"Accurate" brand Mold in a Marlin 38-55

[Hal]

Could I get some input from members that have used the “Accurate “ brand bullet molds in their Marlin 38-55 lever action rifles? Which mold model number as they have so many and I can not decide on which one would be best? My number one interest would be accuracy, and then fit, also how they cycle thru the action. Thanks Hal

[Buckshot]

My number one interest would be accuracy, and then fit, also how they cycle thru the action. Thanks Hal

............Hey there Hal! No experience at all with Accurate moulds. Just wondering if you've slugged your rifle yet?

http://www.fototime.com/47DD87E404FADAE/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/AD326EF2BBA0D5F/standard.jpg

I've got a nice old 1893 in 38-55 with a .380" groove. The Lee 250gr design shoots like a house afire. It drops a couple tenths over .380". I lube in a .381" die, and seat it to, and crimp into the handly crimp groove :-) It also does well with the Saeco 225gr and 255gr slugs. These are tapered FN designs and drop at .382" on the base band. Again I use the .381" die to size & lube. I also have the 300gr Saeco but haven't tried it in the Marlin yet. My favorite plinking/general purpose load is the 225gr Saeco over 16.0grs of 2400. I can hold the 10 ring of the 100 yard small bore slow fire target at 50 yards all day with that load.

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

[Hal]

Buckshot.... Hi, Nice looking Marlin there! 24" Barrel? What parts of S. CAL do reside in? I have the Lee mold also ...have not shot it yet.. My shooting will be in Lever Action Silhouette out to 200 Meters. I just want to get a 4 cavity mold for more production and everyone seems to rave over the Accurate molds. My bore is .3797 and the Lee casts out in WW at .3793 on the average. I tumbled lubed them with liquid Alox.. Have not loaded them yet. I also got a Star die in .381… I have plenty of LBT Blue but thought maybe a softer lube from say White Label would work better. What lead type and lube do you find that works well in your 38-55? I was thinking about that 225 Saco for targets out to 150 Meters then switching to a heavy weight like 270- 285GR to put a good thump on those 200 Meter Rams. Those tapered Saco molds…. What do the other forward bands mike out to be? If it is to much taper will it not make a mess when lubing in a Star? I would be interested in your findings with the 300 Gr bullets in your lever gun. I am in the “heaviest bullet at slow speed crowd” when it comes to knock down on the Rams. I do think from what I have read and witnessed that the 250 grain is probably the all around best weight in the 38-55 Lever gun. Back when I was using a 44 Mag in Pistol Silhouette I went a 240 gr to a 300 gr LBT bullet, but found that it did not work as planned. The bullet was to long and heavy. With the parameters in the Dan Wessen, I had to really push it hard to get the bullet to stabilize and be accurate at 200Meters. It ended up having to much blast and recoil to be competitive over a long course of fire.. I would like to think I could use a 300 gr on the Rams but would need the best accuracy plus the recoil level found with the 30-30. Hal

[451whitworth]

Hal, it's a Marlin

[Hal]

THANKS, 451Whitworth........ GEEEZZZ ..... Why did I say that! I looked at the one angle of it and quickly assumed it was a Winchester... too quick on that one. I see it as plain as day now.

[Ben]

............Hey there Hal! No experience at all with Accurate moulds. Just wondering if you've slugged your rifle yet?

http://www.fototime.com/47DD87E404FADAE/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/AD326EF2BBA0D5F/standard.jpg

I've got a nice old 1893 in 38-55 with a .380" groove. The Lee 250gr design shoots like a house afire. It drops a couple tenths over .380". I lube in a .381" die, and seat it to, and crimp into the handly crimp groove :-) It also does well with the Saeco 225gr and 255gr slugs. These are tapered FN designs and drop at .382" on the base band. Again I use the .381" die to size & lube. I also have the 300gr Saeco but haven't tried it in the Marlin yet. My favorite plinking/general purpose load is the 225gr Saeco over 16.0grs of 2400. I can hold the 10 ring of the 100 yard small bore slow fire target at 50 yards all day with that load.

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


Rick,

I wish that rifle could " talk ".............I'd love to sit and listen to its story ! !

Ben

[44 flattop]

I've had incredible results with Lymans 264gr CG model.

Can't say enough good about it.

44

[Buckshot]

.............Hal, I'm in Redlands, CA. About 70 miles east of LA, and at the eastern end of the San Bernardino Valley. Kinda in the 'Bottom of the sack' :-)

http://www.fototime.com/3A1B23457391FEC/standard.jpg

The above was our range which was 4.2 miles north of my house. We had mountains on 3 sides of us. Our range did 200 meter silhuette. Not being a registered silhuette shooter I don't know the 'Type' silhuette they shot but the animals were full size, and it was NRA sanctioned. They had a class for us unregistered guys who just wanted to shoot and they called it "Cowboy" (this was before SASS). It was cast lead rifle only. This class wasn't for anything but bragging rights and fun.

They'd shoot silhuette once a month. I'd generally shoot 3-4 different rifles each month. Usually 2-3 of us would shoot through as a group. This was generally us "Burrito Shooters" and we shot at the range EVERY Tuesday. We all cast, and pretty much ONLY shot cast. I even remember some of the loads I shot. They would all fetch the 200 meter ram:

M93 Marlin 38-55, Ly 375449, 21.0grs H4198 + dacron = 1470 fps
M93 Marlin 30-30, Lee C309 - 160, 21.0 grs H4198 + dacron = 1775 fps
M98/08 Mauser 7x57, RCBS 7mm-168, 42.0grs Surp WC872 + dacron = 1775 fps
M96 Swede 6.5x55, Ly 268645, 152grs, 35.0grs Surp WC872 + dacron = 1550 fps
MkIV Martini 577-450 Lee 405gr PP'd, 38.0grs IMR3031 + dacron = 1250 fps
M1903A1 30-'06 Ly311284, 23.0grs H4198 + dacron = 1650 fps

In addition to the above I'd also shoot a Chilean 7mm, 45-70 infantry and carbine TD's, a Pedersoli 45-70 RB, a 45-90 Sharps, and a couple 8x57's. The 6.5mm Swede did really need a hit high in the back for best results.

The 3 Saeco slugs I mentioned I'd obtained long after the range had discontinuted the silhuette matches but I know without a doubt the 255gr Saeco wouldn't have had any issues in toppeling the ram. Since they are tapered, they do require a 'learned' touch on the lube pressure (I use the Lyman lube press). However they DO NOT require all the lube grooves filled by any means. I TL'd them first, and then when I ran them into the lube-size die I only filled the bottom 4 grooves.

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

[Hal]

Buckshot.... Thanks for the info... Great looking range. What happened to it?... I have been to LASC and Yuma. Hal

[6pt-sika]

Hal , what part of the "People's Republic" as you call it do you live in ?

I've spent alotta time on the eastern shore in lower Dorchester County in the marsh's !

Also a fair amount of time in southern Maryland mostly Charles County there !

[grubbylabs]

I have bought a few of his molds and I think they are great. I have never shot that caliber, but if you email Tom and let him know what you want, he will either design a suitable mold or help you choose one. I recently ordered a 400 grain mold for my 45-70. I told him what I wanted and what I was shooting it in and he did the rest. If you don't mind email he is very easy to work with.