Alright, has anyone build a wildcat .375 based on a .375 RUM case, trimmed and formed for an OAL of 3.34 inches. I'm looking for the best .375 cartridge that will fit in a standard (long) action. I'm thinking the .375 Taylor is my baby, but wonder what other wildcats, preferably without a belt, have been built. What's out there?

MKane160 aka BigDogMK

I do have the 375 Taylor myself - and it is a good one. Not sure why folks belly-ache about belts. 338 win brass is cheap.

There's the 375 Dakota as shown below:



Dakota brass will run you $2.00 a pop. I've always like the idea of doing essentially a 375 Dakota, but with RUM brass. That way you have the magnum bolt face of 0.532" [not 0.545"] and cheaper brass. I'd shorten the case to 2.40-2.50" myself.

I agree, the short RUM would make a great 375 caliber. I happen to think the Dakota is right about perfect as-is, though. Remington rebated the brass to save production costs. Not a concern for the wildcatter. 404 brass isn't all that cheap, but there's no reason a piece of Norma brass won't last 25+ loads, which means 500 click-bangs for 20 pcs. After load development, that should last quite a whil, unless you're shooting p-dawgs.

MuskegMan:

Where did you get the reamer and dies for the .375 Taylor? Could you not use .375 RUM dies set for a case length of, say, 2.500 inches to make the .375 SRUM? Just shorten the .375 brass and reform the shoulder and neck? I imagine you would need an intermediate forming die, no? Would you just end up with a .375 Taylor without a belt? (Which probably would be more hassle than it's worth.....) And, BTW, why the H-E-double L is .404 brass so expensive? It's not like it's a new design or anything.....

MKane160 aka BigDogMK

O.K. - I fibbed slightly. I really have a .375-338. Performance-wise, it's a .375 Taylor, but there are slight dimensional differences. Mine was cut with a .338 Win reamer using a .375 pilot. Not all reamers have pilots.

I see little reason for a 375 Chatfield Taylor, when it's simple enough to convert a Mauser, M-70, to a 375 H&H and not have to deal with a wildcat...and have a proper head stamp on the cartridge...at least from a practical point of view...I have built a couple of Taylors, but decided they werent worth the trouble...It is a simple thing to open up a std. action to a 375 if done properly and in the rear portion of the action for the most part.

Well, if you're going to do that, make it a 375 Weatherby!

If you want to duplicate the 375 H&H in a wildcat, don't look past the 375 WSM. One of the nice things about 375 bullets is that they are not overly long in hunting configurations and will make the 2.8 inch COL without digging much into powder capacity.

Why not simply build a 376 Steyr on a standard Mod 98 action? Cases and dies are cheap. Performance is just barely under the 375 H&H.

Janus,
the 376 is a VERY simmple job... boltface, open the rails right at the ramp, and hold a fistfull of them... no major alterations at all. The 375 HH is a bit over what I am interested in cutting a mauser to... too much work, for me.. might as well just buy the winchester and be done with it.. on with the restocking...

top 376 loads are justaposed with factory (std) 375 loads.. with the same length barrel.... but the 376 is huffing and puffing while the 375 is just barely trying...

nice thing about the steyr, though.... you can build them on mauser short actions... i'll go check, but I think my mexican mauser hold 4+1, with ZERO changes to the mag

jeffe