Anyone shoot .375 Winchester?

[Mark74a1]

Hello all,
i was given a bunch of 375 Winchester brass but I know nothing about the round. Is it worth tracking down a rifle or contender barrel that shoots these?

[M-Tecs]

Nice round. I really like it but brass availability is the biggest issue. In the Contender it upper end loads can lead to frame stretching. Brass is like gold now days unless you want to sell it to me really cheap!!!!!!!. Then it's useless and junk. It's basically a higher pressure 38/55 in a slightly shorter case.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-55-VS-375-Win

http://www.marlinowners.com/forum/32...terchange.html

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthr...375_winchester

http://www.leverguns.com/dimensions/images/3855.jpg

http://www.leverguns.com/dimensions/images/375win.jpg

[runfiverun]

I'd personally skip the contender and suck it up for the ruger NO_1.
you might get lucky and find a savage 99 somewhere too.
but I already have both the Winchester and the marlin.
you'll maybe find the marlins a little easier than the win's.

the 375449 mold is the way to go sized and checked to 379.

[TXGunNut]

Big fan of the Big Bore 94 and the Lyman 375449. Not really, mine was a safe queen for about 30 yrs until a little while back when I bought the Lyman mould and a receiver sight. It shot great but now it's a safe queen again. It's an interesting cartridge but if you have a bunch of good brass and no rifle I'd sell it and spend the money on a rifle you want. For some reason I prefer the 38-55 but if that makes sense you're drinking more than I am, lol.

[Artful]

Let's see I have the Winchester 94 Big Bore, Ruger #3 and a Contender barrel - so I guess I do shoot it some.
If you don't have a firearm I'd sell the brass - it's bringing good money as it's thicker for high pressures and those of us that have to use blown out 30-30 have to hold the pressure down.

[Good Cheer]

Started off with the No.1.
With hard alloy and a Weaver T-10 it would cut cloverleafs at a hundred.
Wanted more power so had the chamber reamed to H&H. Scary accurate. Pulled rib muscles.
Then it became a .375x45-70, 26" barrel. Just right.

[Gerald]

Let me know if you want to sell the brass. I enjoy the .375 Winchester. My daughter uses it as her survival gun. I use my 45-70 lol

[JSH]

I was going to skip this thread,but with so many of you on here that shoot the 375 I thought I would ask. Now, not looking for opinions, just real world findings.

Have any any of you found reformed 30-30 brass to be enough thinner to be noticeable?

FYI I shoot the 375 and have loaded for it over 20 years. I started with 30-30 brass until I found some 375 brass. I weighed both cases back then and trimmed some to equal lengths. Guess what, they both weighed the same. I then sacrificed both the cases and split them length wise. Once again they were the same and I had a machinist buddy measure them and he came up the same for any reasonable person.

As to frame stretching on the TC platform, I would say I have shot as many as any other TC nut. One batch of 50 reformed brass has over 30 reloads on it with no losses, jacketed and cast.
In order to stretch the frame, I will say you are numb to recoil. The gun will as much tell you from a pain factor when enough is enough. I know of one 309jdj that the barrel and frame are mated for life, over pressure.
Then a friend of mine whom shall remain anonymous, accidently loaded a 44 mag into a 309jdj and dropped the hammer on it. No it did not blow up or split the barre, nor did it stretch the frame,it was sent back to TC and checked by them. They were not told the history of the frame. To my knowledge JD still has the frame and barrel.
And if frames were going to be stretched, the IHMSA shooter of years past would have done it on at the very least on a yearly basis.

Yes I know it can be done, and has been done. It is just not as common as some would have you believe. The one thing I have seen worn out from YEARS of shooting is the shelf of the frame, where the locking lugs make contact. The average guy will never wear one out.

Not a rant of any sort. I just see some of things posted as hear say and a myth of sorts.

Old early 30-30 brass marked peters,umc etc is thinner. I rank it with the old ballon head brass.

[Jeff Michel]

I've used 38-55 Starline brass in my .375 No 3 and haven't had any problems with the pressure difference or case failure.

[dragon813gt]

I have a Savage 99 chambered in it. Still has the hang tag on it and it's unfired. I can't bring myself to shoot it knowing what it's worth. I do have brass, bullets and dies stashed away in case I change my mind

Brass commands the same price as factory ammo. Makes no sense to buy it IMO. Might as well break down the factory rounds if you don't want to use them.

[M-Tecs]

I've owned and reloaded for a 375 Winchester since 1978. First in a 94 Big Bore and later in Contenders. When introduced the 375 Win SAAMI pressure was 52,000. Some claim that the SAAMI pressure was reduced but the current SAAMI data still lists 52,000 CUP http://saami.org/specifications_and_...wnload/206.pdf

I do believe factory ammo has since been loaded down but I don't know that for a fact. I have personally seen two Contender frames stretched with high pressure 375 Win. loads. Hardly a myth. If it was a myth the G2 Contenders would not have the extra material in the frame.

375 Win is a very nice cartridge in the Contender if you keep the pressures to 40,000 PSI and under.

These folks are wishing Contender frame stretch was a myth:

http://specialtypistols.infopop.cc/e...4/m/7710029286

How to check for frame stretch

http://specialtypistols.infopop.cc/e...556#6920072556

http://specialtypistols.infopop.cc/e...9766#456109766

[Artful]

I don't shot hot loads in my contender anymore - either 375 big bore or 45-70. And yes I have seen
a stretched from back when shooting sillywet, and people are known to have differing opinions of recoil
- I have been told my 223 AR's recoil