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-   -   Can you?? (https://www.huntingnet.com/forum/reloading/428170-can-you.html)

bronko22000 07-19-2022 06:10 PM

Can you??
 
I'm pretty sure the answer is yes but can you use 375 Winchester dies to reload .38-55 ammo?

Olde NE Hunter 07-19-2022 07:56 PM

I'm not a expert, but from what I read in my Lyman Manual, 49th edition, I would say no.

Let me quote the last three sentences which talks about ammo not reloading ...
"Never put a 375 Winchester round into a 38-55 Winchester. Nor should you
attempt to use 38-55 ammo in the 375 Winchester. Incompatible neck diameters
can cause serious hazard.
According to the diagrams in the manual there are some small differences in case diameters
and a somewhat bigger difference in the neck diameter. Since it's a rimmed case it going to
head space off the rim so the difference in case length may not matter.

I'll wait and see what others say

Ridge Runner 07-20-2022 02:30 AM

Gonna say yes, according to buffalo bore the cases are close enough to be interchangable.
https://www.buffalobore.com/index.ph...uct_list&c=175
try one and see if it chambers.
oonly problem I see is perhaps you may have to change the expander ball if the neck tension is to light.

Nomercy448 07-20-2022 06:00 AM

I was only function testing, but I did some work on a Big Bore 94 last year and needed ammo - I used 38-55 brass I had on hand from my Cowboy Action side stage days with customer supplied 375 dies to make dummies. Neck tension and brass thickness, chamber support, should be a quick spec check.

bronko22000 07-20-2022 06:12 AM


Originally Posted by Ridge Runner (Post 4404865)
Gonna say yes, according to buffalo bore the cases are close enough to be interchangable.
https://www.buffalobore.com/index.ph...uct_list&c=175
try one and see if it chambers.
oonly problem I see is perhaps you may have to change the expander ball if the neck tension is to light.


Originally Posted by Nomercy448 (Post 4404871)
I was only function testing, but I did some work on a Big Bore 94 last year and needed ammo - I used 38-55 brass I had on hand from my Cowboy Action side stage days with customer supplied 375 dies to make dummies. Neck tension and brass thickness, chamber support, should be a quick spec check.

I got a deal on 130 new .38-55 brass (4 boxes of 20 and a bag of 50) so I grabbed them. I do have a 375 Win and I can trim this brass down to 375 Win length and use them in my Big Bore. But what I'm really hoping is to find a nice old 1894 in .38-55 and use them in it. I just got to be very careful not to shoot any of the 375s out of it. I think all I would need to load the .38-55 is to adjust the 375 dies for bullet seating.
I was able to easily chamber one of these brass in my 375 but that was without a bullet. I may just try and seat a bullet and see if it chambers.

hardcastonly 07-20-2022 04:08 PM

https://saami.org/wp-content/uploads...sting-Copy.pdf

why not look up the chamber and case differences and reload data

bronko22000 07-20-2022 06:29 PM


Originally Posted by hardcastonly (Post 4404877)
https://saami.org/wp-content/uploads...sting-Copy.pdf

why not look up the chamber and case differences and reload data

I did and the only major difference is the 38-55 case is slightly longer which is not a problem as I can trim them down. Also it looks as though the 375s brass is about .004" thicker based on the images I saw on line. Everything else is close enough. As for reloading data the .38-55 is loaded to milder pressures. From what I understand you can shoot 38-55s out of a 375 Win but not vice versa. The 375's pressures are too high for the 38-55.
I guess I should have rephrased the question. Can I load 38-55 brass up to 375 pressures without having any case ruptures?

hardcastonly 07-21-2022 08:50 AM

the difference in increased velocity, if you reloaded 38-55 brass to drive bullets of identical weight, at 375 win pressure levels is not worth the increased risk , incurred with use of the thinner brass case in my opinion.

bronko22000 07-22-2022 05:47 PM

Well to answer the question yes you can use 375 Win dies for 38-55 Win even without trimming. I sized, flaired, and seated a bullet to the max 38-55 length of 2.550" and it dropped neatly into the chamber of my Big Bore 94.
Hardcast as far as pushing the 38-55 brass to 375 pressures rest assured that I see no reason to do that. I don't even load my 375s up hot. No deer is ever going to know the difference of a few fps at the ranges I will be using the rifle. And the 38-55 has been killing deer for decades.

hardcastonly 07-23-2022 11:00 AM

yeah, most hard cast projectiles can be both very accurate and very lethal ,
without the need to have the handloads reach the max potential velocity.


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