All I can say is WTF on this one...

vancouverbc

vancouverbc

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Has the 375 H&H case changed since the 50's or 60's? If it has then you can disregard this entire post. I am an idiot. If not....

So I bought a newish X Bolt with a stated 10 rounds through it. Beauty. I ordered up some new 375 H&H brass and waiting for it. In the meantime I bought 40 old cases off a CGN'er just to have some extra lying around to "tinker". Cool old Winchester box too - they are Winchester Super Speed Silvertip 375 H&H. Some hand writing inside the box shows the previous owner's two loads on the brass from March 1968. Well I didn't think the brass was nearly that old but anywho....

So I pop some empty cases into the mag just to see how it feeds and ejects. Start feeding the case and fits maybe half way and grinds to a halt. Happens with 5 or 6 cases. OK no big deal the brass needs to be re-sized.

I run it through a new Lee sizing die, check all of the dimensions with the digital caliper and it's all within case specs I found... except the same thing happens, it won't load into the gun. It gets stuck about half way. No obvious obstructions/issues in the receiver, barrel or bolt and yep, it's stamped 375H&H on the barrel so I'm guessing it's a 375 H&H!

So what gives? I am going to find some factory ammo just to eliminate an issue with the gun but this one has me scratching my head.
 
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Are you sure you are not trying to load .375 Weatherby Magnum brass?
Same base/rim/belt, but 1mm bigger in diameter at the base of the shoulder.... Would account for 1/2 way in before stopping? Check the chamber for rust/broken case?
 
Weird one for sure. The tapered case of the H&H should allow much more insertion of the case before binding if it was just a sizing issue. Sounds more like the cases are Weatherby or such, but if your dies are H&H that should be obvious.

What does the shoulder on the cases look like? Could it be Ackley'd? (the ammo not the rifle).


ETA, I would double and triple check the chamber for an obstruction of some sort.
 
Good news is the rifle is fine and fits factory ammo (phew!)

Running it through the sizing die and seating a bullet made no difference on this old brass. I'm no expert (if it wasn't already obvious) but shouldn't the full length sizing die take care of this issue?

20140328_174501_zpsf9fa5a70.jpg


20140328_174349_zpsd04a8304.jpg


20140328_174719_zpsf5a4b81d.jpg


20140328_174848_zpsab966f8e.jpg
 
I looked at pics of a .375 H&H case, there's a definite taper. Your sized case doesn't look like it has much taper at all, especially in the first picture. Could you have the wrong dies?
Or maybe you aren't running the case all the way through? It looks like it's just sized 1/4 of the way through.
 
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Maybe it's just me but the shoulder angle in the picts looks steeper than it should. Also, the neck length should be around .350" rather than .328 ".

What's the case diameter just behind the shoulder? It should be around .449".

cd375hollandandhollandmagnum.jpg
 
Thanks a lot for the input guys. So just below the shoulder it comes up at .486 - obviously the issue. My dies are brand new Lee's (have the full length sizer / decapper, bullet seater, and crimp). I just assumed the full length sizing die would have taken care of the taper required?
 
Lubed the case and ran it all the way through the die (screwed it down as far as it would go to be sure!) a few times....nada. The dies are also stamped so that can't be the issue.
 
:rolleyes: Anneal the brass to soften it. Then use your lee die to resize it. Sometimes old brass gets hard (springy) and will spring back after resizing. Soft, properly annealed brass won't do that.
 
vancouverbc said:
Good news is the rifle is fine and fits factory ammo (phew!)

Running it through the sizing die and seating a bullet made no difference on this old brass. I'm no expert (if it wasn't already obvious) but shouldn't the full length sizing die take care of this issue?


20140328_174719_zpsf5a4b81d.jpg


20140328_174848_zpsab966f8e.jpg
Click to expand...

those pictures are not of a standard 375 H & H... they are of an improved version... and I doubt you will be able to size them back to the original sized case. I know you have not run that case all the way into a full length sizing die. Your press must be springing considerably with the force required....

Take a picture of the 375 H & H factory ammo beside the case that does not fit... big difference...

375cases-0.jpg
 
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guntech said:
those pictures are not of a standard 375 H & H... they are of an improved version... and I doubt you will be able to size them back to the original sized case. I know you have not run that case all the way into a full length sizing die.

Take a picture of the 375 H & H factory ammo beside the case that does not fit... big difference...
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input. As far as running the case all the way into a full length sizing die, believe me it's been shoved up there as far as is physically possible, which is all the way! :)
 
I am with Guntech on this one...The minute I seen your first pic I thought of,its a improved case. Could be a Ackley,or WBY,but its not a standard 375 hh case at all.
 
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