.375 Ruger Plains Game Loads?

[Aegis]

Anybody have a favorite load...factory or handloaded...for plains game with the .375 Ruger? I'm looking for a versatile load I could use for anything from springbok up to zebra.

Fire away. (pun intended)

 

[700xcr]

My 375 Ruger load has taken mule deer and is my elk load too.
Ruger case
WLRMP
78.5grs. of RL17
Nosler 300gr. Accubond seated at 3.385" with Lee factory crimp die used.
1/2" 3-shot group at 100yds. Chronographed 2590fps. out of my Ruger Guide Gun with 20" barrel.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Check out these links and the attached.
http://www.realguns.com/loads/375Ruger.htm
http://www.realguns.com/articles/212.htm
http://www.realguns.com/articles/214.htm

 

[Ryno Botma]

I load my .375 ruger with Barnes TSX 300gr flying at 2400 ft
And have taken from klipspringer to buffalo with that no problem.

It just drops rapidly after 200 yds

Probably the best calibre for Africa in my opinion

 

[ChrisG]

I don't know as there is a plains game animal that could take a 270 grains Barnes TSX at 2700 fps in a vital zone and not crumple up within a hundred yards. In fact I wouldn't hesitate to use it on buffalo if a good shot presented itself. While I don't own a .375 Ruger, I do have a .375 H&H which is a slighlty less volumous case. My load with the 270 grain is 77 grains Alliant Reloder 17. It averages 2650 in my rifle and is low pressure. That would likely be a good starting point for a .375 Ruger. Max load was over 80 grains for the H&H if I remember correctly. It also shoots within 1.5 MOA. That's much better than I can shoot it off hand. I know the round is going to hit within .75MOA of where I put the crosshairs. Thats +/- 2.25" at 300 yards. Thats good enough to hit woodchucks with! So Maybe you don't want to take load advice from me because I don't strain to get a 1.5" group down to .75" at 100 yards because all the burned powder and wasted bullets are not worth it to me. I like to prectice and not shoot off a bench anyway. If I were shooting at 600 yards, things would be different.

So, take it for what it's worth, I think Reloder 17 is THE powder for .375. Even if you give up a couple tenths of a MOA, The powder is incredibly efficient and 2800 fps with a 270 is easily possible with the .375 H&H. With the Ruger, you'd get even more. Just my $.02

 

[Desert Dog]

The 250gr TTSX powered by H4895 is the cats meow. Hits harder than a 300 grainer with the trajectory of a 30-06, with less recoil than the heavier loads.

This is the perfect combo for everything but buff and ele IMO.

I load them for the H&H, bit they should be just as great with the Ruger.

 

[700xcr]

Try RL17 powder with the Barnes 250gr. TTSX bullet. Here is a link of a target shooting out of a 20" 375 Ruger Alaskan.

http://forums.**NOT**PERMITTED**.com/groupee_common/ver1.3.7.2147483647/platform_images/blank.gif



Yes, 0.366" group with 250TTSX 84grains R17

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Found this on the Nosler website: http://www.nosler.com/nosler-load-data/375-ruger/

 

[Philip Glass]

I have been shooting 300 gr Nosler Accubond loaded by Safari Arms. It's powerful for sure and can kill anything in Africa. That said if you are only after plains game I'd work with a lighter bullet as others have mentioned. Never let anyone tell you this caliber is overkill for plains game. I made a perfect shot on one Impala that ran over 100 yards.
Best of luck with a great gun!
Philip

 

[Rob404]

Satisfied with the performance shooting 300g bullets in my HH I decided to load some 235s with 78g of ReLoader 15 and registered 2923fps I'm working on shrinking groups at 200yds but so far I'm happy with the results I'm getting

 

[ActionBob]

I have some experience with a 375 H&H in the Hornady factory loads that are also available in the 375 Ruger. On my first PG hunt I used 270 grain SPRP which as I understand it is a cheap soft point, recoil proof load. But it shoots very flat and flattened everything, including kudu and gemsbok. I made a bad shot too far back on an eland but was able to get another in the chest at about 300 yards so I would call that a very versatile soft point load for PG. In fact on the kudu it litterally knocked him off his feet when it went through both shoulders and lodged against the skin on the off side... That is a lot of energy expended into the animal when it does not exit. This bullet does expand rapidly. However I shot a common duiker behind the shoulder, through the lungs and it did not make too big a hole

This spring I used the same gun but with 250 grain GMX bullets for even flatter shooting and a tougher bullet on a bear hunt in Canada. It absolutely dropped two black bears to the ground in their tracks. I mean straight down, not a foot from where they were hit. One being a good sized 7' old boar... the other a younger 6.5'. I had a grizzly tag but did not get a shot opportunity. However would not have had any worries shooting one with that load.

Shot flatter than I anticipated and ended up shooting over a wolf at 326 yards..... I would not hesitate to use that 375 Ruger with 250 grain GMX factory loads on any PG.... Or the 270 grain SPRP for that matter.

 

[Shawn.54]

I'm awaiting the arrival of my .375 ruger when I read the article in Real Guns I liked the GS custom 265gr when I contacted them they said that unless I was hunting in an area where a angry elephant was a possibility that the 200gr was all I needed.

Since there is little chance of that in Pennsylvania or the US for that matter I went with the 200gr.

I'm mostly hunting black bear and white tail deer so I think 200gr will do.

 

[Shawn.54]

I picked up the rifle and shot the first shots hand loaded 300gr at about 2500fps open sights. Was not terrible with recoil but you know it's there.
While it is not a crf action has a plastic stock and a removable magazine it is a 375 and a cheap way to try one out. The only complaint I have to this point is that the magazine is built to col and that is it doesn't leave much space to play with depth of seating the bullets. I should have a scope on it this weekend then we will see if it can kill paper.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

I picked up the rifle and shot the first shots hand loaded 300gr at about 2500fps open sights. Was not terrible with recoil but you know it's there.
While it is not a crf action has a plastic stock and a removable magazine it is a 375 and a cheap way to try one out. The only complaint I have to this point is that the magazine is built to col and that is it doesn't leave much space to play with depth of seating the bullets. I should have a scope on it this weekend then we will see if it can kill paper.

Not a CRF????????? So what make of rifle did you get? Savage or Howa? The Rugers are CRF.

 

[Shawn.54]

Mossberg Patriot lets just say that it was under $400 out the door and has a all weather finish not a classic but so far with open sights hits where I point it. I do have have some classic rifles but they have 32-42 inch barrels and use flint

 

[Shawn.54]

I know not a great choice but I've had a Rem 700 in 35 Whelen for 20 plus years when my son asked if I thought the Whelen would make a good graduation present. Well I'm a sucker. Gave him my favorite cartridge gun. Had to get something cheap to replace it and I like to carry something different so Mossberg got my money but not a big pile of it.
Son is happy I'm happy wife doesn't have a clue anything went on. All is good