Whats wrong with my 375 Winchester reloads?

[dgr416]

I tried a bunch of reloads I loaded for my Big Bore 94 this summer.They were loaded in new brass and 220 gr hornady bullets.I think they might have been too short to function.They shot fine but would not cycle through the action.I never had this problem before.I have loaded probally 500 375 winchesters.This problem had me baffled.Is it my gun or ammo.I used factory 200 gr ammo and it cycled fine.I had already loaded 300 rounds which none of them worked unless fired single shot.I seated them to the cantilure just like always with a light crimp.

[1886]

We will need more info to help you properly diagnose your problem. Rest peacefully however because the factory stuff works fine. Describe the function problems more precisely. Do the reloads exit the mag. and then hang up? What brass are you using to reload? What is the length of the brass? What is the loaded length of the reloads? Are the reloads the same length as the factory fodder? Please advise. 1886.

[Hobie]

If your gun cycled fine with factory ammo, lay the two side by side and look for obvious differences. There has to be something (other than simply the bullet weight) such as COL, case diameter...

[dgr416]

I loaded them just like I always do to the facory cantilure.I was wondering if I crimped them too much or someting.They fire simgle shot just fine.They wont cycle through the magazine.Its suck because there is hardly any factory 375 winchester ammo in Alaska .It sucks I loaded up a bunch on my dillion 550 as I always do.

[J Miller]

Did you full length resize the cases?

Something is obviously wrong if the rouns will not feed from the magazine.

For the cartridges not to feed from the magazine there would have to be something very obviously different.

Measure everything. Compare and observe. I'll bet it's obvious and you're just looking too hard.

Joe

[handirifle]

OK by not cycling, do you mean not chambering, as in will not let the bolt clost, or do you mean the lefter will not lift them up to the chamber level? It sounds to me like their not lifting up and the first thing that comes to my mind is COAL is too long.

As was suggested, lay the LOADED rounds side by side with factory ammo, and compare length. Or better yet, use a caliper ofr exact readings. My BB is tempermental with COAL. It only takes a few .000 to make it stop cycling.

Is your crimp on a canelure of the bullet? If so, it may not be you. Sometimes manufacturers actually put the canelure in the wrong place. It's not unheard of. If that IS the case you have three choices (assuming they're too long overall), one is to shoot single shot, or file or cut the nose tips off a bit, or pull the bullets and try other bullets.

Also, make sure they are crimped ENOUGH. recoil can cause the bullets to move sometimes if not crimped enough and make them too long.

Also, one othe key point you mentioned, measure the NEW brass length, compared to factory brass. Might be longer brass, which means you need a shorter bullet. If I use 38-55 brass in mine and 200gr jacketed bullets, I have to shave off the soft lead nose in order for it to cycle in my rifle.

Here is a pic to compare. The center load is the 200gr Sierra in 38-55 brass.



You can see the tip cut off so it will work.

[dgr416]

They were actually a little shorter than the factory loads.They chambered fine and shot good but would not lift up from the magazine.It baffels me I wonder if my lifeter is bent or something.The factory loads worded just fine.I needed my rifle I reloaded them in Ga while my rifle was in Alaska.

[J Miller]

The factory loads worded just fine.

dgr416, If the factory ammo works just fine and your ammo does not, then it's an ammo problem not a gun problem.

Joe

[handirifle]

Maybe the crimp IS TOO heavy. You might have created a bulge in the brass right below the crimp, preventing it from cycling properly.