Who's shootin .375 Ruger?

MiG25 said:
if weatherby can claim 2960fps from the 340 with 250 grain bullets, is 3100fps from the 375 ruger that outlandish?
Click to expand...

In a word, yes.

But I think you're confusing the .340 Weatherby and the .338-378 Weatherby, these are very different cartridges and no .340 is going to give you 3 grand with 250s.

As for 260s at 3100 from a .375 Ruger, I only hope there is something wrong with c-fbmi's chronographs. Based on my experience, ejector marks, a stickly bolt, and loose primers rolling around in the bottom of the magazine should all have been observed long before he got there.
 
xxclaro how did the 225 gr hornadys shoot out of your alaskan? Or have you had a chance to shoot them yet? I have been drooling over this rifle for the past week. If I get one I was thinking of loading it with the hornady 225gr. Where did you pick up you dies and brass?
 
jk123 said:
xxclaro how did the 225 gr hornadys shoot out of your alaskan? Or have you had a chance to shoot them yet? I have been drooling over this rifle for the past week. If I get one I was thinking of loading it with the hornady 225gr. Where did you pick up you dies and brass?
Click to expand...

I haven't really tested the 225's yet, need to scope it first. I just shot a few rounds with the open sights for fun.
I got the dies at Wholesale Sports and the bullets and brass at P&D in Edmonton. They were the only ones who had any brass or ammo in stock.
Finding the rifle was a bit of luck too, got it at Wholesale south and it was the last one they had in their system, P&D didn't have any nor did their distributors. Someone else may still have some in stock, not sure. I did manage to find some brass online too, but P&D was cheaper.
Once I get it scoped up, I'll do some proper testing with the 225's and see how they do. They're decently priced and should be just fine for fun shooting and deer hunting, althoug hI want to try some other bullets too.
 
225 HDY's

I have used the 225 HDY's in my single shot .375 Ruger.

I made up a plinking/close range Whitetail load using RL-15, just shy of 2700 fps.
I took 2 deer with it in 2010, and ranges were close, roughly 30 and 60 yds.
Performance was great, the bullets held together well, no craters.

I haven't cranked it up with those bullets on paper or game, so don't know what more velocity would do in my rifle as far as accuracy or close range performance on game.

I like to think of this load as an oversized 308 win/150 grain load.
The BC and SD of these 2 HDY bullets are almost identical.
 
MiG25 said:
3060.

i like to hotrod as much as the next guy (i get 2200fps w/ 170gr in my 30WCF), but i would like to see some pressure data,
Click to expand...

Its just as well most of us can't. If you start tweaking loads based on pressure readings, it won't take into account the normal dimensional tolerances in bullets and brass, the tolerances in burning rate between various lots of the same powder, or how those powders respond once the loads become highly compressed. The trouble with pushing the limits is that everything will be fine right up until its not. Once the brass case fails, thats when things really start to get interesting. Now if you are expecting the brass to fail as it does with incipient case head separation, it doesn't, what you might expect is as follows.

The first thing you'll notice is a very loud report, and gas, carbon, and metal hitting your face. The recoil may or may not be stronger than usual, but you won't care. The bolt will lock up solid due to massive expansion of the case head. If you are shooting a Remington style bolt which surrounds the case head, the case head will be so expanded within the recess that you will have to twist it out with a pair of pliers, don't worry about the extractor, its already gone. If you are shooting a controlled round feed rifle which like most Mausers has a thin lip covering the case rim, it will be peeled off the bolt face and blown back through the firing pin recess, and back into your face. The magazine of the Remington might survive, the spring and follower from the Mauser's floor-plate will be laying on the ground. The bolt lugs will expand to the extent that the rifle is not rebuildable. And what is really gained other than the destruction of a fine rifle and possible injury to the shooter? Nothing, nada, zip!

Lets take the example of a .375 Ruger. If we could get 3200 fps from that thing with a 260 gr AB, what would be the actual ballistic advantage over the sedate 2750 that would normally be expected? If the rifle is zeroed for 200 yards and the bullet has a muzzle velocity of 2750 it drops about 8" at 300 yards. If the same bullet is driven at 3200, the drop at 300 is 6". Big Deal! For the risk of facial damage, loss of eyesight, and damaged hands to say nothing of a ruined rifle, your gain is 2" of elevation at 300 yards.

A difference of 2" of elevation at 300 yards is meaningless and there is no way that even the most talented marksman can exploit that advantage under field conditions with a hunting rifle. Keep in mind, this might not happen on the range, it might happen in the back country, it could happen when you're alone. So there you are, miles away from help, alone, and blind; isn't that appealing! If you must have a flatter trajectory get a cartridge that holds more powder, pressure is too finicky a friend to cuddle up to.
 
Last edited:
Lets take the example of a .375 Ruger. If we could get 3200 fps from that thing with a 260 gr AB, what would be the actual ballistic advantage over the sedate 2750 that would normally be expected? If the rifle is zeroed for 200 yards and the bullet has a muzzle velocity of 2750 it drops about 8" at 300 yards. If the same bullet is driven at 3200, the drop at 300 is 6". Big Deal! For the risk of facial damage, loss of eyesight, and damaged hands to say nothing of a ruined rifle, your gain is 2" of elevation at 300 yards.
Click to expand...

Exactly my feelings, too. Going to extremes such as 3100fps with a 260 NAB really doesn't benefit you at all when hunting.

Before I hot rod anything I always decide if there is a purpose to doing so. Sometimes I slightly exceed "book max" loads in a quest for accuracy, sometimes it's because it's a older cartridge in a new design rifle using new design brass, so it can be safely hot rodded (Like a 45 COlt in a modern firearm or .303 British in a Ruger #1)

But since I get cloverleafs with the 260 NAB at 2750 fps, it's unlikely accuracy will improve greatly with over loads. The added recoil might even make shooting less pleasant and induce operator error. ;)

And 2" trajectory difference at 300 is meaningless. If you want to shoot longer, we have turrets for that, no need to load to extremes to shoot "flatter."
 
375 Ruger

Gatehouse said:
Exactly my feelings, too. Going to extremes such as 3100fps with a 260 NAB really doesn't benefit you at all when hunting.

Before I hot rod anything I always decide if there is a purpose to doing so. Sometimes I slightly exceed "book max" loads in a quest for accuracy, sometimes it's because it's a older cartridge in a new design rifle using new design brass, so it can be safely hot rodded (Like a 45 COlt in a modern firearm or .303 British in a Ruger #1)

But since I get cloverleafs with the 260 NAB at 2750 fps, it's unlikely accuracy will improve greatly with over loads. The added recoil might even make shooting less pleasant and induce operator error. ;)

And 2" trajectory difference at 300 is meaningless. If you want to shoot longer, we have turrets for that, no need to load to extremes to shoot "flatter."
Click to expand...

Well spoken by both you Gatehouse and Boomer ! Most times that Extra little bit just don't matter does it !
Cheers RJ :)
 
As one poster suggested, try RL 15 with either or both 225 Hornady and the 260 Nosler.
In my 375 Alaskan that is the best performing powder with those bullets.
However my loads are somewhat less than maximum, but are superbly accurate....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom