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Thread: looking for 38-55/375 Winchester hunting loads

  1. #1
    Boolit Master

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    looking for 38-55/375 Winchester hunting loads

    Well......it followed me home, and YES!, I'm gunna" keep it! LOL! I had a Sig/Sauer P220 that had outgrown it's usefulness to me. A shootin' buddy remarked in passing that he was "thinning the herd" in his gun safe and had a 375 Win. he was going to sell. I told him about the Sig, one thing led to another, and I am now the proud owner of a Marlin Model 375. Along with the gun he gave me 120 virgin cases, 3 boxes of Sierra 200 gr. softpoints, a set of Lee dies complete with a factory crimp die and two boxes of his handloads! I didn't buy a lotto ticket on my way home that night, but I prob'ly should have!

    Anyway, I'm thinking of this rifle more as a 38-55 than a375, and I'm looking for load info. I'm thinking 240-250 gr. boolits at around 17-1800. Anyone have any pet loads they might want to share?
    "We take a thousand moments for granted thinking there will be a thousand more to come. Each day, each breath, each beat of your heart is a gift. Live with love & joy, tomorrow is not promised to anyone......"

    unknown

  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy
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    For around that velocity, my favorites with 250/260-grain cast are:

    28.0 Reloder 7 - 1600 fps
    25.0 IMR4198 - 1615 fps
    27.0 AA1680 - 1735 fps


    .

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy
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    Just got a 38-55 late this summer. 336 re-bored from 30-30. I've put several hundred plinking loads through it at the backyard gong with 10 grains of Universal Clays under a 250 cast bullet. Runs about 1235fps in this 20" barrel, and I can't keep the gong hanging. I've about run out of repair links for the chain, 50 yards distance isn't enough for the load.
    Shot a doe in our early doe season a week or two ago with the same bullet at a soft 9bhn over 21 grains-4198 with a dacron filler. That one runs about 1400fps and centered the near shoulder, took a 2" section out of the big bone, put a groove in the top of the heart, destroyed one lung, damaged the other and exited the far flank. You don't need a lot of speed with 250 gr bullets!

  4. #4
    Banned

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    mine likes the Ly. 375449 [about 260grs with a gas check] sized to 379 from ww's/soft 3-1 and water dropped.
    I'm using AA-1680 and pushing it pretty hard, but backing it down to 1700 or so shouldn't be too much of a problem.
    yes you need some hardness and yes you need the diameter.

    my Bud has a 38-55 in the cowboy limited and he shoots the non gas check version [of the 449] on top of 9.5grs of unique.
    it carry's more pop than it sounds like it should have and is accurate

  5. #5
    Boolit Master Djones's Avatar
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    375 win is a great cartridge. I used it on three deer last year with the Lee 250 grain bullet.

    Load data is in the first post:
    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-Indiana-Specs
    The road less traveled ain't for the faint of heart

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy
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    I use one of Ken Waters' Pet Loads in my 99 year old 38-55.

    32 grains of IMR 3031, 255 pure lead, powdercoated boolit, 1700 fps. I can hit anything I want with this load.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master Randy Bohannon's Avatar
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    I had Accurate Molds cut me a two cavity mold, one cavity for 250 gr. gas checked and the other a 310 grain plain base both .379 with Lyman #2. 25grs. of IMR 4759 for the 250 gr. and 20 grs. for the 310 gr. boolit both shoot very well in my Win.94 BB.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master



    skeettx's Avatar
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    30 grains of 3031
    Cast bullet
    SWEET
    Mike
    NRA Benefactor 2004 USAF RET 1971-95

  9. #9
    Boolit Master MarkP's Avatar
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    255 gr PB over 26.5 gr of RL-7 for about 1,700 fps (26" bbl)

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master

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    For a 375 load Lyman's GC'd 375449 over 32 grs Rx7 works quite well in my 94 Big Bore. My 38-55's like skeettx's pet load under a PB boolit.
    Endowment Life Member NRA, Life Member TSRA, Member WACA, NRA Whittington Center, BBHC
    Smokeless powder is a passing fad! -Steve Garbe
    I hate rude behavior in a man. I won't tolerate it. -Woodrow F. Call, Lonesome Dove
    Some of my favorite recipes start out with a handful of depleted counterbalance devices.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
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    I like the 250 gr Lyman Flatnose plus 46 grs of Swiss 3fg

    Proven successful

  12. #12
    Boolit Master





    SSGOldfart's Avatar
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    I'm going to pick up another 38-55 this morning if the seller gets his heart right. $600.00 it's a Remington-Harrison comes with all the goodies needed to make a load even powder,I'm planning to shoot BP cartridges in this Rifle.

    Nice speed goat BrentD, Sir if you don't mind what primers are you using
    I started out with nothing and I still have most of it left.
    Paralyzed Veterans of America

    Looking for a Hensly &Gibbs #258 any thing from a two cavity to a 10cavityI found a new one from a member here

  13. #13
    Boolit Master
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    What is a Remington-Harrison? Please post pics if you get it.

    I used Winchester LRPs. But I use CCI-BR2s forcompetition target work. I don't think it matters much however.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master





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    I'm not sure it makes much difference but some say it does,some of the long range crowd are using large pistol primers and thinning out the rim to offset headspace.btw the Remington-Harrison looks a lot like the old Stevens,with a octagon barrel I made another offer,so I guess we'll see tomorrow, my LGS has it,they are selling for another customer.it comes with a new set of dies and two molds,couple hundred cases some primers and a few boxes of commercial cast bullets. A old powder measure,couple of pounds of powder. All as a package deal,still cheaper than a repo .
    I started out with nothing and I still have most of it left.
    Paralyzed Veterans of America

    Looking for a Hensly &Gibbs #258 any thing from a two cavity to a 10cavityI found a new one from a member here

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
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    Yes, some folks use pistol primers. I have tested them, I don't. I shoot long range competitively and find they are unnecessary. I also have tested and rejected the use of primer wads, another popular loading methodology.

    Brent

  16. #16
    Boolit Master



    skeettx's Avatar
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    Is that a Remington-Harrison or a Remington Hepburn?
    http://csharpsarms.com/catalog-detai...urn-Rifle.html
    NRA Benefactor 2004 USAF RET 1971-95

  17. #17
    Boolit Master

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    I have a JES rebore '94 38/55. I fully intend to hunt with Lee 379-250 over 16.5 gr IMR 4227. It's running about 1350fps. I think it will be enough for deer. Can hit with it to 150yds.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master





    SSGOldfart's Avatar
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    Lo
    Quote Originally Posted by skeettx View Post
    Is that a Remington-Harrison or a Remington Hepburn?
    http://csharpsarms.com/catalog-detai...urn-Rifle.html
    It actually turned out to be a Wesson-Harrison in 38-55 win. frame is Case harden, kinda looks like most older H&R topper frames I seen,I took a pass because I really wanted the sharp he was selling in 38-55, but I ended up getting another 1874,in 45-70 from a member here on the forum,he's hit some hard times and needed to sell quickly. I'm still looking for a 38-55,I have a couple of great molds for the 375 which I think will be good in a 38-55.
    I started out with nothing and I still have most of it left.
    Paralyzed Veterans of America

    Looking for a Hensly &Gibbs #258 any thing from a two cavity to a 10cavityI found a new one from a member here

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check