Ruger Hawkeye 375 Ruger Alaskan

[OregonJohn]

I have been looking for this gun for a very long time. I was lucky enough to find one on the Outdoors forum for a good price. This was the first one I had seen offered used. I don't think I have even seen one new for sale. So, I wasted no time making the deal. I hope this is step one to making my dream trip to Africa and another trip Canada. Bullet is a 300 gr Barnes tripple shock next to a 223 rem. Loaded rounds are a 338 RUM and 375 Ruger. Next I will looking for a good scope. John

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[buyamonkey]

I've never heard of that before, but...AWESOME. That lead looks ridiculous next to the .223. That seems like a reasonable caliper for some water buffalo.

 

[littlecars]

SWEET!!! let us know how it shoots.

 

[orygun]

Nice choice!

I've owned a Hawkeye African for almost two years. The only difference is the 3" longer barrel, black metal and a nice wood stock. I added a matte Leupold 3-9x40 and changed the stock to a Hogue. I believe the Ruger comes with a pillar bedded Hogue while I used the full bedding block style.

260 or 270gr spire point bullets leave the barrel @ 2720 fps and the thing mimics the trajectory of my 06 with 180s. 300 gr @ 2500+ fps. Well over 4000 ft lbs. at the muzzle. The 270 gr load is still packing over 2000 ft lbs at 500 yards! (like I could hit anything at 500 yards!!)

You'll have to be a wealthy person to shoot factory loads if you want to shoot a lot, or you'll need to hand load. I've used some IMR4831 with the 300s, but feel that RL15 is the better powder for the bullet weights I've tried. I use Hornady dies and got a pretty good deal on some once fired brass on Gun Broker. Enjoy!

 

[OregonJohn]

Thanks, the purchase came with two boxes of factory 300 gr ammo, Hornady dies, and 50 round box of new Hornady brass. Thanks for the load imformation. I will be using the 300 gn Barnes tripple shock bullet for the big boys. I have read that the lighter bullets would work fine on even deer size animals. Yes, the factory Hogue stock is just pillar beded. I took it off to adjust the Timney trigger that came with the gun. It was set very light, so I set it right at 5 pounds. I thought I would need a 1X-4X scope to keep from brain damage. But seeing the scope on your rifle, I may be able to use a 2X-7X compact Leupold I have. Thanks, John

 

[huntpotter]

Nice Rifle!!!

 

[bwells]

Very cool. The African flavor is the next on my list. You'll have to let us know how it shoots.

 

[orygun]

Very cool. The African flavor is the next on my list. You'll have to let us know how it shoots.

I've shot 260gr Accubonds, 270 gr Hornady & 300 gr Hornady round nose. At 100 yards all groups are 1-1 1/2" if I'm doing my part.

 

[OregonJohn]

I love the looks of the African. With that great looking select wood and longer barrel. I just know what would happen to it on another trip up to the Great North. The last rifle I took up caribou hunting came back with a few battle scars. The rock up there is just like our lava rock in Eastern Oregon. Most of the hunting was done in a marine environment, and it rained or snowed every day. If I was only going to use it on safari, I think I would have got the African.

 

[OregonJohn]

Orygun, how is the eye relief on your Leupold. Any close calls with the recoil of the 375 Ruger. I still am thinking about putting the 2X-7X Leupold on it. Thanks, John

 

[orygun]

Orygun, how is the eye relief on your Leupold. Any close calls with the recoil of the 375 Ruger. I still am thinking about putting the 2X-7X Leupold on it. Thanks, John

Gets a little close and the open scope cover will smack my baseball cap when it's cranked up to 9x. I have the scope set all of the way forward in the rings. That's no different than the same scope on my 30-06 and that's how it "fits" for me. I was originally giving a lot of thought to a fixed power (I had a gloss 4x on it for a while) or a 2.5-8x36 VariXIII, but I saw this matte scope on sale for $220 at Bimart and I knew I couldn't go wrong.
I'm not a big guy so I don't offer much resistance to the gun. "It moves me!"

Also, keeping that nice stock from getting beat up is one reason there's a Hogue on my African.

 

[OregonJohn]

Well, I guess the great deal I got on this Leupold Vari-X III 1.5x-5x made up my mind for me. For $275 I could not turn it down. John

 

[orygun]

Well, I guess the great deal I got on this Leupold Vari-X III 1.5x-5x made up my mind for me. For $275 I could not turn it down. John

I'd have probably done the exact thing! Nice.

Have you shot it yet?

 

[OregonJohn]

No, not yet. Just put the scope on today. Might get to shoot some of the factory loads in the AM. John

 

[orygun]

No, not yet. Just put the scope on today. Might get to shoot some of the factory loads in the AM. John

Have fun! I remember wondering what it was going to be like when the trigger broke on a live round. Then I racked another shell in and did it again!

 

[bookburn]

New poster here, just weighing in after seeing an Internet search result concerning my new Ruger 77 "Hawkeye", Alaskan Black, in .375 Ruger.

I appreciate the pics, don't see any provision here to list my guns as they do car customizations on other groups, but maybe will do my guns.

Concern I have about my purchase today of the Ruger Alaskan Black is with its black finish. I bought mine at an Anchorage WalMart, getting a discount because of numerous straight marks on the barrel end where the display holders evidently were touched. Seems to show the stainless steel immediately under the black, or at least whitish lines. I've emailed Ruger about a fix, but wonder if I'm going to have an on-going issue with it.

Other concern I have is about cost and availability of ammo, which inclines me to guess I should buy that first box factory loads, for about $56, then rig up to do loading my own, even if Hornady comes up with some of the right stuff.

Thanks for letting me vent, and I'll maybe show some pics next time.

Don Cameron

 

[orygun]

Concern I have about my purchase today of the Ruger Alaskan Black is with its black finish. I bought mine at an Anchorage WalMart, getting a discount because of numerous straight marks on the barrel end where the display holders evidently were touched. Seems to show the stainless steel immediately under the black, or at least whitish lines. I've emailed Ruger about a fix, but wonder if I'm going to have an on-going issue with it.

Other concern I have is about cost and availability of ammo, which inclines me to guess I should buy that first box factory loads, for about $56, then rig up to do loading my own, even if Hornady comes up with some of the right stuff

I'm not sure if the black Alaskan has the same type of finish as the African, but if it does, those stripes aren't your guns base metal showing thru, they are transferred from the object that was rubbed against the gun. I've had some brass marks on mine that came off with some RemOil. Have you tried wiping it down?
Hornady makes three loads for the .375. One 270 gr spire point, one 300 round nose soft point and one 300 solid. While they are expensive (no more so than a .500 Mag pistol) I think you're pretty well covered.

 

[bookburn]

I've gone slow about removing the marks, just tried some detergent, which didn't work. One person told me to use some steel wool, another that WalMart has some special cloth or other in the sports department. Ruger just said to get the barrel refinished. Because I got a sale discount due to the marks, I can live with it.

BTW, I picked up the information that Ruger is supplying free a replacement stock for the Alaskan due to some reported cracking behind the trigger. Heard they will send you one on your request, even if not cracked yet.

Now I'm into locating an agreeable scope and am looking at Leupold especially, because of longer eye relief, lens coatings, and warrantee. There's a VX-I, 2x7, in black going for $207 at 17HMRPRO.com, has 4.9 eye relief. Otherwise, I could get a fixed magnification, tip-off mount, or something interesting. bookburn

 

[codeman583]

shoots great... like getting hit by a greyhound bus....... I've got a fist sized bruise in my shoulder...

should be called a gravel maker.

 

[OregonJohn]

Yes, 30 pound rocks do turn into gravel when shot. I was really pleased with the way the Ruger shot. Recoil off the bench was on the heavy side, but free hand was not bad at all. Accuracy was more than I had hoped for. Bullets touching at 50 yards with the factory 300 gn rn.