@ 07:48 pm (GMT) |
Luke SchmidtI have a 375 Ruger Alaskan I want to restock as sort of a "mountain bear rifle" i.e. light and easy to carry.At this point the rifle has a short 18inch barrel and a factory Ruger plastic stock meant for a regular Ruger Hawkeye (not the big magnums). I've free floated the barrel and installed a pillar for the front action screw. Accuracy appears good but the forend needs to be stiffened. Weight is 8.4 lbs scoped. Yes it kicks but I feel good about it. I can shoot it as we as I did when it was longer and heavier. My question is this, will the recoil of the 375 Ruger either break the stock or cause wear and tear over time that is a problem? So far I've run 10 full power shots through it with no problem. My second question is about handloads if full bore 375 Ruger is too much for this stock. I could load 235 grain bullets at slightly below full power, maybe 2750 fps from the short barrel. This brings recoil down a bit to more like 338 WM levels. What are thoughts about a Woodleigh or Barnes TSX for brown bear i.e. the big ones. The Woodleigh seems tough and impact velocities would be in the right range for quick kills out to 150 yards at least. My only worry is whether I would give up much penetration if I had a charge. On the other hand there is the 235 grain TSX. Impact velocity at 150 yards would be a bit low for a copper bullet. But since bears offer more resistance then a deer I wonder if it would work. |
@ 09:14 am (GMT) |
Nathan FosterRe: Restocking a 375 Ruger QuestionsHi Luke, its hard to say how well the stock will last. They generally go at the tang / wrist if recoil is a problem. Most plastic stocks are weak at the wrist but I have gotten away with it in a pinch (up to .375 RUM). I have not tested long term / high round count.Just lately I have noticed inconsistencies in Barnes bullets. The bullets may not expand, even in the smallest bores at impacts of 3000fps. The alloy seems to be the problem. Behavior of some is the same as FMJ, death up several minutes. Therefore, I suggest the GMX as the safer route (or one of the smaller manufacturers) for tough game at this time of posting. That or test each batch of Barnes in some form of medium to be sure of consistency (which I doubt anyone will do). |
@ 02:25 pm (GMT) |
Luke SchmidtRe: Restocking a 375 Ruger QuestionsAs near as I can tell my Ruger stock is solid through the whole wrist area and it has a slight amount of flexibility. If that's were they go I feel safe for now. But I might run 50 handloads through it and keep the old stock to be safe.Thanks for the heads up on the Barnes bullets. I'm thinking 235 grain Woodleighs might be the way to go all things cosidered. Think they would hold together through some bone at impacts of 2700 fps worst case and 2200-2400 more likely? |