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Big Squeeze":3i1r0gy3 said:Dubyam.................My chrono results from my 20" 375 Ruger Alaskan were 2706 fps. average, using the 270 gr. Hornady factory ammo!.............Remember though, that the concept behind any shorter barrel is to reduce weight and to make a handier and better handling rifle!.........I`ll take that slight % loss or compromise in velocity to do just that! ANY TIME! My soon to be sold 20" Alaskan and my new Howa .375 Ruger coming in June with its 20"er as well, are lighter and better handling in the field than the heavier and longer 375 H&H`s
...........As a matter of fact, there was a big write-up in the Dec `07 issue of "Guns Magazine" about the Ruger Alaskan by Holt Bodinson...... According to his chrono results, the 270 gr. Hornady factory ammo averaged 2679 fps. from the 20" barrel. Hey! I beat it by a whoppin 27 fps. from my Alaskan!!.......I think that Hornady has made a slight error in thinking that 2840 fps. can be achieved from a 20" barrel using a 270 gr. bullet with the factory ammo!........But! I believe that with some reloading experimentation, perhaps 2800+ fps. can be achieved from its 20" barrel using a 270 grainer!! Each rifle has its own velocity characteristics! Could go 100 fps. in either direction!............In any event, even if the velocity averaged only 2500 or 2600 fps. with a 270 gr. (assuming that was the best possible maximum velocity for all reloaded combos), the .375 Ruger will still do the job at hand and is an excellent round!dubyam":1e7klqx0 said:Big Squeeze":1e7klqx0 said:Dubyam.................My chrono results from my 20" 375 Ruger Alaskan were 2706 fps. average, using the 270 gr. Hornady factory ammo!.............Remember though, that the concept behind any shorter barrel is to reduce weight and to make a handier and better handling rifle!.........I`ll take that slight % loss or compromise in velocity to do just that! ANY TIME! My soon to be sold 20" Alaskan and my new Howa .375 Ruger coming in June with its 20"er as well, are lighter and better handling in the field than the heavier and longer 375 H&H`s
Well, Hornady advertises that round to be doing 2840 from a 20" barrel. In an article written by a fellow I met a while back at a gunshop here in Huntsville, Lane Pearce, the velocities are much closer. In fact, he only got 2762 from the Hornady factory load from a 23" Ruger African when he tested it. I've spoken with him about this, and his take is the same as mine - the round does what it should, a tad faster for a tad more powder. I understand the idea of a shorter rifle, and handier, and I'm glad you like yours. I suspect your velocities are not the norm from a 20" barrel, as there are numerous other writeups showing velocity more in line with Lane's findings. If you want to see his writeup, here it is:
http://www.shootingtimes.com/ammunition ... 75_080807/
or you can read Joe at RealGuns tirade on the issue:
http://www.realguns.com/archives/134.htm
...............I usually don`t believe hype or advertising of any kind from any manufacturer, until I chrono the round from my particular rifle!.............The rifle`s concept or my preference of being more compact or shorter was my first concern when I bought my (soon to be sold Ruger Alaskan when the .375 Ruger Howa comes in). Even though the 375 H&H is certainly time proven and tested, no one chambers that round in a more compact rifle with a 20"er barrel.........As you probably know, I have a fascination/need for the shorter, easier to handle, faster, powerhouse rifles! With me, that concept is top priority and comes first. In my particular case, the .375 Ruger cartridge came along for the ride!dubyam":13d4cr8z said:Don't misunderstand what I'm saying. The 375Ruger is a good cartridge, and is right in line with where the laws of physics would place it. As the case capacity is just a smidge over that of the 375H&H, one would expect the velocity to be just over the comparable velocity, and low and behold, it is exactly that. Short of increasing the SAAMI Max Pressure to a level well above that of the 375H&H, you just aren't going to gain a ton of velocity, as a given pressure curve, with available powders, will only create so much 'area under the curve' which equates to only so much velocity. I think the 375Ruger is a good round, and certainly has a place in that it fits into a standard length action, and offers the ability to chamber something like a 700 action in it and have room to seat bullets more flexibly than with a longer round like the H&H. That said, the H&H offers it's own (time proven) positive aspects, as well. Either way, go, shoot, enjoy! (Just don't believe the hype put out by Hornady and Ruger about magical velocities attainable in shorter barrels...)