The Accurate Reloading Forums
Forming .400 H&H Brass

This topic can be found at:
https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/2511043/m/2311039581

22 February 2013, 03:46
AllenBosely
Forming .400 H&H Brass
Reading about the .400 H&H and brass.

I did notice Jamison now offers .400 H&H brass.

But what about the options of forming .400 H&H cases from .375 H&H or .300 H&H cases?

From what I read, using .375 H&H brass works well but the cases come out shorter than the .400 H&H cases.

What if a .300 H&H case was used instead? It would probably need to be fire formed but would that help with the length issue?

I guess the shorter cases work but would be nice to have an easy supply of cases.

Of course one could use Hornady belted cylindrical basic brass.

But it would be nice to use readily available brass.

Seems like a rather interesting cartridge.

Cheers, Allen


It's a Mauser thing, you wouldn't understand.
22 February 2013, 07:34
Stonecreek
What is it that causes you to speculate that .300 H&H brass is longer, or would come out longer, than .375 H&H brass?
22 February 2013, 09:17
ramrod340
Taking a 375 case and necking it up to 411 makes a shorter case because the brass has to come from somewhere.

Taking a 300 to 411 will be shorter.


As usual just my $.02
Paul K
22 February 2013, 11:20
AllenBosely
Going from .300 instead of .375 was just exploring options.
But yes, now that I think about it that isn't real logical!

Cheers, Allen


It's a Mauser thing, you wouldn't understand.
24 February 2013, 05:31
AfricanHunter
I used Hornady cyl. brass to make a bunch of .424 OKH, really worked easy, great stuff. Not much different to make .400 H&H, but I have no need to try it. Now if you have to have a head stamp, that's a problem.
I would think Quality Cartridge makes the .400, but haven't looked. Just looked and they make it and it would be head stamped
24 February 2013, 20:35
AllenBosely
Yes, Qualcartridge, Jamison & I think one other has factory formed & head stamped .400 H&H brass also.

I was just thinking about options if factory brass wasn't redilly available.

Anyone know just how much shorter starting with new untrimed .375 H&H brass is after forming to .400 H&H?

Cheers, Allen


It's a Mauser thing, you wouldn't understand.
24 February 2013, 21:37
Grenadier
Just to see if it could be done, I've formed some 400H&H cases from loaded 300H&H ammunition simply by firing it. The cases end up just a little short but not by much at all. Loading up 300H&H cases with plugs and shooting them in the 400H&H should yield serviceable 400H&H brass. A new QualCart 400H&H case is 2.841" and a case from 300H&H ammunition fired in the 400H&H rifle is 2.796". That's a pretty small difference.

LEFT: .400H&H factory cartridge, RIGHT: Case made by firing .300H&H cartridge (Winchester) in a .400H&H rifle. Case length differs by less than 0.05".