Marlin 38-55 Range Report

[hylander]

So just started shooting my Marlin 38-55
Had this thing for many moons and never shot it.
I had ammo for it that was loaded also many moons ago by the guy I got the rifle from.
First outing was horrible, at 50yds the accuracy was about 2' group's, "Really"
Out of 11 rounds only 3 hit the 2'X3' cardboard
Also Lots of unburned powder left in the bore and case.
Pulled a boolit and checked size, it was only .373 -.374
I pressed it nose first into the bore all the way in with my thumb
Needless to say I have pulled all that ammo down, the cases were new never fired.
Today I shot some ammo loaded with boolits measuring .379
This thing is very accurate.
Only issue is there are still unburned powder kernels in the bore and if you look at the 100yd traget the boolits seem to be starting to tip

Winchester short cases
265FN
18.5gr. 5744
Fed 210 primer.

[Gashtyke]

Good shooting, hylander. Did you cast your own ? Gaschecked or no?

[largom]

You did not state the powder used. You could try a faster burning powder but accuracy is the most important.

[northmn]

My Marlin Cowboy shoots 379 bullets very well. Bullets do not tip. The 38-55 is an interesting cartridge to load for. Starline brass is commonly used as it permits loading a slightly larger bullet so that it will chamber. However I have good results with WW brass. Check your expander die as most are for 375 and will sometimes cause bullets to size down when seated in tight brass, Especially if soft. My expander is marked 377. I have not used 5744 in the 38-55 but the two most popular powders for working up loads are Unique and 4198. With non gas checked bullets I can easily exceed the bullet design for velocity with 4198. Unique gives most a very good factory duplication load.
Many like the RCBS cowboy dies for the cartridge. Another bullet source for J bullets is Vollmer. There are plenty of precast bullets available also.
You should be able to get groups at close to 1" with the Marlin CB and cast bullets. My limitations are mostly old eyes and the receiver sights. Looking at scoping the rifle.

DEP

[Dan Cash]

With a 250-260 grain bullet, Reloader 7 or perhaps IMR 3031 should give enough velocity to fully stabilize your bullet and achieve a reasonably complete burn. However, as I reload for a friend as well as my self for leveraction competitions, I find my 42 grain 2ffg charge out performs the smokeless loads. Clean up is usually 4 or 5 patches.

[hylander]

Good shooting, hylander. Did you cast your own ? Gaschecked or no?

Don't cast right now.
No gas check.

[Texas by God]

That rifle is a compelling reason to cast boolits. Good shooting!

[FergusonTO35]

Your rifle may just not be getting along with the commercial boolits. I find many of them are too soft and use a hard waxy lube that doesnt coat the bore very well. Might want to beg, buy, or borrow a handful of homebrew slugs from someone on this forum who knows what these rifles need. 5744 may not be the best powder for your rifle either. Just because it's a .38-55 doesn't mean it automatically wants a fast powder. I've had very good success with IMR 4895 and boolits in .30 WCF.

[blindeye]

Tried some 'hard cast' .379" bullets right after buying my Cowboy; from some popular commercial maker; I for get which one. Looked ok, didn't cost too much (pre-Obama); but shot poorly. First time with some .379" from a Lyman 375248 mold, using big old soft semi-truck wheel weights was like night n day. Couldn't chamber larger than .379" using Win. brass; as they bulged. But the rifle needed larger bullets. Starline solved that problem; although they didn't make 38-55 when I bought the rifle. (as I recall). My impression was softer, better quality self-made and larger diameter were leaps above the popular commercial bullets available at the time. But
But I only shot it a couple times. Enough to see potential, but my interests changed.
There's been plenty of reports over the years since. And many getting much better results than my initial efforts. I did mount a Marbles tang sight which was a help with my eyes. Took the factory staff-wobble out of it. Stuck it on Without the factory adapter. No serial number at that location, thankfully.