Look what I found

[Brad]

Stopped in the local Cabelas to see if they had a scope mount for a Ruger BH. They don't.
This is one of two guns that tickled my fancy. I passed on a pristine 624 in 44 special. This is something I couldn't pass on.

Other than the little chip in the checkering it is as it left the factory. Was part of a collection that Cabelas purchased. They gave me 60 bucks off due to the chip in the checkering. The muzzle shows it has never been fired. I walked out the door for $940, a price i felt was damn good considering the condition, the fact they are no longer made, and it is a Winchester so it will hold value pretty well. Seeing that the same store has a number of Marlin 336 used in the 450 to 550 range i thought this was a great buy.

This was one of a few guns I really wanted. Now to get some dies and start making ammo to feed it. If anyone has loads for one please let me know.

I do want to state that my wife was with me and she said that if I felt it was a good price I could have it. She is a keeper.

 

[35 shooter]

One of my biggest regrets was trading off a 1st year production .375 win. that i got brand new. If yours shoots like that one did (don't see why it wouldn't), your going to love it. Can't imagine what came over me back then.

Oh,yep, she's a keeper for sure!! I have to leave my girl friend at home when i go gun shopping lol!

 

[KHornet]

I will be anxious to shoot that rifle. I have been wanting a 375 for years, and have never had a chance to buy or shoot one. But will now have a chance to shoot Brads and looking forward to doing so.

 

[smokeywolf]

Brad, do I see a receiver sight on your new Winchester? 375, slightly littler brother to the 38-55. This should be a great meat gettin' rifle (carbine).

 

[Brad]

That is a Lyman receiver sight. It was on there when I purchased the rifle. Just one less thing to buy.

 

[Ian]

I'll be, Brad, you DO have some real class! Nice rifle, really nice.

You didn't tell the wifey that you now have to buy brass, reloading dies, and a new, custom bullet mould to go along with it, did you? If you do, just remind her how much money you'll save on top punches and bullet sizing dies since you have the lathe and all.

 

[Brad]

Khornet had a bag of 50 cases he gave me. He had them in case he ever got a rifle that needed them.
Dies will be ordered tomorrow. I just cast some 375449 from a borrowed mould. I have a few other moulds Khornet loaned me to try next.
Odd you mention a sizer, I already have a couple made. Don't forget, I have that CZ in 375 H&H too.

I need to PM fiver and get some info from him. I saw some old posts elsewhere about 1680 being used in his. I have 5 pounds of 1680 lookng for a good use, I I k I found it.

I have a great wife. I saw the rifle, said it was a good price and she said to get it. I never even asked! By using my Cabelas card I got enough points to buy some powder or primers next time I am there.

 

[waco]

Nice score man!

 

[Brad]

I loaded 50 rounds with a Lyman 375449 and 2400. Will see if weather holds tomorrow and give them a shot.

 

[fiver]

once you find the load with the 2400 then we can work on the 1680 again, it's slower than the 2400 sooo.

 

[Blaster]

Reloder 7 and H4198 work well also.

 

[Brad]

22 gr of 2400 was plenty for now. After 45 rounds of that I am a bit sore and tired. I think I will look at a slightly lower load, maybe start at 20 and see what happens.
Rifle shot reasonably well. I had 7 of last 10 inside 3 inches at 50 yards offhand.

I saw no signs of leading with .377 diameter bullets. I will see if going larger makes any difference.

Brass isn't easy to find so I am looking at getting 100 Starline 38-55 cases, the shorter ones, and trimming them for use. That beats waiting for a year or so for Win to make a run. Better brass too.

 

[smokeywolf]

Graf has an OK deal on 100 piece quantities of Starline 38-55 (2.082") brass.

Not sure if there will be any neck thinning to do as that would depend on your chamber. But take 1/16" off the length, might have to jump on your lathe and make a expansion/flaring stem.

If your lathe takes 5C collets and has a lever type collet closer, I have a pretty good way of trimming 45-70 cases down to 45-60 that I'm sure will work equally well for 38-55 down to 375.
Been a while since I ran a batch, but if memory serves I was trimming and deburring about 50 cases in 30 minutes and maintaining +/- .002.

 

[KHornet]

Shot Brads 375 from the bench this a.m. He shot off hand, and is a pretty decent off hand shooter. His loads were stout on the bench, but I put 5 into a bit over 4" at 50. Would make a whale of a deer or bear gun to a hundred or so.

 

[Brad]

No 5C collets. Not yet. They are on the short list of stuff I want/need.
The Starline cases will need a bit of trimming so I best get a case holder for the Wilson trimmer.
I made a new sizer today after I got home from the range. Sizes the bullets I shot today to a nice .3785, about what I wanted. They did t lead at .377 but I wanted a bit bigger to help will the throat. Ever since I started using the 4 jaw and learned how to quickly center stuff the better I do. Like casting, only one way to learn to operate the lathe and that is to do.

 

[smokeywolf]

I have duplicates of nearly all the sizes of 5C collets. Give me a list of sizes you'd like to have right away and I'd be more than happy to loan you whatever I have duplicates of. From 1/32 to 1-1/8 by 64ths I probably have duplicates of all but maybe a half dozen.

 

[Brad]

Thanks for the offer but I need to buy a collet chuck first. That should speed up production over a 4 jaw while keeping things centered.
I am learning why people say the lathe is the cheap part, the tooling is the expensive part.

I just made a .308+ sized that sizes bullets to a snug fit for the BH in 30 carbine. No wonder I played hell seating loaded rounds, a .312 bullet doesn't fit into a .309 throat worth a damn.

In the last 6 months I have learned more about proper sizing for revolvers than I thought I knew. Little changes can make all the difference in the world.

 

[fiver]

22 grs of 1680 might just be a good sart point then the slower powder will back down the velocity an pressure without you doing anything else.

hey the site saved my response from earlier, it kept showing a server error when I tried to post something.

 

[Brad]

The software seems to keep posts you type but don't send.

I am leaning toward finding a load for the 235 gr Lee in the 12-1400 fps range to get familiar with the rifle and really get the action broken in. Probably will go with Unique for that, or maybe see if I can find a nice a Reddot load.

The 1680 would be good too. I will look at that too.

 

[300BLK]

Reloader 7 under that 375449 would be where I would have started. Slightly slower burners up to H322 or AA2015 should work as well. 4227 and 5744 under 375248 or similar should be good. 4gr Universal under a 37583 for small game.