TECHNICAL ADVICE FROM THE GURU
Letters containing questions for answering by Nick Harvey must be accompanied by a stamped self-addressed envelope.
Mail your letters to: The Technical Editor, 3 Reef Street, Hill End, NSW 2850.
LETTER OF THE MONTH
Load For .375 Ruger For Buffaloes
Q I have just bought a secondhand Ruger Hawkeye African in .375 Ruger from a guy who only used it on a trip to the Northern Territory where he shot two buffaloes and a banteng with it. He later took it on an unsuccessful sambar hunt before deciding to sell it. It came with two boxes of once fired cases and a die set. I have been invited to hunt in the N.T and want to use the Ruger. Can you suggest a good load for buffaloes?
– Andy Flynn
I found the .375 Ruger great for buffaloes and scrub bulls. The Ruger rifle I used was the Hawkeye Alaskan with Hogue stock, but I reviewed the African model with walnut stock at a later date. I used the factory load but also handloads. Hornady factory ammo lobbed the 300gn bullet at 2626 fps from a 500mm barrel and 2682 fps from the 584mm barrel of the African model. I prefer the extra penetration of a 300gn FMJ bullet for buffaloes and 80gn of AR2209 drives it at 2560fps. Or, if you’d rather a soft-point, change the 300gn solid for a
