Is The .375 Ruger Cartridge A Game Changer for Magnum Calibers? |

When Hornady and Ruger collaborated in 2007 to create the .375 Ruger cartridge, they also in future-sight, perhaps knowingly, or not, modernized many yet-to-be named magnum calibers such as the new PRC’s.

The .375 Ruger cartridge has no belt, no taper, larger case capacity, and a larger shoulder with which to set headspace than the .375 Holland and Holland Magnum.

I remember reading an article by Jon Sundra in 2011 below about future 7mm, .300 and other calibers that could come from this .375 Ruger collaboration.

https://www.rifleshootermag.com/editorial/ammunition_rs_wildcatting_200806/83581

Did you know that the 7mm PRC and .300 PRC cartridges are children of the .375 Ruger cartridge?

And likely more will come.

Will they replace magnums? Time will tell.

For nearly a century, many commercial magnum calibers had a belt to set headspace because they were based upon their parent cartridge case, the famed .375 Holland and Holland Magnum created in 1912.

For decades, the H&H Magnum case availability made it easy for industry to reform the case for smaller diameter “magnum” calibers like the famed 7mm Remington Magnum.

I own the .375 Ruger and love it. But it is a magnum cartridge, without saying so, perhaps like the 416 Rigby. I still like the “Magnum” moniker however.

But the .375 H&H Magnum cartridge will likely not go away and will not for many decades to come. There are far more .375 H&H Magnum rifles in Africa and world-wide today, thus the brass case will remain in mainstream manufacture for many decades.

And the .375 H&H Magnum still has a mystique-like following in Europe and Africa as a dangerous game round up to and including elephant.

So why create a beltless “magnum” case and drop the magnum moniker?

The .375 Ruger’s brass case seen above, removed the belt, case taper and gave a better shoulder in which to set headspace.

Is that enough, to eventually replace the .375 H&H Magnum case?

Replacing the 7mm Rem Mag and 300 Winchester Magnum whose parent case in the .375 Holland and Holland Magnum will be daunting as the belt does not bother me for head space.

Accuracy and energy in my Browning X-Bolt Speed 7mm Remington Magnum, when hand loaded with 175 g bullets, achieves the same energy as the 7mm PRC factory loaded cartridge but the PRC may edge out the 7mm Mag for long range target accuracy and use heavier bullets.

I shoot sub-moa with my 7 magnum.

As a hunter, that is more accuracy than I need. And if I want a heavier hunting bullet I would go to a 30 caliber.

I, for one, like the manly term “Magnum”. And I hand load the 7mm Remington Magnum with great success and accuracy for hunting big game.

Target shooters will likely migrate to the 7mmPRC and 300PRC for very long range target shooting but in very heavy rifles to reduce recoil.

The hunting community will perhaps move much slower as we do love our 7mm Rem Mag’s for long range hunting accuracy and delivered energy.

And case components and rifles for the 7mm and 300 win magnums are on the shelves world-wide right now. Not next year or so. I am older and can’t wait my friends.

In five years more PRC rifles and components may change that dynamic. We shall see.

In the meantime, I am happy with my 7mm magnum rifle for hunting all North American big game species.

Good Shooting