Sizing for 38/55

[walkswithsticks]

I have been reading and learning for several months now, and I am about ready to get started.

My question deals with sizing.

I plan to paper patch for a Uberti High Wall in 38/55. My barrel measures 373/379 with an advertised twist of 1:18. Boolits fall from my Lee 250 gr RNFP BB mold a little out of round at 380X382. Of course, a run through a lube/sizer trues things up. They are about .930 long Now for the paper patch application............

About everything I am reading here deals with either 30 or 45 caliber. The theories are good, but I need a little specific direction for my intended caliber.

Can I use this boolit as a learning platform before spending money on a specialty mold?
Do I size before, after, or both in conjunction with applying the paper patch?
If I size before, do I get a smaller sizer die and "wrap up" to groove +.001 or .002?
I am shooting grease groove loads of light charges of Red Dot and heavy charges of Trail Boss for loads that my old shoulder can tolerate. Should these loads be good starting points with paper patched boolits?

I know that every rifle has its own desires, but I am just trying to get a good starting point.

Thanks,
Bill

[303Guy]

I'm not a great lover of recoil. I'm still 'young' enough not to be affected by it but I just don't like it. But I'm lucky - I can have suppressors and suppressor-breaks. Just takes the recoil out so pleasantly and most of the muzzle blast too. Are you allowed muzzle breaks in your parts, walkswithsticks? A suppressor-break is a tiny over barrel device that reduces recoil and muzzle blast hugely. My one on my 303 Brit is not tiny but it is short and what a pleasure to shoot with.

Any, getting back to your questions - mostly yes. I think your biggest quest is going to be to get the patch to come off at the muzzle. Possibly the best trick would be to use the thinnest and weakest paper you can find

I have used light charges of pistol and shotgun powders with paper patching and it can work. I would suspect the the Trail Boss loads are going to be the ones that work best but that light load might work too assuming the patch is going to remain intact. And it can. Even with notepad paper. 100% cotton paper is almost certain to remain intact.

I would certainly experiment with the mold you have sizing the casting in anyway I could to find something that works. What I do is patch a candidate boolit then drop it into the chamber and measure the boolit base to breach face distance to see it it will seat properly in the case. I want my boolits to seat no deeper than the neck. That should be a lot easier with the semi-straight walled 38/55.

[Nobade]

I size that Lee bullet to .372" and patch back up to .378" with tracing paper for my rifle. Just adjust accordingly depending on the size of your rifle's barrel and the paper you have.

As for powder, the Red Dot and Trailboss might not work too well at shredding the patches. Have to try it to see. I have not had any success with light loads and patched bullets. But then again, I haven't done much work with it since grease groove bullets work fine for light loads and I don't need to spend the time patching them. In the 45-70 I do get good results with patched bullets and compressed charges of powder normally too slow - i.e. IMR4350 and a 500gr. bullet. It's a little more powerful than black powder and extremely accurate, so if the fast powder doesn't work you might try that. A case full of 4895 is a good high speed 38-55 smokeless load, so anything slower than that will be safe.

[walkswithsticks]

Nobade,

Who makes a 372 sizer die, and who sells it?

Thanks,
Bill

[Nobade]

Buckshot, here on this forum. He does great work and is very reasonable in his pricing. He'll make whatever you want.

[walkswithsticks]

303guy,

Muzzlebreaks are allowed, but I really do not want to ruin the looks of a High Wall. Plus, I have never seen one for an octagon barrel.

Nobade is using the same mold that I have and passed on some good advice about sizing to 372 and patching up. Hopefully Buckshot can supply one as the mainstream manufacturers do not list that size.

Bill

[HABCAN]

I made up some .38-55's for a pal using his cases by PP-ing a LEE .357 pistol boolit up to jam fit in a FIRED case with standard primer and my go-to load for all calibers..........18.0 grs. IMR #4227. No recoil, very accurate, no costs for new equipment. YMMV.

[Nobade]

You may not want to be sizing to 372, with your rifle. With the paper I am using, a 372 boolit makes a 378 final diameter, too small for your barrel. See how much your paper adds to the final diameter, and size accordingly to get something to fit YOUR gun. But the concept is the same...