.375 Ruger....

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Quote Originally Posted by c-fbmi

My 375 Ruger African arrived today, it looks exactly like expected, wrong grain in the stock for a heavy or medium cartridge, skinny rubber hockey puck skid plate on the butt. Will require significant work before I would try out loads with this rifle and stock. Truly a poorly put together medium rifle, as expected !!!! Will have to bed and reinforce stock before firing, as I know it'll split just like my son's. I think I will add a second recoil lug out on the barrel about mid forearm and pin ahead of the trigger group/behind the mag well. These mods may actually make it stand up to the work out I'm about to put it through.........oh ya, and a good full action bedding job, maybe even full length bedding job.
I had to totally re-bed mine as the stock had a major warp in the forend and we pillar bedded it as well.
One thing that surprised me was that my African had one cross-bolt yet the guide gun model in 308 has two.... go figure...

Kevan said:
I had to totally re-bed mine as the stock had a major warp in the forend and we pillar bedded it as well.
One thing that surprised me was that my African had one cross-bolt yet the guide gun model in 308 has two.... go figure...
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At the shop we had three ruger Africans that had the stock broken after not even a box shot so this is not a surprise. glass bedding is part of the cure.
 
c-fbmi said:
Great, I get the rifle here, load up 60 rounds of 300 WM and fireform them, only to realize that the dies I used previously are my son's and I have no dies!!!! No problem I thought, called LGS none, called one 100 miles away, none, called WSS, none. Okay regroup and call my failsafe, Huntingtons, none !!! Checked a couple other places in the northwest US, just a hop over the border from here, still no joy.........called my old LGS in Whitehorse, cause they used to have a couple sets, nope, not any more. AAARRRRGGGGGGGGG......want to shoot new toy !!!
Anybody got dies they'd like to sell me, I'd even take Lee at this point for this project. I may end up opening up my 375 Chatfield-Taylor dies to accept the larger dia body but I'd rather not, unless I absolutely have to.
Anyway I have 60 nice looking W-W 375 Ruger cases to play with, formed them up with a good load of 3031 and a bunch of 30 cal cast bullets I've had kicking around for decades, they formed out nice and sharp in the shoulder (had to up my charge twice to get there) with nice concentric necks a few thou long, so now it's just size, clean, trim and start test loads.................
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Check your PM's.
 
I did a whole thread and posted a bunch of pics last fall when I experimented with it and decided that it works just fine.



Bottom is an unfired 300 WM, middle is a fireformed 300 WM to 375 Ruger, top is a factory Horn 375 Ruger.





This sectioned case shows no sign of fracture at belt junction and was fired 7 times with max+ loads





 
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bcsteve said:
Are you goin to use some real .375 Ruger brass as well for comparison in your tests?
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Don't have any Steve............and since it is almost obsolete it is very difficult to find just like the loading dies. Such are the problems of playing with obsolete cartridges, but that's okay cause I've done it a lot for my old Winchesters, so I am undaunted. A fellow CGNr had a spare set of dies which he allowed me to buy, so that problem will be solved in a couple of days, many, many thanks for that, and RCBS to boot..........Thank God for the 375 H&H, RUM and 378 Wby so I'll be able to get bullets for years to come.;);):p:p

Not being much of a Ruger fan, can anybody tell me if I can get low rings for this rifle, the factory ones have that nice little 1-4 Leup sticking up in the air like a periscope. I hate scopes mounted any higher than they have to be and this one could come down a full 1/2" and function just fine. I hate it even worse on rifles that are starting to get into noticeable recoil levels.
 
Yes, the rings are available in low (#3 on the ring). You'll need a #3 and a #4 for a low setup. Let me know if you want some real .375 Ruger brass they are so available that I have about 300. I could spare a few for a good cause.
 
bcsteve said:
Yes, the rings are available in low (#3 on the ring). You'll need a #3 and a #4 for a low setup. Let me know if you want some real .375 Ruger brass they are so available that I have about 300. I could spare a few for a good cause.
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Hey Steve if you could spare 20 that would be great, I could then do a brass hardness and capacity comparison as well. I did a little last summer but not really a side by side review. The fired 300 W-W cases fired from my son's rifle had about 3% more case capacity measured with Win 748, than did his factory Horn 375 brass......this was just a rough comparison but the W-W case definitely held a touch more and weighed less than the Horn case as well. I don't remember how much right now, but it would be nice to do a complete work up and record all the findings for posterity.
 
Silverback said:
Thanks for the pictures, looks to be viable substitution for replacing factory 375 Ruger brass if it ever does disappear.
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Or if you want to load it to it's maximum potential, which the Horn brass won't stand up to. And as I climb into my flame proof suit, let me say the question is not WHY do I need to see what the maximum capability of the 375 Imposter is, I just do, cause I can...........Is that information of any value, you ask? Not necessarily, especially for most guys, but it is for me. There is the rationale that if you want more velocity go to the RUM or 375/378 Wby, which has merit and I do have a 375 Wby, but I need to know what each cartridge is fully capable of then I can make an informed decision as to what load I want to use and how much safety margin is left. Especially if I wanted to use it in a hot area like Africa or Australia. It is most disconcerting to have your loads blowing primers in Africa, it makes your PH look at you really funny, like WTF..............oh ya and you don't want to leave your ammo on the dash of the Land Cruiser in Zim all day, as this will most assured cause the afore mentioned issues and looks........
 
Silverback said:
Thanks for the pictures, looks to be viable substitution for replacing factory 375 Ruger brass if it ever does disappear.
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It won't disappear. They said that about the WSMs too. When people were buying the first 300wsm rifles there were cries of " stock up on brass, they will be gone in 5 years" Now wsm brass is common in range brass buckets!! :)

Most likely need to do this fire form is because you want some brass but it is all sold out due to its popularity!

;)
 
c-fbmi said:
Or if you want to load it to it's maximum potential, which the Horn brass won't stand up to. And as I climb into my flame proof suit, let me say the question is not WHY do I need to see what the maximum capability of the 375 Imposter is, I just do, cause I can...........Is that information of any value, you ask? Not necessarily, especially for most guys, but it is for me. There is the rationale that if you want more velocity go to the RUM or 375/378 Wby, which has merit and I do have a 375 Wby, but I need to know what each cartridge is fully capable of then I can make an informed decision as to what load I want to use and how much safety margin is left. Especially if I wanted to use it in a hot area like Africa or Australia. It is most disconcerting to have your loads blowing primers in Africa, it makes your PH look at you really funny, like WTF..............oh ya and you don't want to leave your ammo on the dash of the Land Cruiser in Zim all day, as this will most assured cause the afore mentioned issues and looks........
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You've put good effort into this project Douglas so thanks for your indepth look at and opinions on the subject. Looking forward to more.
 
c-fbmi said:
Hey Steve if you could spare 20 that would be great, I could then do a brass hardness and capacity comparison as well. I did a little last summer but not really a side by side review. The fired 300 W-W cases fired from my son's rifle had about 3% more case capacity measured with Win 748, than did his factory Horn 375 brass......this was just a rough comparison but the W-W case definitely held a touch more and weighed less than the Horn case as well. I don't remember how much right now, but it would be nice to do a complete work up and record all the findings for posterity.
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PM me you address and I'll send some your way.
 
Johnn Peterson said:
You've put good effort into this project Douglas so thanks for your indepth look at and opinions on the subject. Looking forward to more.
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I totally agree with Johnn and I applaud your effort in this project, had your work surfaced earlier concerning the use of 300 Win. Mag. brass in the Ruger I might still be persevering with my Rugers instead of giving them away in frustration.
However I still have a few Mausers and a couple pre-64s which either of could become 375 Rs.
I was gonna make one into a 30 Newton which is probably what the 375 Ruger was copied from to start with.
Keep up the good work Douglas and by all means keep us posted.... Thanks my Friend !
 
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