Can anyone who has actually fired 375 through a 38 55 please confirm it works or doesn't. Heard lots, read some but never met anyone if you know what I mean. 
38:55 and 375 win
- Thread starter tim@vhmulcher.com
- Start date
- Location
- West Quebec
Hello and welcome to the forums
- Location
- West Quebec
Tim it's better to use an Alias instead of your e-mail address
nitro-express
CGN Regular
- Location
- R0G 0M0
A quick interweb search will get you the straight skinny on the pressure differences, (SAAMI max), and a bit of research will uncover the case construction differences.
I've fired a few rounds through my 38-55, a Saskatchewan Commemorative, all handloads. The rifle being a modern production 94, (can you say oxymoron), it can safely handle loads up to 30-30 max pressure. SAAMI max pressure for the 30-30 is 42,000 psi. The 375 is app 10,000 psi more, and a 38-55 about 10,000 psi less. New 38-55 brass is, for sake of argument, just as strong as 30-30 brass, and can be loaded to the same pressure, for modern rifles. New 38-55 brass is not made strong enough to load to 375 Win pressure. 375 Win brass is made thicker and stronger to handle the increased pressure.
Here's the rub, and I'll quote from Buffalo Bore;
"The longer 38-55 brass, with thinner case walls than 375 Winchester brass, gives much more case capacity and this allows chamber pressures to drop immensely. i.e. our 38-55 loads give the same performance (a 250gr. bullet @ 2000 fps) as the original 375 Winchester loading, but at only 38,000 CUP instead of the industry max. pressure of 52,000 CUP that the original 375 Winchester was rated at."
So, to answer your question, have I fired 375 Win ammo in my 38-55? No, 375 Win ammo is loaded to higher pressures than what would be prudent to fire in my 94. But I have used 375 Win data (for 375 Win brass) to establish safe starting loads for my 38-55, loaded in longer and lighter 38-55 brass. Remember all listed 38-55 load data is limited to 38-55 pressure, which is lower than 30-30 pressure.
I chrono my loads to establish my load criteria. A lead bullet of 250 gr at 1300 fps is equivalent to an original black powder 38-55 load. App 1600 fps is at the old High Velocity load and 1700 fps was the High Power loading. I load with cast bullets of 250 gr, 265 gr, 275 gr and 285 gr. The 285's are loaded to app 1300 fps, an accurate load. The 265's seem to like 1500 fps.
The 375 Win is usually loaded with a 200 gr jacketed bullet at 2200 fps.
A 265 gr bullet @ 1500 fps is a handful to hang onto, in a light 94, and enough power for my needs, ringing gongs and busting milk jugs. Because of the larger bore of the 38-55, .379 nominally, jacketed bullets sized at 375 are usually poor performers.
I've shot ammo with the brass trimmed to 2.020, 2.080 and have some brass at 2.125, the original length. In a 94, not a factor IMHO. More of a factor is having a bullet sized to .379, which is about as big as you can go before you have chambering issues. Use hard cast or gas-checked bullets, at least until you get a feel for what your rifle likes. Accuracy goes west if all is not well, decent when the recipe is good. I have a mold that casts 377, and that bullet works if cast with lino and loaded stiff.
I've fired a few rounds through my 38-55, a Saskatchewan Commemorative, all handloads. The rifle being a modern production 94, (can you say oxymoron), it can safely handle loads up to 30-30 max pressure. SAAMI max pressure for the 30-30 is 42,000 psi. The 375 is app 10,000 psi more, and a 38-55 about 10,000 psi less. New 38-55 brass is, for sake of argument, just as strong as 30-30 brass, and can be loaded to the same pressure, for modern rifles. New 38-55 brass is not made strong enough to load to 375 Win pressure. 375 Win brass is made thicker and stronger to handle the increased pressure.
Here's the rub, and I'll quote from Buffalo Bore;
"The longer 38-55 brass, with thinner case walls than 375 Winchester brass, gives much more case capacity and this allows chamber pressures to drop immensely. i.e. our 38-55 loads give the same performance (a 250gr. bullet @ 2000 fps) as the original 375 Winchester loading, but at only 38,000 CUP instead of the industry max. pressure of 52,000 CUP that the original 375 Winchester was rated at."
So, to answer your question, have I fired 375 Win ammo in my 38-55? No, 375 Win ammo is loaded to higher pressures than what would be prudent to fire in my 94. But I have used 375 Win data (for 375 Win brass) to establish safe starting loads for my 38-55, loaded in longer and lighter 38-55 brass. Remember all listed 38-55 load data is limited to 38-55 pressure, which is lower than 30-30 pressure.
I chrono my loads to establish my load criteria. A lead bullet of 250 gr at 1300 fps is equivalent to an original black powder 38-55 load. App 1600 fps is at the old High Velocity load and 1700 fps was the High Power loading. I load with cast bullets of 250 gr, 265 gr, 275 gr and 285 gr. The 285's are loaded to app 1300 fps, an accurate load. The 265's seem to like 1500 fps.
The 375 Win is usually loaded with a 200 gr jacketed bullet at 2200 fps.
A 265 gr bullet @ 1500 fps is a handful to hang onto, in a light 94, and enough power for my needs, ringing gongs and busting milk jugs. Because of the larger bore of the 38-55, .379 nominally, jacketed bullets sized at 375 are usually poor performers.
I've shot ammo with the brass trimmed to 2.020, 2.080 and have some brass at 2.125, the original length. In a 94, not a factor IMHO. More of a factor is having a bullet sized to .379, which is about as big as you can go before you have chambering issues. Use hard cast or gas-checked bullets, at least until you get a feel for what your rifle likes. Accuracy goes west if all is not well, decent when the recipe is good. I have a mold that casts 377, and that bullet works if cast with lino and loaded stiff.
