.375 purchase assistance required

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RogerR

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Hello,
I'm considering the purchase of a .375 calibre rifle for bear/elk in Canada and whatever else may pop up in Africa if ever I make it there. I like the calibre but rifle choice in Canada must be done with consideration of ammo availability. I've heard lots of good things about .375 Ruger but by and large .385 H&H seems to be the most popular and accessible cartridge. Any comments from those in the know?
 
The 375 H&H had a 100 year head start on the Ruger, so there are more H&H rifles out there. The 375 Ruger is the superior cartridge, and several manufacturers are making the rifles.

The performance is virtually identical between the 2 cartridges, so ballistics really isn't a factor in the decision. They both feed, extract and function perfectly, so that's not a factor either. The 375 Ruger has been making quite a bit of headway in Africa, with rifles and ammunition becoming more and more available, although it doesn't sound like a trip to Africa is imminent,anyway. In north america, rifles and ammo for both are readily available, although you won't find ammo for either at Canadian Tire.

If you aren't sold on the H&H for nostalgia reasons, I'd look at rifles you like, and buy the one you like, regardless of what cartridge it is chambered for.
 
One thing about the 375 HH over 375 Ruger. The 375 HH is an old cartridge and it works at lower pressure then the Ruger. Some say there for better for extraction in hot whether. Seems to me that all the new and smaller cartridges do same thing as the older larger ones but with higher presures. The 375 HH would be my choice but they are probably both fine.
 
My concern comes mostly from being at the mercy of the current ammo shortage. Maybe the best bet would be to consider reloading as a necessary part of the decision making process
 
Well I have to say I am louding for my 375 HH and it is a lot, lot cheaper ! I can shoot more and get use to the rifle better. Yes, that is a factor to consider but I'm sure if you get into it, you will like it and you can not only make cheaper ammo but also more accurete! I started do to price and ended do to accuracy.
 
375 H&H hands down. The 378 Weatherby would be nice step up haha. Dont even bother with the fad cartridges like the 375 Ruger!

In all seriousness though, Id go with either the H&H or the Ruger. It might be easier to find a nice H&H, but thats not saying it would be tough to find the Ruger. I have owned both and I perfer the H&H not that I did not like the Ruger. My next .375 will be the 378 Weatherby.
 
big zed said:
One thing about the 375 HH over 375 Ruger. The 375 HH is an old cartridge and it works at lower pressure then the Ruger. Some say there for better for extraction in hot whether. Seems to me that all the new and smaller cartridges do same thing as the older larger ones but with higher presures. The 375 HH would be my choice but they are probably both fine.
Click to expand...

SAAMI pressure ratings for the 2 cartridges are identical.
 
You are right about the same pressure. I was wrong. (Had to look it up) 375 HH would be still my choice and only time will tell rest of the story which will last. :)
 
The main reason me, and MANY other average folks never owned a 375HH was they were and are quite cost prohibitive. All the guns I saw for many years available that were 375 h & h were $1200-2000. Plus all the ammo I saw at the time was $89.99 a box.
most people that I know can get 4 guns for that much $$$. More of a sort of white collar round to some. Whereas
the Ruger375 came out of the gates with chamberings in everyday common rifles.....howa ruger savage
and made a potent (slightly more potent) african capable rifle for cheap. This ruffled a few feathers who had to drop
several grand on the geratric H&H.
The ruger will dominate this planets big game animals for the next
century. Shorter action. Good guns to choose from. Higher velocities achieved with a shorter handier STIFFER
LESS FLEXIBLE AND MORE ACCURATE barrel/action. The gun for us common people on a budget. I know I got
5000 ft/lb of energy on tap with my alaskan Ruger. Shorter bolt throw also over the H and H. It is surprising easy in the recoil dept. No worse than a shotgun even with a stiff load of 300 gr X bullets over a max dose of RL15
 
well Gate, gotta be one of your most reasonable .375 cal. related posts to date!:)p).
Except for .. " The 375 Ruger is the superior cartridge" shtick.
The ruger equals the H&H baliistics, from a standard length action. That is the difference between them. All else is personal preference.
I don't own a ruger in any calibre, and don't claim to know squat-all of the rifle or it's .375 chambering.
I can say with some confidence though, my brno H&H is a gem of a rifle. I happen to like long magnum Mauser actions, they work well for me, ... others may prefer other individual actions.
To OP, may you base your decision on what rifle feels best in your hands. Truth told they are all good guns in this 3/8th's cal. chambering.
The bigger question IMO ... is
Are you a handloader?


Gatehouse said:
The 375 H&H had a 100 year head start on the Ruger, so there are more H&H rifles out there. The 375 Ruger is the superior cartridge, and several manufacturers are making the rifles.

The performance is virtually identical between the 2 cartridges, so ballistics really isn't a factor in the decision. They both feed, extract and function perfectly, so that's not a factor either. The 375 Ruger has been making quite a bit of headway in Africa, with rifles and ammunition becoming more and more available, although it doesn't sound like a trip to Africa is imminent,anyway. In north america, rifles and ammo for both are readily available, although you won't find ammo for either at Canadian Tire.

If you aren't sold on the H&H for nostalgia reasons, I'd look at rifles you like, and buy the one you like, regardless of what cartridge it is chambered for.
Click to expand...
 
There are 4 large case .375" cartridges that provide excellent performance and for which brass is readily available; these are the .375 Ruger, the .375 H&H, the .375 Ultra, and the .378 Weatherby. The cost of .378 Weatherby brass is intimidating if not staggering, particularly if you want a few hundred, while the cost of Ruger, H&H, and Ultra brass is comparable and easier to swallow. The performance of the .375 Ruger and the .375 H&H is for all practical purposes the same and is bested by the .375 Ultra by 100 fps or so. The complaint that a magnum length action isn't as stiff and therefore not as accurate as a shorter action sounds just reasonable enough to be believed, but it doesn't work out that way in real life. My Brno 602 with it's 20" Ron Smith barrel chambered for the .375 Ultra shot like a varmint rifle; in all honesty though, while fine accuracy benefits one's confidence, its completely unnecessary when the typical .375 targets and ranges are considered.

The greatest advantage a long cartridge has is when long bullets heavier than 300 grs are loaded, but the majority of .375 owners will probably argue there's no such thing. When I tried loading 380 gr Rhinos in the .375 Ruger, the velocity was disappointing, about 2000 fps IIRC, the H&H will drive this bullet at 2250, and my Ultra will drive it at nearly 2400. At the other end of the spectrum, my current 22" .375 Ultra drives a 270 gr bullet at 3000 fps, which produces a pleasingly flat trajectory for those occasional longish shots, but the Ruger and the H&H aren't far enough behind that the difference matters very much.

Shooting big case .375s is not cheap, and if cost is an overriding consideration, you might be better off considering a .375 Scovill, which is a 9.3X62 opened up to .375. Of course this is a custom proposition, and considering the difference in cost between .366 and .375 bullets of similar weight, the proven journeyman performance of the 9.3X62 makes it the obvious choice, what with moderately priced factory rifles being commonly available. An additional bonus in favor of the 9.3X62, is that the rifle probably weighs 3 pounds less than a rifle chambered for a big case .375, a fact that can well be appreciated after a long day on the trail, whether you're breaking trail through snow drifts in Canada or slogging along a sand river in Africa. In those countries which mandate a minimum of .375 for dangerous game, the 9.3X62 is the sole exception to the rule. Many professional hunters have reported that any difference in the apparent effect on game between the 9.3X62 and the .375 H&H is, for the most part, indistinguishable.
 
Gatehouse said:
The 375 H&H had a 100 year head start on the Ruger, so there are more H&H rifles out there. The 375 Ruger is the superior cartridge, and several manufacturers are making the rifles.
Click to expand...
^^ Unsound imaginary theory. ^^ V:I:

Gatehouse said:
The performance is virtually identical between the 2 cartridges, so ballistics really isn't a factor in the decision. They both feed, extract and function perfectly, so that's not a factor either. The 375 Ruger has been making quite a bit of headway in Africa, with rifles and ammunition becoming more and more available, although it doesn't sound like a trip to Africa is imminent,anyway. In north america, rifles and ammo for both are readily available, although you won't find ammo for either at Canadian Tire..
Click to expand...
^^ That's better! ^^ :cool:

Gatehouse said:
If you aren't sold on the H&H for nostalgia reasons, I'd look at rifles you like, and buy the one you like, regardless of what cartridge it is chambered for.
Click to expand...
^^ Good closing comment! ^^ :dancingbanana:
 
With Gate being almost the voice of reason these days, I don't even need to comment.
I will say that I prefer the H&H but purely on a personal level. I have used it for several hunts in Africa and found it not lacking in any area at all, it is a wonderful cartridge.
 
emerson said:
My wishlist includes a Sako 85 Kodiak in 375H&H. 375Ruger would be good too, but the selling point is the Sako rifle.
Click to expand...

I've had several 375's Rem 700 XCR, Ruger Alaskan 375x2 ,new model 70 safari express, and currently a Sako Kodiak. Out of all of them, the Sako tops the list, with the Winchester being a VERY close second. Both of these rifles are very accurate, the only reason I liked my Sako over Winchester is the 21"ish barrel, stainless, detach clip, overall weight, all of which are personal preference. Both of the actions were butter smooth.The Ruger RSM would be a top choice to, but I've never owned one to comment. Maybe in the future I will.
 
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