38-55 Highwall, 12 twist, 360 gr bullet, which BP do you recommend?

[joelpend]

For those shooting 38-55 with heavy bullets, what is your recommended BP. I have some Goex 2F and some KIK 1.5. Only going to be shooting to 300 yards so probably don't need extra velocity but I have read that some use 3F in the 38-55. Just want to start where people have had success if possible. I am new to this BPCR stuff, years of shooting and reloading the modern stuff and now a whole different thing to learn. Thanks in advance for your replies.

[SSGOldfart]

2F would be my choice.

[country gent]

When my rifle is done I plan on trying Swiss and old ensford 1.5f and 2f in it under 335 grn and 360 grn bullets.

[Hiwall55]

Try what you have. I shoot 2fg Goex and Swiss 1.5 in my 38s with 335 grain and 360 grain money bullets .I have a David Mos 330 grain snover bullet that is really accurate.

[Don McDowell]

I prefer the KIK over regular Goex, but next time you buy powder might want to try some Olde Eynsford in the 2f.

[Jeff Houck]

For those shooting 38-55 with heavy bullets, what is your recommended BP. I have some Goex 2F and some KIK 1.5. Only going to be shooting to 300 yards so probably don't need extra velocity but I have read that some use 3F in the 38-55. Just want to start where people have had success if possible. I am new to this BPCR stuff, years of shooting and reloading the modern stuff and now a whole different thing to learn. Thanks in advance for your replies.

I use Goex Old Enysford 2F in my 38-55 with a 350 gr. bullet. I've never lost a ram with it. I've also shot long range Buffalo to 1200 yards with it. It was a BIG buffalo!

[BrentD]

The brand is more important than the granulation, but Swiss powder is king of the hill. Has been since it arrived on the shore and will be for long long time to come. 1.5fg has always been more accurate for me.

[Toymaker]

Which bullet did you go with? I'm going with Goex FFg. I have some Swiss 1.5 and some Goex Cartridge, but with my 45-70 neither gave me the performance of plain old Goex FFg.

[Gunlaker]

If you have all four of those powders I'd just give them each a try. I'd put my money on Swiss 1.5 being the best. After that I would bet on OE 1.5.

Sometimes you can be surprised by the plain grade powders. I've shot some very nice 200m targets with Goex Fg in my .38-55 recently. The best that this particular rifle has ever shot. But these are breech seated so I have a lot more powder capacity than with fixed ammunition so can go with a weaker powder.

The Cartridge powder has been disconinued for a while so unless you have a lot, I wouldn't bother working up a load for a new rifle.

Chris.

[Gunlaker]

By the way, is this a Pedersoli rifle? If so, there was an excellent article in the Black Powder Cartridge News a few years ago on this rifle. It included load data with various bullets. There were some nice groups shown in the article. That's where I'd start.

Chris.

[joelpend]

Which bullet did you go with? I'm going with Goex FFg. I have some Swiss 1.5 and some Goex Cartridge, but with my 45-70 neither gave me the performance of plain old Goex FFg.

BACO Money Bullet

[joelpend]

By the way, is this a Pedersoli rifle? If so, there was an excellent article in the Black Powder Cartridge News a few years ago on this rifle. It included load data with various bullets. There were some nice groups shown in the article. That's where I'd start.

Chris.

Yes, Pedersoli from Dixie Gun Works. I have 3 cans of Goex Cartridge but like was said I hate to spend and time with it, be my luck it would shoot great and can't get any more. Think I will trade it to someone that has a load for it in one of their rifles. I hear people talking about softer fouling with KIK, wondering if it and OE is about the same for those that have used both.

[Don McDowell]

OE is much cleaner and easier to deal with the fouling than KIK.

[Gunlaker]

Yes, Pedersoli from Dixie Gun Works. I have 3 cans of Goex Cartridge but like was said I hate to spend and time with it, be my luck it would shoot great and can't get any more. Think I will trade it to someone that has a load for it in one of their rifles. I hear people talking about softer fouling with KIK, wondering if it and OE is about the same for those that have used both.

OK, the article in the BPCN appeared in the Summer 2011 edition. There is a good chance that back issues are still available from blackpowderSPG.com. It's a good article. It was written by Kenny Durham and he seem ed to get good accuracy at the ram line with it. He used 1:14 alloy and a 370gr Brooks bullet with 52gr of Swiss 1.5.

With respect to fouling and OE 1.5, in some loads, not all, it seems to be lighter than Swiss 1.5 for me.

I think there are a few things that affect fouling, like neck tension and bullet weight. For example in one of my 32-40's I was playing with Schuetzen FFg and it gave very little fouling. When shooting the same powder in one of my .38-55's with paper patched bullets the fouling is super crusty.

I do like the OE 1.5 in some of my rifles. It produces great accuracy in my .40-65 with good ten shot velocity SD's.

Chris.

[joelpend]

OK, the article in the BPCN appeared in the Summer 2011 edition. There is a good chance that back issues are still available from blackpowderSPG.com. It's a good article. It was written by Kenny Durham and he seem ed to get good accuracy at the ram line with it. He used 1:14 alloy and a 370gr Brooks bullet with 52gr of Swiss 1.5.

With respect to fouling and OE 1.5, in some loads, not all, it seems to be lighter than Swiss 1.5 for me.

I think there are a few things that affect fouling, like neck tension and bullet weight. For example in one of my 32-40's I was playing with Schuetzen FFg and it gave very little fouling. When shooting the same powder in one of my .38-55's with paper patched bullets the fouling is super crusty.

I do like the OE 1.5 in some of my rifles. It produces great accuracy in my .40-65 with good ten shot velocity SD's.

Chris.

Thank you, I sent a note asking for that issue, now wait and see if available.

[Toymaker]

"BACO Money Bullet"

Same rifle as I have. Same mold I've ordered. Thinking a 30:1 alloy; how about you? Let me know how you do.

Yea, I'm going to leave the Goex Cartridge on the shelf to stare at. They should never have discontinued it. Lots of people swear by Swiss and I've shot with some that do very well using it. But I have a load of Goex FFg and FFFg that I use for my muzzle loaders and I'm going to start with it. I buy bulk so it is way cheaper than Swiss.

As mentioned before, I use Goex FFg in my 45-70 roller and do very well with it. Off the bench 1-inch 5-shot groups at 100 yards and 5 shots inside a 3-inch spot (1.5 - 2 inch) on a steel plate at 200 yards. I haven't duplicated that performance with Swiss, although I'm still trying as I use up the pound I have. I also have two smokeless loads that go faster and duplicate the performance of the Goex. So life is good and I hope to carry through with the 38-55.

Now I'm going to go dig out of a 22-inch snow storm...................

[Gunlaker]

You will want to go a lot harder than 30:1. I would start with 16:1 or at least 20:1 with a Money bullet. I shoot a .38 cal slender nosed bullet and 16:1 will outshoot 20:1.

Chris.

[MIEagle]

I don't shoot Goex 2F without sifting the fines out of it. Very dirty powder. Your powder performance will change from start of the can to the finish of the can if you don't.

[Baja_Traveler]

KIK worked just alright with me - and I hated all the fines in it. Drop a charge and there would be tons of dust floating about. Can't beat Swiss, and it is my primary powder (1 1/2). Recently tried Old Eynsfurt in 1 1/2 and it shoots really well without all the fines that KIK has. In fact it visually looks just like Swiss, and costs a whole lot less. I'll use it more in the future, especially when money is tight...

[Paul_R]

I use fff scheutzen in everything (including 38-55) simply because I have a lot of it and it's better (in everything) than goex ff or fff which I still have a bit of.