Why 38-55?

[TXGunNut]

Got a gun eating on me again and I know I can count on ya'll to talk me out of it. ;)
Seems there are more than a few handsome leverguns, even some commemoratives, chambered in 38-55 sitting on gun store racks these days. A few are even reasonably priced. I've been reading up on the cartridge and I like it, I've been a fan of it for over 25 years. Brass is even available!
Here's the problem; I have a very nice BB Winchester in 375 that I've recently un-retired to fire boolits at a velocity similar to the 38-55. Now that I have a good load and boolit for it it may not see the light of day again for years.
38-55 makes no sense for me. I don't think my 375449 mould will drop fat enough boolits for it (.378), I don't think my 375 Win dies will work for it, not much chance of using my scarce 375 brass for it either. And to top it all off if I get it to work it won't do a thing that my BB 375 won't do.
OTOH, as my late friend James Collvins liked to say, "You can't have too many hog guns".

[00buck]

I dont have a 375.. so I snagged a 38-55 CB when I saw one for a smokin deal. It shoots nice :)

I thought about selling it because I dont shoot it very much.. so I did the logical thing

I bought a RanchDog Mold for it and RCBS Cowboy dies. :D

[Mk42gunner]

Got a gun eating on me again and I know I can count on ya'll to talk me out of it. ;)
And you've been associated with this bunch of enablers how long???:bigsmyl2:

Seems there are more than a few handsome leverguns, even some commemoratives, chambered in 38-55 sitting on gun store racks these days. A few are even reasonably priced. I've been reading up on the cartridge and I like it, I've been a fan of it for over 25 years. Brass is even available!
Here's the problem; I have a very nice BB Winchester in 375 that I've recently un-retired to fire boolits at a velocity similar to the 38-55. Now that I have a good load and boolit for it it may not see the light of day again for years.
38-55 makes no sense for me. I don't think my 375449 mould will drop fat enough boolits for it (.378), I don't think my 375 Win dies will work for it, not much chance of using my scarce 375 brass for it either. And to top it all off if I get it to work it won't do a thing that my BB 375 won't do.
OTOH, as my late friend James Collvins liked to say, "You can't have too many hog guns".

Nothing a few new to you molds, cases, and sizing and loading dies won't cure:kidding:

Seriously, I feel for you. Between the time I started collecting parts to build my own .38-55 to play with and getting the basic genric Winchester 94 to add said parts to, the price of a gently used .30-30 went from $100.00 to $400.00 for a very beat ***.

Consequently, I am still waiting.

Robert

[MT Chambers]

See Lyman's new .381" mold, and you'll jump on the next 38/55 you see!!

[starmac]

Sounds like you are wanting a cure that has never been discovered. It is hopeless, just go ahead and go for it.

[Baja_Traveler]

Your current mold probably wont shoot worth beans if you pick up a Legendary Frontiersman. Have to have a mold that can be sized to .380 to have accuracy better than a scatter gun...

Ever since I got mine the 30-30 has never left the safe though...

[TXGunNut]

See Lyman's new .381" mold, and you'll jump on the next 38/55 you see!!

I saw that, looks a lot like the 375449 I like so well.

[TXGunNut]

Your current mold probably wont shoot worth beans if you pick up a Legendary Frontiersman. Have to have a mold that can be sized to .380 to have accuracy better than a scatter gun...

Ever since I got mine the 30-30 has never left the safe though...

LF is one rifle I'm looking at, pretty sure you're right about the bore. I have one thutty-thutty safe queen and another is pretty much a plinker. I'm of the opinion that for me, anyway, CB hunting rifles start @ .358. Nothing against the .30 caliber, just more confident in something bigger.

[TXGunNut]

Ya'll have failed to talk me out of this new rifle, the 380681 thread in another section didn't help either. Once again you're spot on, Mk42gunner, I came to the wrong place to get talked out of a rifle. ;-) Sending a good 30-30 to JES makes more sense but I like that LF and have been meaning to buy a comm. Winchester someday. I like the rifle configuration and the decorations too. I'm thinking it may need a tang sight, tho.
In my own twisted mind it now makes perfect sense. ;-) A 38-55 firing a 380681 will make my limited supply of 375 cases last longer and will reduce my dependence on GC's. That 380681 looks like the 375449 my 375 likes so well, even uses the same nose punch. Dies and brass are readily available and I have a good supply of Reloder 7. Poor old Big Bore may spend another 25 years in the safe. :-(

[TXGunNut]

No surprise, the Legendary Frontiersman followed me home tonight. Was a bit surprised that this was actually a NIB rifle and wood was much nicer than I recalled. My Library contact knocked off $100 and had a nice pile of points to reduce it even more.
Have a mould, sizing die and loading die set in shopping carts. Brass supply has dried up since I looked last. Oh, well. Not in any hurry for a new project. Larry is expecting some Starline brass in next month, WW any day now.

[45coltnut]

TxGunNut,

Way to go buddy!!! Glad to hear you picked up the LF in 38-55. So.....how does it shoot? Come on now, you've had it for two whole days so I'm sure you've fired the ole smoke pole :)

I just ordered a .382" Accurate mold in 38-250G. So, if you'd like I can send you boolits to try in about a month. I hear its about a 3 week wait. If your barrel slugs as mine at .3795 then I also have a .381" sizing die coming and I'll size them too. Just let me know.

BTW, here's a link for new and readily in stock 2.125" brass (Starline) http://www.custombrassandbullets.com/slb146.html

45coltnut

[TXGunNut]

Thanks but no, haven't shot it yet. Didn't even look for factory rounds on the shelf.
Thanks for the link, does the 2.125 brass work in your rifle? Looks like a decent price to boot. Mine did indeed slug @ .380 so I hope the new Lyman drops .381 or bigger. If not I'll (finally) order an Accurate mould and I'll have a PB mould for my .375 Winchester. Glad you found the sizing die. ;-)

[45coltnut]

Yes, mine will take both and shoots both with what appears to be the same accuracy.
My current lee mold drops at .3795" and then I size to .379". Even slightly undersized I've gotten 1.5" groups with the tang sight. But, I get a little leading. So hopefully the .382" mold will do the trick.

I did stay with what I'd call a standard nose at .2" meplat. I wanted to get the 38-270G but I was concerned that the nose profile may give issues on the chamber to bore fit with the long brass. And, I like keeping the boolit as close to the rifling as possible.

[6.5 mike]

I have a 375 in a Marlin & a C Sharps 1875 in 38-55. I'm using a Lee 379-250 mold. As cast it drops at 0.380 big enough for the 38-55 & the 375. I also size down & pp for both with good results. It feeds well in the Marlin either way, weight is 260 gr naked.

[TXGunNut]

Great, just ordered a hundred. Thanks again, somehow missed these in my search. Was looking for 2.080 brass.

[TXGunNut]

380681 mould and RCBS Cowboy dies showed up today. Have plenty of Reloder 7 powder but kicking around using BP. Sems I have plenty of FFg and 1 1/2Fg powder around here....

[TXGunNut]

Brass and sizing die arrived today so with apologies to MasterCard:

RCBS Cowboy dies: $60
Lyman 380681 mould: $72
Starline 38-55 2.125" brass: $60
Lyman .381 sizing die: $26

Having the means to feed my new levergun for the foreseeable future: PRICELESS!

This is what casting and loading is all about; being able to cast better ammo than you can buy (or afford) for the old historic calibers!
Funny thing, my first levergun (a brand new .375) cost about the same as the loading tools and brass for my NIB 38-55. Another coincidence: they were only made a few years apart.

[TXGunNut]

Sizing die was a bit agressive, will try only partially resizing after initial "fireforming" to see if that allows me to load more than 43grs FFg.

[Baja_Traveler]

I adjusted my sizing die to only hit the top 1/4 of the case. With a drop tube ( I use a large diameter 30" long aluminum arrow shaft ) I can easily drop 45 grains of Swiss 1 1/2 into the case before compressing. I only used the 45 grain loads for silhouette Ram knockdown - everything else got 40 grains, no use beating yourself up for chickens, pigs and turkeys...

One thing I have noticed after several years of shooting BP in the Legendary Frontiersman - your nice pewter finish on the receiver will start to turn dark, almost like bluing. It will start up top in front (the obvious place ) and work its way down and back. I kinda like it actually - gives the rifle a classic worn look without the bright bling...

[TXGunNut]

Thanks, was hoping to get 45 grns under that 380681 after partial sizing. I'm resisting the sillywet game but I can see where this rifle might make a go at it. Long bbl, rifle fore end configuration, nice balance.
Pewter finish already starting to discolor a bit on top of the receiver, suspect it's more of a wash than plating. I'm not worried about it, I bought it to shoot and things like that just add character. It's been a failure as a collectible but I think it will do just fine as a shooter.

[JesterGrin_1]

If you wish to push them you might look into H-322. If you look though he tried many other powders. :)

http://www.ranchdogoutdoors.com/

http://www.ranchdogoutdoors.com/bin/TLC380250RF/data/loadnotes01.pdf

http://www.ranchdogoutdoors.com/bin/TLC379235RF/data/selection.html


I think the 38-55 is a neat round and with the powders that are available today and the actions that are used for this round it can be pushed up around 2000 FPS with accuracy according to Ranch Dog out of Marlins. So a .38 Cal Boolit at around 250Gr at 2000 FPS would be no slouch for a Hunting Round.

I Had a BEAUTIFUL Marlin 336 CB in 38-55 but I sold it off due to the factory dimensions of the chamber and did not wish to have them changed on a rifle that is no longer produced. But as they say hind sight is 20/20. I should have just bit the bullet as they say and had the chamber opened up a bit. The problem was that even with the Long Thin Starline Brass I still could not chamber a bullet large enough to fit the rifling correctly.

So as others might have said if I was going to go back to the 38-55 again I would find a good doner Marlin Rifle and send it off to Jess for a rebore. :)

[TXGunNut]

So as others might have said if I was going to go back to the 38-55 again I would find a good doner Marlin Rifle and send it off to Jess for a rebore. JesterGrin_1

Thanks for the links but this project isn't about going fast. I don't think this rifle will ever go hunting but even @ BP velocities that 250 grns of lead will do fine on out TX deer and all but the biggest hogs.
I agree that a rebored 30-30 is the best way to get a 38-55 with a chamber and bore well suited to cast boolits. I'd rather have a .375 bore but things worked out and I think I have a combination that works.
Where've you been?