.375 winchester loads

[Alaskan Ironworker]

My dad inherited a pristine winchester 94 big bore from an old family friend last year. Hes got 1 box of loaded ammo and about 100 empty cases Id like to reload for him. Hes in love with this beautiful handy rifle and insists on making it his camp/bear gun. I was checking out hornady’s 300 grain flat nose dangerous game bullets for .375 cal, but cant find any load data. Anyone got experience?

 

[jmr40]

Hodgdon lists loads here.

http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/rifle

The 375 never caught on because in the real world it doesn't do anything a 30-30 or 35 Rem won't do at least as well, except kick harder. 200-220 gr bullets are as heavy as Hodgdon shows. IIRC they did offer a 250 gr load at one time.

 

[Alaskan Ironworker]

Thats kinda what Ive been tellin him. Get a 45-70 or a .454 carbine. I just wondered if anyone experimented, hodgdons is my “go -to” and they dont have squat.

 

[Keyfer 55]

Accurate powder company, there web site has a place for questions? I have AA2460 bought years ago so I sent an
Email about using it in a 45/70 the next day
they sent me load data.

 

[Alaskan Ironworker]

Ill look into it, thanks for the lead

 

[Keyfer 55]

Sierra bullet co. has a help phone number also.

 

[stringnut]

You could probably find some data for 250 lead bullets. If they are hard cast it would probably be adequate for close range on just about anything. The factory 250 hit about 1800-1900 hundred. That was a jacketed load. A friend had one when we were kids. The rifle is pretty light and I remember the recoil being rather unpleasant with the 220 grain bullets he loaded.

 

[someguy2800]

Here is from Speer #10, and Lyman #49. I don’t have a 375 win, but I think I would opt for a 250 grain hard cast gas gas check from Montana Bullet Works

 

[CraigC]

Agreed on the 250-265gr cast.

The 375 never caught on because in the real world it doesn't do anything a 30-30 or 35 Rem won't do at least as well, except kick harder. 200-220 gr bullets are as heavy as Hodgdon shows. IIRC they did offer a 250 gr load at one time.

Nonsense, no matter how many times you post it. The .375JDJ essentially duplicates the .375Win out of a handgun and has been used to take all manner of African dangerous game.

 

[Old Stumpy]

The 375 never caught on because in the real world it doesn't do anything a 30-30 or 35 Rem won't do at least as well, except kick harder.

The Hodgdon manual manual lists a velocity of just over 2200 FPS for both the 170 grain .30-30 JSP and also the 220 grain .375 Win. JSP.
Obviously a cartridge using a significantly larger diameter bullet which weighs almost 30% more than the 170 grain .30-30 bullet, while achieving the same velocity, is a more powerful and more effective hunting round. It would be foolish and deceptive to state otherwise.

The .35 Remington has almost the same diameter as the .375 Winchester bullet at .358", but only achieves a bit less than 2100 FPS, and with only a 200 grain bullet.

The .375" Winchester is obviously a more powerful cartridge than either the .30-30 or the .35 Winchester. The main reason it didn't catch on in the 1980s is probably that the average lever action rifle buyer simply did not care. A .30-30 was cheaper and a deer rifle was a deer rifle as far as they were concerned. Also, if they wanted a more powerful cartridge in a traditional lever action, they could go to .45-70 or .444 Marlin.

Both the .35 Remington and the .375 Winchester are powerful enough for moose or elk, where the .30-30 is marginal.
So the .375 Winchester does indeed do something in the real world that the .30-30 will not do as well.

Also, the Marlin .375 that I owned didn't seem to have any significantly greater perceived recoil than the Marlin .30-30 that I owned. It was in fact a very pleasant cartridge to shoot.

 

[Alaskan Ironworker]

The winchester .375 kicks right on step with my .454 carbine; a vicious sharp jab with those guns being so light. Seems alot more than the 30-30 to me. Any way, thanks for the insight guys, I’ll track down some 250 grainers or maybe the 264s. I’ll get a picture of the rifle sometime too, shes like brand new and beautiful.

 

[Old Stumpy]

The winchester .375 kicks right on step with my .454 carbine; a vicious sharp jab with those guns being so light.

Really? I don't recall that with my .375 Marlin. But it did have a thin recoil pad. Maybe that's a point in the Marlin's favor.
A really nice rifle. Basically a 336 with a half magazine, thin recoil pad, and a factory detachable 1" leather sling.

 

[ATCDoktor]

My accuracy load for my Winchester (no safety) BB in 375 is the top end load of Alliant Reloader 7 and a Sierra 200 grain JSP bullet.

It is very accurate in my gun.

 

[DukeConnor]

I dropped quite a few deer with mine in the 80's. I don't remember the recoil being particularly harsh although I never had the need for a second shot. Whitetails just dropped in their tracks.

Lent it to my nephew and he somehow lost it in the woods behind his house.

 

[357smallbore]

Wanted a 375 when they came out. But after reviews and a studying of the caliber. I saw no need to get it. Now I'd like to have a 356 Winchester though.

 

[Alaskan Ironworker]

Ive nearly purchased a marlin in .375 myself at a gunshow, but I already have a rossi 92 in .454. The only thing my dads winchester has over mine is fit and finish. Honestly a marlin 45-70 makes alot more sense as a “bear defense/camp gun,” but like I said he inherited it, so it is what it is; a very shiny free gun.

 

[Old Stumpy]

Wanted a 375 when they came out. But after reviews and a studying of the caliber. I saw no need to get it. Now I'd like to have a 356 Winchester though.

Would you care to elaborate?
What did your studies of the caliber reveal?
What, specifically, about it made you decide not to get it?

I can't imagine why anyone would want to bother with the .356 Winchester. It died in childbirth and never went anywhere.
And, it's ballistics are only mildly better than the .375 Winchester.

 

[adobewalls]

Sierra makes a 200 gr. Flat point bullet and Barnes makes a 255 gr. Bullet.

Powders that are reported to work well are Reloder 7, Reloder 10X, AA1680, IMR or H 4198 and a few others.

I bought one when they came out, stupidly traded it, and only recently reaquired one. I have not yet reloaded for it, but the above reflects my research.

 

[Buckeye63]

I used to own a couple Leverguns in 375 Winchester ... This was my simple load I used with the Hornady 220gr FP .. I shot only one Whitetail deer with this load ..
It was a big bodied 4 PT'er it was taken by a Marlin at around 75yds ..or there abouts ... Broke a shoulder and sent bone fragments though him like shrapnel through its lungs and making a huge exit wound .. The reason I remember so well my nephew was with me and had to help me drag it out of a horrible thicket ... he was 10 (now 22)
The 375 is a heck of a cartridge , so is the 38-55 in a modern gun , loaded to similar pressures ..

 

[misser]

ok last post is a little over a year old. i have a 375 jdj in both hand cannon and rifle barrel . my biggest disappointment was that Hornady stopped making 220gr FP . have tired the sierra 200 in the hand cannon even used IMR8208 which was ok ,what can i say ,its not he Hornady 220gr FP the sierra 250 BTSP works . the rifle with Hornady 220gr FP was best with H4064

 

[Gordon]

The .38-55 was highly regarded as a heavy hitter in it's day and a favorite Eastern Moose cartridge. The .375 is just it on steroids.

 

[Varminterror]

I repaired a Win 94 Big Bore in .375 win this winter, NIB, never fired, but it would not feed or extract, and the owner wanted it to be functional, even if it would not be used. I had heard of the round before, but had not looked much at the specific details. After my time handling it and studying the load data, it nearly became the only Win 94 chamber I actually want to own.

Interestingly enough, it’s not so dissimilar to the 223/5.56 relationship with the 350 Legend - Until I could source some .375 Win dummy rounds from another reloader to confirm, I had to use .30-30 dummies to function test feeding in the .375.

 

[DocRock]

I use the Lyman 375449 GC from Montana Bullet Works as a cast load in my 375 Ruger. It basically mimics a 375 Win load. I'd be happy to use that on deer, bear, elk. I would prefer a softer bullet but MBW only do fairly hard lead.

 

[Jerry M]

300 gr Hornady RN is too hard of a bullet for the .375 Winchester. I think I should have used a softer bullet than the 300 gr. round nose soft point on my lion. It was perfect for Cape Buffalo, both shot out of a .375 H&H Magnum. If they are the newer Dangerous Game bullets they are steel cased brass plated, possibly even harder then what I used.

Good Luck

Jerry

 

[Fyrstyk]

I have had good luck and accuracy with the Barnes 210 grain bullet in my T/C Contender chambered for the .375 WinHy. It is a .375 with a tight chambered, long throat and the same twist as a 38/55. It uses 30-30 brass necked up to allow for more powder. I get 2280 FPS out of a 12" ported barrel, and 2" accuracy at 150 yards from the bench. This gun has dropped quite a few deer for me, all with only one shot.