Last year Ruger introduced two rifles for its new .375 Ruger cartridge. It came as no surprise that the first was a safari-style rifle. The company's new Hawkeye--essentially a Model 77 with a more slender profile and better handling qualities--became the platform for a Hawkeye African in .375 Ruger.

It featured practical open sights and a 23-inch barrel that, praise be, had a fetching taper that nicely matched the rifles slim fore-end and contributed to its near-perfect balance. An Alaskan version had to be in the works. It was, and you can buy one now.

The action is the same as that of the African. So are the sights. A shallow express V-notch rear, with white vertical line, is properly open and very fast. It's adjustable for windage (a screw clamps it in place after you drift the blade) but not elevation.

The barrel-band front sight is attractive, with a sturdy ramp and a white bead that's big enough to see readily but not of the golf-ball persuasion.

Ruger did a good job of engineering these sights and fitting them. Those I've used on both African and Alaskan models have directed bullets very near point of aim at 50 yards--a reasonable zero distance for open sights.

Of course, were these rifles chambered for more than one cartridge with two bullet weights, rear-sight elevation adjustment would be a must. But that's not now the case. Cosmetically and functionally, I like these sights as they are.

While the Hawkeye African wears a 23-inch blued chrome-moly barrel, the Alaskan's is 20 inches long, of hammer-forged stainless steel. Ruger gave the barrel and receiver an "ion-bonded Diamondback" matte finish. The brush-stainless look cuts glare without afflicting the steel with the sandpaper surface all too common on rifles touted for their utility.

In my view, you needn't make a rifle ugly to make it effective in the field. Ruger has struck just the right balance here. The Hogue overmolded stock is well-fitted to the Alaskan's metal and is significantly heavier than the walnut stock on the African model. In fact, the Hawkeye Alaskan weighs eight pounds, half a pound more than its companion rifle with the longer barrel.

And while the Hogue is a sturdy, durable, weather-resistant handle, it's not as handsome as the African's stock. The grip is long but tight, with a pronounced forward hook and almost vertical fluting behind.

The fore-end appears heavy--from the side and the bottom. It terminates in an almost-squared-off tip. Beaded panels enhance grip, as does the rubbery "skin" of this stock.

How does the rifle feel in the hand? Better than I thought it would. The comb puts my eye directly in line with the sights. The grip feels better than it looks and is comfortable in all field positions. I like the "sticky" surface for deliberate shooting, and in prone, where my hand tends to fall off slender, open grips.

The fore-end is more generous in cross-section than I prefer, even though I have big hands. To be fair, it helps quite a bit in absorbing recoil. And the pebbly, almost tacky surface is good when your hands are wet. Southwest Alaska, where big bears warrant cartridges as brawny as the .375 Ruger, gets plenty of rain.

Besides the obvious strength and stability advantages of most synthetic stocks, this Hogue gives your slick, perhaps cold and awkward fingers an extra measure of control.