Help With 38-55 Load

[doubs43]

A friend has ordered a new C. Sharps 1875 rifle chambered for 38-55. The chamber and lead are being cut to allow use of the heavy 335 ~ 360 grain boolits. The boolit of choice at the moment is to be the 335 grain Lyman #378674.

It would be greatly appreciated if anyone having experience using the Lyman boolit or heavier boolits would share their load data. Both black powder and smokeless loads would be helpful.

The rifle is in work and he should have it within a couple of weeks.

[peerlesscowboy]

Lyman #378674, 335gr sized .377" lubed with SPG, W-W brass

#1
primer--federal 215
powder--Pyrodex Select RS, 28gr (24" droptube)

#2
primer--Remington 9 1/2
powder--IMR4198, 15gr (topped with 1.6cc cornmeal filler)

Both these loads have an average muzzle velocity of just over 1100fps

John C. Saubak

[WARD O]

I load BP for other Sharps/Roller cartridges - 50-90,45-90,50-70,45-70, etc. I shoot 38-55 BP in my Marlin 1893 but with a much lighter hunting style bullet.

My approach is to first determine the seating depth where the bullets is just kissing the lands. Prime and expand your brass. Add your charge of black powder and compress leaving a thin card or poly wad on top of the powder. Leave enough room in the case for the bullet to obtain your predetermined OAL. Then gently seat your soft lead greased bullet so it touchs the card wad - I usually shoot alloys of 1-20 to 1-30.

No need for a heavy crimp in the single shots, only close down the case mouth enough for easy chambering.

Do not leave any air space between BP and bullet base - this is considered a Big NO NO.

I would probably use 3F powder but 2F would be usable as well. Vary your powder charges and compression to find an accurate load. Vary your primer as you see fit but a standard large rifle would be a good place to start.

I do not shoot rifles of this style with smokeless - it's just not anywhere near as much fun.

Ward

[Kraschenbirn]

You mention chamber and leade are being cut for long, heavy boolits, what's the barrel twist rate going to be?

A number of people who shoot the Uberti HighWalls with 1-18" twist will tell you from experience that your friend is going to need something around a 1-16" to stabilize that 335 Lyman boolit. Best results in my Uberti, to date, have been achieved using a 304-grainer from an old NEI mould modified by Buckshot. There's a sticky on Single-Shot Guns with a lot of good info.

Myself, I shoot those 304s lubed with Emmert's using either 52 gr Goex fffg with a .030" fiber wad or 19.5 gr. IMR4198 with dacron filler. Both loads use W-W cases and Fed Lg Pistol Mag Primers. Haven't gotten around to clocking the BP load but the smokeless chronos at 1370 fps (SD=12) and produces consistent 2" 100-yard groups off sandbags using a Marble's tang sight with a Lyman 17A front.

Bill

[doubs43]

The rate of twist will be 1:15 according to what the people at C. Sharps told my friend. That should stabilize the heavier boolits just fine.

[MT Chambers]

My Douglas barreled 38/55 is 1-16" and shoots that lyman 335gr. beautifully and when I do my part they will take down the Rams at 500m, but only with a very soft bullet and a drop tubed charge of Swiss 1 1/2fg Black powder. I think it only held 43 grs. when the bullet was seated to optimum length, if I had the time I would try breech seating the same bullet.