375 Winchester Question??

[HEAD0001]

I know we have been kicking the can around a good bit lately on the 375 Winchester. And I have done some searches for information. But I Would like to ask a direct question.

I have seen where a couple of guys(especially one) say the are getting 2200 fps with a 220 grain jacketed bullet in the 94 BB. Is that really possible?? If so then that would be tremendous performance??

Do you think you could attain that same velocity in a GC-cast bullet?? Tom.

[Buck Elliott]

It should be easier the achieve that velocity with a cast bullet than it might be with a jacketed slug.

[TedH]

Yes, it's possible. I got that kind of performance from my Win. BB94, but only with a couple powders and they were max loads. Accuracy was better when toned down around 2100 fps. My Marlin seems to be a little slower with the same loads. I'm currently playing with a 235 gr. cast bullet in the Marlin. Looking for a good accurate load around 2000 fps. Really no reason to try to push cast faster than that.

[RSY]

I can get around that number with 37.5 grains of Re-7. For my purposes, though, I'm not so sure it's necessary anymore.

Going forward, I think I'm going to use the low-end loads in the Hornady manual for 1,800-1,900 fps...sort of like a slightly hot-rodded .38-55.

Scott

[Griff]

I have seen where a couple of guys... say the(y) are getting 2200 fps with a 220 grain jacketed bullet in the 94 BB. Is that really possible??

If my Hornady reloading manual is to be believed... YES. Mine really loves RE-7.

If so then that would be tremendous performance??

Well... yes, it is sorta stout!

Do you think you could attain that same velocity in a GC-cast bullet?? Tom.

I haven't loaded ANY cast bullets in the 375. But, since I'm getting 2190 with my .30-30 gas-checked cast boolits, I don't think it would be unreasonable.

[Sixgun]

What for? A 250 gr. @ 1800 will kill anything in NA easily. I run the same 38-55 ammo (270 cast) in all my 375/38-55's. I load to 1400-1500.-------Sixgun

[HEAD0001]

It was not so much a question of what for?? I was just curious.

I have heard so many people say that the 375 cartridge was a 100 yard or less cartridge. And with performance like that---well it is well over a 100 yard cartridge. Heck I shoot my 30-06 with a 200 grain bullet at 2450, and it is a deadly round at 250 or even 300 yards. Tom.

[Griff]

I tend to limit it to 175 yards:

As you can see, once past 175 the drop gets quite dramatic.

[fisheadgib]

During my last range visit I chronographed my .375win loads. I used new WW cases, WW primers, Hornady 220 gr interlocks, and Reloader-7 powder. Averaging five shot strings through my 94BB, I got 2070fps with 34grains, 2135fps with 36 grains, and 2195fps with 38 grains.

[Old Time Hunter]

Loading and shooting the .375 Win out of '94BB had been a staple of mine for longer than most people have been alive and especially using the 220 grain Hornady JFP as cast did not have the consistancy required for multiple distances with the same loading. You could pin down specific distances with astonishing accuracy, but the next distance was all over the place and since at the competitions, you could not change ammo, or practice during the meet, nor were you given a 'heads up' as to what distances you were shooting until you got to the line. This criteria led to quite a bit of experimentation, over ten thousand rounds in one year alone. I settled on 31.4 grains of H4198 and the Hornady 220 grain JFP that was a consistant 2150-2200 fps performer for years...until something changed. I started to get "high" pressure warnings with flattened primers and hard extraction. Turns out that Hodgdon changed the formula awhile back that spiked the pressure a tad quicker, not much, but since I was pretty much at the limit, it started pushing over the 'comfort' zone. If you still would like to use H4198, I recommend 31.0 grains(the book says one or two more, but I think they just based it on the older formula) or less and that should put you in the 2100fps bracket. Anyways, this caused me to start moving in a different direction and I have in the past couple of years experimenting with Accurate's 1680 powder. To not make this story any longer, it appears that 35.5 to 36.0 grains of A1680 produces 2200 to 2250 fps without any pressure warning signs out of MY rifle. I am still trying to dial this load in as it did effect the POI substantially (i.e. POI was +3 and L2 @ 100 yards). Some of this variance can be attributed to velocity, but more of it is barrel 'harmonics'. Still 2200+ is achievable in the 375 Win.

[4t5]

I believe in one Mr Paco Kelly"s books that I have ,a chapter called BABY BONE CHRUSHERS, Mr Kelly was getting over 2300 fps with the Hornady bullet, but uses 38/55 brass because of the extra case caoacity,but that was his load in his BIG BORE,see if Paco's books are stll available,they are a great read.

[txpete]

the sweet spot with my 375 BB 94 is 36.0 gr rl-7 hornady 220.

its kind of funny its like loading unique for the 45 colt.I will go out and buy some new whizz bang powder for my bisley but I always come back to unique.its ditto with RL-7 for the winchester BB.YMMV