375 H&H help

[Rburns28]

I'm loading up some 375 H&H shells with a 300 GR swift A Frame. If i'm ready the book correctly the over all length should be 3.600 but when loaded to that length the grove in the bullet sticks out past the end of the casing. does this look like it should or should i seat it more? Thanks for any help Randy

 

[Hoofnit]

No need to seat it deeper unless you want to crimp them, and as long as they fit in your magazine.
Could be the cases are trimmed a bit short, nothing to worry about there either.
Hope this helps

 

[Joker12]

I'm loading up some 375 H&H shells with a 300 GR swift A Frame. If i'm ready the book correctly the over all length should be 3.600 but when loaded to that length the grove in the bullet sticks out past the end of the casing. does this look like it should or should i seat it more? Thanks for any help Randy

I am assuming that you plan to crimp the bullet in the case. If you use the Lee FCD you con crimp it right where it is or you can seat the bullet deep enough to crimp it in the groove. Have you tried chamber ing the cartridge as its pictured in your rifle? In my Swift manual the 3.600 length is the max cartridge overall length. If it were me I would seat the bullet deeper so that you can use the crimp groove.

 

[BryceM]

Totally agree. If you want to crimp them, the cannelure or groove is important. If not, the seating depth that gives you the most accuracy (and will still feed through the magazine) is what you're aiming for. For most rifles, a very short jump distance is desirable. It's perhaps less of an issue with .375 and up, but it takes some experimenting.

 

[Puddle]

Federal loads the A-Frame to an OAL of 3.570" - 3.575", which is just below the cannelure.
I load mine to an OAL of 3.590" only because that length works best in my barrel.

You can treat the Swift manual depiction of 3.60" OAL as reaching the cannelure as "aspirational".

+1 what others have mentioned regarding crimping.

 

[TOBY458]

If it were me, I’d seat it to the crimp groove and crimp it. In a rifle with significant recoil, you don’t want your bullets moving under recoil. The slight difference in OAL isn’t going to affect accuracy enough to matter in a big game rifle.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Regardless of caliber, the best way to tell if you have a proper C.O.A.L. is to test your reload in the chamber and if needed adjust your C.O.A.L. accordingly.

Im not familiar with reloading Swift A-Frames. As per your photo regarding your A-Frame C.O.A.L. with the bullet being seated below the cannalure; as long as the C.O.A.L. is correct and the bullet functions and loads properly into your rifle's magazine and chamber you should be good.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Did you check your case length. I bought a couple boxes of 404 RWS brass and it was all too short.

 

[Scott CWO]

I'm loading up some 375 H&H shells with a 300 GR swift A Frame. If i'm ready the book correctly the over all length should be 3.600 but when loaded to that length the grove in the bullet sticks out past the end of the casing. does this look like it should or should i seat it more? Thanks for any help Randy

Mine are loaded to 3.55 COAL. I’ve tried some lightly crimped and others not crimped. Very accurate in my rifle either way.

 

[Muskox]

I never got the same accuracy with crimped. Interesting that it doesn't matter in your 375.

 

[Luvthunt]

Mine are loaded to 3.55 COAL. I’ve tried some lightly crimped and others not crimped. Very accurate in my rifle either way.View attachment 670019

Same for me my mag in my Kimber jams when I tried the 3.60. I load all to 3.55. By the way I checked Federal factory and they were 3.55

 

[Rburns28]

Thanks for the input fellas

 

[Rburns28]

thx for the input fellas

 

[AZDAVE]

The best option in my opinion is the get the Hornaday Over all case length guage and verify your actual chamber with the bullet you are planning on using. I check with each different bullet what the length is to the lands and back off 20 thousands. the second check is once I have that length is to make sure it fits in the magazine and check that the rifle cycles perfecting with those rounds.

Lock‑N‑Load® O.A.L. Gauges & Modified Cases - Hornady Manufacturing, Inc

Lock-N-Load® O.A.L. Gauges Regulating seating depth and the resulting jump to the rifling is widely regarded as fundamental to improved accuracy. A few thousandths of an inch change between the bullet and the rifling can make the difference betw...

www.hornady.com

 

[sawbones66]

Reloading is rocket science especially when working near max loads. Heavy magazine recoiling rifles benefit from a crimp so the recoil doesn’t move the bullet deeper into the case and increase pressure. This happens in the magazine. Crimping results in less consistent bullet release and most rifles have a bit more dispersion and opening in groups. Case prep, chronography, and fired case examination are important in max loads development IMO.

 

[Rburns28]

The best option in my opinion is the get the Hornaday Over all case length guage and verify your actual chamber with the bullet you are planning on using. I check with each different bullet what the length is to the lands and back off 20 thousands. the second check is once I have that length is to make sure it fits in the magazine and check that the rifle cycles perfecting with those rounds.

Lock‑N‑Load® O.A.L. Gauges & Modified Cases - Hornady Manufacturing, Inc

Lock-N-Load® O.A.L. Gauges Regulating seating depth and the resulting jump to the rifling is widely regarded as fundamental to improved accuracy. A few thousandths of an inch change between the bullet and the rifling can make the difference betw...

www.hornady.com

thx for the input have one on order

 

[uplander01]

you should measure your max OAL just to know it, but push that bullet down in there to the top of the cannelure and light crimp. IMO loading too close to the lans for a tropical rifle in a caliber that is a little higher pressure to begin with is asking for trouble

 

[Bush Buck]

I agree with Toby. I'd seat it to get the best crimp in the grove and find the load that gives me accuracy there. I want durable 375 H&H ammo that will work in all conditions.