In June, it will be "home" and right side up
Excellent, I'll be waiting on your report.
Walk softly, shoot straight and I hope the bullets hit home hard.
 
Got the number 4 shellholder today, so could reload some cartridges. 72 grains of RL15, CCI 250 primers, Barnes 250 grainers, 3.320" COL. Best guess is about 2632 FPS (no chrony)

The same target as yesterday, groups 8, 9, 10.

Helps when the scope stays on! Now to the 100 yard range to really zero it.
375 Ruger with scope tight.jpg
 
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Much better.
 
Congratulations on the rifle!
I have the Alaskan models in 375 & 416 Ruger. I have been using the Barnes 270 grain in the TSX, and it groups very well. The 350 grain version shoots very good in the 416 also.
I really like these rifles. I have replaced the stocks on mine. But, they grouped about the same with the Hogue stocks. Handy little rifles,
 
I just ordered last night 2 more boxes of 250 grains Barnes, and one of 270 to try out and see if there is more harmonic happiness with 250 grain or 270 grain.

Thanks for the input/data points. I am like a kid on Christmas morning with this Alaskan! I had built a .35 WAI with a 20" barrel and a Hogue overmolded stock as well, so this .375 is just right up my alley!
 
I know you just dropped a dime on the 250 and 270 grain bullets, but you may want to give 300's a try.
@375 Ruger Fan is using 300 grain Swift A-Frames in his 375Ruger with a 23" barrel.
My CZ550 375H&H and 22" barrel shoots factory Swift A-Frames very well too.
I know yours is barrel 20", but just a thought.
 
Excellent groups with the scope tightened. How is the recoil and what does the rifle weigh?
 
Nice looking rifle and nice shooting. One question, why are the holes so small? (Just kidding :) )
 
Will have to get the scale out, but the Ruger site gives the weight as 8.1 lbs.. Mine is an older version without the muzzle brake. The scope weighs 11 some ounces.

The recoil was noticeable off the bench, but after these three, 3 round groups I had one cartridge left from reloading brass and no place to store it, so stepped out back onto the 25yd range and let it fly from standing at a steel flopping target - didn't even notice the recoil at all. I am 5'10, 225 and built like a tree trunk, so that might help in this department.

I really like how this rifle handles and comes up to the shoulder. Ejection is perfect (vs. my experience with righty M98 actions and my left-handedness). Only problem is I want to shoot it more! Assembling cartridges (new Hornady brass, Barnes projos) runs $1.53 if I allow for 5 reloadings per case. I bet they will go longer than that. Factory Hornady Frontier ammo is $2.50 per round.
 
BeeMaa - I am trying the 270 grains first - 300 will have to be worked in sometime also, and for the cape buffalo some Swifts - yes, plannign for the 2nd trip already
 

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