Winchester M70 Safari Express OR (Discontinued) Ruger M77 Magnum in .375 H&H?

International Harvester

International Harvester

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I'm looking for a good rifle in .375 H&H and have narrowed it down to these two characters. Anybody have any comparison info? The Ruger is now discontinued and I've found very little technical info on it. If I go with the M70 I'd like to get the barrel refinished a moderate shine blue, any recomendations on a shop in SK or AB?

Cheers,

IH
 
Personally I would take the Ruger if you are not satisfied with the stock Winchester. But I am biased, I have a Ruger in the 458 Lott. Beautiful guns!
 
I have a Ruger RSM in .375. It is quite new to me since I have only owned it since the summer, but I have taken a bull elk and a black bear with it so far. I have not shot a Winchester Safari Express but I am very happy with my Ruger. It required a trigger tune-up and a limbsaver pad to replace the hard rubber original, but this is the first two 3-shot groups I shot with it. Adjusted first group to 1" above centre.
IMGP1634.jpg
260 gr, Nosler Partitions, RL 15 at 2700 FPS. I think my load development is done!
It is a heavy rifle, but very easy to shoot.
 
Get the Ruger if you can. They are beautiful and you get a quarter rib.

The M70 is no slouch either. But it sounds like you want a bit more bling. I like both.
 
And to add to my post above, the Ruger has a true magnum length action, feeds flawlessly, and has wonderful fit and finish. It weighs about 11 lbs with the Leupold 1.5-5 scope and mounts. Kinda heavy, but not much recoil and steady to hold. The trigger was worked on by the previous owner, and it was a poor job. Rough and too heavy. I bought an after market trigger for it, but it didn't fit, the RSM requires a longer trigger than the regular MKII action because the stock is deeper. I had Craig Douglas at AC Douglas Guns in Saskatoon polish the sear and get the pull to a crisp 3.5 lbs as ordered for about $90. I have tried a variety of factory .375 H&H loads and handloads in it, and the only disappointment so far is that the 235 gr. Speer bullets only shoot to about 2" - 2.5" or so, the rest of the 250-300 gr, bullets shoot amazingly well.
 
IMO the Ruger is the way to go. They usually have awesome wood and the 1/4 rib is an high $ item. You get lots of bang for the buck. Not that there are any flies on the M70, it's just that the Ruger has some really nice features.
 
The quarter rib is the raised metal that runs along the barrel starting at the receiver, upon which the rear sights are mounted. Here's a picture of my RSM with the a closeup of the rib -

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It is an expensive option because it is a machined part of the barrel (not soldered on), and prevents normal lathe turning of the barrel.

As far as the M70 vs. RSM is concerned, the only downside of heard of the RSM in 375 is that it is heavier-than-needed. IIRC, the barrel profile on the 375 is the same as on the 416, so there is a lot of meat on the 375 barrel. You should search the archives here for posts by Ardent, as he owns an RSM in 375 and has a good opinion of them.
 
Those are beautiful guns! Thanks for the info, you learn something new everyday I guess!
I remember picking one up at the Saskatoon gun show-at the PA dealer table I believe-and yes that was a heavy barrel!
What would be a fair price for an RSM in VG condition? I seem to remember them retailing just north of $2000.00.
 
International Harvester said:
Winchester M70 Safari Express OR (Discontinued) Ruger M77 Magnum in .375 H&H?
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Seems to me that both those choices are fairly heavy. The Winchesters have a fairly heavy bbl contour and the Rugers are heavy overall. 8.5 to 9 lbs scoped is about right for a 375Magnum.

As much as I do like the old classic (Fudd) chamberings, I do think that Ruger's Alaskan 375s are a good deal and about right in weight and length for hunting here in NA. Their African offering is a good choice as well in a more traditional walnut stock.
 
The RSM is a beautiful gun, and I would love one in .458Win or Lott, but it is pretty hefty for a .375. I had one in .416Rigby and I loved it, but it eventually split its stock, just before I was scheduled to take it on a hunt. Kinda left a bad taste in my mouth.

I also notice in the photo above that the bluing on the receiver looks just like mine did, i.e. a sort of plum colour, not matching the deep blue-black of the barrel. I thought that mine was just an isolated specimen...maybe not? It's strictly cosmetic, but you notice it every time you pick it up, and eventually it starts to gnaw at you a bit...

If you don't like the matte finish on the m70 Safari, how about the new m70 Alaskan? It seems to have a nice old-fashioned gloss finish.
 
Not in 375 H&H but I've had a Ruger M77 in 458 WM and presently have a Winchester model 70 Super Express in 458 WM.

Model70Winchester458WM.jpg


No complaints on either. ;)I'd say picking one over the other is more a Ford/Chev matter of preference than anything.
 
I noticed stickhunter's RSM didn't have a black tip on the forestock while 1899's RSM did. Is one of these rifles of older vintage? I'm starting to lean towards the Ruger due to its chunkier metal, longer action and greater weight. This will be my largest caliber if I get it. I would prefer weight over recoil.

IH
 
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