375 Ruger vs 375 HH

[ldmay375]

I really like the 375 Ruger cartridge. I have an Alaskan, early African, and an Alaskan re-barreled to 23.5". The 20" Alaskan and the 23.5" are in McMillan stocks and these are 2 of my favorite rifles. The African, I love its feel also.

I happen to like Ruger rifles. But, the 375 or 416 Ruger cartridge would be just fine in a MRC or M70 338 Win type actions.
I have a 416 Ruger Alaskan in a McMillan also. I find it a very handy rifle with 350 grain bullets, particularly the Barnes TSX.

I have 375 H&H's and 416 Remingtons in Winchester M70's, which I have no intention of selling. But, for my Alaska use which is really my only use, I grab the Rugers 99% of the time. Easy transition from my Ruger 338 Win Mag, which is a long time favorite.
I am a fan of the 375 H&H, but have not used one for hunting since getting the first 375 Ruger. Though that could change at anytime.

I have no illusions of some vast superiority of ballistic performance of one over the other.
I just like the fact that I can have H&H performance out of a rifle that is nearly identical in size and function to my 338, or for that matter 300 Win or 7mm Rem.

 

[Daga Boy]

I really like the 375 Ruger cartridge. I have an Alaskan, early African, and an Alaskan re-barreled to 23.5". The 20" Alaskan and the 23.5" are in McMillan stocks and these are 2 of my favorite rifles. The African, I love its feel also.

I happen to like Ruger rifles. But, the 375 or 416 Ruger cartridge would be just fine in a MRC or M70 338 Win type actions.
I have a 416 Ruger Alaskan in a McMillan also. I find it a very handy rifle with 350 grain bullets, particularly the Barnes TSX.

I have 375 H&H's and 416 Remingtons in Winchester M70's, which I have no intention of selling. But, for my Alaska use which is really my only use, I grab the Rugers 99% of the time. Easy transition from my Ruger 338 Win Mag, which is a long time favorite.
I am a fan of the 375 H&H, but have not used one for hunting since getting the first 375 Ruger. Though that could change at anytime.

I have no illusions of some vast superiority of ballistic performance of one over the other.
I just like the fact that I can have H&H performance out of a rifle that is nearly identical in size and function to my 338, or for that matter 300 Win or 7mm Rem.

There is no practical difference between 375 Ruger and a 375 H&H with normal loads.
The Ruger is a more compact and better designed case and can be fitted into a shorter action. For me that's the big decider as being of medium build, more compact rifles feel better to me. For this reason (and also because it shoots flatter) I have always preferred the 338WM over the 375H&H. So if I were in the market for a 375 then it would definitely be the Ruger.
Its worth noting though that a 375H&H re-chambered to Ackley and loaded with 400g bullets is another beast entirely. Im not sure but I don't think you could get the same results loading such long, heavy bullets into a Ruger case.

 

[Eric Anderson]

To all those who are worried about getting separated from their ammunition with a .375 ruger, how would the ammunition get out of the rifle case? I have never flown with ammunition separate domestic or international. Granted, I have only flown international 2x, both to South Africa.

 

[sestoppelman]

To all those who are worried about getting separated from their ammunition with a .375 ruger, how would the ammunition get out of the rifle case? I have never flown with ammunition separate domestic or international. Granted, I have only flown international 2x, both to South Africa.

In theory it shouldn't happen, but well you know how things go.. Further, ammo is not supposed to be in the rifle case generally and its becoming more and more of an issue with carriers.

 

[Eric Anderson]

In theory it shouldn't happen, but well you know how things go.. Further, ammo is not supposed to be in the rifle case generally and its becoming more and more of an issue with carriers.

Huh, is this a carrier rule?

 

[Red Leg]

To all those who are worried about getting separated from their ammunition with a .375 ruger, how would the ammunition get out of the rifle case? I have never flown with ammunition separate domestic or international. Granted, I have only flown international 2x, both to South Africa.

Interesting. On my last three trips, I was specifically questioned to insure that my ammunition was packed separately from my rifle (South African x 2 and Emirates). Not an issue going a lot of places (within the US or to Canada), but definitely something to watch going into Johannesburg.

 

[sestoppelman]

Huh, is this a carrier rule?

It is for some, you bet.

 

[TOBY458]

When I went to Australia in 2015, I couldn't have my rifle and ammo together. Ammo had to be in my checked bag, separate from the rifle.

 

[Bobpuckett]

Every time I flew to South Africa I was instructed to not put my ammo in the same case with the rifle.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Huh, is this a carrier rule?

I always pack my ammo separate from my rifles. In fact, if I am taking two checked bags, plus my rifle, I put some ammo in each bag, just in case. I recently flew United from Texas to Montana and they specifically asked me if the ammo was packed separately. Having said that, this is what's on the United website:
https://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/travel/baggage/sports.aspx

• Firearms must be packed in a hard-sided container with a lock. The container must be locked at the time of acceptance by United Airlines and the key or combination must remain in the customer's possession. The container must completely secure the firearm from being accessed. Locked cases that can easily be opened will not be accepted for travel. Using a TSA-approved lock can help speed up the security screening process for firearms.
• Handguns must be packed in a hard-sided container with a lock. The container must be locked at the time of acceptance by United Airlines and the key or combination must remain in the customer's possession. The locked hard-sized container holding the handgun may be placed inside an unlocked soft-side piece of luggage. The container must completely secure the firearm from being accessed. Locked cases that can easily be opened will not be accepted for travel.
• Customers may only pack up to five firearms in any case or bag. However, there is no limit on the number of cases or bags they are permitted to check.
• The firearm will be transported in a section of the aircraft that is inaccessible to the customer. Proof of registration is not required.
• Firearms carried in addition to the free baggage allowance will be assessed at the current excess baggage charge.
• No more than 11 pounds of ammunition may be carried.
  • The ammunition may be packed in the same container as the firearm or in a separate container.
  • The ammunition must be packed in the manufacturer's original package or securely packed in fiber, wood or metal containers.
  • The ammunition inside the container must be protected against shock and secured against movement.
  • Loaded ammunition magazines or clips must be removed from the firearm, and must be securely packed in boxes or other packaging specifically designed to carry small amounts of ammunition and must fit over any exposed ends of the magazine or clip.
  • Ammunition with explosive or incendiary projectile will not be accepted.
  • Black powder, for black powder arms, is considered hazardous material and will not be accepted as checked baggage.

First or second checked bag service charges may apply.

Note: Customer must sign and date a Firearm Declaration Tag declaring that the firearm is not loaded.


The TSA website surprisingly states that it is okay for ammo to be in the same case as the firearm.
https://www.tsa.gov/travel/transporting-firearms-and-ammunition

Ammunition

• Ammunition is prohibited in carry-on baggage, but may be transported in checked baggage.
• Firearm magazines and ammunition clips, whether loaded or empty, must be securely boxed or included within a hard-sided case containing an unloaded firearm. Read the requirements governing the transport of ammunition in checked baggage as defined by 49 CFR 175.10 (a)(8).
• Small arms ammunition, including ammunition not exceeding .75 caliber and shotgun shells of any gauge, may be carried in the same hard-sided case as the firearm.

 

[Daga Boy]

In this part of the world one is generally no longer permitted to pack the ammo in the rifle case on flights.
That having been said, ammo for the Ruger 375 is freely available in SA. You would probably fly in to OR Tambo airport which is just outside Johannesburg. There are at least 10 gun shops in that area which would be able to supply you. Alternatively, if you are travelling North then you should be able to get in Polokwane. Just place an order in advance to be sure. The "ammo issue" only arises in connection with really unusual/uncommon calibres like the 425WR, but even then you can get if you order in advance. There are also people/companies here that will load cartridges to your spec (provided the spec is within bounds). This includes "wildcat" cartridges like the 458 Express, 416 Taylor, etc.

 

[Rule 303]

To all those who are worried about getting separated from their ammunition with a .375 ruger, how would the ammunition get out of the rifle case? I have never flown with ammunition separate domestic or international. Granted, I have only flown international 2x, both to South Africa.

It is a legal requirement in Australia, that ammo be stored separate to the firearm in the Aviation sphere, so it can not be in the rifle case. I suspect that as Aust is a signatory to the IATA agreements and these conditions are required by IATA that any country that is a signatory to the same agreement should be enforcing the same requirements. Weather they do that by an act/regulation from Parliament or an Airline policy is up to the signatory I would think. As we here in Aust are over regulated to buggery it should be no surprise we enforce this requirement through an act of Parliament.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

It is a legal requirement in Australia, that ammo be stored separate to the firearm in the Aviation sphere, so it can not be in the rifle case. I suspect that as Aust is a signatory to the IATA agreements and these conditions are required by IATA that any country that is a signatory to the same agreement should be enforcing the same requirements. Weather they do that by an act/regulation from Parliament or an Airline policy is up to the signatory I would think. As we here in Aust are over regulated to buggery it should be no surprise we enforce this requirement through an act of Parliament.

The next thing you know, Austrailian Parliament will be taking your guns away. Oh, wait a minute, they already did that..........

 

[Rule 303]

The next thing you know, Austrailian Parliament will be taking your guns away. Oh, wait a minute, they already did that..........

Popular misconception. If the had taken our guns away I wouldn't be hunting.
They Federal Govt, forced the State Govs to ban semi autos, pump action shot gunns, hand guns bigger than 38/9mm and hand guns with barrels shorter than 4", also brought in storage requirements and other ridiculous laws that hinder LAFO but for some reason not the criminals ...........................oh wait they don't obey the law anyway. That last point seems to be lost on our law makers.

Yes people can still own and use these banned firearms but you have to jump through some way out there hurdles.

This is a very short and general pressies.

Off topic. In Aust you are allowed to defend your self but you are not allowed to have any item for the purpose of self defence. So if you have a knife and say it is for self defence you are charged. If it is for general cutting work, then not a problem. The firearm storage laws were toted as stopping Domestic violence as the person would have time to cool down by the time they open the safe, retrieve the firearm then go to another locked box open that retrieve the ammo and load into the cylinder of the magazine. Yep not allowed to have a mag with rounds in it.

 

[Abeln]

Popular misconception. If the had taken our guns away I wouldn't be hunting.
They Federal Govt, forced the State Govs to ban semi autos, pump action shot gunns, hand guns bigger than 38/9mm and hand guns with barrels shorter than 4", also brought in storage requirements and other ridiculous laws that hinder LAFO but for some reason not the criminals ...........................oh wait they don't obey the law anyway. That last point seems to be lost on our law makers.

Yes people can still own and use these banned firearms but you have to jump through some way out there hurdles.

This is a very short and general pressies.

Off topic. In Aust you are allowed to defend your self but you are not allowed to have any item for the purpose of self defence. So if you have a knife and say it is for self defence you are charged. If it is for general cutting work, then not a problem. The firearm storage laws were toted as stopping Domestic violence as the person would have time to cool down by the time they open the safe, retrieve the firearm then go to another locked box open that retrieve the ammo and load into the cylinder of the magazine. Yep not allowed to have a mag with rounds in it.

With laws like that in place it virtually eliminates any insanity defense due to the deliberate actions that have to be taken in order to get a loaded weapon. If stored any other way then is stated by law then another charge is available.

Feel for all that have to endure silly laws in order to hunt or defend their own.

 

[Daga Boy]

Just looking back over this thread, I though I would add a few general comments about calibres, etc for use over here.
The first is that you don't need a .375 unless you intend to hunt buffalo or other thick skinned game.
Actually the .338 WM is a far more versatile cartridge which can be accommodated in a reasonably handy weapon. It is up to just about everything including buffalo and Hippo and better than a .375 for a lot of applications . Its not legal on thick skinned game in most countries but as a matter of fact many are shot with this calibre every year. 225gr monolithics or 270gr bonded bullets do the job on the big stuff and you can go down to something like a 180 or 200gr bullet for long range applications. This my "go-to" calibre for all applications except dangerous game.
Apart from the desert regions most hunting is done in bush. Ranges can vary from around 25m to around 100m. Longer shots are a rare exception with 75 m probably average. For this application you want a short, fast handling rifle of adequate calibre, and you don't want excessive velocity. 2300 fps is more than enough and preferably not over 2500fps as not too many bullets stand up to hitting bone at such high velocities (witness historic failures with .375 HH). Meat and trophy damage can also be quite extreme with high velocity rounds
Many PH's here have their .375's cut down to 22 or 23". This sacrifices some velocity but the result is a better overall bush weapon. As far as I know the Ruger will perform better than the H&H with a barrel of this length. I don't know for sure but either way you don't need all that velocity so nothing turns on it.
For the above reasons the 9.3 x 62 mm (.366") is making a huge come back. It performs much like a .375 on game and is legal on all species, but the platform is much more compact and velocities are lower. Comfortable shooting mass is also much lower. The only downside is that its not a great charge stopper, but then neither is a .375.
USA hunters would also do well to consider other cartridges like the .416 Remington. Like the .375 H&H the .416 Rem requires a fairly large platform but it is a much better calibre than any .375 ito stopping power. The only downside is the size of the platform. Not a problem if you are large boned but can be a problem for hunters smaller than about 5'10". The .416 Taylor was a popular standard length big game cartridge for a while. It performs superbly on big game and the overall platform can be very compact. However there doesn't seem to be any real point going that route since the advent of the .417 Ruger, which is essentially the same thing but without the belt.
The idea of building a .458 WM on a standard length action (at the beginning of this thread) is not a great one. The cartridge has gone out of fashion here and has pretty much been replaced by the Lott and other more powerful .458 cal cartridges on account of the difficulty of getting satisfactory velocities without excessive pressures. If you have one built on a magnum action then it a different beast as you can long load it and thereby equal or get very close to Lott velocities provided you use fairly compact bullets (450gr monolithics are good, and with jacketed bullets you can go up to 500gr). Barrels are typically cut to about 23" in order to make these rifles handle faster/better. This kind of set up is very good for close bush work and fine out to about 100m (possibly a tad more but you don't need that except maybe when following up)- so all in all a nice bush gun. This is what I carry as a guide gun in dangerous game territory.
I hope this is helpful.

 

[Velo Dog]

Daga Boy,

I do totally agree with you on the .375 velocity topic.
My favorite "bush load" for this caliber is 300 grain blunt shaped soft (or bonded soft if appropriate to the animals hunted) loaded to "only" 2400 fps.
I am speaking of the original H&H version which if anything, is already too fast for the majority of African hunting conditions, almost always under 200 paces, often much closer, (as you have already mentioned).
Being very fond of the much dreaded "cup & core" type bullets, I have found that 2400 fps results in very predictably excellent performance with same.
I've used this 2400 fps / 300 grain load in Africa and Alaska both and I've never experienced a bullet failure from same.

In regards to the supremely excellent original H&H version vs the Ruger version; One of my Alaskan friends has a Ruger, stainless steel bolt action "carbine", in .375 Ruger caliber and has proven that it works well to back up clients hunting grizzly here.
When I asked him, "Why not the H&H version?", he pointed out that, it gives him a very affordable rifle which, is also reliable (large claw extractor), resists our commonly wet spring and fall weather (you may hunt bear in spring or fall here), is short, handy and very powerful.
I find myself unable to argue against such logic and obvious success.

Aside from the above scenario, (hunting in very wet conditions for any species that require a bit more punch than the typical .30-06, etc) I can otherwise see no earthly reason for the Ruger cartridge to exist.

As for the 9.3x62 Mauser cartridge, I am also very fond of that one.
Mine was built for me on a 1950's FN Commercial '98 action and I like it alot.
But sadly, I have not bagged any game with it yet.

Cheers,
Velo Dog.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Aside from the above scenario, (hunting in very wet conditions for any species that require a bit more punch than the typical .30-06, etc) I can otherwise see no earthly reason for the Ruger cartridge to exist.

VD: You are killing me man!

 

[Rule 303]

Daga Boy, you have far more experience than myself. However there are now cup and core 375 bullets made to withstand impacting at 2600fps, so why not use them and drive them between 2500 and 2600 fps muzzle velocity? Genuine question

There are also Mono metal bullets designed to withstand heavy bone impact at 2600 fps.

I hear and read a lot of people stating the 9.3X62 is as good or very close to the 375H&H. On paper this is clearly not the case. There is one Station Manger on Cape York who has shot more Brumbies - Wild Horses - and Scrub Bulls not to mention pigs, using both the 9.3x62 and 375H&H, than most people. His comments are along the lines of "The 9.3X62 is a very good cartridge but it is not a 375H&H."

Similarly I would not say a 35Whelen driving a 275grn projectile is as good as the 9.3x62 and the difference between them is about the same as the gap between the 9.3X62 and the 375H&H. I am not saying or implying the 9.3X62 is not a good cartridge and is not capable of dealing with all Africa has to offer, just that it is not a 375H&H. I suspect the 9.3x62 is better for most due to the lower recoil levels. I do not think I would feel under gunned for most African animals, after all it was the work horse of a lot of the old European colonial countries.

 

[Velo Dog]

VD: You are killing me man!

Hi 375 Ruger Fan,

No offense intended, I just calls 'em like I sees 'em.

I do get it that, if a soul needs to buy a cheap, short, light weight, yet powerful bolt action rifle that, is also very resistant to rain, snow and sea spray, the stainless Ruger, in either .375 Ruger or .416 Ruger fits this niche, and one could do worse than to buy one.
Even crusty old buzzards like me get that concept.
Also, since the Winchester Model 70 stainless / synthetic in .375 H&H is apparently out of production at the moment, I'd say the Ruger looks like a very affordable / reliable alternative.
(At the end of the day, I do not need or even want a stainless / synthetic / light weight .375 and so, my opinion probably doesn't cut much ice anyway lol).

Cheers,
Velo Disease.