38-55 LOADS FOR 375 WIN - The Firearms Forum

WILD CAT · 02-21-2011, 09:41 AM

I own a Winchester 375 BB lever action in almost new condition. I reload for it but I am running out of manual listed gunpowder and primers. I cast my own bullets at 248 grains. In many articles I find that 33-55 rounds could be fired safely in 375 Win. rifles. If so is it safe to reload using BL-C2 gunpowder and large pistol magnum primers? I have reloaded twelve 375 Win rounds with 33 grains of BL-C2, 248 grain cast bullets and Winchester large pistol primers.

The data for 33-55 suggests a maximum of 38 grains, but I always follow the safety first rule.

Please any advice is greatly appreciated. I live in Venezuela where our sport is highly restricted and reloading components are almost inexistent.

Bindernut · 02-26-2011, 11:17 AM

As long as you use .375 brass, you can safely load it down to .38-55 level using .38-55 reloading data.
Use rifle primers though...don't use pistol primers (regular or magnum)!
I don't have any data for BLC2 in .38-55 so I can't give advice on that particular load either. If you have data from a manual that uses BLC2, ythen you should be able to use it. Just change those primers to std rifle or whatever the data calls for.

A friend of mine has a .375 and he uses H4198 with 250gr cast bullets for a light load. I don't know the weight of his powder charge though.

.38-55 brass is 0.06" of an inch longer than .375 brass, so if you try to fire .38-55 cartridges in the .375 chamber, you will most likely have a dangerous situation.

02-21-2011, 09:41 AM	#1
WILD CAT V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Caracas, Venezuela Posts: 107	38-55 LOADS FOR 375 WIN I own a Winchester 375 BB lever action in almost new condition. I reload for it but I am running out of manual listed gunpowder and primers. I cast my own bullets at 248 grains. In many articles I find that 33-55 rounds could be fired safely in 375 Win. rifles. If so is it safe to reload using BL-C2 gunpowder and large pistol magnum primers? I have reloaded twelve 375 Win rounds with 33 grains of BL-C2, 248 grain cast bullets and Winchester large pistol primers. The data for 33-55 suggests a maximum of 38 grains, but I always follow the safety first rule. Please any advice is greatly appreciated. I live in Venezuela where our sport is highly restricted and reloading components are almost inexistent. -->

02-26-2011, 11:17 AM	#2
Bindernut Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: ND, USA Posts: 2,450	Re: 38-55 LOADS FOR 375 WIN As long as you use .375 brass, you can safely load it down to .38-55 level using .38-55 reloading data. Use rifle primers though...don't use pistol primers (regular or magnum)! I don't have any data for BLC2 in .38-55 so I can't give advice on that particular load either. If you have data from a manual that uses BLC2, ythen you should be able to use it. Just change those primers to std rifle or whatever the data calls for. A friend of mine has a .375 and he uses H4198 with 250gr cast bullets for a light load. I don't know the weight of his powder charge though. .38-55 brass is 0.06" of an inch longer than .375 brass, so if you try to fire .38-55 cartridges in the .375 chamber, you will most likely have a dangerous situation. Last edited by Bindernut; 02-26-2011 at 11:19 AM..