Muskyhunter1
06-24-2014, 11:03 PM
I just want to thank the many people on this forum who were instrumental in helping me get my old custom Win Mod 94 SRC (Circa 1899) in 38-55 cal - shooting great.
I picked up that old rifle for 50 bucks from a gun shop that had caught fire (no fire damage to rifle). After molding and shooting, likely a thousand rounds that key holed and were not hitting the target at all, I got her shooting not too bad. It can likely shoot better than I can now.
To get to where it shot so well on the advise of forum members, I slugged the bore and got a grove diameter of .380. After trying bullets .375 up to .380 dia with little success, I contacted Tom at Accurate Molds and told him what I was looking for. Tom recommended making me mold# 3822505,which drops out a 255 grain bullet with a gas check in a Ranchdog design. The mold throws them .382 or better.
108755
I bought a Lyman .381 sizer from another forum member here and I was off to the races. The slugs were molded with WW, lubed with Lyman Alox bullet lube and a copper Lyman GC added. On the advice from other members I worked up a load from the Lyman 45th Edition. I got her up to the max. of 21 grains of IMR 4227 (Please see last comment at end before you blast me). I was real pleased with both the performance and the accuracy of that load.
After a number of years of increasing bear problems (people getting killed/attacked) Ontario opened a limited spring Black Bear Season. I knew where the Black Bears were so I took a week off work to fish and hunt bears.
A good friend of mine wanted to come along. He had some medical issues a couple months prior and as as result we both missed the Spring Turkey hunt. He also had never shot a bear, therefore my first goal was to get him one. After a couple nights hunting (missing one) my buddy finally connected with his first black bear (30-06 with a jacket - sorry). It wasn't big but he was thrilled and got some good eating from it.
108756
After spending the rest of the week fishing for Trout, Walleye and Northerns, he headed home and now was my turn.
I had one night to hunt before I had to go back to work so I took the old Winchester and went to a bear stand. I sat there for a couple of hours in the bugs. It was brutal. As the light was fading, I realized that as result of my aging eyes it was getting hard to see iron sights in low light. I put on my reading glasses and found they helped. I decided due to the bugs and the poor light, I was going to leave the bush well before dark.
Suddenly I heard a branch break behind me to the left. After about 10 - 15 minutes out popped a bear. He was right on my trail coming in. He knew something was up and stood up on it's hind legs and began testing the air. It focused in on me and began to stare. I couldn't move and at that moment it felt like I was covered in a thousand mosquitoes and they were all biting me. It was about the size of my buddies bear - just right for eating and legal.
The bear finally settled down and continued to walk right up to the base of my stand and out of my line of sight. I could hear his feet stepping in the brush. I then felt my tree stand shake as it was smelling or licking the ladder. Having the rifle all cocked and ready to go, I considered standing up fast and leaning over and taking a shot. I stopped, remembering how fast they can move. I decided to sit still. Suddenly under my reading glasses I saw the black figure glide past my tree stand and head to my bait at the bottom of the hill.
With his back to me it was my chance. I lined up the sights on it's upper right side of his chest and pulled the 115 year old trigger. The old rifle roared and the bear collapsed like someone pulled the plug. After a couple of seconds it began to kick a bit and having been a bear hunter for some 38 years, I nailed it again for insurance purposes. It is not fun tracking a wounded bear in dark thick swamp. I was truly shocked at the hitting power of those Ranchdog cast boolits.
Darkness was setting in fast and the bugs were getting thicker. I tore down my tree stand, got the bear gutted and it all dragged and into the truck as fast as I could.
When I got home I knew due to the very warm temperatures, I was going to have to get the hide off the bear and get it into the freezer. Once the the hide was off it occurred to me I never took a picture of the bear - oh well it wasn't my first bear (hopefully not my last) and wasn't a record or anything - sorry.
I did get the camera out as I wanted to at least get some images of the bullet wounds. After a couple of pictures while monkeying with the flash, my batteries died. Anyway here is the best picture of the entrance wound with the hide peeled off.
108757
The entrance wound was 1.2" x .917". That was from a .380 dia. projectile. The bullet went downward hitting the spine, through the lungs and exited the front of the bears chest with an also perfect .380 dia hole. During the bullet's entry there was an obvious huge transfer of bullet energy. The blunt Ranchdog bullet even grabbed a plug of hair. I truly believe now the key to a good cast hunting bullet is a flat metplat. Unfortunately that doesn't help with long range shooting.
Anyway folks, thanks again for all your help. My advice to anyone who needs a good mold to match your old worn out rifle - go talk to Tom over at Accurate Molds. Tom will fix you up.
Oh yes one more thing. Kirk (Win 38-55) advised me I should likely back my off on my max. load of 21.0 grains of 4227 with such and old rifle. I think I will take his advice - Thanks Kirk. I will start working up a hot Cast boolite loading in my Marlin 375 Winchester now.
Musky
I picked up that old rifle for 50 bucks from a gun shop that had caught fire (no fire damage to rifle). After molding and shooting, likely a thousand rounds that key holed and were not hitting the target at all, I got her shooting not too bad. It can likely shoot better than I can now.
To get to where it shot so well on the advise of forum members, I slugged the bore and got a grove diameter of .380. After trying bullets .375 up to .380 dia with little success, I contacted Tom at Accurate Molds and told him what I was looking for. Tom recommended making me mold# 3822505,which drops out a 255 grain bullet with a gas check in a Ranchdog design. The mold throws them .382 or better.
108755
I bought a Lyman .381 sizer from another forum member here and I was off to the races. The slugs were molded with WW, lubed with Lyman Alox bullet lube and a copper Lyman GC added. On the advice from other members I worked up a load from the Lyman 45th Edition. I got her up to the max. of 21 grains of IMR 4227 (Please see last comment at end before you blast me). I was real pleased with both the performance and the accuracy of that load.
After a number of years of increasing bear problems (people getting killed/attacked) Ontario opened a limited spring Black Bear Season. I knew where the Black Bears were so I took a week off work to fish and hunt bears.
A good friend of mine wanted to come along. He had some medical issues a couple months prior and as as result we both missed the Spring Turkey hunt. He also had never shot a bear, therefore my first goal was to get him one. After a couple nights hunting (missing one) my buddy finally connected with his first black bear (30-06 with a jacket - sorry). It wasn't big but he was thrilled and got some good eating from it.
108756
After spending the rest of the week fishing for Trout, Walleye and Northerns, he headed home and now was my turn.
I had one night to hunt before I had to go back to work so I took the old Winchester and went to a bear stand. I sat there for a couple of hours in the bugs. It was brutal. As the light was fading, I realized that as result of my aging eyes it was getting hard to see iron sights in low light. I put on my reading glasses and found they helped. I decided due to the bugs and the poor light, I was going to leave the bush well before dark.
Suddenly I heard a branch break behind me to the left. After about 10 - 15 minutes out popped a bear. He was right on my trail coming in. He knew something was up and stood up on it's hind legs and began testing the air. It focused in on me and began to stare. I couldn't move and at that moment it felt like I was covered in a thousand mosquitoes and they were all biting me. It was about the size of my buddies bear - just right for eating and legal.
The bear finally settled down and continued to walk right up to the base of my stand and out of my line of sight. I could hear his feet stepping in the brush. I then felt my tree stand shake as it was smelling or licking the ladder. Having the rifle all cocked and ready to go, I considered standing up fast and leaning over and taking a shot. I stopped, remembering how fast they can move. I decided to sit still. Suddenly under my reading glasses I saw the black figure glide past my tree stand and head to my bait at the bottom of the hill.
With his back to me it was my chance. I lined up the sights on it's upper right side of his chest and pulled the 115 year old trigger. The old rifle roared and the bear collapsed like someone pulled the plug. After a couple of seconds it began to kick a bit and having been a bear hunter for some 38 years, I nailed it again for insurance purposes. It is not fun tracking a wounded bear in dark thick swamp. I was truly shocked at the hitting power of those Ranchdog cast boolits.
Darkness was setting in fast and the bugs were getting thicker. I tore down my tree stand, got the bear gutted and it all dragged and into the truck as fast as I could.
When I got home I knew due to the very warm temperatures, I was going to have to get the hide off the bear and get it into the freezer. Once the the hide was off it occurred to me I never took a picture of the bear - oh well it wasn't my first bear (hopefully not my last) and wasn't a record or anything - sorry.
I did get the camera out as I wanted to at least get some images of the bullet wounds. After a couple of pictures while monkeying with the flash, my batteries died. Anyway here is the best picture of the entrance wound with the hide peeled off.
108757
The entrance wound was 1.2" x .917". That was from a .380 dia. projectile. The bullet went downward hitting the spine, through the lungs and exited the front of the bears chest with an also perfect .380 dia hole. During the bullet's entry there was an obvious huge transfer of bullet energy. The blunt Ranchdog bullet even grabbed a plug of hair. I truly believe now the key to a good cast hunting bullet is a flat metplat. Unfortunately that doesn't help with long range shooting.
Anyway folks, thanks again for all your help. My advice to anyone who needs a good mold to match your old worn out rifle - go talk to Tom over at Accurate Molds. Tom will fix you up.
Oh yes one more thing. Kirk (Win 38-55) advised me I should likely back my off on my max. load of 21.0 grains of 4227 with such and old rifle. I think I will take his advice - Thanks Kirk. I will start working up a hot Cast boolite loading in my Marlin 375 Winchester now.
Musky