First safari rifle: lefty 375 Ruger

[Owen89]

To start, I'll say that this is my first post here and the quality of information found on this forum is top notch. The discourse I've come across is something that is very much lacking in life these days and it's refreshing.

It all seems to have started when I began reading my dad's collection of Safari books and it has me looking at getting a Ruger Hawkeye African in 375 Ruger as my first rifle of this size.

I don't have a trip booked for DG at the moment and but I do have plans for a plains game hunt (would be my first) to RSA in 2026, I plan to use my 30-06 on that hunt.

The 375 is more of a want purchase than need at the moment...but I'd like to take the time to get used to the rifle over a few seasons.

Ruger makes just about the only factory rifle for lefties with CRF that I can find and it just so happens to match a Ruger I already own in 30-06 (which is a plus for style reasons), but for ammo availability during trips I'd rather have a 375 H&H. The lefty Winchester M70s I see on GunBroker quickly get bid out of my budget however.

I have fired an H&H (it was 8.5lbs loaded out and I shot from the bench) and found the recoil to be quite manageable to my surprise, 270gr loads I believe. True to the slow "push" adage in my experience. Is the 375 Ruger recoil really a lot sharper as is frequently mentioned?

What other upgrades for the Ruger would be advised?

I plan to swap the trigger, recoil pad and perhaps add some weight to the stock to help it balance better/temper recoil. The Ruger feels a bit barrel heavy.

One upgrade I am not sure about is bedding the action. Will bedding help prevent damage to the stock? I have read some instances of cracked stocks in these rifles.

Thanks,
Owen in Houston

 

[USMA84DAB]

I do not find the .375 Ruger recoil to be too much - but I have had a .495 A-Square. Also, I have a Ruger Alaskan - having fired the Ruger Guide gun, the recoil that the synthetic stock of the Alaskan absorbs is noticeable over the laminate of the Guide gun. Don't be afraid to wear a "sissy" pad for long range sessions. I will fire 50 rounds in a range training session, but with the pad - much better than developing a flinch!!!!

Why swap a perfectly serviceable trigger - you are not building a sniper rifle - the more you modify the weapon, the more you invite Murphy in to cause malfunctions.

I have not bedded my Alaskan (either one). Have not seen a need to do so. Practice from field shooting positions and off sticks. You need "Minute of Gemsbok" or minute of impala - not MOA. Your PH is going to probably get you within 100 yards of your animal. My longest shot was a layered 253 yards on a blesbok on an open plain - no further stalking on him was possible. I could not get steady enough on the sticks, so I went to a tree branch. Since I had a CDS dial on my Leupold VX5HD 1-5x24, I dialed 250 and held dead on. Dropped him in his tracks. All other shots were 50-110 yards for my main quarry.

Hope this helps.

 

[Bill_D]

To start, I'll say that this is my first post here and the quality of information found on this forum is top notch. The discourse I've come across is something that is very much lacking in life these days and it's refreshing.

It all seems to have started when I began reading my dad's collection of Safari books and it has me looking at getting a Ruger Hawkeye African in 375 Ruger as my first rifle of this size.

I don't have a trip booked for DG at the moment and but I do have plans for a plains game hunt (would be my first) to RSA in 2026, I plan to use my 30-06 on that hunt.

The 375 is more of a want purchase than need at the moment...but I'd like to take the time to get used to the rifle over a few seasons.

Ruger makes just about the only factory rifle for lefties with CRF that I can find and it just so happens to match a Ruger I already own in 30-06 (which is a plus for style reasons), but for ammo availability during trips I'd rather have a 375 H&H. The lefty Winchester M70s I see on GunBroker quickly get bid out of my budget however.

I have fired an H&H (it was 8.5lbs loaded out and I shot from the bench) and found the recoil to be quite manageable to my surprise, 270gr loads I believe. True to the slow "push" adage in my experience. Is the 375 Ruger recoil really a lot sharper as is frequently mentioned?

What other upgrades for the Ruger would be advised?

I plan to swap the trigger, recoil pad and perhaps add some weight to the stock to help it balance better/temper recoil. The Ruger feels a bit barrel heavy.

One upgrade I am not sure about is bedding the action. Will bedding help prevent damage to the stock? I have read some instances of cracked stocks in these rifles.

Thanks,
Owen in Houston

Owen, I bought the same Ruger African 375 Left Hand for the same exact reasons as you several years ago. Good idea to buy it now, with left hand Winchesters and all CZ 550s out of production it’s only a matter of time before the Ruger is unavailable in Left hand as well.

I sent mine to pre64win.com and they did a full glass bed, installed a 1 inch red decelerator pad, stripped the factory clear coat and gave the stock a hand rubbed oil finish, its looks and shoots great, in terms of recoil factory ruger 300 grain loads are not bad unless off a bench in an awkward sight in position, by the time you scope these they have to be 9.5 pounds. Just added an Alaska Arms drop box floor plate and it now holds 4 rounds in the mag, great product and easy install. Run the bolt dirty or with some jewelers polish a few hundred times it will really sooth out.

I would NOT recommend replacing the trigger on this, especially for a DG rifle. I have 5 left hand m77 Hawkeyes and have worked them all over and put them through hard use. The Factory LC6 triggers on these are very simple and rugged, with a bit of polishing and maybe cutting one coil off the trigger spring or replacing it with a lighter trigger spring it’s pretty easy to get a clean 3 pound trigger.

I have messed around extensively with Timmny, trigger tech, and some other off brand trigger for left hand Hawkeyes that were all supposed to be “drop in”. The trigger tech was the only one that actually “worked” however the safety now worked off of a janky adjusting oblong rotating set screw type of assembly that could easily fall out of alignment and no longer work or render the gun unsafe or unshootable, instead of the factory solid machined pice. Timmny had a similar issue and drops the firing pin when slamming the bolt forward hard, needs some gunsmith work. Anyways just really don’t think the trade for a LOT of reliability is worth the benefit of a LITTLE better trigger in this circumstance.

Just my 2 cents that I have picked up working with these guns. Cheers!

 

[Hunt anything]

Even though your bolt will be on the wrong side ( all kidding aside) you will love the cartridge. I’ve shot a lot of game with my .375 Ruger Alaskan and never felt under gunned even when facing a pissed off cow elephant , I did have some seasoned back up though.
As far a recoil goes as mentioned the hogue stock absorbs a lot of the recoil but even wit a wood stock it should be manageable.
If you buy a .375 Ruger before your plainsgame hunt think about taking it , your outfitter may offer up a cow buffalo or an eland. Shooting 270gr 375 is a fairly flat shooter for a medium bore and will do Anything a 30-06 will do. Just top it off with quality glass. Of course this is my opinion only.