Home Forums Lever Action Central Big Bore Levers Bullets for the 375

Picked up a fairly well used 375 Big Bore for the canoe. When it shot 200 grain Factory bullets 2037ft/sec) into 5" groups I wondered. An old box of 250 grain discontinued power point factory loads (1770ft/sec) went into about 2.75 inches and with open sights I find that satisfactory. 255 grain Barnes's and Rl 7 (1850ft/sec) can get into just over 3" groups. However 235 Speer Bullets chucked into the lathe for Flat Pointing to 229 grains and given a cannelure and enough RL7 to get to 2025 ft/sec are giving me the best groups yet. The bullet also out penetrates everything else tried. It expands but I don't know how far out. Wish the 220 Hornady's where still being made.

Video Here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKNY261k8yQ&feature=youtu.be

North! glad to see you're posting videos again and great minds think alike! I just bought a 375 myself and have been experimenting with lead bullets as well using 5744 powder. Had pretty good luck with the 200gr Sierras and the 250gr Barnes using RL-7 powder, but the factory 200 gr Power Points were awful in the accuracy department. Keep us posted!

Thank you North 61. Vollmer bullets makes an assortment of 375 and 38/55 bullets. Their 220 grain performs closely to the Hornady 220. Sure wish Hornady would make a run of them.

Too hard to get semi-custom bullets up here in Canada. I can get Hawks. Might try some 200 grain Hawks next.

North61, I used the 375 Winchester for many years, built a 24in barrel mod94, took moose, black/brown bear and many deer. The 200gr factory were not accurate, 220 Hornady's were a little better, the 250 power point was accurate and performed perfectly. I believe the barrel twist was the reason. When Winchester dropped the 250gr I switched to the 356 as couldn't find a suitable replacement. Have heard a rumor the Kodiak will make a 250 flat point if their is any interest, believe that would be perfect. Ken Waters I believe tried the 235gr Speer but found that it was to stout to expand at 375 velocity.

I think expansion might be the thorn in the modified 235 grain Speer's side. Flat Nosed the b.c. must go down and I'd bet past 75 yards or so the speed will be so low that expansion would be marginal. The Barnes Original is no great shakes at expansion either. The Winchester 250 grain Power Point seemed to be the best bullet by far but I have only 1 left! I wonder why the big loading companies always discontinue the heavier bullet choice and keep the lightest?


Maybe I'll order up some 200 and 250 grain Hawk bullets and give them a go.

The 375Win in the top eject 94's is a sweet little combination that carries and points well. I like it and regard the cartridge as a 45-70 lite. Jacketed bullets over 200gr are problem but this caliber is really suited to cast bullets.

The fast twist (1 in 12"), deep rifling (in the Winchesters) and straight wall case point to heavy cast bullet use. The cartridge does have a large throat, but long heavy cast bullets work well.

One of the better mould designs was by Ranch Dog who studied the throat then designed a mould to suit. Moulds for that design are now available from NOE, including a HP option.

There are several off the shelf mould options that work well, though the crimp groove better suits use in a 38/55. A Lee FCD is useful tool to have as it enables you to use a different crimp location. Lyman, RCBS, Redding/Saeco have mould designs available. I have used most of those but the mould I use most is one by CBE in Australia - it's designated 376-300 GC. It's a FN 300gr pill that was specially designed for the 375 Win. My loads using Rel-7 develop 1850fps and accuracy is very good. With cast you can tailor the alloy to suit your game. The addition of a HP can provide Nosler Partition type performance. CBE also have a few other styles now, including one with a wider meplat. So, there are plenty of alternatives as long as you cast your own.

Thanks JFE: I went in and ordered the 300 grain CBE mold from Australia. I got the single mold with top punch. Never Cast before so I am going into unknown territory. I think the weight makes use of the fast twist of the Winchester and I hope it works out!

Welcome to the brave new world of bullet casting. If you haven't already done so you should check out the castboolits forum - there is wealth of info on tap there. Their reference section is well worth a visit too.

The LASC site is another good site for reference data and interesting articles.

http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/

http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm

I picked up a Winchester 94 XTR in 375 Win and posted here about it after restocking it with a new OEM brown Win-Tuf stock set. I have 60 rounds loaded with the Hornady 220gr., 80 rounds loaded with the Sierra 200gr. and 200 Sierra Pro Hunter 200gr. bullets when I need to load some more. For me, the rifle will be occasionally used for Whitetail here in the upper midwest at Tamarack swamp distances. I used to be heavily into casting projectiles for handgun and muzzleloader, but have been out of that game for some time now. For the distances I'll be shooting, these bullets will serve me quite well. Always enjoy, and learn from, your topics and videos North61, thanks for posting (still have my dad's first year 71 deluxe, it was neat reading about your testing of the old 348 Speer bullets I sent you).

Thanks again for that. It's always great seeing how the bullets of yester-year worked. The old bullet factories put more emphasis on low speed expansion than the "premium" bullets of today. Both ideas have their place.

North61,
Thanks for sharing your experiences,would you mind sharing some details on the lathe that you are using to modify the bullets please?I shoot levers a fair amount & some of the calibers that I shoot,FN bullets are not available.

Bill
North 61 shows his mini lathe on his YouTube channel. Good stuff

Thanks,I looked it up,it's home made & looks like it works real well.

I had excellent luck with the factory 200's in two Savage lever guns, both one-holers, literally. When factory ammo hit $90 a box I sold it all and now load 200 grain Sierras with the same good results. Love it when a plan comes together.

Sorry folks was on a self guided sheep hunt up here. Man what an experience, but out of forum contact. The Lathe I use is a Taig mini-Lathe, sold up here by Lee Valley and used mostly by mini model makers. I just took the 235 Speers down to 225 grains and will retest..the bullet on media. They might open up mpre if more lead is exposed but the javket is thick. I was thinking on the trip that the 375 with the modified 235 Speers would b a dandy grizzly defense gun. The Speers would penetrate well and 6 in the magazine in a very handy and light package. My 300 grn Cast mold came from australia. I guess I need to qcuire all the rest of the stuff for casting now. Found some 200 Sierras and will test these when they arrive as well.

I "solved" my .375 bullet problem by removing the lead tip from 235-grain Speers and cleaning them up with a file. I intended to test it on a hog or two, but never have had the chance so I don't know whether they'll open up at 2250. I still intend to find out.

Got a one hole group at 50 yards with the 230 grain versions (Flattened 235 Speer) which basically have me removing a skiff of copper. With the 225 versions I had a harder time getting to a consistent weight and they went into 2" at 50 yards. Range too busy to do expansion testing but will get that done shortly.

Great results, there. I wish I could see my sights better...I've had acceptable accuracy with them but nothing like that.


I would love to see how your expansion tests go, please DO post them!

Will do!
The one hole group is likely a fluke. 3 shot groups are not statistically telling unless repeatable. However, I also got 2" at 75yards with the 230 shortened Speers and Rl 7. So far seems like the best load.

Mine's parked at 35.3 grain of Re7. Seems to do okay. Like I said, I can't see my sights well at all, but I managed to keep five shots well under 2 inches at 50 yards. My guess is it shoots every bit as well as I can aim it. I'm getting about 2075 fps out of it according to my spreadsheets. I mis-remembered that 2250 fps business.

I looked up what Ken waters had to say about the Speer 235 expanding at .375W velocities---just last night in fact and I already don't recall exactly what he said about it, but it amounted to something like "I ain't too sure."

These work really well in both the .375 Win and my .375 Whelen Imp;

Sierra 200gr FP LINK

Ed

I have 200 Sierra 200 grainers coming this week. You know at 2400fps this is treading on the heels of the great 348 and 358 Winchesters! Back from an amazing sheep hunt and back out again next week but I spent some time yesterday testing the 235 Speer lathed back to 225 grain for a bigger lead exposure. Turns out to not make a difference I thought it might and I think 229 grains is the best modification. Also tries starline brass. Good brass but at 10 grains heavier than Winchester it has less capacity. Got over 2000fps with my standard load with 255 grain bullets. Need to cut back about 1.5 grains of powder when using starline.

Bullet test (375 Winchester)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTj1jiPYDPQ&t=6s

Sheep hunt (but not using a lever, even though I got close enough to use the 375) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LVZW9sPg0Y&t=22s

Excellent video, sir. I really appreciate your effort. The facefull of water was icing on the cake.

It looks to me like flattening the nose on the Speer is a practical solution if one wants to go to the trouble. Expansion might have been more at higher velocity, but a 1/2" slug is no BB. I expect success when I finally get the opportunity to plug a hog with my own .375W. I'd have opted for the Hornady 220s if they were still available and I did not know about Vollmer's offering when I took on the 235s, but I don't think I'll have any regrets.

Thanks again!

Those that load the 375 Win with Barnes 255gr, what OAL are you loading?

Thanks

load?

I load to 2.550 with the Barnes. Took out some 200 Sierra's today for the first time. AA1680 seems to offer equal accuracy and better velocities/pressure ration than RL7. Have a fairly nice load at 2300ft/sec. That folks is 356 Win territory! What a nice combination in a 6.25 pound carbine. The Sierra hangs together pretty well!

Final terminal ballistics video here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKuUWNMVa1k&feature=youtu.be

Next step moose. However maybe next year as I am going to bed the stock and see if I can get 2" groups out of the thing. So far 2.5" groups but only with the lathed down 229 Grain Speer bullets. The Sierra and Barnes print closer to 4" groups at 100 yards. Probably good enough for a camp gun but I'd like it to do better.

I saw you had a Williams (?) rear sight on your Big Bore. What model number? the regular 94 does not fit it because of the bulge

Sorry I have been out and about!

I used the regular Williams and just filed the base till it fit. However I managed to strip the one locking screw that threaded into the aluminum base. So I took it off and put back on the open sight and will stick with the sourdough front. For whatever reason I am shooting as good or better groups than I did with the peep. The flat topped front sight really helps index on the vertical plane.

I also received some 271 grain hard cast and gas-ck'd bullets from Jet bullets an outfit up here in Canada. They shoot really well! Sorta wish I hadn't bought the mold now. Too many hobbies already and casting bullets will require more equipment.

I am also going on a late season moose hunt down one of our rivers in the big Clipper Freighter canoe with the 6HP Suzuki. 300 KM in the Yukon Wilderness. In front will be my son. He will have his Ruger Ranch in 450 Bushmaster. It's a proven moose getter! I'll have the Big Bore 94 in 375 Win. Some will disagree but I am liking the 200 Sierras and am disciplined enough to do a side lung shot behind the front leg. I think the expansion will help put an 800 pound deer down pretty fast and figure it will put both lungs out of action. I could be talked into the 255 Barnes as well.

Not enough adjustment on the rear open sight to get the hard cast bullets into the bulls eye. Leaving on Thursday. Things are getting a bit freezy up here but it's worth a shot.