.375 Ruger vs .375 H&H

[RyeGuy74]

Can someone tell me the difference, if anything, between these two and what they recommend? I'm looking to purchase a dangerous game rifle and it's between these two

 

[Aussie_hunter_JD]

Can someone tell me the difference, if anything, between these two and what they recommend? I'm looking to purchase a dangerous game rifle and it's between these two

What are you looking to hunt?

 

[RyeGuy74]

What are you looking to hunt?

Cape Buffalo

 

[3855WIN]

.375 H&H vs .375 Ruger - Which is the Best? - Guns and Ammo

The two most popular .375-caliber rifle cartridges - .375 H&H vs .375 Ruger - square off to see which is the best for big game.

www.gunsandammo.com

 

[Aussie_hunter_JD]

Cape Buffalo

If you're hunting in SA and it's a once off you're probably financially better off just using one of their rifles. I realise I'm not the norm but I find 375 to be an inbetween calibre. A 9.3x62 gives almost the same performance as a 375 for around 25% less recoil so is great as a gun for elk and bear back in the states. That will be legal in most countries north of SA. If you're preferring bigger on the DG side a 404 Jeffery gives you plenty of punch without the recoil of those 416's and nitros.

If you're set on a 375, H&H has the best factory ammo availability that I've seen. It also has a ballistic edge from memory but so barely it's not worth consideration.

For what it's worth I crossed the same bridge for my upcoming buffalo hunt. I chose the 9.3x62 as it will (already has) become a regular in my deer hunting lineup and is plenty for buff with correct shot placement and Good projectiles. I have no legal minimum though. Having said that I think the legal minimum in SA isn't as rigid if it's high fenced.

 

[midwesthunter]

H&H would get my vote. Better ammunition options.

 

[D4570]

The Ruger has a little more case capacity.

 

[Buckyranger42]

Both will be effective. I believe the .375 Ruger has better ballistics but the .375 H&H is the .30-06 of dangerous game cartridges: historically effective and readily available.

If you’re a reloader the .375 Ruger would be cool. It’s the parent case of the 300 PRC which gives it legs.

If using factory available and/or concerned with availability on the road the .375 H&H will be solid.

 

[Ovis Venator]

I have a Ruger Guide Gun in .375 Ruger. Ballistics are very similar the Ruger having higher case capacity (supposedly by 6%) but typically with shorter barrels so it is kind of a wash. If I were going to Africa I might go H&H just because you are more likely to find ammo for it there. If you reload and only plan on hunting around the US I'd go .375 Ruger in a Ruger, but I am biased. There are so many good bullets in .375 that you can really do about anything with it. And Nosler is set to release a 260 gr E-Tip soon so that'll be pretty neat.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

I doubt either would be a bad choice. I'd probably choose the H&H just for historical sake.

 

[Seamaster]

I have rifles chambered in both cartridges and have used them quite a bit on game. The H&H does have a better ammo availability if needed, but the Ruger is becoming much easier to find. I can see no difference in their effect on game at all. The H&H has a "cool" factor with it's history but the Ruger is probably a very slightly better cartridge.

If I was going to start over again I would just buy a rifle chambered in the Ruger cartridge.

 

[1_pointer]

'Twould depend on what rifle I wanted. But for Africa I'd be leaning hard toward the H&H; wood/blue; and a 3 pos safety...

 

[ccc23454]

The on game preformace is basically same, ammo for h&h especially in foriegn countries easier to find but seems ruger is getting better. Cant go wrong with the h&h in my opinion, i have 260 Accubond loads that are ballisticly simular to a 06 with 180s. Recoil is suprisingly light (heavier gun) and is a great north american hunting rifle also!