.38-55 rebored (JES) from .30-30 marlin 336 ?

[badge176]

I have my dies on the way, I have a likely 'volunteer' in a store branded .30-30 Marlin 336, and I'm looking for informed opinions on where to start for CB mold and rate of twist...

Likeliest to be 'heavy' Whitetail, maybe black bear & hog gun. Very likely open (receiver peep) sights.

Have at it fellows, I'm all ears...

[missionary5155]

Greetings
I have 3 JES caliber 38 rebores and 3 other calibers so I will be opinionated... He does good work !
I do not shoot less than 255's in my caliber 38's. JES has one twist available and it is well thought out. You can shoot the plain base 255's down to 850 fps and have descent accuracy at 100 yards for a plinker or smaller game. Recoil is not present to me.
Or you can up that same boolit (375248) to 1500 fps cast from WW and it will shoot nicely out to 300 yards if you get the trajectory figured which is not awful. |This loading will handle any white tail out there if properlty thumped.
Move up to a GC model and push it to 1800 fps and go smack bigger critters with authority.
If I was going for largish bear or 400 pound hogs I would move up to a 300 grainer GC and keep my shooting to under 70 yards. I would prefer under 50 yards. I want all the impact on target as possible and a 300 grainer will do that.
JES will send you rifle back with a .377 groove so you do not need be worried about getting fat molds. My two origonal 38-55's need boolits over .382 to shoot well with smokeless. JES barrels are cut right for today.
Sights ..I use peep in mine. They are fast and plenty accurate for hunting and most any shooting. If you are thinking about 300 yard plus accurate shooting finer sights are available. But for out to a practicle range of 150 yards I have no need for anything else. I still have better than 20/20 in my right eye so I see very well.
You will not regret the end result with a JES barrel.
Mike in Peru

[fordwannabe]

I have a JES rebore from 30-30 to 38-55 and he sent me a target with the load he used right on the target...has worked very well so far. I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH GOOD STUFF ABOUT THE WORKMANSHIP OR THE PEOPLE AT JES.

[Uncle Grinch]

I had a Marlin 30-30 rebored to 375 Win by Jesse and was very satisfied, enough so, to send him a Rem 700 in 30-06. I now have a 35 Whelen.

No complaints.... decent price, fast turn around, and high quality.... 'nuff said!

[wrench man]

Call Jesse and talk with him!, he'll do you right!, I had him punch my Marlin 30A 30-30 out to a .356 Winchester, excellent work!

[MBTcustom]

JES does good work. You can expect bore quality to be superb. Not quite as good as Kreiger or hart, but pretty close, and his barrels shoot.
Best of all, he cut's the rifling in by hand with a rifling bench he made himself. Just like they did it at the turn of the last century. He is an old world craftsman, and his barrels shoot like it. Many times I have considered buying a Green Mountain blank, and just sending it to him to get his three groove rifling right off the bat before I chamber it or anything.

[taco650]

Several months back I spoke with JES about re-boring my Ruger 30-06 to 35 Whelen and although I didn't get the work done, he was very good to talk with and his turn-around and price were very good. You'll have to call and leave a message but he does return calls when he finishes up in the shop.

[TXGunNut]

I only have one JES rebored rifle but some day I'll have another. With a 30-30 Marlin I'll take a 375 over the 38-55, but that's partly because I have brass and dies for the .375. Remember; if you have a .375 you can pretend it's a 38-55. If you have a 38-55 you have a 38-55....but that's still pretty cool.

[Nobade]

One thing about his 38-55 is he uses the standard PTG reamer, which is set up for the long 38-55 brass only available from Starline. The short brass from them or Winchester works fine with smokeless loads but the long brass is a lot more accurate with BP loads.

He also cuts the grooves to .375" so modern bullets (and boolits) work very well.

In my own rebored Marlin I use a Ideal 285gr. 9.3mm boolit paper patched up to .377" with both black and smokeless, and it shoots lights out. When I first got it, there was a section of roughness near the muzzle that collected fouling. After a few hundred paper patched rounds the bore was well polished and it doesn't foul anymore at all.

-Nobade

[taco650]

Wish I had a plain-Jane 30-30 I could send out to him for a rebore to 38-55! The only one I have is my dad's 1928 vintage M-94 and I'm got going to alter that one.

[TXGunNut]

Yes, 375449 is a grand old boolit. Some days I wish mine was a PB mould as that would work fine for the velocities I'm looking for.