375 Winchester heavy hunting load?

[gpalma]

OK, have thoroughly searched the archives for .375 Win data and didn't find quite what I was looking for.

Here is my dilemma. I had my gunsmith put a Shilen select barrel on my Ruger #1 that follows the contour of the original factory barrel and then had it chambered in .375 Win.

Am reasonably certain that much of my shooting will be with the 220gr Hornady, but want a stomper for elk in the dark timber. A friend will be setting me up with some Lyman # 375449, a 264gr FN,GC that will be sized to my freebore dia to play with initially. These are 9:1 booolits.

I then will be going with the same bullet from Montana Bullets in the heat-treated series.

In your experience, what powder would you be looking closest at to get max velocity within reasonable pressures in this application? If I can achieve 2-3MOA accuracy, it will be more than I will ever need provided that I can get enough steam on this GC bullet for 100yd shooting. Also, is 2000fps or very close unreasonable to expect?

TYIA

[Rocky Raab]

THE powder for the 375 Win is Re-7. I never got even decent accuracy with mine using cast bullets at any speed over 1200 fps. With a bullet as heavy as you plan using, that might be about max anyway.

As a result, I used mostly jacketed bullets in mine. My elk load used the original Barnes 210 X bullet and 36.0 Rl-7 for an even 2000 fps from my 14" Contender. Actually, I used 36.0 with all bullets from 200 to 240 grains. One bullet you might look into is the Speer 235 semi-pointed. It was designed for reduced loads in the 375 H&H, and it works superbly in the Win. These are not for lever action guns, of course.

[Artful]

I liked H335, IMR-3031, W-748 but I was using a 240 grn copper tube jacketed cast bullet.

[dk17hmr]

Echo from Wyoming on using RL-7. I dont remember how much I put behind the 375449 for my 375 win but I got them moving upwards of 2100fps with hunting accuracy. My 375 win was a TC contender carbine barrel and had a post front sight and a peep rear sight. It sure stomped me but at 5.25 pounds that is kind of expected.

[runfiverun]

using the 375449 and aa-1680 starting along 34 grs and moving up a titch.
i settled on 35.5 it'll rattle your teeth, and i couldn't get my winchester to sight in any closer than 200 yds at poa.
the marlin's sights however thinks the load is factory specced to them.
it's within pressure though.
it would take 3-4 broadside elk to stop the boolit out to open sight distances.

[Doughty]

I had a Ruger #3 with #1 wood on it in the .375 Win. With the Lyman boolit, GCed and ready to load they were right at 280 grs. I liked AA2015 the best. Can't remember the exact powder weight, but 1900 fps gave the best accuracy.

[Bullshop]

All original factory 375 Win barrels including Savage, Ruger, Winchester, and Marlin used a 1/12" twist barrel. Kind of silly when you think of the factory bullet weight at 220gn.
Compair to the 38/55 that is vertually the same cartridge used a 1/18" twist for a heavier bullet. Why then did Winchester decide to use a 1/12" twist for the 375 Win?
My guess is because they didnt even consider twist rate and what effect it would have on performance of the cartridge. They just simply went with what had always been used in 375 caliber (not 38 caliber) and kept what H&H decided on in 1912 a 1/12" twist.
The H&H 375 was always intended for 300+gn bullets and so did need a steeper twist to handle those heavier bullets for both internal and external balistics. There was a time when 350gn bullets were readily available for the H&H version of 375.
If with your custom re-barrel you went with conventional wisdom and stayed with a 1/12" twist most likely with cast boolits in mind a better choice in twist rate could have been made.
There is a point I am trying to make with this historical run on and that is that in my own experiance which I would safely put in 1000s of rounds through all the afformentioned types of rifles I have noticed that heavy boolits 300 to 350gn seem to be easier to find good accurate ( less than 2 moa) loads than the more conventional weights (200 to 250gn). Not saying more accurate as I know better but saying possibly more efficiently compatable with a 1/12" twist so more flexable with loads.
This is the wisdom of but one man from his experiance viewed through his twisted sence of logic. Its worth what you paid for it. Or?

[rockrat]

Second Bullshop. My bull barreled bolt gun is actually chambered in 38/55 with a Shilen barrel. It shoots the BRP 310gr into about 3/4"@100yds. Caseful of Varget, slightly compressed. IIRC, velocity was around 1600fps
If no wind at the range (seldom happens though), I can hit a 7" x 7" steel gong @500yds, probably 80% of the time, with the rifle. My best was 5 for 5.

[Bullshop]

My pet load shoves a 350gn LBT/LFN to 1550 fps from most factory barrels.
I have had my fun with the 375 Win and now moved on to a 375 Whelen. Since switching have designed a 375gn boolit that works extremely well in the Whelen 375.
I feel quite certain if I still had a 375 Win I would have to try the heavier boolit and just as certain it would shoot well.
The problem is that at some point case volume will become an issue and going still heavier will give diminished balistics. 350gn is about there unless a long bore riding design is used with most of the weight out of the case.
When I designed my 375gn boolit using the program set up by Dan Lynch at Mountain Molds I used all the length the program would allow for a 1/12" twist.

[Bullshop]

For straight wall rifle cases IMR 4198, H4198, Scott 4197, and AA 2015 are hard to beat.
All are very close in burn rate and I believe Scott 4197 and AA 2015 are the same powder.
Yes I think 2000 fps is doable with the 280gn Lyman boolit but I would feel better if it was in a Ruger or Savage and not a Marlin or Winchester.

[gpalma]

Thank you for the replies and yes, the barrel is 1:12" twist rate. Shallow rifling by what I can gauge with my eyeballs and the throat is actually somewhat short.

Sat evening we played with this R #1 and found that a .379" booolit would fit the freebore with a very precision slip fit. Even though the groove dia is .3750", my friend is convinced that this larger booolit is generally better for accy with that freebore and to disregard the groove dia.

He loaded up a case that was ID sized using a .376" expander with a .379" Dia #375248 flat base in a 9+1 mix. Test load was 28.0/RL7 with a .060" polyurethane disc under the booolit. No pressure signs seen at all. Upon inspection, we could see black soot from the lube around the case mouth at each groove. Afterwards, we could take the gas-checked #375449 sized to .379" and it was a precision slip fit back into the fired case.

I have since loaded up some test loads to check out tomorrow from 36.0-39.0 RL7 with the 220 Hornady seated .025" off the lands. Once I settle on that load, I will switch gears next weekend to the .379" #375449 w/GC in the 9+1 alloy. Not sure what powder I will use yet, but have H4227 and RL7 on hand. May have to get another powder if somebody can offer some first-hand insight.

[2shot]

Not cast but I have been using the Hornady 225 grain spire point made for the 375 Steyr in my 375 Winchester Contender with great success and accuracy. It seemed like every time I wanted to order the 220 grain Hornady it was on back-order. Being a single shot I thought I would give this 225 grainer a chance and I'm glad I did. Accuracy has been outstanding and the expansion on deer has been good to with no bullets coming apart. If I were going to use a single shot 375 Winchester on elk I would use this bullet.

Accuracy has been 1.5-2 inch @ 100 yds. and velocity out of a 14 inch barrel has been aroung 1900fps using Reloader 7. I'm sure with your longer barrel and a great action in the Ruger #1 you would have no problem getting 2100-2200 fps with these bullets.

2shot

[TCTex]

I have to agree with what has been stated above, RL7 is "THE" powder for the 375 Win.


My pet load for my 14in Contender is a 220gr Hornady over RL7. One ragged hole...


My barrel will shot MOA with a 235gr Ranch Dog over RL7 at 2000. I may just be the lucky one that has a favorable barrel.


I have tried the Lyman 264gr out of my barrel with 2400 at 1600fps. My groups averaged 5-6in at 100 and kicked like a mule...

[runfiverun]

379 in the 375 is the size i use too.
the powders in the burn rate shown above are going to be the better choises.
i have some 4198 and some aa-2230 i'll be working with in the winchester some time [hopefully soon]
the reloading room is gonna be torn up shortly and re-vamped.

[Rocky Raab]

BTW, if anyone is interested in a 14" Contender barrel in .375 Win plus dies, scope and LOTS of brass and bullets, PM me. There's about 40 pounds of stuff involved.

[2shot]

If you haven't read it before here's a nice article on the 375 Winchester in a Contender.

www.handgunhunt.com/tech/t20/index.html

2shot

[Rocky Raab]

And, of course, mine...

375Win

The barrel used in this article is the one I'm parting with, btw.)

[Bullshop]

379 in the 375 is the size i use too.
the powders in the burn rate shown above are going to be the better choises.
i have some 4198 and some aa-2230 i'll be working with in the winchester some time [hopefully soon]
the reloading room is gonna be torn up shortly and re-vamped.

Funny you should mention AA-2230. That is the powder used in my pet load with the 350gn LBT boolit.

[gpalma]

Finally gave it a test at 100yds with 220gr Hornady's. Started from 36.0 RL7 and worked up in 1/2 grain increments until I got to 1 full grain over max listed load. No pressure signs seen at all and I simply ran out of case capacity (the last two loads were very compressed). Recoil is very similar to a 30/30 Win. Groups 4-5-6 seem to be a good accy node with lots of steam for hunting. Had a fairly stiff breeze from 10 o'clock, but not quite as stiff as the breeze they are getting on the NE coast today.

#1-36.0gr - 1-15/16"
#2-36.5gr - 3/4"
#3-37.0gr - 1-7/8"
#4-37.5gr - 1-1/4"
#5-38.0gr (listed max) 1-5/16"
#6-38.5gr - 3/4"
#7-39.0gr - 2-1/8"

[2shot]

And, of course, mine...

375Win

The barrel used in this article is the one I'm parting with, btw.)

Nice article there on the 375 Winchester Rocky!

2shot