The .375 EnABELR Cartridge — Big and Fast

The .375 EnABELR cartridge is slightly shorter than a .375 CheyTac so it allows the round to mag-feed. Applied Ballistics is currently using brass made by Peterson. The .375 EnABELR has achieved impressive velocities — 2990 FPS — with prototype Berger 379-grain solid bullets fired from a 1:7″-twist 30″ barrel. Applied Ballistics may also test 1:8″-twist and 1:9″-twist barrels. READ Bullet Testing Report.

The .375 EnABELR cartridge was designed to offer .375 CheyTac performance in a slightly shorter package: “The problem with the .375 CheyTac is that, when loaded with the highest performance .375 caliber bullets (379-407 gr Berger Solids, and the 400-425 grain Cutting Edge Lazers) the round is not magazine feed-able in any action that’s sized for CheyTac cartridges.

“Knowing the .375 CheyTac produced substantial performance, and that it was just too long for magazine feeding, made it easy to converge on a design for the .375 EnABELR. We just had to make the case short enough to achieve magazine length with the desired bullets, while adding a little more diameter to keep the case capacity similar to the .375 CheyTac. The resulting basic shape is quite similar in proportions to the successful .338 Norma Magnum Cartridge which, interestingly, was selected as the cartridge for General Dynamics Lightweight Medium Machine Gun (LWMMG).”

Here is Mitchell Fitzpatrick, shooting the 375 EnABELR in an ELR Competition.

The .375 EnABELR cartridge was developed to offer magazine feeding capabilities with the highest-BC solid bullets available. Applied Ballistics observes: “The best magazine is one that retains the cartridge shoulder and doesn’t allow the tip of the bullet to impact the front of the magazine during recoil.” Cadex Defense has designed magazines that fit Cadex’s bottom metal and chassis for the EnABELR line of cartridges which allows for maximum magazine fed performance. These mags are beautifully made, but they will be very EXPENSIVE. Expect to pay about $275 per magazine — what the Cadex 375/408 CheyTac magazine currently costs (Product Code: MAG4300, USD $273.95).

Q: Is this different than Cadex’s regular CheyTac magazine?

A: Mitchell Fitzpatrick of Applied Ballistics Weapons Division replied: “Yes, the ribs that retain the shoulder are moved back to hold the case back and prevent the bullet tip from hitting the front of the magazine. We had been playing with inserts welded into place, which worked great, but dedicated mags directly from Cadex was the ultimate goal.”

Here is Mitchell Fitzpatrick, shooting the .375 EnABELR in an ELR Competition.

“CADEX and Applied Ballistics. Two companies taking ELR seriously and trying to get that last 1-2% of performance out of the system. Keep up the good work!” — Mark N.

The .375 EnABELR Cartridge — Big and Fast

The .375 EnABELR cartridge is slightly shorter than a .375 CheyTac so it allows the round to mag-feed. Applied Ballistics is currently using brass made by Peterson. The .375 EnABELR has achieved impressive velocities — 2990 FPS — with prototype Berger 379-grain solid bullets fired from a 1:7″-twist 30″ barrel. Applied Ballistics may also test 1:8″-twist and 1:9″-twist barrels. READ Bullet Testing Report.

The .375 EnABELR cartridge was designed to offer .375 CheyTac performance in a slightly shorter package: “The problem with the .375 CheyTac is that, when loaded with the highest performance .375 caliber bullets (379-407 gr Berger Solids, and the 400-425 grain Cutting Edge Lazers) the round is not magazine feed-able in any action that’s sized for CheyTac cartridges.

“Knowing the .375 CheyTac produced substantial performance, and that it was just too long for magazine feeding, made it easy to converge on a design for the .375 EnABELR. We just had to make the case short enough to achieve magazine length with the desired bullets, while adding a little more diameter to keep the case capacity similar to the .375 CheyTac. The resulting basic shape is quite similar in proportions to the successful .338 Norma Magnum Cartridge which, interestingly, was selected as the cartridge for General Dynamics Lightweight Medium Machine Gun (LWMMG).”

Berger Match Solids are now government-endorsed. The U.S. military has selected Berger’s .375 caliber ELR Match Solid Bullet for the Extreme Sniper Strike Operations (ESSO) program (Phase 2). The ESSO program is a U.S. government project to develop a high performance, extreme long-range sniper weapon system built on a bolt-action, magazine-fed platform.

For ESSO, .375-cal Berger solids are loaded into the .375 EnABELR (Engineered by Applied Ballistics for Extreme Long Range) cartridge. This was designed to offer .375 CheyTac performance in a slightly shorter package that mag-feeds well.

Bryan Litz, Berger’s Chief Ballistician said: “The .375 caliber Berger ELR Match Solid Bullets were optimized for use in the ESSO project, which requires high performance and reliability over many rounds in adverse conditions. In addition to meeting the needs of our US military, the Berger Match Solids provide proven, match winning performance for the ELR competition shooter as well.”

ELR Match Solid Bullets drive state-of-the-art ESSO weapon systems. The EnABELR is designed to reliably engage targets at distances out to 2500 meters.

Table 1 below presents basic load data for the .375 EnABELR. Considering the Berger .375 Cal 379gr and 407gr solid bullets were developed in conjunction with the EnABELR case, load data is provided to achieve certain landmark velocities with these bullets, for a range of suitable powders. According to Applied Ballistics, with a 30″ barrel, “the .375 EnABELR can safely push the Berger 379gr Solid to 2900 fps, and the Berger 407gr Solid to 2800 fps.”

Table 1 — .375 EnABLER Load Data

Table 2 — .375 EnABELR Comparative Velocities

Applied Ballistics notes that: “These are conservative, baseline velocities. Higher velocities are possible but the above performance is safely achievable well within pressure limits of the cartridge. Note the performance of the .375 EnABELR is driven by the high BC Berger Solid bullets. If the .375 CheyTac were loaded with the same bullets, the performance would be about the same. ”

About Berger Bullets
Berger manufactures precision projectiles and match-grade ammunition for Target, Hunting and Tactical applications in Mesa, AZ. Berger is part of the Capstone Precision Group, the exclusive U.S. distributor for Berger, Lapua, Vihtavuori and SK-Rimfire products. For more information, visit Bergerbullets.com.

Berger Bullets has created some impressive solid bullets for Extreme Long Range (ELR) shooting. These ultra-long, lathe-turned solids were unveiled at SHOT Show 2019, and they should reach Berger dealers by Mid-April this year. To test their consistency and develop refined BC numbers, the Applied Ballistics test team has braved cold winter weather to test Berger’s new 379 grain solids. The results have been impressive.

Bryan Litz, Applied Ballistics founder, tests 379gr Bergers in .375 EnABLER rounds.

The Applied Ballistics testers have loaded the new Berger solids in an innovative .375-Caliber cartridge called the .375 EnABELR. This is slightly shorter than a .375 CheyTac so it allows the round to mag-feed. The brass is made by Peterson. The testers report: “We’ve been loading and shooting a pile of .375 EnABELR this month. The Berger 379gr Solids are proving to be incredibly consistent. Here’s a 10-shot string for one of our guns, shots number 931-940.”

The .375 EnABELR is achieving impressive velocities — 2990 FPS — with the 379-grainers from a 30″ barrel. The test team states: “We’ve been shooting [a 30″-long] 1:7″ twist which works good, but are going to try some 1:8″ and 1:9″ also”.

The .375 EnABELR Cartridge — Big and Fast
The .375 EnABELR cartridge was designed to offer .375 CheyTac performance in a slightly shorter package: “The problem with the .375 CheyTac is that, when loaded with the highest performance .375 caliber bullets (379-407 gr Berger Solids, and the 400-425 grain Cutting Edge Lazers) the round is not magazine feed-able in any action that’s sized for CheyTac cartridges.

“Knowing the .375 CheyTac produced substantial performance, and that it was just too long for magazine feeding, made it easy to converge on a design for the .375 EnABELR. We just had to make the case short enough to achieve magazine length with the desired bullets, while adding a little more diameter to keep the case capacity similar to the .375 CheyTac. The resulting basic shape is quite similar in proportions to the successful .338 Norma Magnum Cartridge which, interestingly, was selected as the cartridge for General Dynamics Lightweight Medium Machine Gun (LWMMG).”

Brass Source — Purchase the Peterson-made .338 EnABELR and .375 EnABELR brass through the Applied Ballistics WebStore. Price for both .338 EnABELR and .375 EnABELR is $125.00 for 50 cases.