Handloads: A .375 Ruger For Elk

My elk-hunting reasoning figured that the .338 Win. Mag. is a good elk cartridge, so the .375 Ruger’s heavier bullet weight and increased velocity should be even better at knocking down a big bull. So, I set to work handloading .375 rounds and shooting them through a Mossberg Patriot rifle to find out if the .375 Ruger cartridge would live up to my expectations.

The first step was to select a bullet. The .375 is all about bullet weight. However, recoil was brutal firing 300-grain bullets at upwards of 2,500 f.p.s. from the lightweight Mossberg. Dropping down in bullet weight, recoil was still apparent shooting Hornady’s 250-grain CX bullets, but more manageable. The copper-alloy CX bullet retains nearly all its weight after striking game, so there is really no need for a heavier bullet.

The .375’s stout recoil requires crimping the case mouth in the CX’s cannelure to prevent bullet movement during recoil. To set the proper amount of crimp, I raised a Hornady .375 Ruger factory load to the top of the ram of my press and then screwed the seating die into the press until it was tight against the case mouth.

I loaded the CX bullets with Hodgdon Varget and Ramshot Big Game propellants. Accuracy with Varget was good. Big Game’s precision was just as good, and velocity was 2,759 f.p.s. from the Mossberg’s 22" barrel. Neither load showed signs of excessive pressure when fired in sweltering 100-degree heat during one of the first shooting sessions.

The rifle is probably more capable than I was able to shoot it. Mounting a Burris Veracity scope brought the rifle’s weight up to 8 lbs., 3 ozs., which is still at least a pound too light for this chambering, and recoil of this .375 recipe is about twice that of a .30-’06 Sprg. firing a 180-grain bullet. Since then, I’ve shot the rifle quite a few times, from sitting and offhand hunting positions, which has helped accustom me to the recoil. Come elk season, the .375 Ruger should meet my needs.