One round to hunt the world? 375 Ruger!
- Thread starter Gatehouse
- Start date
- Location
- Southern Vancouver Island
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I don't think I noticed before, but BuBore is making ammunition for the 375 Ruger too.
DANGEROUS GAME” 375 RUGER
270 gr. Barnes TSX @ 2,750 fps / 4,533 ft-lbs
20-Round Box
BUFFALO BORE DANGEROUS GAME 375 SERIES
ITEM 375 Ruger DG 270 TSX
12-17-19
The 375 Ruger cartridge is an improvement over the 375 H&H in a few ways. When this cartridge was introduced, I was slow to warm up to it as I had been shooting the 375 H&H for decades and liked it. The 375 Ruger functions on a standard (not magnum) length action, it holds roughly 10% more powder than the venerable H&H and generates about 5%-7% more velocity with like bullet weights. What’s not to like?
Buffalo Bore’s rifle cartridges that are intended for use on Dangerous Game, are full-powered, but we do NOT try to milk every extra FPS out of them as we would prefer to have low pressures that leave room for bad circumstances such as a barrel with rainwater, dust, or other debris in it. There is no good reason to have pressures so high as to cause function issues with your rifle under dangerous or adverse/sloppy conditions. This load is SAAMI compliant.
This load is our most versatile load in 375 Ruger. It’s a great load for critters up to 2,000 lbs. The 270 gr. TSX bullet will penetrate on par with 300 gr. typical premium/partition style bullets, but you get the faster velocity, flatter trajectory and lower recoil of the 270 gr. bullet. There is no reason why you could not use this load for stopping giant bears and turn right around and make 400-yard shots on big game like moose—for those that think moose are a close-range only opportunity, I’ve shot them out to 400 yards in parts of AK that have big open terrain mixed with dark timber, so versatility like this can be handy. For those hunting thick-skinned Dangerous Game in Africa, I’d keep this load in the chamber with a magazine box of our 270 gr. Solid, FN, Lehigh Defense bullet, for those bad angle shots of charging or running away wounded Buffalo. If your rifle is accurate, this load is flat enough shooting to use as a sheep load/rifle, yet you have a “stopper” on hand for those ever-present grizzlies. Most grizzly charges I’ve been involved in were bluffs, where the bear is looking for a weakness in me or trying to get his courage up, but I’ve seen a couple of grizzlies follow through with deadly intent. Grizzlies are funny critters; they are all individuals, just like people and some of them definitely have anger management issues……especially if you’ve just wounded it, threatened its food cache or cubs. A 375 caliber, magnum cartridge is comforting to have in grizzly infested areas.
As an aside, I used this bullet (loaded into a 378 WBY) to kill one of the largest AK Brown Bears (simply a coastal grizzly) ever killed since humans started to keep records on such things. His spring weight (when I shot him) was estimated to be around 1,200 lbs. and it’s estimated that he would gain 500 lbs. before winter hibernation. The first shot was quartering toward me in his right shoulder and the bullet exited his left lung and sprayed a blood mist rainbow in the sunlight when it exited. The second shot was quartering toward me in his left shoulder and the bullet exited his right lung…..same blood rainbow! The third shot was broadside through both lungs and he dropped. I tell this story to illustrate how deeply these bullets penetrate. Green, this bear squared 11 ft. with no stretching and his skull when cured, measured 30 inches. I’ve seen this bullet kill other big bears and I’ve never witnessed it stop inside a big bear, no matter the angle of the shot. You can tell what I think of this bullet being suitable for hunting Dangerous Game.
➤ 2,727 fps — Ruger Guide Gun — 20-inch bbl.
➤ 2,700 fps — Ruger Guide Gun — 20-inch bbl.
You’ll note that I have two Ruger Guide rifles chambered in 375 Ruger. This is because I really like this style of rifle (20-inch barrel, all stainless, three positions safety that locks the bolt, adjustable length of pull, iron sights and moisture impervious, strong stock) and 30 years ago, had to pay thousands of dollars to get a rifle designed and custom made like the Ruger Guide Gun series, which retails for only around $1,000.00. These rifles only have 20-inch barrels, so you can expect that longer barrels will give higher velocities as Ruger barrels are generally not fast for length, but give average/normal velocities per length. Both of my Ruger Guide Guns give roughly the same velocity of 2,700+ fps with this load. A 24-inch barrel with the right types of internal dimensions could easily give another 100-175 fps. This is a great place to ask you to read an article on “Velocity Versus Barrel Length”.
DANGEROUS GAME” 375 RUGER
270 gr. Barnes TSX @ 2,750 fps / 4,533 ft-lbs
20-Round Box
BUFFALO BORE DANGEROUS GAME 375 SERIES
ITEM 375 Ruger DG 270 TSX
12-17-19
The 375 Ruger cartridge is an improvement over the 375 H&H in a few ways. When this cartridge was introduced, I was slow to warm up to it as I had been shooting the 375 H&H for decades and liked it. The 375 Ruger functions on a standard (not magnum) length action, it holds roughly 10% more powder than the venerable H&H and generates about 5%-7% more velocity with like bullet weights. What’s not to like?
Buffalo Bore’s rifle cartridges that are intended for use on Dangerous Game, are full-powered, but we do NOT try to milk every extra FPS out of them as we would prefer to have low pressures that leave room for bad circumstances such as a barrel with rainwater, dust, or other debris in it. There is no good reason to have pressures so high as to cause function issues with your rifle under dangerous or adverse/sloppy conditions. This load is SAAMI compliant.
This load is our most versatile load in 375 Ruger. It’s a great load for critters up to 2,000 lbs. The 270 gr. TSX bullet will penetrate on par with 300 gr. typical premium/partition style bullets, but you get the faster velocity, flatter trajectory and lower recoil of the 270 gr. bullet. There is no reason why you could not use this load for stopping giant bears and turn right around and make 400-yard shots on big game like moose—for those that think moose are a close-range only opportunity, I’ve shot them out to 400 yards in parts of AK that have big open terrain mixed with dark timber, so versatility like this can be handy. For those hunting thick-skinned Dangerous Game in Africa, I’d keep this load in the chamber with a magazine box of our 270 gr. Solid, FN, Lehigh Defense bullet, for those bad angle shots of charging or running away wounded Buffalo. If your rifle is accurate, this load is flat enough shooting to use as a sheep load/rifle, yet you have a “stopper” on hand for those ever-present grizzlies. Most grizzly charges I’ve been involved in were bluffs, where the bear is looking for a weakness in me or trying to get his courage up, but I’ve seen a couple of grizzlies follow through with deadly intent. Grizzlies are funny critters; they are all individuals, just like people and some of them definitely have anger management issues……especially if you’ve just wounded it, threatened its food cache or cubs. A 375 caliber, magnum cartridge is comforting to have in grizzly infested areas.
As an aside, I used this bullet (loaded into a 378 WBY) to kill one of the largest AK Brown Bears (simply a coastal grizzly) ever killed since humans started to keep records on such things. His spring weight (when I shot him) was estimated to be around 1,200 lbs. and it’s estimated that he would gain 500 lbs. before winter hibernation. The first shot was quartering toward me in his right shoulder and the bullet exited his left lung and sprayed a blood mist rainbow in the sunlight when it exited. The second shot was quartering toward me in his left shoulder and the bullet exited his right lung…..same blood rainbow! The third shot was broadside through both lungs and he dropped. I tell this story to illustrate how deeply these bullets penetrate. Green, this bear squared 11 ft. with no stretching and his skull when cured, measured 30 inches. I’ve seen this bullet kill other big bears and I’ve never witnessed it stop inside a big bear, no matter the angle of the shot. You can tell what I think of this bullet being suitable for hunting Dangerous Game.
➤ 2,727 fps — Ruger Guide Gun — 20-inch bbl.
➤ 2,700 fps — Ruger Guide Gun — 20-inch bbl.
You’ll note that I have two Ruger Guide rifles chambered in 375 Ruger. This is because I really like this style of rifle (20-inch barrel, all stainless, three positions safety that locks the bolt, adjustable length of pull, iron sights and moisture impervious, strong stock) and 30 years ago, had to pay thousands of dollars to get a rifle designed and custom made like the Ruger Guide Gun series, which retails for only around $1,000.00. These rifles only have 20-inch barrels, so you can expect that longer barrels will give higher velocities as Ruger barrels are generally not fast for length, but give average/normal velocities per length. Both of my Ruger Guide Guns give roughly the same velocity of 2,700+ fps with this load. A 24-inch barrel with the right types of internal dimensions could easily give another 100-175 fps. This is a great place to ask you to read an article on “Velocity Versus Barrel Length”.
When the Ruger starts to use cordite for a powder then maybe it can gain some traction.
But, considering one likes to call it the King in its short period of ....
New cartridge ok, someone reinventing the wheel just because or does it do something better than the original ?
Nope, it doesn’t .
Case made of brass, 375 dia. boolit, a primer and some powder and millions in marketing voodoo chit.
Tight Groups,
FLHTCUI
But, considering one likes to call it the King in its short period of ....
New cartridge ok, someone reinventing the wheel just because or does it do something better than the original ?
Nope, it doesn’t .
Case made of brass, 375 dia. boolit, a primer and some powder and millions in marketing voodoo chit.
Tight Groups,
FLHTCUI
Are you using the factory laminated stock?
as a leftie yes im using the one that came with. not the newer version but the older one.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Or, actually do it rather than post dancing bananas in an quiet corner of an obscure Canadian forum.
Although they are certainly functional, I never have warmed up to laminate stocks, although I would probably prefer one over the Hogue tupperware one that originally came with my NEW KING.
The upgrade to a Mac stock was a no brainer for me. The Hogue worked okay, but I sure don't regret replacing it. While I am sure you would like the Macmillan, they are also pretty expensive these days with the exchange rate compounding their already high cost.
About 8lbs for the African and about 10.25 lbs for RSM. Too heavy for a 375 H&H in my opinion.
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
Or, actually do it rather than post dancing bananas in an quiet corner of an obscure Canadian forum.
Sweet. Nice photos and much appreciated. Thanks for sharing.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Thanks, the H&H has been good to me. This said I’ve happily guided a .375 Ruger armed client on grizz and like the round a good deal too. If I was building on a modern Mauser FN or BRNO etc and wanted a .375 Mag, it’d be the Ruger for feed ramp clearancing, that’s one reason I can see to build one. I’d use it happily, though I’d probably not admit it on the internet for awhile.
In the end it’s a brass tube that holds powder. I have some obscure ones too, way more obscure than the .375 Ruger is proving to be, so my argument on ammo availability is fading with time and my mellowing temperament. I’m finding myself attracted to some of the new offerings, perhaps I’ll build that .375 Ruger one day if I ever wear out my other .375s. I still am attracted to history, panache, and ubiquity for a traveling gun so I don’t think I’ll walk away from the H&H anytime soon.
Guess where I’m going is I see no issue with the .375 Ruger but the benefits need to be bigger than what the Ruger presently offers, like substantially less recoil and substantially higher velocity. But that technology hasn’t come yet, and I’m not building a rifle where an 1/4” makes a difference in the mag presently, so I’ll stay with the old gal for now.
In the end it’s a brass tube that holds powder. I have some obscure ones too, way more obscure than the .375 Ruger is proving to be, so my argument on ammo availability is fading with time and my mellowing temperament. I’m finding myself attracted to some of the new offerings, perhaps I’ll build that .375 Ruger one day if I ever wear out my other .375s. I still am attracted to history, panache, and ubiquity for a traveling gun so I don’t think I’ll walk away from the H&H anytime soon.
Guess where I’m going is I see no issue with the .375 Ruger but the benefits need to be bigger than what the Ruger presently offers, like substantially less recoil and substantially higher velocity. But that technology hasn’t come yet, and I’m not building a rifle where an 1/4” makes a difference in the mag presently, so I’ll stay with the old gal for now.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Larry Weishuhn said:Back a few years ago, I would have been concerned about the availability of .375 Ruger ammo in distant places. In my hunting travels on four continents I have made it a point to stop by gun stores to determine if indeed .375 Ruger ammo was available. Hornady commercial loads have been there every time I have asked. These days I am no longer concerned about not being able to find ammo.
To me, the .375 Ruger round, chambered in a Ruger M77, or for that matter in a Ruger No. 1 (which I recently purchased two of), is the one caliber/round I would choose, if I could only have one with which to hunt the world. The round is extremely accurate and delivers considerable down range energy. It has certainly has proven itself to me, many times over!
As predicted, the NEW KING has been taking the .375 cartridge market by storm. It is dominating .375 caliber new rifle sales and it's popularity keeps increasing world wide.
ALL HAIL THE NEW KING!
This argument has always seemed a bit out of touch to me. You go to dark Zimbabwe and there isn’t even such a thing as a store, your supply is the PH. Every PH has a couple dozen boxes of .375 H&H with three to twelve rounds missing. .375 Ruger I haven’t seen yet in the local surplus supply chain. It’s less about being able to travel 8 hours to ammunition than it already being in camp.
This said I’m way less worried about this now than I was ten years ago when I first went over to Africa. Worst case now I’d just borrow a rifle, it’s become an inconvenience in my mind not a planning factor. But if there for work I’ll only bring a 7.62x39, .308, .30-06, or H&H.
The 375 Ruger is best built, not bought imo. The initial Ruger African was pretty decent. But not this decent. Stainless MK2 got a 23" 375 cal Shilen and a nice piece of walnut off a late model African. No iron sights.
This is my kind of 375 Ruger! Well of course it is, because that's what I ended up with in the gun cabinet...
This is my kind of 375 Ruger! Well of course it is, because that's what I ended up with in the gun cabinet...
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
Well put
. In my little harem, I have a Winchester model 70 Super Express in 375 H&H. And, a custom 700 Remington in 375 Chatfield Taylor, both purchased from site members. Being in my early 70's, I'll be very lucky to get either of my two any field experience. In the meantime, I'll continue to enjoy a little range time and load testing with both .Because of a smoking deal on a tang safety M77 McMillan off the EE, I ended up with a 416 Ruger. All black. Inspired by Jim Shockey's Hippo-charge, black-on-black, big-bore solution rifle.
BTW I still have this reamer if anyone wants to turn a lowly 300 win mag into something bigger. The 375 Ruger is the training bra of big bores. At the 416 Ruger, its starting to get real.
This 338 win mag donor got a 416 cal 23" Bevan King barrel and a great cerekote job.
BTW I still have this reamer if anyone wants to turn a lowly 300 win mag into something bigger. The 375 Ruger is the training bra of big bores. At the 416 Ruger, its starting to get real.
This 338 win mag donor got a 416 cal 23" Bevan King barrel and a great cerekote job.
