375 Ruger vs 416 Ruger for an all-around rifle

[Ed Lally]

Philip, you will definitely be pleased. There are a lot of fine rifles available, but few, if any, match the ergonomics, fit and function of a Blaser. Best trigger in a factory rifle, solid, return to zero scope mount and lass than 2 minutes to go from a 22-250 to a 500 Jeffrey or anything in between. Love mine, sure you will love yours .

 

[Daga Boy]

.375 is a much more versatile cartridge than .416 - which is really a DG cartridge - and as CTDolan says, the .375Ruger is the best thing to come along since the .338WM.
Having said that, I would say that a lot depends on what other calibres you have. If you don't already have a hard hitting 8-9mm class rifle (say .338-.366) then the .375 gets the nod; if you do already have one then go for the .416.
If I could have only one rifle and was actually going to hunt with it (i.e. as opposed to backing up) then the .375 Ruger would be at the top of the list. If it would also have to do duty as a back up rifle then I would go for the .416. The trade off would be that it is not nearly as good for longer range shooting , as is pretty much the norm in places like the Kalahari.
However the reality is that most of aren't restricted to one rifle, and I can't really see the point in travelling half way round the world with only one - after all, things do break. (I personally hunt mostly with a .338WM, but my guide/backup/DG gun is a .458WM. This is a good combo, which covers all normal hunting ranges.)
BTW: Note also that quite a number of people over here load their .375's with bullets heavier than 300gr - even as heavy as 400gr. This makes a big difference i.t.o. terminal effect on large game.
And, no, Ruger ammo isn't really hard to come by over here - at least not in South Africa. Its available at most big gun shops in the greater Jhb/Pta area. I am sure you will also find it at places like Polokwane. At worst you will need to "book' some ammo before coming. You can probably even buy it online and collect at the store.
Your call!

 

[lwaters]

375 Ruger is a nice case to reload.

 

[Shawn.54]

375 Ruger is a nice case to reload.

I will agree I have reloaded 25 cases at least 4 times each and they have shown very little stretch and no need to be trimmed.
Shawn

 

[USMA84DAB]

As a new guy in this field (going to South Africa with Somerby in JUN '20), I would like to add in another facet no one has mentioned.

Not all of us can spring for a magnum length action (retired and school teaching doesn't provide for alot of mad money) - the Ruger Alaskan in stainless, 20" barrel with Hogue overmolded stock is $997 at Bud's Guns. I can collect pop bottles and eventually get to this. Just to have the history of the H&H would run significantly more unless I caught Toby458 selling from his stable! LOL!!!!

Granted, the ubiquity of the ammo is not there yet for Ruger .375 - I have just started doing my part by finding one on Guns.com - $785 shipped, and it is coming in with a Vari-X 3 Leupold 2.5-8x34 on it. (Toby didn't have any specials this week). The .30-06 length action trims a tiny bit off of the scale for length of action. The modern case exceeds the old H&H by a bit, all other things being equal.

 

[colorado]

500 Jeffery or 505 Gibbs. Go big or go home. Put enough powder in either one and they will shoot a 570g bullet as flat as a 375 H&H 300g factory round. Once you get up off the ground you can admire your shot lol

 

[BeeMaa]

Ruger is not a fad. It's here to stay. Superior ballistics and performance in a lighter package

The 375 and 416 Ruger have been around for just over 10 years now.
With all due respect...let's put a hold on the coronation of the Ruger cartridges for about another 50 years or so.
Time has a strange way of making cartridges obsolete without the owners of the firearms ever even knowing.

For just one rifle, my vote is the 375H&H.
If you choose to go with a 416, I would recommend the Rigby.

 

[dougfinn]

If I had to choose between those two rounds, I’d go with the .375 because it shoots flatter for a better mpbr, and it’s recoil won’t be as noticeable as the .416. My moose/elk rifle is a .375 H&H, and my bear/bison rifles are .458 reduced loads and 450/400 full power loads. (Double rifle). As much as I enjoy my big bores, the .375 will see more use in the field because it is more pleasant to shoot and has a flatter trajectory.

 

[Red Leg]

Owning both (and a few others) and having to choose just one, it is no contest - 3 7 5 - Ruger or H&H is really not important - terminal performance is essentially the same. I personally prefer the H&H (three at last count), but I could be quite happy with a Ruger. And as @USMA84DAB notes, the Ruger comes in very affordable packages.

I have killed four buffalo with a custom mauser .375, a Blaser S2 double in .375, and my current mistress, a Blaser R8. On a couple I took a follow-on insurance shot, but all were decisively dead with the first one.

 

[CoElkHunter]

.375 is a much more versatile cartridge than .416 - which is really a DG cartridge - and as CTDolan says, the .375Ruger is the best thing to come along since the .338WM.
Having said that, I would say that a lot depends on what other calibres you have. If you don't already have a hard hitting 8-9mm class rifle (say .338-.366) then the .375 gets the nod; if you do already have one then go for the .416.
If I could have only one rifle and was actually going to hunt with it (i.e. as opposed to backing up) then the .375 Ruger would be at the top of the list. If it would also have to do duty as a back up rifle then I would go for the .416. The trade off would be that it is not nearly as good for longer range shooting , as is pretty much the norm in places like the Kalahari.
However the reality is that most of aren't restricted to one rifle, and I can't really see the point in travelling half way round the world with only one - after all, things do break. (I personally hunt mostly with a .338WM, but my guide/backup/DG gun is a .458WM. This is a good combo, which covers all normal hunting ranges.)
BTW: Note also that quite a number of people over here load their .375's with bullets heavier than 300gr - even as heavy as 400gr. This makes a big difference i.t.o. terminal effect on large game.
And, no, Ruger ammo isn't really hard to come by over here - at least not in South Africa. Its available at most big gun shops in the greater Jhb/Pta area. I am sure you will also find it at places like Polokwane. At worst you will need to "book' some ammo before coming. You can probably even buy it online and collect at the store.
Your call!

Yes, I really like my Browning .338WM and CZ .458WM. I guess I got lucky with my CZ, because although it’s new, I haven’t experienced a “rough action” like many have said here. The recoil is also very manageable to ME, and I’m now wondering if it actually needs to be glass bedded. I have shot a .375 Ruger and it is a very accurate cartridge also with manageable recoil.
CEH

 

[Daga Boy]

As a new guy in this field (going to South Africa with Somerby in JUN '20), I would like to add in another facet no one has mentioned.

Not all of us can spring for a magnum length action (retired and school teaching doesn't provide for alot of mad money) - the Ruger Alaskan in stainless, 20" barrel with Hogue overmolded stock is $997 at Bud's Guns. I can collect pop bottles and eventually get to this. Just to have the history of the H&H would run significantly more unless I caught Toby458 selling from his stable! LOL!!!!

Granted, the ubiquity of the ammo is not there yet for Ruger .375 - I have just started doing my part by finding one on Guns.com - $785 shipped, and it is coming in with a Vari-X 3 Leupold 2.5-8x34 on it. (Toby didn't have any specials this week). The .30-06 length action trims a tiny bit off of the scale for length of action. The modern case exceeds the old H&H by a bit, all other things being equal.

Good choice. You wont regret it

 

[larry4831]

My humble suggestion which may make your widow unhappy!
Both!
Use the 375 for medium sized game such as elk and bear fir example and take the 416 to Africa for the mean and nasty buff!
You don’t come back recycled so live well while you can!

Go with both ..... because it’s cool to have two brand new rifles to look at at the same time. You don’t know which one to fondle first.

 

[njc110381]

I don't see why the .416 will cost you more to load for at home in the US? H2O capacity between the two rounds is 1gr apart, and cast bullets are cheap for both if you cast them yourself. Cases, well I don't know the cost difference but you will get multiple shots out of both so how bad could it be? Not enough for it to matter by much that's for sure.

You also say you want to down load like a .45-70. Using lead you will get most of your energy from weight not velocity, you just can't make jacketed velocity easily with cast. So for that reason I'd go .416. Throw plenty of weight nice and slow just like the .45-70 you speak of would, and let the impact of the bigger bullet do the job.

.416 does kick considerably harder in my experience with a .375H&H and a .416 Rigby, but again that's not much of an issue if down loading. It can kick as much or as little as you like.

Bigger is better. You got that right!

 

[1dirthawker]

I find that Ruger rifles seem to beat me up, I have both a 375 Ruger and H&H the H&H is just a push, where the Ruger is about as bad as my 505 Gibbs.

spooksar,
gotta disagree. there can't be more than 100 fps difference between the H& H and the ruger. can't imagine the ruger kicks that much more than the H&H. that said, i like shooting my 375 ruger, does not recoil bad, pretty flat shooter in a 20" barrel. i find it hard to believe it kicks as bad as a 505 Gibbs (525 gr bullet at 2300) my ruger alaskan kicks, but much like a 338 winchester, not too bad and completely doable for a recoil wimp like myself.

 

[Shawn.54]

Stock design and fit can definitely affect felt recoil. A very popular rifle in the western Pa deer woods is Remington pump 760-7600 in 30-06 while not being a giant cartridge these guns can be brutal to shoot for me I’ve never owned one but at the family shooting range a few show up and we as a group tend to shoot other’s rifles. I would rather sit behind my 375 Ruger than shoot one of those pumps. Others don’t seem to be bothered like it does me so I assume it’s a bad match for me. Another thing is sight hight, for me I need slightly higher sights and even higher scope mounts to achieve a good sight picture on my 375 it’s medium tally light weights on my 404 Jeffery it’s just higher than usual open sights. One fellow in our group has a 30-30 Marlin 336 with supper high see through mounts which has given many people scope eye or kybosch as we call it. Not a recoil monster but the way you have to crane your neck to use the scope sets you up for a hit.
shawn

 

[njc110381]

I had a couple of shots with my friend's .375 Ruger on the weekend. I shot it quite well and found it pretty pleasant. I'm of the same opinion as Shawn - gun fit is everything.

 

[johnnyblues]

I own the Ruger guide rifle in 375 Ruger and love the gun. Shoots very well and handles nicely in the bush. The 375 in either HH or Ruger have long established itself world wide. Unless your planning on hunting elephant go with the 375. Not to say many an elephant has fallen to the 375.

 

[ldmay375]

I agree with 1 dirthawker, on my recoil shoulder scale the 375 Ruger is about like my 338. Perhaps less violent. My 338 is a bit lighter.
I have both, 375 and 416 Rugers. I have no issues shoot either from the bench with the 270 and 350 grain bullets. I have shot the 300 and 400 grainers also. They have slightly more recoil, definitely not brutal in a reasonably fitting rifle. An ill-fitting rifle set-up and that felt recoil could be a totally different story.
I detect little difference in shooting the 375 and/or 416 Ruger off the bench, compared to my 375 H&H. My H&H weighs a several ounces more than the Rugers.

Generally speaking you can purchase 0r build the Ruger in a more compact package. The same action and bolt throw as your 338 or 300. If that matters. The barrel contours on my 338 Win, 375 Ruger, and 416 Ruger are seemingly the same until after the fore end tip.

I personally prefer the more compact Ruger cartridge more than the H&H. I have several 375 H&H's, and usually have had at least one for decades. Out of the barrel performance is basically the same.

If the animal has the potential to gore me, stomp, bite, or claw me; my preference would be the 416. Obviously proven, the 375's work well also.

 

[Fastrig]

22" <insert brand name> rifle, in 375 H&H would be my first choice, 375 Ruger if you really want the newer cartridge.....

 

[Spooksar]

spooksar,
gotta disagree. there can't be more than 100 fps difference between the H& H and the ruger. can't imagine the ruger kicks that much more than the H&H. that said, i like shooting my 375 ruger, does not recoil bad, pretty flat shooter in a 20" barrel. i find it hard to believe it kicks as bad as a 505 Gibbs (525 gr bullet at 2300) my ruger alaskan kicks, but much like a 338 winchester, not too bad and completely doable for a recoil wimp like myself.

Re read my post I said Ruger rifles beat me up not Ruger Cartridges, Ruger rifles just don’t seem to fit me. I have 2 416 Rigby’s one a Ruger RSM the other a CZ 550, I can’t shoot the 550 all day long but the Ruger about 5 shots with the same load