38-55 bullet

[libbyman]

Does anyone know of a good( I mean proven) cast bullet for the 38-55 in
a lever gun?

[Pilgrim]

I think it depends on the vintage of the rifle,and who made it. The Marlins (old and new) seem to be around .380 or .381. The problem is finding a boolit that is over groove diameter that will still chamber in your rifle. Some folks have had their chamber throats opened up, others have been happy with a soft boolit that will slug up. If it's the latter way you go, I rather suspect you will be limited to original velocities. The closest to the .38-55 I've personally experienced is the 375 Win. That rifle is truly a .375 bore and it is very happy with the RCBS boolit (37-250) as cast over a fair amount of WC680. I know I haven't given you "the answer" you were hoping for, but you really need to know the groove diameter and your throat diameter, and then you can go from there. With that info we might be able to help a wee bit more. FWIW Pilgrim

[Four Fingers of Death]

I think it depends on the vintage of the rifle,and who made it. The Marlins (old and new) seem to be around .380 or .381. The problem is finding a boolit that is over groove diameter that will still chamber in your rifle. Some folks have had their chamber throats opened up, others have been happy with a soft boolit that will slug up. If it's the latter way you go, I rather suspect you will be limited to original velocities. The closest to the .38-55 I've personally experienced is the 375 Win. That rifle is truly a .375 bore and it is very happy with the RCBS boolit (37-250) as cast over a fair amount of WC680. I know I haven't given you "the answer" you were hoping for, but you really need to know the groove diameter and your throat diameter, and then you can go from there. With that info we might be able to help a wee bit more. FWIW Pilgrim

You might not have been exactly what he wanted, but you are right on the money with me. I have a 375 Big Bore, a 375 250Gn RCBS mould which I bought years ago (I knew I'd have a 375 rifle sooner or later). I will give it a try as soon as I get back home. What is a good starting load for the 375?

Cheers, Mick.

[Singletree]

Libbyman,
I use the Saeco # 638, 225 gr. flat nose. It is a tapered design and will chamber in my marlin. The bullet is about .376 on the front band and tapers up to .381 on the rear one. There are two more molds of the same design and are both heavier if your looking for more weight. My rifle likes 4198 powder and will shoot this bullet as good as any. The problem is the rifle. Buckshot, I believe shoots this bullet. Perhaps he will respond also.

[beagle]

The bullet that come's closest to being proven is the 37-250-FN. As pilgrim pointed out, it depends on what your barrel dimensions are as to whether it shoots good in your rifle.

Now, I have a .38-55 that has a Douglas barrel on it and the dimensions all use of a .376" bullet in it so the sky's the limit as most of the .375 bullets will clean up to that. In my rifle, the 37-250-FN, the 37-214-FN (custom) the 375296 and the Saeco 373 all shoot well in it.

If you're looking for alarge diameter mould, get Dan or NEI to cut a big one. Just about anything in the 250 grain range shoots well./beagle

[libbyman]

Thanks for all the info. I have a 94 Win in 375 Win. and also
a Win. lowal in 38-55. Guess some more research is in order.
Libbyman

[44 WCF]

I have two moulds that work well in my 38-55 Marlin. Both are gas check. One is the Lyman 264 gr that I had Mike Lewis in Walden Colorado open up to drop at .382 and since had it updated to fit my Magma Eng. Master Caster. The othe is similar with a wide nose made by Mtn Molds in Idaho. Lyman gave me Mike's contact info and you can reach Dan at www.mountainmolds.com You can use Dan's web page to design your own mould if you wish, which I did. Just watch your nose length and style to make sure you can chamber. I used his web page to design a 32-40 GC mould, but I had the crimp groove to ogive just a little too long for my 336 rebarreled to 32-40, but the mould drops a bullet that shoots very very well in my Ruger #1 re-barreled to 32-40 and my TCR 83 in 32-40. Both 38-55 moulds shoot consistently close to one inch at 100 with scope on my Marlin when I pay attention to my casting and case prep techniques and of course on those few days when I can shoot as well as the rifles and bullets can. I can confidently recommend the work these two gentlemen offer and their prices are very competitive for the quality received.

[Sky C.]

44WCF-

Could you please post Mike's contact info. I get out that way a few times each year and have a couple moulds I might like to have re-worked.

Thanks-

Sky C.

[44 WCF]

I thought I had his phone number but couldn't' find it. I looked at Lyman FAQ on their webpage too, thought it might be there, but seems they gave me his phone number when I called customer service at 800-225-9626.


Sorry I couldn't find his contact info.

44 WCF

[trk]

Does anyone know of a good( I mean proven) cast bullet for the 38-55 in a lever gun?

With the .375 winchester in a '94 Big Bore I use the Lyman 375449 which drops at 264gr in WW. It is gas checked. Works VERY well.

[Buckshot]

.............In my 1893 Marlin 38-55 I like the Saeco 225gr FN. It's a PB tapered design that casts at .381" on the wide base band. Favorite all occasion plinker load (and offhand match work too) is that boolit and the top secret load of 16.0grs of 2400

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