The .375 Ruger

We all live through our guns in one way, or another — and there’s nothing wrong with that. Heck, it’s even fun. Guns have the power of making us promise of one day using them in faraway lands for the hunt of a lifetime. This dream keeps us focused and working hard to make it a reality. In a sense, guns are a motivator. There’s a line you can tell your spouse after buying your next shooter. Basically, we live and dream through our guns.

Paying The Piper

Whenever thinking of a faraway adventure, I’ll buy the “right” gun, making it more “real.” It’s why I bought the .375 Ruger in this article. Sure, it took 16 years getting the gun to Africa with me in tow, but there’s no sense waiting for the last minute.

Besides, the action is buttery smooth from 16 years of working it as I faced charging Cape buffalo and rhinoceroses in my basement. There are other guns, but those are for another story.

Ruger Hawkeye African

The folks at Ruger saw fit to design a dangerous game cartridge, releasing it in 2007 and calling it the .375 Ruger. Its parent case was the 404 Jeffery, which means it doesn’t have a “magnum” belt forward of the case head. Initially, I had mixed thoughts about the cartridge but bought one anyway. I should have never doubted it.

The .375 Ruger provides 150 fps over standard .375 H&H loads and fits in standard long-action rifles. While the .375 Ruger lacks the history of the .375 H&H, sometimes it’s good to say “history be #!@*&%”!” Ruger offered the cartridge in the nice-looking Hawkeye African model consisting of either walnut/blued steel or a stainless/synthetic configuration, calling it the Alaskan model.

My African model stock is a nicely figured chunk of walnut, slim, trim and perfect for a walk-about rifle. Topped with a Leupold VX 3.5-10X40 CDS-ZL scope, it makes for a fast-shouldering stalking rifle that swings and tracks game beautifully, and powerful enough for hunting dangerous game too.

Worthy Wonder

While hunting in South Africa, I used the .375 Ruger Hawkeye African to take over a dozen head of game on a cull/trophy hunt. Shots varied from 60, to over 350 yards with splendid results. Even at longer distances, the .375 Ruger is a hard hitter. Waiting 16 years made the performance sweeter as I packed many years’ worth of shooting into the two-week hunt.

It was pure pleasure loading, carrying, working the bolt and shooting so often as it gave me the chance of getting intimately acquainted with the rifle. There’s no better feeling than bonding with a gun while hunting with it. The memories alone are worth it.

Rifle Envy?

I was getting nervous the way my host, Tim Sundles, of Buffalo Bore Ammo kept eyeing the rifle. Believe me, Sundles knows guns! The slim/trim package impressed him — high praise for the rifle indeed! Sundles is already a fan of the .375 Ruger cartridge, knowing its capabilities as his wife, Kim took a beautiful blond Alaskan grizzly last fall with one.

Tim’s also taken several heads of big game with the .375 Ruger too, over the years. With endorsements like these, you can see why the cartridge has become a favorite of mine.

The Load

For the African hunt, I used Buffalo Bore Ammo consisting of 270-grain Barnes TSX bullets at a listed 2,750 FPS. Whenever doing my job, the bullets worked perfectly, racking up many one-shot kills. Over a dozen animals fell to this rifle/ammo combo, with only two bullets being recovered. Both were from tough warthogs shot stem to stern, the bullets recovered in the far back ham after penetrating approximately 36″.

I shot several black and blue wildebeest during the cull, as well as impala, kudu, zebra, red hartebeest and warthogs. I’ll just say I fell in love in Africa — and with the .375 Ruger rifle/cartridge combo. It took 16 years of flirting with the rifle, but it was well worth the time.

Follow your dreams by buying the guns you’ll need to make them possible. One day you’ll get there, and you’ll be glad you did!

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