.375 CheyTac Shooters...

[Mags]

Not sure how many of you there are on these boards, and my apologies if this is not the correct section.

I am about to begin load work up on my CheyTac and was hoping to get some baseline data using the same or similar components:

Peterson Brass
Retumbo
Cutting Edge 352gr MTACs
Federal 215M

I was able to find some data and have a rough idea of where to start based on 350gr SMK load info, but I know solids can be a different story.

Looking for any experience or advice.

Thanks!

 

[17VLD]

Birdog in Tennessee has one and visits here often.Hopefully he sees this and adds his input.He is very wise in the ways of reloading all things
that go bang
Matt

 

[Kurz]

No need to wait for him just use a PM on his profile page:

http://forum.accurateshooter.com/members/birdog.547751/

 

[Mags]

Appreciate the help guys! I will send him a message now.

 

[birdog]

I have not found the proper bullet depth setting for the cutting edge 377 gr with the pressure ring. But, I started out with the 350 gr Cheytac brand bullet and have stuck with it. Best accuracy at 100 yards is with 130 gr of Retumbo, 3095 fps. 35 inch, 10 twist Bartlein. I can most of the time get 2 of 3 shots touching, sometimes all three touching at 100 with this load.
Very easy to hit 3200 plus fps but the accuracy will suffer. I started at 132 gr, went up to 134 gr, then my accuracy increased as I dropped down to 130 gr.

Cheytac brand 350 gr Bullet
Retumbo 130 gr, 3095 fps (best accuracy)
Federal Magnum Primer
Bartlein 10 twist, 1.450 straight, no taper
Bertram Brass ( I have new Peterson brass now )
NF BEAST Rifle weighs 40 lb
Stiller TAC action
Scoville stock
Ryan Pierce BRAKE

Initial testing was from 132 to 134gr. Too hot. Accuracy improved when I dropped to 130 gr at 3095 fps

Dropped her down and groups tightened









2000

 

[birdog]

I took 5 shots and then Junebug nailed it on his second shot (seven total shots to nail it)
Junebug gorilla glued the rock back together. It broke into about 5 big pieces. Impact was low center.

 

[vahena]

WOW! Birdog,
I want to build that exact rifle but I need it in left hand. What is the name of that stock and how long did you have to wait for it and please give me all your stats. Is there another stock that mimics your stock but not a scoville?
Thanks
Rob

 

[dkhunt14]

WOW! Birdog,
I want to build that exact rifle but I need it in left hand. What is the name of that stock and how long did you have to wait for it and please give me all your stats. Is there another stock that mimics your stock but not a scoville?
Thanks
Rob

Manners makes a carbon Fiber stock for a 50. The stock he has, I believe is no longer available. Call manners. MATT

 

[dkhunt14]

WOW! Birdog,
I want to build that exact rifle but I need it in left hand. What is the name of that stock and how long did you have to wait for it and please give me all your stats. Is there another stock that mimics your stock but not a scoville?
Thanks
Rob

Also don't be afraid to get a laminated stock. Shehane has a couple. Big dog is one of them. Also Precision Rifle, Ray Bowman in North Carolina is another. The thing you need is a long stock. It needs to be long enough in the forearm to handle big long heavy barrels and balance so they track. Matt

 

[LA50SHOOTER]

+1 on Matt's (dkhunt) posts.
- Manners makes a H50 carbon fiber stock (which at times can be hard to get depending on how things are going there @ manners). - The Big Dawg Tracker can handle actions up to 2.00 and barrels up to & past 36" - Both are excellent choices for a large rifle.

 

[birdog]

I bought the stock used from Sam Hall. Sam said the stock was a special order and the customer did not pick up the stock and Sam was able to purchase it. Maybe Scoville could do you a special build. Mcmillian is making several stocks for the big calibers. They have one new one out for the King of Two Mile type shooting, called I believe the BEAST

 

[vahena]

Thanks for the information guys. this built is a ways out for me, I am just getting info on builds and the game, things may change by the time I am ready to build, about 2 yrs out but I am enjoying the learning part of the game.
Thanks again
Rob

 

[birdog]

John Whidden supplied my full length bushing die. I sent him a couple of fired cases and he made me a nice bushing bump die. You need a bushing die to vary the neck / bullet tension.

I have a single shot. My throat is deep so my O. A. L. is very long.

 

[vahena]

This is all good info and I am taking it all in. I currently a F class shooter, 2-284 shehanes and a 6 Dasher all built by Speedy G. and i am progressing fast, I just started in June of 2017 reached HM in 4 shoots in MR. This spring I am going to also compete in 1000 yd LR and will proceed from there, thats why I say this is a 2 yr. project but I love testing my salt.
Please keep the info coming as I will follow every ones threads on this subject.
Thank you guys
Rob

 

[MarcS]

I've been getting a lot of requests for ELR rifles lately and I'm building one for myself in 375 CT. I'd hoped to shoot the King Of The 2 Mile but I missed the registration. I bought Petersen brass and Cutting Edge 400 gr. Lazers. As soon as I get my dies from Whidden I'll make up a dummy round and send it to JGS for my reamer. This will be a learning experience for me.

Do you guys know how much freebore that bullet likes? How much it should jump? Any load info for that bullet would also be helpful.

Thank you,
Marc Soulie
Spartan Precision Rifles
San Jose, CA

 

[LA50SHOOTER]

I've been getting a lot of requests for ELR rifles lately and I'm building one for myself in 375 CT. I'd hoped to shoot the King Of The 2 Mile but I missed the registration. I bought Petersen brass and Cutting Edge 400 gr. Lazers. As soon as I get my dies from Whidden I'll make up a dummy round and send it to JGS for my reamer. This will be a learning experience for me.

Do you guys know how much freebore that bullet likes? How much it should jump? Any load info for that bullet would also be helpful.

Thank you,
Marc Soulie
Spartan Precision Rifles
San Jose, CA

Mark,

I'm running an Improved version with a 40 degree shoulder & approx. 0.80 longer in the body with a minimum taper. - The rifle is a switch-barrel set up on a BAT model "L" that is 2.00 in diameter.
- In fact, I just put the .35 barrel on it 3 days ago & have started loading some ammo. - I have 2 barrels chambered in .375 CT Imp. (actual caliber is .375 Allen Mag.) - One thing you may want to consider in all your planning is barrel twist. - Required twist rate according to Cutting Edge is 1-9" for that 400 gr. bullet, although a 1-10 possibly may work. - I don't know if your familiar with the Cutting Edge copper type projectiles but they have a "seal-band" that is meant to sit right above the mouth of the case - The portion of the bullet forward of that seal-band is .375 for a very short length and starts to reduce in diameter. Basically these bullets "sit" (for lack of better wording) in the throat / leade area of the chamber like a bore-rider does. - In effect that is what they are. - My chamber has about .050 to .070 of free-bore which was very surprising to me when I started checking the chamber & bullets using the Hornady LNL case gage that I made up to check seating depths on all the different bullets that I plan to shoot. - I'm running 1-10" twists in a Krieger & Lilja 36" barrel(s) so I doubt that I'll try the 400 gr. bullets. But I have the CEB 377 gr., and another manufacturers solid and the Sierra 350 gr. Match-King. - I am not a self-proclaimed expert but I do have a good deal of experience loading & shooting solids & bore-rider type projectiles in large calibers.
They are not always easy to get them to shoot well from an accuracy standpoint, and they can be fussy when it comes to velocity. - They may shoot well at a particular velocity & if the hand-loader tries to increase to gain more velocity then accuracy falls away. -
In all of this, what I'm trying to recommend is that you don't necessarily hem yourself into a corner as far as bullet options. - Depending, your barrel(s) may in fact shoot some other bullet way better. And the B/C of these big 375 cal. projectiles is up there anyway on all of them. - If you have the financial resources to "experiment" some then that is even better. (I see Spartan Precision Rifles in your title).

In short the free-bore is .050 to .070 on my chamber & it puts the seal-tight band of the 2 different Cutting Edge projectiles I plan to test at just above the mouth of the case as it is recommended to be by "Smitty" (Owner of CEB)
- The amount of free-bore that I have causes the 350 gr. Sierra MK to sit with the bearing surface down past the neck / shoulder junction & so here-for some case capacity is being used up by this bullet. - Right now, I don't have an issue with how the chamber is throated. And after I've shot some I can follow up if you want. - Also, I'd appreciate hearing how things work out for your project in the future.

Good Luck & Regards, - Ron -

 

[wi50]

I bought a jgs reamer in late December, they stocked a .375 cheytac. It's got a .100" fb, .4100 neck diameter. It works perfect with the Peterson brass. I bought a set of whidden dies they stock. I had to make a bushing .403". I can seat the cutting edge 400 Lazer and 377 mtac with the sealing band out of the case. I'd think .080 fb would be fine.

 

[wi50]

I had emailed whidden a copy of the reamer print from jgs. My computer skills just don't allow me to post it here, ok, I'm a dummy. The dies whidden makes for stock we're a good match. It's all easy and "in stock" items from jgs, whidden, Peterson, and it all come together for me in a matter of a few weeks. The only thing was the bushing, before hand the fella at whidden figured on a .398" bushing and sent. After I was said and done I wanted one in the .402-.404 range so I made one from some S7 steel at .403" which doesn't work my brass any more than needed. I ordered a throating reamer from jgs at the time I ordered the chsmber reamer, but it's not needed. Those cutting edge bullets are long, but the bore rider section is tapered. Things worked out perfectly. The first few rounds were tricky to chamber, sharp rifling in a fresh chamber and with the bore rider it was tricky to get a loaded round chambered. The first couple firings took care of that.

 

[MarcS]

Mark,

One thing you may want to consider in all your planning is barrel twist. - Required twist rate according to Cutting Edge is 1-9" for that 400 gr. bullet, although a 1-10 possibly may work. - I don't know if your familiar with the Cutting Edge copper type projectiles but they have a "seal-band" that is meant to sit right above the mouth of the case - The portion of the bullet forward of that seal-band is .375 for a very short length and starts to reduce in diameter. Basically these bullets "sit" (for lack of better wording) in the throat / leade area of the chamber like a bore-rider does. - In effect that is what they are. - My chamber has about .050 to .070 of free-bore which was very surprising to me when I started checking the chamber & bullets using the Hornady LNL case gage that I made up to check seating depths on all the different bullets that I plan to shoot. - I'm running 1-10" twists in a Krieger & Lilja 36" barrel(s) so I doubt that I'll try the 400 gr. bullets. But I have the CEB 377 gr., and another manufacturers solid and the Sierra 350 gr. Match-King. - I am not a self-proclaimed expert but I do have a good deal of experience loading & shooting solids & bore-rider type projectiles in large calibers.
They are not always easy to get them to shoot well from an accuracy standpoint, and they can be fussy when it comes to velocity. - They may shoot well at a particular velocity & if the hand-loader tries to increase to gain more velocity then accuracy falls away. -
In all of this, what I'm trying to recommend is that you don't necessarily hem yourself into a corner as far as bullet options. - Depending, your barrel(s) may in fact shoot some other bullet way better. And the B/C of these big 375 cal. projectiles is up there anyway on all of them. - If you have the financial resources to "experiment" some then that is even better. (I see Spartan Precision Rifles in your title).

In short the free-bore is .050 to .070 on my chamber & it puts the seal-tight band of the 2 different Cutting Edge projectiles I plan to test at just above the mouth of the case as it is recommended to be by "Smitty" (Owner of CEB)
- The amount of free-bore that I have causes the 350 gr. Sierra MK to sit with the bearing surface down past the neck / shoulder junction & so here-for some case capacity is being used up by this bullet. - Right now, I don't have an issue with how the chamber is throated. And after I've shot some I can follow up if you want. - Also, I'd appreciate hearing how things work out for your project in the future.

Good Luck & Regards, - Ron -

Thank you for all of that information Ron and sorry for the delay in getting back to this. For now I'll stick with the regular 375 CT cartridge. Maybe I'll switch later if I decide to stick with it. I did order my barrels from Bartlein with a 9 twist. I haven't used these bullets before but I took some measurements and was surprised to see the dimensions that you mentioned. I have no experience with these types of bullets or anything over 338's for that matter. I've built several 375's for customers but I've never run one myself. I've also never installed a barrel block to fix the barreled action to the stock. I've heard they leave the action floating. I'm not sure if I'll machine that block myself or buy one. I'm assuming the barrel is turned down slightly to leave a small shoulder on the front edge to seat against the face of the block? I have much to learn here.

I knew this would be an expensive learning curve so I'm prepared for it. I will try to be more efficient than usual in my load development but I understand it won't be cheap.

I'm using a Bat model CT single shot action which is 1.550" and I ordered the barrels at 1.500" for 6" tapering to 1.200" at 36". I must admit those numbers were a wild guess.

I'll definitely report back on progress. Still don't have barrels yet.

Marc

 

[MarcS]

I had emailed whidden a copy of the reamer print from jgs. My computer skills just don't allow me to post it here, ok, I'm a dummy. The dies whidden makes for stock we're a good match. It's all easy and "in stock" items from jgs, whidden, Peterson, and it all come together for me in a matter of a few weeks. The only thing was the bushing, before hand the fella at whidden figured on a .398" bushing and sent. After I was said and done I wanted one in the .402-.404 range so I made one from some S7 steel at .403" which doesn't work my brass any more than needed. I ordered a throating reamer from jgs at the time I ordered the chsmber reamer, but it's not needed. Those cutting edge bullets are long, but the bore rider section is tapered. Things worked out perfectly. The first few rounds were tricky to chamber, sharp rifling in a fresh chamber and with the bore rider it was tricky to get a loaded round chambered. The first couple firings took care of that.

That's awesome I hope it goes that well for me but I still don't have barrels so I'm not in a hurry.

Marc