Ruger Hawkeye African .375 Ruger as Dangerous Game rifle?

[Papa72]

Greetings….I have read several opinions here stating Ruger bolt actions have issues so I am most curious what I need to be aware of, most especially since I recently acquired an African in .375 Ruger. So far the rifle has ingested my 260 and 300gr handloads without a hiccup, even when cycled reasonably fast. Sho’ ain’t been to Africa yet..and won’t…if real world experience from others reveals hidden issues. Thanks for your input!

 

[Hunt anything]

I have an Alaskan model in .375 Ruger and it has never had an issue with feeding. As far as the cartridge goes it has also worked well for me, I’ve taken buffalo, elephant and plains game along with numerous whitetail and hogs here in the states. I’ve probably run 500 rounds through it.

 

[Puddle]

I have both a M70 .375 H&H and a Ruger Hawkeye African in 9.3x62mm.

The H&H required tweaking and polishing to make it absolutely, positively reliable in feeding and ejecting.

When I got the Hawkeye, I started with trying every which way I could to get it to fail on both feeding and ejecting and it performed beautifully. I consequently used it on my most recent buffalo hunt and it performed as expected.

 

[Papa72]

That’s great news, thanks. The thread I was reading did not mention specific “issues” so I assumed it must be feeding reliability for DG. I just haven’t been able to force a fault with dummy rounds in the living room or live fire at the range…yet. That was with Hornady 300g DGX and Nosler 260g Partitions only, and haven’t tried solids of any variety so far.

 

[Hunt anything]

I have shot 270 grain Hornady, 300 grain Hornady DGX and 300 grain Hornady DGS. All of it was factory ammo.

 

[USMA84DAB]

Another vote for "No Problems" - probably 750 rounds through my Alaskan - zebra, oryx, impala, warthog, kudu, wildebeest, blesbok, giraffe, whitetail. The zebra and giraffe received 2nd shots as fast as I could cycle the bolt. I trained before departure to RSA with firing the rifle as quickly as I could off sticks/standing - never had a failure to feed.

Each rifle is a rule unto itself and must be "proofed" on the practice range before being taken into the field. One doesn't want the "Friday afternoon before the 3 day weekend" rifle to reveal itself after spending $2,500 on plane fare and $6,500 for the PG safari (or more for DG!).

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

I have shot all sorts of Hornady factory ammo (DGS, DGX, RN, GMX) in my 375 Ruger with no issues in cycling. I handload 300 gr Swift A-Frames and no issues there either. Yes, the 375 Ruger Hawkeye is very much a DG rifle. The only negative I can find is that it's a bit light in weight. The recoil is noticeable. A good rifle that is carried a lot and shot a little.

 

[Papa72]

I owned an M77 .25-06 years ago with absolutely no issues either. My new(ish) Savage 110 Brush Hunter .338 WM is another story…feeds fine if you’re not in a hurry to close the bolt. I own another .375 Ruger but bought this African specifically for my first SA hunt so was concerned with the opinion that Rugers have issues. I’ll certainly report any that surface.

 

[Vanguard2279]

The only issue I ever experienced with either my African .375 Ruger or my Guide Gun .416 Ruger was that the .416 would not feed the first round when three were loaded in the magazine. I would load two and load one straight to the chamber. Yes, Ruger says they designed to do that, but I don't like doing it that way. I had Wild West Guns work on the rifle and it's fine now.

 

[hseII]

I owned an M77 .25-06 years ago with absolutely no issues either. My new(ish) Savage 110 Brush Hunter .338 WM is another story…feeds fine if you’re not in a hurry to close the bolt. I own another .375 Ruger but bought this African specifically for my first SA hunt so was concerned with the opinion that Rugers have issues. I’ll certainly report any that surface.

The Ruger Hawkeye has been solid as far as I can tell- I’m no fan of the Savages as I have a bolt/ handle separate on me years ago.

 

[ldmay375]

I don't think that I have had any issues with cycling rounds in the 375 Rugers that I have. I have 2ea older Alaskans, 1ea older 23" blued, and an older Alaskan with an aftermarket barrel. I have also shot and hand loaded for another older Alaskan with an aftermarket barrel.

I have had to do some polishing on a couple of older 416 Ruger Alaskans. That was not too difficult because I accomplished it myself.

 

[93marlin]

When I got my Ruger Alaskan in 375R, there was an issue with not being able to load and feed. This was a new in the box rifle. I sent it back to Ruger. The issue was the wrong magazine box had been put in it. A standard size, 30-06 size, was in it. Ruger replaced the box. Not ANY issues since. Nothing.
I'm happy with it now.

 

[RLL]

The only issue I ever experienced with either my African .375 Ruger or my Guide Gun .416 Ruger was that the .416 would not feed the first round when three were loaded in the magazine. I would load two and load one straight to the chamber. Yes, Ruger says they designed to do that, but I don't like doing it that way. I had Wild West Guns work on the rifle and it's fine now.

I had the same issue with my 375 Ruger African. Three down was too tight so I filed down the follower a few tenths, preserving the geometry and its worked great since. I’ve probably put ~500 rounds through it in the last 3 years without a hitch. Never a problem on safari either.

 

[ChrisG]

Greetings….I have read several opinions here stating Ruger bolt actions have issues so I am most curious what I need to be aware of, most especially since I recently acquired an African in .375 Ruger. So far the rifle has ingested my 260 and 300gr handloads without a hiccup, even when cycled reasonably fast. Sho’ ain’t been to Africa yet..and won’t…if real world experience from others reveals hidden issues. Thanks for your input!

my guide gun, if cycled really hard, the 3rd round will jump from the mag on cycling. I mean JUMP! It spits a live round out of the action onto the ground. Rugers definitely are not what they used to be. I stopped buying new ones after that hawkeye. They have turned into middle of the road guns that are just meh. I would much rather buy a Kimber or have a rifle custom made now. I could see if they were $800 but they aren't. Ruger is charging Winchester M70 prices for Mossberg Patriot quality. Not a knock on budget rifles, but lets just call a spade a spade. When Bill Ruger died, Ruger firearms died with him.

 

[fourfive8]

In larger calibers like the 375 Ruger, the Hawkeye's overall design is a little too svelte for my tastes. IMO, more proportional for a 243 or 6.5 Manbun. And I have no idea what Ruger was thinking with that little nub of a swing safety??

 

[Beck]

Greetings….I have read several opinions here stating Ruger bolt actions have issues so I am most curious what I need to be aware of, most especially since I recently acquired an African in .375 Ruger. So far the rifle has ingested my 260 and 300gr handloads without a hiccup, even when cycled reasonably fast. Sho’ ain’t been to Africa yet..and won’t…if real world experience from others reveals hidden issues. Thanks for your input!

I killed a hippo and a cape buffalo in Mozambique with a ruger African in .416 Ruger - They are great guns. I would not hesitate to take a Ruger African on Safari. In fact, I recently shot that gun along side my Sauer and Sons .404 Jeffery. Check the classifieds you'll see which gun won.

 

[Papa72]

Good info, thanks. I agree the stock is a tad svelte for a .375 caliber rifle and may restock it down the road. I recently ground a new recoil pad for my .458WM and will definitely replace the pad on this African in the interim.

 

[Philip Glass]

Greetings….I have read several opinions here stating Ruger bolt actions have issues so I am most curious what I need to be aware of, most especially since I recently acquired an African in .375 Ruger. So far the rifle has ingested my 260 and 300gr handloads without a hiccup, even when cycled reasonably fast. Sho’ ain’t been to Africa yet..and won’t…if real world experience from others reveals hidden issues. Thanks for your input!

Any DG rifle should be put through hard use and be completely looked over by a quality gun smith. Yes my Ruger failed me on the leopard charge That most of you know about. It failed to eject when the bolt was worked very hard in a stress situation. It can also spit out the next cartridge in the magazine when the bolt is worked hard after a shot. What I have come to learn is that this can happen with other makes as well in a difficult situation.
So go to the range with your DG rifle and try to break it!

 

[Nevada Mike]

I have no experience with the newer Rugers, But my No. 1 is excellent and my M77 Mrk II is a solid rifle. If you don't trust the rifle to work perfectly, do NOT take it on safari... life is too short.

 

[Papa72]

Well, so far the rifle has been flawless. Much smoother now than when NIB. Apart from the possibility of a future stock replacement I would hunt DG with it tomorrow. Can’t say the same for my Savage 110 Brush Hunter in .338WM which absolutely cannot be fast cycled due to a bad magazine center feed design which has been well documented but poorly researched by me prior to purchase.