Can anyone give me the case dimensions, case capacity, and estimated MV of the 375ICL, 375 Mashburn, or the 375 improved that Bill Steigers designed?

Would case life improve on the improved versions?

Could Hornady�s 300 Basic brass be used?

Thanks!
Scott T.

Case life will be worse with the improved rounds. They don't headspace on the shoulder at all like the rimmless versions do. One could make brass out of 416 Rems however and that would solve the head separation problem.

It's just too much of a hassle for the practical person. Just get the standard HH. It has a 15 degree shoulder which is sufficiant after the first shot.

Scott,
I have had a couple and built a few 375 ACK Mags, which is just the 375 H&H blown out with a typical Ackley 40 degree shoulder. The ICL is within .005" or so from the ACK MAG if I remember correctly. I would say the case life depends on how the brass is resized. I would just neck size mine, and never lost a case. The primer pockets stayed tight, I think it is a great round. It really does well over the regular 375 H&H. I would get 2810 with a 300 sierra out of a 24" long 12"T PAC-NOR 3 groove barrel. I went to a 20 inch barrel and got 2610 with the same load, (86.5 gr IMR 4350, CCI mag primer). There are about 7 guys around here who swear by theirs. You can still fire the factory ammo in a pinch. I can mail you a chamber print if you are interested. The case volume is 106 gr to the top of the case.

You might consider the .375 Weatherby. not a nickles worth of differance & you have factory brass too.

Wouldn't the improved case have better brass life? Assuming loads of the same pressure?

D Humbarger I had thought about the Weatherby but then I�m dealing with that radiused shoulder.

I believe the Bill Steigers version has the largest improvement in case capacity. Does anybody know what brass or dimensions he used? I have heard it bests the Wby by 50-100fps but I could be wrong. Andy?

If you could get the 260gr Accu Bond around or above 3000fps you would be neck and neck with 300WM ballistics or am I missing something?

STrow,

Lets define case life. What's going to fail or weaken first in the typical rifle case fired in front locking bolt rifles? It's going to be the necks right! Fred Huntington went thru this long ago and one can get from 35 and up reloads from a cases neck.

The other failure area is the web. By the web or expansion web I mean the part of the case about 1/4" up from the base. A case will thin there if the headspace in the rifle is excessive, the FL die pushes the shoulder back too much or if the diameter of the chamber at that point is oversize and FL sizing works that brass in and then it fires out with every reload.

There is a myth that straight bodied chambers stretch brass less and therefore there is "longer case life". This is not true. What can affect case life, web wise, is an recut chamber that has the proper headspace, new dies that are set right and perhaps a sharp enough shoulder to now headspace on.

The belted cartridge has let us down a road of second rate performance handloading wise. Handloading or reloading was never considered when the belted cartridge was designed. Then the experimenters of the day got lazy and just reamed out chambers and made cartridges like we have today that have improper headspace control.

The DGR situation cartridge wise is different from other hunting cartidges. There are many factors but just plain old common sense should rule.

One does not want to get to some exotic place that's going to cost five figures $ and run out of ammo! At that point it will not seem so important what the case life or body taper is if there are none. So if your luggage is mispaced with your special AI's your SOL. Also some self important type with a uniform might have confiscated your stuff just for the fun of it all.

Now you can shoot 458 Wins in a 458 Lott or 375 HH's in a 375 Weatherby but is the POI going to be close? Maybe not.

I suggest that one stick with the standard rounds like the .375 HH, 416 R, 458 Win and some other popular rounds for a true DGR. If it's just a long range game rifle for your back yard then go ahead and have fun with a wild one but not if the gun must pass real world situations such as the ones mentioned. And for that one of the RUM's like the 338 or 375 would be a better design.

On the subject of new stuff there is talk of a new line of mediums and up on a standard length WSM case. Calibers like .338 and .375 were mentioned.

Savage99,
I agree with you. If the chance exists that you will be seperated from your ammo, or you will be in another country, the simple factory chamberings are a good idea. Also, SAMMI Min reamers are not a good idea for overseas rifles. The case life issue is mainly in the hands of the loader. When I care enough, I use the formed shoulder to headspace from in conjunction with the belt. I might bump it back .001" if at all. The belted cases only make sence to me on a strait case. But for paying around and relatively local hunting, the 375 imps are good rounds. Lets see what happens with the WSMs.

What was the guy's original question ??? He wanted specs of three requested cartridges. Did he ask what your opinion was of his selections or what you would do ??? Tired of the same shit, everyone is a fucking "no it all". Answer the questions or shut the F up.

If the AI versions are so apt to decrease case life, why are so many high volume varminters using AI's?? Losing ammo... already been said a correctly made and chambered AI can use factory.