I have 2 pre-64 Winchester 375s, one with a 24" barrel and the other with a 25, call it a 26" tube. Without getting into a debate about shorter being better and long barrels getting caught in the brush, how much different is the velocity in a 26" barrel compared to a 375 WBY with the standard 24"? My thoughts are that it is not that much practically speaking, both ballistic and terminal. There are a lot of 375 H&Hs that shoot 2600 with a 300 gr. bullet and 24" barrel. Most WBYs are in the 2750 range. I believe Saeed settled on 2700ish with his 375/404. So is it realistic outside of high-pressure loads to shoot 2650+ with a standard 375H&H in a 26" barrel and 300 grainers?

26" should go faster but 50 fps could easily be less than the dif. between a fast and slow barrel. My 375 Ackly with 22" went faster than you've posted here.

Years ago it was said that barrel length means a difference of roughly 50'/sec per inch and today with the use of chronographs we find that it just isn't so.....more like 25'/sec per inch.

Years ago when the .375 weatherby was active (prior to the introduction of the .378) the reloading data for the weatherby was barely 100'/sec over the reloading data for the .375 H&H.

to your question:

quote:

is it realistic outside of high-pressure loads to shoot 2650+ with a standard 375H&H in a 26" barrel and 300 grainers?

IMO one is stretching the H&H a long ways to make that velocity and keep pressures under 65,000 PSI. 2,550 is far more likely.

Does the WBY not operate in the 60,000+ psi range to achieve the velocities that it does? Are those pressures safer in the WBY because of the freebore and not safe in a 375 H&H with no freebore?

quote:

Does the WBY not operate in the 60,000+ psi range to achieve the velocities that it does? Are those pressures safer in the WBY because of the freebore and not safe in a 375 H&H with no freebore?

The 375H&H max is 62,000 the Wby is 63,825 if Loadtech is right. A 375H&H could operate at that same pressure without a problem. The freebore allows the bullet to jump further before it hits the lands. Slowing and spreading out the pressure peak and in effect giving a larger net chamber capacity. Taking the same powder charge in a WBY and using it in a chamber without freebore can result in a high sometimes very high pressure peak because the bullet hits the lands earlier.

As to the 2650" from a 26" while loadtech say there are a couple that can do it you are in the 63-65,000 range. The difference at max load is 30fps between a 24" and 26".