Ruger No.1 .375 H&H. How is it for Cast BOOLITS?

[JesterGrin_1]

A Ruger No.1 in .375 H&H has caught my eye and to be honest there is no logical reason why lol. As in I know there is nothing in South TEXAS that needs such a round but I thought I would ask what peoples thoughts are on the round?


I already have the 358 Winchester Grail. And a 35 Whelen lol. :)

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Jester, I think by all means you should buy the rifle. As you may know there are all manner of large mutant critters roaming the southwest. They were caused by all the atom bomb tests tacking place at the in the 1950s.I remember that from all those science fiction movies I saw at the time. I know for a fact that the government is doing everything it can to suppress the truth but it is slippnig out dispite thier best efforts. I have had an experiance in that area myself, although I am reluctant to talk about it. One day while going about my business trying to trap some annoying and destrucktive gophers I pulled a trap out of the ground when, to my shock and horror I saw I had caught in the trap the toe of a monster gopher. He came after me with what can only be described as evil intent. I ran to the house to get my 44mag but by the time I returned to the place of the encounter he was gone. In the mean time he had chewed off his toe to escape the trap. I at least had the toe to add credence to my story. I reported my encounter to the authorites and soon after that a large black sedan pulled into my driveway and two men wearing black suits and wearing dark sunglasses got out and asked to see the toe in question. I handed it to them and that was the last I saw of it. Before they left they told me not to discuss this with anyone. I put the place up for sale and have not tried to trap a gopher since. I do keep a 45-70 next to my bed however. In caliber, big is better.

[BruceB]

I dunno.... that little .375 may prove a bit light for our southwestern critters. I know that my #1 in .416 Rigby sometimes looks a little puny when posed on some of the (dead) ground squirrels that infest our area.

On the other hand, my #1 DOES give superb accuracy.... it reliably yields MOA groups with TEN cast bullets at 100 yards. This means that any varmint within reasonable range is due for at least a major headache, if the cartridge is too light for the job.

In your boots, I would buy the rifle. The cartridge has a long and successful history, and cast loads should shoot very well indeed. The rifle itself is a tastefully-executed thing of beauty and will please your aesthetic senses every time you look at it. I sure do like my #1 rifles... .

Enjoy!

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

If I didn't really like my #1 45/70, or maybe wanted a bit more reach, I'd think the .375 would be great!

It won't have the large meplat of the .45 caliber, but with good cast boolit design I doubt you will need to spend a lot of time perfecting a quick reload.

I would go for a heaver boolit, and hold the velocity at something below 2000fps.

I never want to again see a wound channel the size of that in my first cast boolit critter taken with a 355gr Wide Flat Nose boolit at a muzzle velocity of just over 2300fps.

My 465gr WFN at 1650fps is extremely deadly and much less destructive.

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[NVScouter]

I'm shooting my 375H&H with my custom 315g mold to 500y. I just need to hit something with it to see how my design does. I have an elk, 2 antelope, and 3 deer tags to fill this year so I should be able to post up performance.

Its an easy 300y cast rifle and doable past that if thats your thing. It was much easier to get to work with cast than any other rifle besides the 45-70. Even the 270s shoot great to 250y. Besides if the .375 isnt big enough a rebore to .416-458 is easy enough!

[pietro]

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If you can locate a copy of Paul Mathews' (little) book, 60 YEARS WITH RIFLES, it has some good info on the .375 with cast boolits, as does one of the chapters in his 40 YEARS WITH THE .45-70 book..................


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[JesterGrin_1]

Well it looks as though the 375 H&H is not very popular. But then again I am sure there are very good reasons why. But of the few that have posted they seem very found of the round.

What is funny is that I also noticed that there is a 375 H&H Magnum Ackley Improved. I was not aware that the .375 H&H had a head space problem like the .35 Whelen?

[atr]

Jester,,,if it were me I would go for the #1 in .375.....always wanted a rifle of that caliber even though I have no real need for it! The only disadvantage I can see with the #1 is its weight vs recoil.
I don't belived (my opinion) the .375 had a headspace problem being a belted cartridge. PO Ackley just liked to pump more juice into cartridges, he made his name doing so, hence the Ackley Improved.

Tell you what Jester,,,,you buy that #1 and then you can sell me your .35 Whelen,,,that should ease your conscious. :razz:

[725]

The .375 H&H is a great round. You can load it to freight train power loads or down load it to reasonable powder puff stuff. If I could get a #1 in .375 tree & tree, I wouldn't hesitate. I load one with my hunting buddy and we can go from mild to wild depending on the task d'jour. Down loaded we hunt little north eastern deer, hogs, bear and loaded up it has even made a couple trips to South Africa for plains game and a Cape Buffalo. Great round!

[Tatume]

My 375 H&H Ruger No. 1 is a joy to shoot. It is also a pound lighter than my 458 Win Mag Ruger No. 1, making it more pleasant to carry as well.

[beagle]

I love my Number 1 .375 H & H. Lot of power and a shooter at 2-300 yards. Keep thinking about an elk with it someday but I'm getting where I can't walk far./beagle

[williamwaco]

.375 is my favorite cast bullet rifle caliber.
The Rifle you are contemplating will be excellent for that use.

Why is it not popular?

Many years ago I bought a "Brand New" in the box Winchester Model 70 in .375 H&H.
It had been fired only once.
Everything I ever read about that caliber stated not to worry about the recoil, "It is heavy but it is more like a slow push than a hard blow."

When I bought the gun it came to me with a box of ammo with 19 unfired rounds.
When I sold the gun, the new owner received a box of ammo with 18 unfired rounds.

With normal cast bullet loads, it will be fine.

[btroj]

Not a #1 but my CZ shoots cast quite nicely. A 265 at 1750 is very pleasant to shoot. It can go faster of needed.

[telebasher]

Actually there is an animal that the .375 is suited for in south Texas. Nilgai or Blue Bulls from India.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Haven't been there and done that, but after my very successful experience with cast bullets in the 45/70, I just have to think that a long and heavy cast bullet in the 375, providing it was cast with a BIG meplat, would be nothing short of AWESOME on game.

Give it a go and if your journey is half as good as mine has been with my #1S - 45/70, over the last few hunting seasons, you will be asking yourself why you didn't start the trip at a much younger age.

I know, I have ask that question!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[JesterGrin_1]

Oh I do have a 45-70. It is a Marlin 1895 GS of which is a great rifle. I have taken more game with that 1 rifle than any other.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Well, clearly you then know where I'm coming from. :bigsmyl2:

CDOC

[JesterGrin_1]

Oh Yes I sure do lol. That Marlin has caused Blood on both ends lol. I fixed that part by going away from a standard set up scope to a Scout Scope set up. Even though at first I thought I would never like it. Guess what I do lol. Funny though that even years ago when Cooper brought up the scout scope set up I just could never see using one till the Marlin lol.

[NVScouter]

Kinda bad picture sorry. But here is a loaded 315g custom and loaded 270g with the 275g LBT boolit.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/NVScouter/F436443E-EB3C-411B-8478-407291E2D415-831-000000932D58C3E8.jpg (http://s44.photobucket.com/user/NVScouter/media/F436443E-EB3C-411B-8478-407291E2D415-831-000000932D58C3E8.jpg.html)

The 315g: http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/NVScouter/320g.jpg (http://s44.photobucket.com/user/NVScouter/media/320g.jpg.html)

300y with a decent gusty wind right to left:

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/NVScouter/E6A4846E-91E8-457A-A721-5D282B64863D-6506-00000B9DF0EBC67A.jpg (http://s44.photobucket.com/user/NVScouter/media/E6A4846E-91E8-457A-A721-5D282B64863D-6506-00000B9DF0EBC67A.jpg.html)

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Thanks for the images!

Can the .375 cast be had with a slightly bigger meplat? then the 315gr you show?

Still think the cartridge would be awesome on game!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

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[rockrat]

I have a #1 ss/lam and also had a blued version, but sold that one. Both of them would go 1.25-1.5"@100yds using the BRP 310gr boolit @2k fps. Easy to hit the 200 meter gongs and the 300yd gong at our range, with that gun.

It was the second load I tried with it (first one used standard primers, second used mag primers), so never felt the need to experiment further. I am using 4759.

[CanoeRoller]

"............. no logical reason why lol. As in I know there is nothing in South TEXAS that needs such a round but I thought I would ask what peoples thoughts are on the round? "

Texas gophers must be on the whimpy side......[smilie=l:

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

One point I have yet to see addressed on this topic is, damage and meat loss from a large cartridge/caliber.

Now, providing a person does not use some highly fragment able bullet, excessive meat loss does come from bigger calibers.

If a person uses a soft or fragile bullet and there by achieves some huge crater of a wound channel, well, that comes down to the stupidity of that shooter, and the fault can not be laid at the feet of the cartridge in use.

Typically, larger calibers provide highly satisfactory put down, with limited damage.

My first cast bullet 45/70 deer was an exception. I was shooting a 355gr Wide Flat Nose (WFN) bullet at just over 2300fps at muzzle, and I never want to see that big of a wound channel again. The wound was not minced meat, the tissue and bone were for the most part, just gone, but the hole was greatly excessive.

My cast 465gr WFN at 1650fps, which is my current and very successful 45/70 round for both deer and elk, is much more to my liking! AWESOME!

So back to the .375 H&H. I still think it would be a great cast bullet gun, but a poor bullet could make it seem otherwise.

Choose a cast bullet with the largest meplat possible, and an alloy which is neither too soft or too hard.

With the large meplat, expansion from a soft alloy is simply not needed and likely not a good thing, while the fragile qualities of an overly hard alloy could be even worse.

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[Haggway]

I have a #1 .375 H&H. You will not regret it. Shooting either cast or the other kind of bullets. A friend has borrowed it, to bust pigs with. He is using a 250 grain cast. I am getting fresh pork sausage.

[Idahojoe]

My good friend left me a #1, 375. I seen him shoot sub 1" groups with full steam loads. It has a Vias (sp) muzzle break and reducer in the stock. I still don't want factory ammo. I'm just starting casting and pp for it, wonderfully accurate and healthy enough for anything in Idaho, plus a ball to shoot. Don't have to squint to see the holes! Haven't settled a powder yet but getting 1.5" groups @ 100yds. It is fun to learn pp&casting from you good people and see it work. Thanks everyone

[1Shirt]

Last deer last year was a bang/flop 110 yds, #1 Ruger, 3X Weaver, 375H&H, 270gr. Lyman HP over 28gr. 2400. Accurate to 200 in my rifle, and that is my max distance for my old eyes.
1Shirt!

[NVScouter]

That 315's metplat looks small but its about the size of most large .30 cal metplats. My 270g have huge metplats so I keep them under 2000fps and cast them a tad harder. Just like Crusty Dreary Ol'Coot said I have no intention of blowing up meat. Plus in .379 you get a much better BC than the 270s.

I'm trying to put that boolit on game this year. That boolit was designed by me and Tom from Accurate Molds. Its in the catalog now, if you wanted a bit more metplat just take that design and have him modify it for you.

[NVScouter]

Also 375 HH brass is pretty decent price, about what match 308 goes for. Bullets are rough however going from $36/50 and up. One of Tom's molds can be had as cheap at $90 so its a no brainer how fast you save shooting it.

[LynC2]

A Ruger No.1 in .375 H&H has caught my eye and to be honest there is no logical reason why lol. As in I know there is nothing in South TEXAS that needs such a round but I thought I would ask what peoples thoughts are on the round?


I already have the 358 Winchester Grail. And a 35 Whelen lol. :)

Why bother with logic with toys that one wants? I bought a #1 in .405 Win. because I thought it would be fun to have one and it certainly fills the bill. I was eyeing a .375 or .458 before I ran across that one. BTW, just a rumor but in spite of global warming BS, I have heard rumors of a new ice age and the return of wooly mammoths! Best be prepared in case the predictions become true! :wink:

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Oh No, more wooly mammoths! :shock: :groner: :castmine:

Me thinks I need a new boolit mold for the 45/70 #1, Something of OVER 500grs. The 465gr might be overly light.

One should be prepared, shouldn't one?

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[root]

Is your mold the 38 315E?

I just bought a No1 stainless in 375 H&H and am looking for a good heavy mold for it.

Been wanting one for a while now I got me one.

[High Desert Hunter]

Hit up Dan at the Bullshop for some of his big 350gr 375 bullets, I have gotten some really good accuracy from them in my 375 Ruger, and I really just started messing with them.

[AlaskanGuy]

Get the 375 and dont look back.... I love mine.. I did a penetration test with the lyman 265 grainer and it was awesome.. And with 50 grains or so of 4064, the recoil was very manageable. I enjoyed shooting it. But its not a plinking cal, that for sure.... Expensive to shoot, los of powder, and lots of lead, but well worth it. Need to find a way to get gas checks on it though. Its the go to gun around here for brown bears, huge moose, mutants and huge alaskan zombies...

87525
87524

[leftiye]

Well it looks as though the 375 H&H is not very popular. But then again I am sure there are very good reasons why. But of the few that have posted they seem very found of the round.

What is funny is that I also noticed that there is a 375 H&H Magnum Ackley Improved. I was not aware that the .375 H&H had a head space problem like the .35 Whelen?

The Improved .375 is a jewel of a cartridge, and is a true improvement over the standard. 2950 fps with a 270 Hornady spire point and 4350 powder was the load I ended up with. Ugh! Kickem' butt! Great for jackrabbitts too! Accuracy seems to live in .375 land as a natural type of thang. Head space problems are imaginary, only mo mos setting back shoulders incorrectly exist.

[kens]

I have a #1 .375H&H. Many years ago I experimented with the lyman 375449 GC. As I remember, the faster I pushed it the tighter the groups got. Got up to 2500fps and a bit over 1moa. I was water quenching WW alloy.
Cant remember the type of powder though right now, I would have to dig deep to find that.
Quite a respectable long range round. With a reduced charge you can do what 300AAC BLK does.

[bigted]

Get the 375 and dont look back.... I love mine.. I did a penetration test with the lyman 265 grainer and it was awesome.. And with 50 grains or so of 4064, the recoil was very manageable. I enjoyed shooting it. But its not a plinking cal, that for sure.... Expensive to shoot, los of powder, and lots of lead, but well worth it. Need to find a way to get gas checks on it though. Its the go to gun around here for brown bears, huge moose, mutants and huge alaskan zombies...

87525
87524


not so expensive. i shoot and load for my 45-120 with blackpowder and IMR 4350. the lead puts my pot empty quickly. when i cast for the .380 inch boolits in 250 gr to 330 grain my pot seems to make lead ... LOL :kidding:

even my 45-70's cost more then my 375 mag. it is just a good old good un. 375's are a god send as has been mentioned before ... can do most things and do em better then almost anything else can. i thought my 338 WM did good on our moose but my son-in-law put the business on a huge ol bull with the 375 H&H and that bugger flat let the air outta him.

the softer lead boolits have been doing very well in the game harvest dept for a looooong time. if you think you have harvested enough fun with your 375 then you have 1 more thing to try ... load 85 grains of 2F blackpowder in it with a 300ish boolit and let the fun times lose. install a lube cookie under the boolit and use bp lube on the boolit and you very well may be the most surprised.

[Good Cheer]

My .375H&H experience was with a No.3 in .375 Winchester that had been rechambered to H&H. Ended up with some chatter on the neck but it was awesomely accurate. Any how, I wanted a longer barrel and found out through experimentation that a case capacity somewhere between the Winchester round and the H&H would work best for my particular purposes. Otherwise, the No.3 would have remained H&H.
The old Lyman 375296 is a deer slaying pill that will reach waaaay out there.

[jgt]

In your original post you state there is nothing in South Texas large enough to need a .375 caliber rifle to kill. Might I remind you of all the exotic game ranches we have that have all manor of african game? What about the zoo. In the event of a storm, tornado, hurricane, or someone turning them loose you could very well wake up with any number of animals such as elephants,lions, tigers, rhinos, hippos, cape buffalo, bison,or any of a dozen other large game animals coming to visit you. Then there are black hilo's, ufo's, and when they get through cloning mastadon's and dinosours you could really appreciate a big bore rifle. Your welcome.