Decided to do some test runs with my new to me .375 dies

[luke777]

Thanks very much for the info. I was talking to John who is the owner of ABD today. I'd be up for around 6 or 7 grand for a press and a set of dies. Then consumables... I would use the press for handloading but I just can't swing that much cash at this time. Maybe in the future.

[DsGrouse]

RCE makes some pretty persuasive arguments for flat based bullets below 600yds/m and for rebated boat bullets past that.

As for presses. I have to say swagin on my walnut hill presses is far easier than trying to swage on my rcbs cast iron presses.

It takes me half, if not less, effort on the walnut hill 2 press to swage these 240-255 grain bullets than it did to swage similar weight .452 bullets on my rcbs press.

The quality of the wh2 press is fantastic. You can use it for single stage reloading. But, truthfully it's greatest calling is as a swage press.

[DsGrouse]

Thanks very much for the info. I was talking to John who is the owner of ABD today. I'd be up for around 6 or 7 grand for a press and a set of dies. Then consumables... I would use the press for handloading but I just can't swing that much cash at this time. Maybe in the future.

Have you spoken to Richard at RCE?

His WH2 press is in stock.
https://www.rceco.com/catalog/

I don't know if itar would be involved, but imho it would be worth asking.

I now have two of his presses and am thinking of finagling a third.

[luke777]

It's the freight that is the killer along with the exchange rate from Australian dollars to US.

[Huvius]

.
@huvius, Any thickness of remaining rim will not stress rifling nearly as much as a monometal bullet. They are all good. Boat tailing used brass bullet jackets is likely be too difficult for a hand press, and likely to crack the die in a hydraulic press. Those dies are meant to BT a .015 to .035 bullet jacket full of lead, not a solid brass case head. I would not try it in my dies.

I agree on that but was meaning using a lathe.
I’ve done it on 11.2mm projectiles and it is a time consuming process. That ended up not being worth the extra effort.

[DsGrouse]

I picked up a few things for my case trimmer so I can clean up the points on the swaged bullets.

First I picked up this for the rcbs/redding case trimmer
Starrett Steel Indicator Split Collet - 3/8-24NF Thread Size, 9/32" Thread Length, .375" Diameter to 1/2" Depth, 1/4" Diameter Hole for Indicator Stem, Black Finish - 25SC14
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006J4CTK...fed_asin_title

I mount these inside.
Shars 3/16" - 3/4" 10 PCS HSS Uncoated 4 Flutes Single End Center Cut End Mill Set 404-5872 M)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082325KW2...n_title_2&th=1

This allows me to square up the tip of the lead bullet. I'm not sure if that is super necessary, but it seems to make them at least look a bit better. Right now, I use the hand-crank Redding. I'm hoping to add this to my RCBS power trim.

[rolltide999]

I picked up a few things for my case trimmer so I can clean up the points on the swaged bullets.

First I picked up this for the rcbs/redding case trimmer
Starrett Steel Indicator Split Collet - 3/8-24NF Thread Size, 9/32" Thread Length, .375" Diameter to 1/2" Depth, 1/4" Diameter Hole for Indicator Stem, Black Finish - 25SC14
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006J4CTK...fed_asin_title

I mount these inside.
Shars 3/16" - 3/4" 10 PCS HSS Uncoated 4 Flutes Single End Center Cut End Mill Set 404-5872 M)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082325KW2...n_title_2&th=1

This allows me to square up the tip of the lead bullet. I'm not sure if that is super necessary, but it seems to make them at least look a bit better. Right now, I use the hand-crank Redding. I'm hoping to add this to my RCBS power trim.

I have been wondering about doing that. Thanks for sharing that. That should work great for putting ballistic tips on rounds too.

[DsGrouse]

The Marlin 336 375 rebore arrived.
1:12 twist,

I loaded up a few, 10, 38-55 using my swaged .375 240 grain bullets over 31 grains of benchmark.

I hit steel from 70yds. Which is pretty darn spiffy for a cartridge I've never fired, loaded, or had factory ammo to replicate.

[DsGrouse]

I couldn't wait... I walked a target through the tick-infested field and set it up. I wanted to sight in the scoped rifle with the suppressor on it.

So, how did the 375 Win Rebore do with my swaged bullets?

(You'll have to take my word, I'm not walking through that field of ticks again to take a pic of the paper)

Velocities were a bit all over the place, as in these loads, I played with both the seating depth and crimp. The average was 1553 fps, with a STD of 18.4

After sight in, I had a 9 shot 3" group at 70 yds with my test batch of 240-grain swaged bullets. If I take out the two fliers that were me, the group falls to 1.75"

It's not earth-shattering good. But... there must always be a but...
1. These were the test sample 240-grain bullets that were rough at best.

1A. A bit of quality control on a few steps will greatly improve their consistency. IE sort by head stamp.
1B. Square up the drawn-down jacket.
1C. Make use of the core swage die (I did not have the proper lead wire thickness before).
1D. Use lead shot to even out the bullet and jacket weight to 240 grains. (Variance on these bullets was 236 to 244 grains.
1E. Make use of my new trim setup to square up all the bullet tips to the same meplat size.

2. I shot factory 38-55 255 grain LRNFP bullets. (20 of them) Factory group size on a 9-shot group? 9" when counted by squares on the paper. There was no discernable grouping point.

2A. Why? Well, 38-55 is often loaded with .380 or .382 bullets, The rifle is barreled for .375.
2B. The rifle has a fast twist 1:12 for these medium-weight lead bullets. Depending on the hardness, that may have caused some issues.
2C. The rifle was hot as get out, I'd just shot 50 rounds of my 240 grain bullets.
2D. Average FPS of these rounds was between 1490 and 1515.


All in all, a very successful sight-in with the rifle. I hit steel, got decent, predictable groups out of my swaged reloads. I can't really ask for more. I'm sure the groups will shrink as I improve at swaging, have more practice loading 38-55 and 375 Win, let alone more shoulder time with the rifle.

I'm looking forward to stretching the rifle's legs with sessions out to 150 and 175yds.

[rolltide999]

I bought a .379 swaging set from RCE that was made for the 38-55. It is a broad flat point design for leveractions. I do not have a 375 lever action, but the die set was reduced price, and I like the broad flat meplat bullets for heavy 375 bullets for my 375 H&H for dangerous game. I just have to resize them by .004 to use them in my 375. I am a little leery of bullets that have small meplats in leveractions. My only lever actions are in 358, 430, and 458.

[DsGrouse]

If you ever decide to divest your self of that die set....

[DsGrouse]

Five shots with my 375 Win lever action using my 250-grain swaged bullets.

The fifth shot is lower left. I pulled it. The first is upper left, the second upper right top hole, the third lower right bottom hole, the fourth upper right bottom hole.

Not a bad group from my sample bullets.



I did learn that 2.620 is single feed only. So, I've a few bullets I need to shoot up. Other than that, most of the 50 I fired shot well. Fairly consistent across the OAL and Powder variations. It's now down to swaging, case/jacket prep, and producing uniform swaged bullets.