WB
I remember Bob Baker at the Y-O seeing a .378 GNR in my belt
Wednesday, January 22, 2025, 08:50

It went against the "then current" popular trends. The idea behind the "short magnum" concept was a short fat powder column burned more efficient than a long slender one. Mainstream armchair experts would have been horrified at the idea of going the opposite direction, much LESS from a 14-16" barrel. I was pushing a 260 gr. Nosler at 2300 fps from a 13"+2" braked Encore. On my .338 GNR I easily got 2600 for a 200 gr. Hornady in the 14" + 2" braked barrel. Powder selection and giving it work to do, something to push against, is a balance specifically tailored to the hunting handgun barrel.

Bob asked "that is a long cartridge, I wonder how it would do shortened a little?". I laughed and said "you'd have a .375 JDJ". I have shot JD's very popular round, and it is good, probably his best for the old Contenders. But compared to the .378 GNR it holds less powder and has a larger case head (.444 Marlin is .30-06 diameter). This exerts more pressure in psi to the breachface for the same given total pressure. Probably not a whole bunch, but it is what it is. Is the longer powder column more efficient? I don't think there is enough difference to really measure. Best I personally managed for a .375 JDJ was 2100 for a 270 gr. It stomped me pretty good too. Even JD went on to work with skinny long powder chamber cartridges based on the .30-06 rimless case. I always want a rim on my fixed breach rounds.

I think I'm in agreement with GNR on how I'm personally getting numb with all these new marketing gimmicks. I'm all for progress but it seems excessive and proprietary, beyond what a "re-loader" will be able to mimic down the road. Using special alloy cases and propellants that he cannot obtain.

A .378 GNR taken cull buck at the Y-O while I was sick with the flu. I used a 270 gr. Hornady for this one at 100 yds. or so. One shot. I was using IMR4064 for 2300 fps, Puffy and Sean used IMR 3031 which is a little hotter. But I had the powder on hand and it was so accurate. 4064 was just bulkier and I could not get as much in the case.

Sometime later, again at the Y-O, .338 GNR and 200 gr. Nosler. Blackbuck just over 100 yds. while it was snowing. Two shots. One while he was flopping wildly. If he ran off it was $2500 for the show. So I made it count. The Noslers were a little tough skinned on the small antelope. I would have liked some better expansion, wished I had used the less expensive but softer Hornady SP (2600 fps).

To really perplex Bob at a later meeting I produced one of HIS, then new, FA2008 handguns reworked into my personal idea of perfection. Shortened slightly 12" + 2" brake and chambered in .378 GNR! The .375 cal. Noslers seemed to perform better than the same design .338/200 gr. I'd still like to "Gunfighter" the SA style grip on that beast! It really gets in your face in recoil. Bob had plans for a 1911 type gripframe (yikes!) and a carbine conversion as well. He also spoke of a .257-32FA cartridge but I never heard if he ever made one to test. Sport of a modernized .25-20 WCF.