375 Ruger

[High Desert Hunter]

OK, so I have been getting excellent results with my bullet of 350 grains from my Accurate mold and using IMR4198, Unique, and 2400. I don't currently have a chronograph, but I figure these bullets are hitting near the 1800 fps mark with the IMR4198 loads. I have tried using slow burning powders to bump the velocity up to closer to 2100 fps, but I get keyholing with every shot. So I am wondering if my alloy isn't hard enough? Is too hard? Or if I am getting some riveting effect because the neck is short on the Ruger case. I have no doubt that if I could accurately place the shot at 200 yards, this bullet would still hammer anything NA has to offer, and it is probably pure folly to try and speed these up, but is definitely easier to make the longer shot with more velocity. I am enjoying the inexpensive trigger time, I have over 1K jacketed bullets for this rifle and 400 rounds of brass, but the reduced recoil is nice as well. So far with the lighter loads I am getting near one hole accuracy at 50 yards with this rifle, I find myself shooting it more than my 45/70, and am thinking of picking up the N.O.E mold of 270 grains that I can also cast an HP bullet of 260 grains to accompany the big 350. I never knew how much I liked the 3/8" bore until I sold my only AR at a profit to fund this Ruger. Hoping the barrel has a long life, because it gets shot a lot! I posted this in the Factory Rifles section, just looking to broaden the audience.

[Tatume]

Key-holing is usually caused by undersized bullets. You should check your bore and groove diameters. Also check to be certain that by some manufacturing snafu the bore isn't larger at the muzzle end than the breech end. If bullets get looser in the barrel as they move to the front, they will key hole. If that condition exists, Ruger should replace the barrel at no charge.

[High Desert Hunter]

If the bore were undersized, would they keyhole all of the time? They only keyhole when I try to push the velocities up and over the 2K fps mark.

[Doc Highwall]

What alloy are you usingand what size are your bullets? What are you using to expand the neck and what size is the expander?

A soft alloy with a under size expander can cause the bullet to be sized down some when seating the bullet.

[High Desert Hunter]

I am sizing to .377, have tried .378, will have to measure the expander. My alloy is COWW and I water drop, have tried air cooled and even adding some pure lead. I get .75" groups when I use IMR4198, Unique, or 2400, but when I try to use a slower powder to bring the speed up, I hit a wall, and beyond that, I get yaw, and the faster I go, the worse it gets. I know that it is pretty well accepted that one shouldn't have the bullet base below the neck, so I am guessing that is the main issue. I also know that a 350gr .375 bullet at 1800 is nothing to sneeze at, and that maybe I should just stick with what works.

[lar45]

Sounds like too much fun :)
I've heard of guys pushing max velocities in the 375 H&H.
I wonder what the difference between the two would be?
I've been thinking of turning my M98 338mag into a 375 Ruger, but I'd like to have the option of going faster if needed.

[High Desert Hunter]

I am having fun that is for sure! I love this round, the big difference is the neck, the H&H with its longer case also benefits from a longer neck. Now this big 350 is pretty long, and I think it would be in the powder chamber even in the H&H. Maybe in the 375 Weatherby with some free bore you would be able to seat them out a little further. This may be the challenge that gets me to try some powder coating. 138478

[High Desert Hunter]

138649

Worst group of the day at 50 yards, bore had a fair amount of fouling from 3 trips out without a good cleaning.

[GooseGestapo]

I too enjoy shooting my .375Ruger. My cast boolit experience with it was with the Lee 255gr FNPB. It isn't ideally suited to the Ruger. The shorter neck of the Ruger needs a bore-rider design.
NOE has the mold/design I want and IRRC it's around 270-300gr and Gascheck design. I just haven't had the motivation to pop for the ~$80 for the mold. Too many other guns/projects such as my recent addition of a Ruger Single-7.
Your alloy should be up to the job, it's what I use. I believe it's the boolit.
I size .377", my rifle slugs to .375"
Shoots marvelous with 225-235's with RL15 and 270's with IMR4350. Recently aquired a box of OldStock 300gr Nosler Partitons ($25/50!, and a box of 300gr Sierra BTSPt's $27.00/100!!!). Hence, no immediate interest in more boolit molds in .377". Already got a lifetime supply of plinkers cast (12gr of Unique w/255gr t/l for ~1,300fps or .38-55 loads... I'm sure after 100+yrs of r&d, they'll still work on deer !!!).
I initlally used them for fire-forming .300winmag necked up to .375. Not pretty, but they work real good. Use them for my "deer" loads so I don't lose a $2 case, wasting a "mere" deer. I had to use a metal detector to find one I ejected after shooting a deer... The leaf gremlin's really, really wanted it for their cartridge case collection!!!

added; I have the same problem with the RanchDog .338" 200gr TLGC molds (and most other T/L molds at higher speeds... ie; over ~1,000fps). From either of my .338me's or .338/06, they shoot patterns if they hit the target at all with the same charge (40.0gr RL15) that I use with the 220gr LEE .338-220gr RNGC that shoots ~2moa from all three rifles. Go figure... it's the boolits...

[High Desert Hunter]

I believe I am going to stick with this load here, it is doing better than 1800fps from my 23" barrel, and would no doubt get the job done on anything I'm likely to ever shoot. I think it needs a bit more ogive, but I like the meplat, and a 350 at 1800 is nothing to sneeze at.