Gents,

I'm debating some loads for my .375 H&H Ruger #1.

I have had some mixed results with the 270gr Barnes TSX and both H4895 and RL-15. Specifically, I think I can get better velocities from the RL-15, but in doing so, I am getting large spreads in vel readings.

I'm working between 71 & 74 gr of RL-15 with CCI 250 primer, and a 3.6" COAL, and my vel's are spread almost at 100 fps with identical charge weights.

I am wondering, being that the leade in my Ruger #1 is quite long, should I seat to a bullet groove longer than the 3.6, and give a medium roll crimp? At 71.0, I am about 3.3 grains below the published max in charge weight.

My thought is that with large cases and relatively slow powders, this should produce a bit more consistency in the burn without increasing pressure all that much.

Your thoughts are appreciated.

EMC2

Just a couple of thoughts.

As long as the bullet stays seated enough to take handling nothing limits how deep or shallow you can seat them except bumping into the lands in a #1. Sometimes moving the bullet in or out can make quite a difference in accuracy and some difference in standard deviation.

You might try a heavier crimp or no crimp. I've only use a crimp on Revolver loads to keep them from backing out of the case and for rifles just don't crimp at all. I'm shooting the 204 Ruger, the 243 in a #1, a 280 Remington, a 308 and an 8mm Rem mag all without a crimp. Been doing this for 45 years or so with no problems.

RL powders seem to respond well to loading near max and that published data is just a guideline, your specific gun and chamber may tolerate max or near max loadings. My 8mm Rem mag is three grains over published data of H4831 with no pressure signs.

Thats a pretty good spread with a hundred fps. I've been using one of RCBS's electronic powder dispensers lately and it's even got less deviation from shot to shot than throwing light and trickling each case.

Don't know if I've given you any usable ideas or not.

I loaded for 3 different .375's over the years, and I found that crimping bullets was not necessary and rarely improved accuracy. In fact the most accurate bullets I ever used in a .375 were the 250gr Sierra BT's, they have no crimp groove . Both of my M70's shot them like a varmit rifle with a max charge of W760 or H414, and velocities were the best of any powders I tried, including R12/15.

+/- 50fps from the .375 isn't all that unusual for a .375, again, the W760/H414 data I have shows far less variation than that, by about half. IMR 4350 was more than that with lighter bullets, but accuracy was about the same as the ball powders. It's the accuracy that counts.

In a Ruger #1, you don't have a magazine the cartridges have to fit into, so, your OAL can be determined by the length of the throat. In other words, the 3.6 inches the books list is irrelevent. No harm (and maybe better accuracy) seating the bullets longer.
As far as the velocity spread, I'd ignore it- for normal ranges, velocity spread really doesn't show up on the target. If you are a 1,000 bench shooter, then velocity spread is a factor.

I agree with the the previous posts.I chime in a few thoughts If you have a generous throat your chamber pressure is generaly lower than a tight chamber,unless you set the bullet on lands or very close to it.If it shoots well don't worry about 100fps or so below published data.You probally could go up to max pub load,work it up give it a shot.My 375 with 270gr. tsx loves imr 4064 at max published load.It's not as fast as some other powders can drive it ,but is sooo acurrate in my rig I'll give up 50-100fps to have that accuracy