.38-55 suggestions

[GLL]

Now that I am finally getting the hang of casting (somewhat) I am thinking of graduating from my pistols and finally buying a rifle. I want something to shoot paper at about 100 yards and am intrigued by what I read about the old .38-55.

I have been looking for one of the Browning 1885 Highwall models in .38-55 without any luck but see that the very similar Winchester is now available. What bullet styles/weights do you prefer at that distance in the 1885 Highwall.

I have looked at the catalogs for the Ballard and Sharps but they are a bit pricey for me (although beautiful) !

Any suggestions or information on the .38-55 or the available single shot rifles (used or new) would be appreciated.

Jerry

[drinks]

H&R has one with a 28" barrel, curved steel butt plate and receiver sights, think Wal mart sells them for about $275.
Check walmart.com site, sporting goods, special order firearms.

[C A Plater]

There are a few options out there. H&R has a Buffalo Classic that is available in .38-55. Saw one today at a gun show and the guy was asking $385. You can also get an Encore of Contender barrel from TC's Custom shop or other barrel maker. I'm doing a conversion on a 70's vintage 94 Winchester so that is another option. Marlin did have a cowboy model in .38-55 so there must be some out there.

[wills]

http://www.gunsamerica.com/search.cgi?lowprice=0&highprice=99999999&age=0&uid=&words=38-55&state=All

there are some listed on guns america and also on auction arms

[drinks]

Get a Handi rifle in some other caliber you might be interested in, .35 Whelen and .45-70 come to mind, $200 special order at Walmart, then send the action in to NEF for a Target barrel, about $130 fitted and shipped back, but no sights.
It is drilled and tapped for sights, though.

[John Boy]

Jerry: I am pleased with the shooting capabilities of my El Cheapo ... the H&R 45-70 Buffalo Classic with the factory fitted Target Model 38-55 barrel. Both barrels are made by Green Mountain.

With a Lyman 378674 (335gr) bullet over 40grs of Goex sifted FFFg, I've had 6" groups at 300yds for 10 shots ... after chamber modification

Now the H&R 38-55 bad news:
The bore is 379 with a groove diameter of 0.002" Yep, shallow. And the chamber is undersized for the bore. I had my chamber reamed to 381 in order to reload 381 bullets that after fireforming wouldn't bulge in the case, plus will fit in the chamber

With the shallow groove, WW's plus 2% tin work for me

Heres a good read on the deficiency, correction and some loading data
http://www.brimstonepistoleros.com/gazette/jan06.html

Might add: Removed the Williams barrel sights and fitted a long range vernier to the tang (what there is of it) and the butt stock. Allows for one sight for both barrels and the capability to shoot the 45-70 at 600yd targets

If your interested: last summer had a 5 shot group at 600yds with the 45-70 that measured 2.25" x 7" ... still trying to duplicate it [smilie=b:

[Buckshot]

.............My cowboy action shooting buddy has a couple of his friends show up at
the range every so often and one has an H&R, or NEF or whatever, in 38-55. I do not know if it was a special edition, or a limited run or what, but it is a very nice looking piece. A couple years ago I was admiring it and the guy allowed me to shoot it and it had a great trigger. He said his gunsmith fixed that up. He showed me some targets he'd shot and for sure there was nothing I saw to be ashamed about in the accuracy dept. If you're looking for something inexpensive I'd sure take a look at one of them.

My same friend also has a Win M94 that was some kind of commemorative. I think he paid about $800 for it but it's a beaut. Engraved French gray reciever, oct bbl, fancy wood and all that. I think they kind of ruined it putting that medallion in the buttstock, but it's still a fine looking rifle.

There are some nice ones around, and a Pedersoli Hi Wall would also be nice. I got lucky several years back and got a 1893 Marlin in 38-55. It has a half octagon, half round 26" barrel, half magazine and a shotgun buttstock. A lovely old rifle.

.................Buckshot

[GLL]

Thanks to all for the information. I was not aware of the H&R .38-55 but will see if I can find one to "play" with and save my pennies for a High Wall at some later date.

Jerry

[NickSS]

The 38-55 is a really excellent cartridge that works really well out to 200 yards with a standard barrel and bullet of around 250 gr. If you special order one with a fast twist barrel you can use heavier bullets and shoot out to 500 meters and even knock down rams in steel silhouette shoots. I personally have two lever actions and one single shot in that caliber. My Single shot is a C. Sharps 1885 Winchester High Wall that has a good Badger Barrel on it. I routinely get 1 to 1.5 MOA groups out to 200 yards useing a lyman 250 gr flat point plain base bullet and 42 gr of FFG. I also have a 300 gr NEI bullet mold that casts 310 gr slugs that I size 379 that will shoot 3 inch groups at 300 yards. I have not had the chance to try it further out.

[GLL]

Nick:

What type of sights do you use at 300-500 meters ?

My problem (one of many) is that I cannot even see my truck at 500 meters let alone a ram ! :) :) I do not know how the other "old guys" do it !

I looked at the C. Sharps guns and they are indeed beautiful !

Jerry

[uscra112]

JohnBoy, from what I've read, your rifle with the small neck would have been perfect for paper patches. The lore is (was) that a butter-soft paper patched boolit seemingly undersized, would slip into the rifling and slug up to fit.

Now, I've never fired a patched round, but I recently bought a virtually new (as in maybe even unfired) 1880s black-powder Mauser, chambered 11mm, which was designed from the git-go to use a paper-patch boolit as standard issue. I have a box of original factory rounds for it, even. Sure enough, that rifle has a small-neck chamber, and the patched bullets are as near pure lead as no matter. And I've seen another Mauser like mine that was just the same.

Paul Matthews' books should give you the dope you need to make it work just dandy with patches. One point he makes is that a dead-soft boolit fired at 1800+fps, which you can do with the patches, is plain murder on game - expands like a modern high-tech JB but doesn't break up.

p.s. I'm still working up the courage to put some rounds through this thing - I feel like I've got a 125-year-old virgin on my hands. :-? So this is all hearsay at this point.