Winchester big bore .375?s

[rjohns94]

I think I might want one of these. Thoughts on caliber? Suitable for elk? I was thinking a low power variable scope. How is ammo availability? What would you pay for one? Any problems with the rifles I need to know about? Thanks.

[TedH]

The 375 Winchester is one of my favorite leverguns. I had a Winchester for several years, and sold it after I picked up a Marlin 375 and liked it better, and it's got a Nikon 2-7x32 on top. I wouldn't hesitate to use mine on elk. You can easily push a 220 grain bullet 2200 fps. You can get factory ammo in 200, 220, and 250 gr. bullet weights, there may be others I'm not aware of too. I mostly shoot cast in mine, from a Ranch Dog mold that makes a bullet that's 235 gr. from my wheel weight alloy. Another plus, you can form brass from 30-30's too. A decent condition Winchester will probably be in the $600-$700 range.

Here's a good article from Paco on his experience with the 375 BB.

http://www.fiveshot.org/backissues/paco/375win.htm

[6pt-sika]

I like the 375 WIN leveraction however I prefer it in the Marlin persuaision !

The two I had worked very nicely with both jacketed and cast bullets .

However if it were me and I were going after elk I would be more inclined to take a 444 Marlin but then thats the only Marlin's I have anylonger .

A 444 using the Ranch Dog 432-265GC , the Ranch Dog 432-300GC or my version of the Ranch Dog made by Mountain Molds 432-325GC .

My circa 1966 Marlin in 444 with the 19" barrel and a Weaver K3 on top is very nice both shooting and carrying . At present this ones set up with my RD/MM 432-325GC bullet pushed with 52 grains of XMR2015 and lit with a CCI200 primer .

[6pt-sika]

Oh I might add once I kill something with my Ruger #1H 416 REM MAG I plan on taking the old Leupold Vari XII 1-4 off the 416 and put it on my bobbed 444 !

[Blaine]

I wish I'd known....my 94BB is not for sale, but, I'd have let you coon-finger it for awhile I have no idea where factory ammo is available....I can not find any.

[6pt-sika]

I mostly shoot cast in mine, from a Ranch Dog mold that makes a bullet that's 235 gr. from my wheel weight alloy.

I used RD's 235 grainer a bit but he made a 210 grain version first which he wasn't totally satisfied with . Anyway I kinda preffered 210 grainer over the 235 . When I sold off my 375's I let the 235 mold go but I think I still have the 210 grainer !

[TedH]

I mostly shoot cast in mine, from a Ranch Dog mold that makes a bullet that's 235 gr. from my wheel weight alloy.

I used RD's 235 grainer a bit but he made a 210 grain version first which he wasn't totally satisfied with . Anyway I kinda preffered 210 grainer over the 235 . When I sold off my 375's I let the 235 mold go but I think I still have the 210 grainer !

Well if you do still have it, and you get the urge to part with it, let me know. Is it a 2 or 6 cavity?

[cshold]

Here's a dandy model 99 new in box vin. 1980.
With a 1-4x Leupold on top. this rifle would look awsome.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... =377025040

[AJMD429]

375 Win ammo occasionally shows up here: http://ammoseek.com/ammo/375-winchester.

That would be the chambering I'd want (and got); seems a nice 'medium power' round to go with a 375 H&H or 375 Ruger (both can shoot the same cast bullets at the 375 Win velocities).

If you already have something in the 30-30 class and the 45-70 or 444 class, the 375 splits the difference quite nicely. I took a picture (below) of the cartridges I have (or want) leverguns for, and the 375 Winchester is literally in the middle of the long-action ones.

[handirifle]

For the OP, not all Win BB's were scopeable. There were some angle eject versions and those will accept a scope and bases, but those like mine the top eject, will not, at least not a conventional setup. There is a side mount but less than ideal in my opinion.

As for ammo, the ONLY factory ammo I have ever seen, in the last 8 years or so, has been 200gr, and they are not ideal for elk. The Barnes originals are the best out there for elk.

My dad was the one that originally bought my rifle and 15 years ago he could not find the 250's. So good luck.

Personally if I were buying a leveraction caliber/rifle for elk, it would be the 444 or 45-70. In the 45-70, I would get a 400gr load at about 1800fps.

[86er]

While I have not pulled the trigger on a 375 Win myself, I have had clients use the cartridge and its close relative the 38-55 Win and therefore witnessed some elk and other animals shot with those rounds. The personal opinions of the clients were actually unsupported by the evidence presented by the dead animals. The shooters were somewhat concerned about a low sectional density of bullets and wanted shots 100 yards, preferably less but slightly more was considered. The also took their time to get broadside lung shots. In spite of that plan the shot placement varied. While there was logic based on numerical specifications of the bullets and load, I thought they did pretty good. A 200 grain RN jacketed bullet knocked a bull elk straight down through the shoulders at 80 yards. A 240 grain flat nose hard cast bullet hit a cow elk just behind the shoulder on a hard quartering-to shot and exited the opposite side behind the rib cage. One guy has 225 grain spire point bullets, loaded 2 at a time, on a scoped rifle. He shot two small red deer cows (200 pounds) each at around 100 yards. The bullets exited and did not show much sign of expansion, but the does went down after a short run of 50-60 yards each. One hog was shot with the 38-55 using a 220 grain cast bullet. The shot was under 50 yards and the bullet did not exit but it put the hog down right there and it expired in a few more seconds. I had a serious interest in the caliber and rifles used, so I paid close attention to the details of this hunt. There were 10 animals shot with 6 different bullets altogether, from factory 200 grain to 225 gr pointed and 240 gr and 255 gr cast handloads. The owners did not know the exact velocity, rather relying on book recipes for a ballpark velocity and otherwise focusing on accuracy. After seeing the results, I'd fully rely on one for deer, hogs and black bear at ranges where I could hit them just right. I would be hesitant to take one on a bull elk hunt where it was limited draw, a lot of expense and undertaking or otherwise some "hunt of a lifetime" because I would feel personally limited in shot distance for reliable performance. However, that is based on the owners initial reservations they shared with me and my own prejudicial input. The actual terminal results prove the worthiness of the cartridge on a variety of game and in different situations, certainly within the 100 yards or so where these events all took place. I personally chose a 356 Win for a Big Bore 94 for a little more load versatility and a numerical advantage (real or otherwise) compared to the 375. Same when I made the Henry a 35-30. I can load a 225 grain at 2300 fps and a 300 grain at 1900 fps.

[missionary5155]

Good morning
Caliber .38 leverguns are always a good choice. It is hard to imagine how you could be wrong with one in your hands. You can trace the caliber 38 cartriges way back into the rimfires because it was always a good ballance of mass with velocity.
The caliber 38-55 and the 375 Winchester just add to the time line of very useful launching platforms.
I would be a reloader first if I was going to be a 375 Winchester shooter unless you are not going to shoot much. Ammo costs more than I would want to pay.
I also cast my own.. So I have access to lead bullets from 150 grains up to 320 grains with really opens the door to versitility. Plus the lowly round ball is a super bunny and squirrel thumper.
So if you want one of the most usable calibers out there Buy, Buy, Buy ! I have them.. no none are for sale.
Mike in Peru

[2ndovc]

Pm inbound

[6pt-sika]

I mostly shoot cast in mine, from a Ranch Dog mold that makes a bullet that's 235 gr. from my wheel weight alloy.

I used RD's 235 grainer a bit but he made a 210 grain version first which he wasn't totally satisfied with . Anyway I kinda preffered 210 grainer over the 235 . When I sold off my 375's I let the 235 mold go but I think I still have the 210 grainer !

Well if you do still have it, and you get the urge to part with it, let me know. Is it a 2 or 6 cavity?

Two cavity , at that time he did the test molds in two cavity . And this is one of only 4 that were ever made (not that it means a whole lot LOL's) !

[TedH]

I mostly shoot cast in mine, from a Ranch Dog mold that makes a bullet that's 235 gr. from my wheel weight alloy.

I used RD's 235 grainer a bit but he made a 210 grain version first which he wasn't totally satisfied with . Anyway I kinda preffered 210 grainer over the 235 . When I sold off my 375's I let the 235 mold go but I think I still have the 210 grainer !

Well if you do still have it, and you get the urge to part with it, let me know. Is it a 2 or 6 cavity?

Two cavity , at that time he did the test molds in two cavity . And this is one of only 4 that were ever made (not that it means a whole lot LOL's) !

Well if you every want to part with it I could put it back in use......

[6pt-sika]

If you already have something in the 30-30 class and the 45-70 or 444 class, the 375 splits the difference quite nicely.

In my ALWAYS biased , jaded and typically non bendable opinion the 375 WIN makes a nice light lever action caliber followed by the 444 as the medium caliber and the 45-70 as the stomper .

Now if we go with old originals I would be more inclined to go with a 32-40 as the light one , the 40-65 as the medium and a 45-90 as the heavy !

[Model 52B]

As far as i know the only company that has made .375 Win in any meaningful amount has been Winchester. They had 200 and 250 grain loadings, but they discontinued the 250 gr loading several years ago.

They are also not making the 200 gr loading currently, due to focusing on more popular calibers in the ammo shortage.

When you can find it, it will run $50-$55 per box of 20.

In terms of reloading you can find 200, 220 and 250 gr bullets but they are also hard to find at present given the focus on ammo and components that are in high demand. You need to stay with flat or round nosed bullets and you want to be sure the bullet is constructed for .375 Win rather than belted magnum .375 velocities.

The .375 Win is the most fun, in my opinion, with a heavy cast lead bullet. The Winchester BB94 has a fast twist that is well suited to long heavy bullets so 280-300gr bullets work really well.

Brass is currently hard to find as its production is also suspended. But you can blow out a new .30-30 case using 8.0 gr of unique under a case full of cream of wheat. I use a pea sized TP wad to hold it in the case, and I fire the round vertically so the brass flows evenly. The result are well formed cases that are good to at least 43,000 psi. They won't stand up to full bore .375 loads, but they are plenty thick enough for cast bullets in the .375 Win.

I have not seen a nice minty looking BB94 in .375 Win go for more than $800-$850 over the last few years, and I've seen excellent condition BB94s in .375 go for around $500. The value is actually down right now given the limited availability of ammo for them, and that makes them great buys at the moment.

[Griff]

Mike,

Love my Marlin 375... although it doesn't get shot much. I have 100 rounds of loaded ammo; 220gr Hornady JFP, 38 grains of RL-7 in Winchester cases (the only one who makes it), WLR primers, actual velocity of 2260fps. A zero of 170 works best for shots to 200 yards... no more than a 5" variance from line of sight.

Nobody has bullets. Brass is even scarce. And it is different than .38-55. If you don't have a rifle, I wouldn't go out of my way to acquire one.


.375 Performance:

35 Rem Performance:

.30WCF Performance:

[Mainehunter]

I'm heading north this Wednesday to camp and my go to rifle is......



Savage 99A 375 Win. Ever since I acquired it a few years ago it's becoming one of my favorites.

Mainehunter

[rjohns94]

Thanks guys. The ammo thing is a problem for me. So I'm switching my thinking on this one. Thanks

[cshold]

I'm heading north this Wednesday to camp and my go to rifle is......



Savage 99A 375 Win. Ever since I acquired it a few years ago it's becoming one of my favorites.

Mainehunter

Sharp looking rifle, particularly that wood