375 Ruger vs 416 Ruger for an all-around rifle

[Milan]

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

I have the same problem with Ruger rifles. They just do not fit me. Same with the new Sako 85 in Kodiak. They seem to point fine and I like the stock design and feel...until I squeeze the trigger on live round. They all seem to hit harder than the caliber would suggest. The RSM in .458 Lott and .416 Rigby especially. 6 or fewer rounds of either was all I cared to fire. Yet a CZ 550 in .458 Lott, I could shoot 19 rounds and feel less beat up than with the Ruger. I fired some 600 gr hot handloads and they felt stiffer than the other loads but totally fine in the CZ. Did not dare to try them in the RSM. Even the Ruger Scout in .308 hit harder than any other .308 I have had and it was kind of heavy for such a small rifle. In the end I just wrote it off as Rugers not fitting me at all for some reason. CZs in the same caliber even with their "club like" new stocks seem to be way more comfortable for me. So I imagine those that find Rugers comfortable would find CZ perhaps unpleasant. Just as an example.

Sorry for not having anything to add to that .416 vs .375. No hunting experience with either. But I'd be inclined to pick .375 for most shooting. Only if going after buffalo or similar I'd probably want something bigger. I'd choose .458 Lott just because I really liked it and it gives even bigger set up from the .375, but .416 Rigby seems to pack a wallop, so I believe those that say it is quite another animal compared to the .375.

 

[njc110381]

I have the same problem with Ruger rifles. They just do not fit me. Same with the new Sako 85 in Kodiak. They seem to point fine and I like the stock design and feel...until I squeeze the trigger on live round. They all seem to hit harder than the caliber would suggest.

I found the same with my Ruger Hawkeye .338 Win Mag. I think it's because the butt is really slim so the recoil isn't spread over a big area? The recoil pad on my CZ is massive in comparison. I can fire about the same number of shots from my CZ .416 Rigby as I could with my Ruger .338 before my shoulder gets tender.

 

[Spooksar]

The only Ruger I have that doesn’t beat me up is a custom 416 Taylor with a good stock. That’s what makes me think it’s the stocks. Which is to bad because I like the Ruger action

 

[Milan]

I found the same with my Ruger Hawkeye .338 Win Mag. I think it's because the butt is really slim so the recoil isn't spread over a big area? The recoil pad on my CZ is massive in comparison. I can fire about the same number of shots from my CZ .416 Rigby as I could with my Ruger .338 before my shoulder gets tender.

I had an aftermarket decelerator on the .416 Rigby and it still was a beast. But maybe it was slimmer. Slimmer stocks definitely have tendency to get noticed more. But, I have slim stocks on my other rifles like lighter Interarms Mark X in .375. No decelerator, yet comfy. Sako Kodiak, heavy and fatter stock, yet a beast. Needles to say. I sold all the beasts.

Either way, I would blame the "stock design to body" fit. I either need different body or different stock. Stock seems to be easier to obtain and change.

 

[Luederitz]

I used twice the 9,5x66SE in Namibia with the 270grs A-Frame for plains game. The 9,5x66SE is the blueprint for the 375 Ruger - 2800fps with 270grains is realistic. If the premise is using only one gun, I´d prefer the 375 calibers.

Nevertheless I ordered (based on a Mauser 66 system and custom stock) a rifle in 416 Ruger, as my dream is buffalo in Zimbabwe in the next few years.
Tested in an official laboratory in Germany the 416 Ruger provides with the 400grs A-Frame and 74grs CFE223 a muzzle speed of 2300fps with not exceeding 4000bar pressure (which is within the limit).

What do the experienced buffalo hunters say: 400grains and 2300fps should be sufficient?

 

[CoElkHunter]

I had an aftermarket decelerator on the .416 Rigby and it still was a beast. But maybe it was slimmer. Slimmer stocks definitely have tendency to get noticed more. But, I have slim stocks on my other rifles like lighter Interarms Mark X in .375. No decelerator, yet comfy. Sako Kodiak, heavy and fatter stock, yet a beast. Needles to say. I sold all the beasts.

Either way, I would blame the "stock design to body" fit. I either need different body or different stock. Stock seems to be easier to obtain and change.

Milan,
I believe your absolutely right with stock designs being able to “tame the beast”. My Browning A Bolt .338 WM stock design makes the recoil very manageable. Same with my Whitworth.375 and CZ .458 WM. NOT so much with my hunting buddy’s Marlin .45-70! Kicks like a mule! Even the recoil on his straight stocked Browning .30-06 BLR is more than it should be. Not much less than my .338! Of course, felt recoil is ALWAYS subjective to the individual shooter.
CEH

 

[Milan]

 

[416Tanzan]

Well, I read thru the posts. There is a lot of good information and some less relevant asides. (Disclaimer: I've owned 338Wm (5), 375 Ruger (2), 416 Rigby (5), and a .510" wildcat built on one of the 375 Rugers. Currently, we have a 338 in the US and one in Africa, a 416Rigby in both, and a 375Ruger in Africa [my wife's Alaskan with laminate LH stock])

Recoil should not be your consideration. Whichever rifle(s) you choose or take to Africa, you need to practice with it until you can shoot it like a 270. My wife is 73 and 105 pounds and shoots her 375 just fine, although she does not hunt buffalo (yet). A person learns to ride the recoil, and maybe not shoot too many rounds at one session.

I appreciate going through the caliber choice process. My next rifle will be . . .
a 416 Ruger. I've just ordered 150 cases and dies. So I'm "in." (My son has our Rigby already.)
But I'm waiting for the right platform. It may end up the Ruger Guide gun, but the African is attractive, and I would probably fall for a laminate 20"-barrel like my wife's if Ruger comes out with one within the next year.

Why a 416 Ruger? Because it hits a little harder. A little bigger hole and a little heavier bullet. In Africa, shots (99%) are usually under 300 yards and the 416 will work just fine, as long as the rifle is accurate. Actually most shots are 75-250 yards. (I've taken a couple animals at 400 yards in Africa, but they are the exception and with smaller calibers like 338 and 270.) The old adage rings true--if choosing between more speed or more bullet weight, go with bullet weight for Africa. Still, I like at least 2600fps, and 2800fps is close to optimal. So I'm inconsistent. But I can get in the ballpark with the 330gn GSC bullets in .416".

Finally, one last point is the weight of a rifle. A person sometimes carries these a long way. Lighter is better. The Ruger Hawkeyes are reasonable. I've owned CZ Rigbys and find them wonderful rifles but on the heavy side. The CZ is great for handloading the Rigby to its true potential (approx. 416 Weatherby). But if one gets any wisdom with old age, then I recommend a lighter carry.

 

[IvW]

Hi Guys,

I am trying to combine my main hunting rifle with my "dreams of Africa" rifle, and want advice on cartridge. It will absolutely be one of the two I've posted in the topic.

For hunting in the US, I will be using cast bullets and significantly downloading the cartridge. It will be somewhat like a trapdoor 45/70 in that respect. For larger game, the sky will be the limit.

I see lots of financial advantages to select .375 over the .416, but as a large-caliber junkie (my current dreaming-of-Africa rifle is a .510 caliber) there is a tic in my head that says I am better off selecting a .416, even though it means that all other shooting will be more expensive. And yet, I see plenty of threads here of folks who have taken a 375 Ruger to Africa for their Cape Buffalo (which is my African Dream).

So I have to ask those who took a .375 to Africa for buffalo, am I being overly worried over something that may not happen in the next decade, and that if I get my lifetime chance to go to Africa, that 375 will take a Buffalo just as cleanly as a 416 given proper bullet and load selection?

Or is there enough of an advantage to the .416 for the case of very large game, that I should consider it more strongly over the 375, knowing that it will be more work to get it running well for all non-very-large game shooting?

Opinions? Am I agonizing over nothing?

375 H&H

 

[Bruce]

416 rigby if your suitcase fails to turn up 416 rigby ammo is readily available ...... the 416 and 375 Ruger not much chance ....actually was around the gun stores in P.E. last year and 416 rigby 2 boxes SP one soilds over 4 stores ....375 HH all had ammo in some form or other usually 300 gr SP and Solid ...none had ruger Lott or any of the modern variants

We sell 375Ruger ammo in my gunshop... But that's in Cape Town.

 

[Daga Boy]

You need to decide what you are actually going to be using the rifle for. If you plan to hunt thick skinned DG other than on just once in a lifetime then go for a .416. It shoots fat enough to be an all-rounder and energy and reaction to shot are significantly higher than with a .375. . In the .416's I like the Ruger, the Remingon and the Taylor as they are more compact than the Rigby and have adequate performance. Ignore suggestions of 400m shots and 2600fps. Most bush hunting and specifically most DG hunting is at under 100m. Also, how the bullet performs at 20m is more important than how it performs at 200m. 2300-2400fps is more than enough.
If you are looking for an all-rounder that you can also use (legally) on DG then go for a .375 or a 9.3. Having shortish arms I prefer the .375 Ruger and 9.3x62 to the .375H&H (would love a 9.3 Alaskan, but no really available here), but if you have a big frame then you may feel fine with a magnum length action/ .375H&H.
Whatever you do, avoid a super light .375, like the Sako. You will shoot it once and give it away.

 

[Luederitz]

Yesterday my custom Mauser 66S rifle in .416 Ruger arrived.
24" barrel, fluted and 22mm dia. with M17x1 thread on the front.
Mounted is a Kahles Helia C 1-4x24.
Hopefully the shooting ranges will open soon in Germany...

 

[USMA84DAB]

I hope that is a true Goldilocks weapon for you!!!!

 

[frhunter13]

Shot the one in my avatar with a 458 Lott. One shot and down. Two for insurance. I didn't bring my 375 HH since the Lott is much more umph. However I had to borrow a 375 HH because the other game was too far for the Lott. So, I now have the Ruger 416 Hawkeye African and can do both. Sure the 416 is overkill for many, but it will serve. Feel better with it too. The 375 Ruger is MORE than a 375 HH by the way. It can readily shoot 350 grain bullet with authority. However be aware that the Ruger wooden stocks have been failing on the 375 Ruger. Not as well lugged as the 416 African WITH THE TWO CROSS PINS! To me, if the ammo does not make it, then most all of my other stuff didn't either. The PH always has a rifle you can use in a pinch.

 

[colorado]

The classic .375 H&H, all the way. Thanks for listening.

That's what I was thinking A nice new Winchester Model 70 in 375 H&H

 

[Captain Munro]

That's what I was thinking A nice new Winchester Model 70 in 375 H&H

Great rifle, plain and simple.