38-50 information

[country gent]

In a previous post I asked about 38-56 for a new rifle and several recommended the 38-50 remington as being a better choice. I looked it up in Manula for cartridge conversions and it is interesting. The book lists 303 British cases for conversion. What cases are you guys using this cartridge using for conversion? It looks like 30-40 krag and 405 win could also be used to form them. Do you turn the rims down as the book says or have the rim cut out opened for the new cases rim? How is brass life with the reformed brass and BP loads? Im having a rough time finding the 303 cases in any quanity also.

[Old-Win]

I used Winchester 30-40 Krag brass. It has a slight bevel on the rim that helps in my Hepburn rifle which has zero camming power. I tried annealing a couple before expanding but the necks collapsed. Those are the only ones I lost so DON"T anneal first. I bought a Redding .30-.375 tapered expander ball to expand the necks and then sized with the 38-50 sizing die. Anneal and trim to length. Use C-H dies. Buy direct from them.

[Gunlaker]

I'd never heard of the tapered expanding buttons. I'm unfamiliar with the Redding reloading dies. Do you use that button with a Redding expander die? Or is it part of a sizing die?

thanks,

Chris.

[Nobade]

Paging @lynC2...
He knows a lot about 38-50s.

[Old-Win]

Screws on in place of the regular expander button.
https://www.brownells.com/reloading/reloading-dies/replacement-parts-upgrades/tapered-sizing-buttons-prod40788.aspx

[Gunlaker]

Screws on in place of the regular expander button.
https://www.brownells.com/reloading/reloading-dies/replacement-parts-upgrades/tapered-sizing-buttons-prod40788.aspx

Thank you.

Chris.

[Boz330]

Two of my friends built 38-50s and they used 30-40 brass. IIRC the .405 brass has a thicker wall and needs to be reamed.
If you need 303 brass I have 100rnds or maybe 200 of new WW that I have no need for. I got a 40-50 an ended up using the 30-40 brass in that.

Bob

[LynC2]

With my CPA I needed to use 30-40 brass as the .303 was too short. I used Unique and cornmeal to fireform the cases, then trimmed to length. Then annealed them. If the brass was previously fired, anneal first, but be prepared for a lot of split cases. Don't use .405 brass when 30-40 is available from Grafs.

[Chill Wills]

Don't use .405 brass when 30-40 is available from Grafs.

Just an FYI on the Graf 30-40 cases. I am sure they are correct for military Krag chambers.. However, They are not exactly the same as R-P 30-40 Krag brass I use in my rifle. They weigh more, are thicker everywhere I can measure including the neck and I had to build a setup in the lathe to turn the cases a few thou just ahead of the rim forward about 5/8th inch to get them to chamber in my rifles. Could be that I have a tight chamber being a target rifle. I think the reamer was designed with the then available R-P cases in mind.

I very much like fireforming cases too, using unique and cornmeal. About 6 grs and fill with corn meal. Any LRP primer and top it off with old wax or bullet lube just to keep the whole load together until it is fired. My 15 year old son loved to form the cases for me when we were camping. Spiders, weeds and ant-piles were all at high risk:-P from his little shotgun.

BTW- the cases come out perfect to trim,expand and load their first bullet.

[kokomokid]

I have wanted to build a 38-50 for some time. Almost bought some Graf 30-40 cases but this winters project is going to be something else. What bullet and load are you using if you do not mind sharing?Also what bbl twist?

[Deadeye Bly]

303 brass is too short for the 38-50 Rem. Hornady now has Krag brass and it seems to be good stuff. BACO is using it to stretch into the 40-70 Sharps cases they sell.

[country gent]

I appreciate all the info Thanks Guys. I have a C Sharps highwall in 38-55 with a Mc Gowen barrel 1-12 twist, its deadly on the local rams at 500 yds. I am using a 360 grn Nasa Bullet from an Old West mould or the 335 grn lyman. In the process now of thinking thru a DZ Arms Hepburn with their scope.
I would be interested in your loads also. My 38-55 load with the 460 grn bullet is starline brass rem LR primer 47 grns 2f Olde ensforde powder .060 napa rubber fiber wad and 2 tracing paper wads compressed to seat bullet. This load gives me around 1250 fps on my 30" barrel.