.375 Ruger Alaskan vs African

[spike.t]

I apologize to the moderator. I didn't know the poop emoji was a no-no.

What you mean is a no no?...

 

[IvW]

I fail to understand the need for speed and the use of lighter bullets in the 375 calibers..the H&H is already travelling too fast with 300gr bullets...for hevy and DG that is...
If lighter bullets at higher velocity is needed the 338 WM is the perfect candidate....

Maybe I am just an old fart but 375 H&H has done it forever with 300gr and heavier at 2550fps and slower.....

 

[USMA84DAB]

IvW -

I am with you - I do not chase FPS - batters me, batters the rifle, and it only placates ego.

The Barnes TSX/TTSX are supposed to perform their best when driven fast (all other things being equal). If they strike the target moving slowly they can fail to expand and act like a solid/FMJ.

I like to stalk close, so hitting the critter when the bullet is still traveling in the Barnes' designed window for sweet-spot performance is no problem. It starts to become an issue for those lads that tend to try the sniping approach to hunting. Sometimes, one just runs out of cover and the shot os long, but I think we are getting lazy with velocity, optics, and superior bullets. OK - off my soapbox now.

 

[TOBY458]

IvW -

I am with you - I do not chase FPS - batters me, batters the rifle, and it only placates ego.

The Barnes TSX/TTSX are supposed to perform their best when driven fast (all other things being equal). If they strike the target moving slowly they can fail to expand and act like a solid/FMJ.

I like to stalk close, so hitting the critter when the bullet is still traveling in the Barnes' designed window for sweet-spot performance is no problem. It starts to become an issue for those lads that tend to try the sniping approach to hunting. Sometimes, one just runs out of cover and the shot os long, but I think we are getting lazy with velocity, optics, and superior bullets. OK - off my soapbox now.

This is the reason I've gravitated to Swift AF vs Barnes TSX in larger calibers. I've used the 300gr TSX on 3 Water Buffalo in Australia, various PG and one Cape Buffalo. All with excellent results. However, on the Water Buffalo, I noticed they didn't expand as well as they should when I was running them at 2450 fps muzzle velocity from my 21" Sako rifle. My shots were not that far either, so I can only imagine if they had been over 100 yds, the expansion would've been even more suspect. But don't get me wrong, they killed the Buffalo just fine, but I felt like they really needed to be moving along at 2550 FPS or more to really get good expansion. Which is exactly what I loaded them to when I went to Africa in 2019. They seemed to open up better at that velocity, even on small game like Impala, at extended ranges. So in my mind, once you get past 375 on up through the 40s, I think a Swift would be better when muzzle velocities are 2400 fps or below.

 

[USMA84DAB]

I think you have a great system/plan there Toby. May just have to look into this for my reloading room...

 

[lwaters]

I agree for Africa just load an a-frame or barnes 300gr. There is about nine powders that will get you to 2500fps that are not max loads. I load 250 ttsx for elk or moose which are generally shot at longer range than African game. But I seem to grap the 300 when hunting elk.

I thought the beauty of a .375 was to use a 300 grain for everything from ground hogs to elephants lol

 

[Viral_SIGness]

Picked up the African today. I put the wood stock back on it for a photo shoot lol

 

[Viral_SIGness]

I can't edit my main post here, so I'll have to make a new post when I get all my data together.

African with Wood - 7.4 lbs
African with Hogue - 8.4 lbs
Alaskan with Wood - 7.2 lbs
Alaskan with Hogue - 8.2 lbs

 

[Viral_SIGness]

I fail to understand the need for speed and the use of lighter bullets in the 375 calibers..the H&H is already travelling too fast with 300gr bullets...for hevy and DG that is...
If lighter bullets at higher velocity is needed the 338 WM is the perfect candidate....

Maybe I am just an old fart but 375 H&H has done it forever with 300gr and heavier at 2550fps and slower.....

This is the reason I've gravitated to Swift AF vs Barnes TSX in larger calibers. I've used the 300gr TSX on 3 Water Buffalo in Australia, various PG and one Cape Buffalo. All with excellent results. However, on the Water Buffalo, I noticed they didn't expand as well as they should when I was running them at 2450 fps muzzle velocity from my 21" Sako rifle. My shots were not that far either, so I can only imagine if they had been over 100 yds, the expansion would've been even more suspect. But don't get me wrong, they killed the Buffalo just fine, but I felt like they really needed to be moving along at 2550 FPS or more to really get good expansion. Which is exactly what I loaded them to when I went to Africa in 2019. They seemed to open up better at that velocity, even on small game like Impala, at extended ranges. So in my mind, once you get past 375 on up through the 40s, I think a Swift would be better when muzzle velocities are 2400 fps or below.

No need for speed here. 2550 is my goal now, for a 300 grain TSX on my Buffalo hunt. I know the 23" African can do better, but I'd rather keep pressures lower, and have less chance of a stuck case. The .375 H&H has been doing just fine at those speeds all these years.

Before this African came along, I was going to use the Alaskan at 2400. I was trying to get some Peregrine 300 grain Copper Solids, since they don't break like brass solids. But I was unsuccessful finding any in the US.

 

[Alaska Luke]

I'd agree Hogue stocks are nice for recoil. I didn't like the feel of mine though. Eventually I sanded the fore end down a bit and I carved a bit of rubber off the grip. Not pretty but I liked the handling a lot better. Eventually I got used to it and found a slimmer stock I liked better. But it's an option for a redneck gunsmith.