.38-55 minimum/maximum load?

[FromTheWoods]

Hodgdon lists 21 to 26 grains of H4895 as the powder range for a 250 cast bullet--no gas-check. Is this a Cowboy/wimpy range?

I loaded a batch at the lower end of the range. They seemed quite weak. I am going to work up toward the 26gr maximum load, but wanted to ask you folks first: how much H4895 do you use in your rifles?

I'm not looking for a screaming load, rather would have an accurate one.

My rifle is a four digit model '94, 26" octagon.

[missionary5155]

Good morning
Slug your throat area ...
My 1912 38-55 Winny has a generous bore. .382+ shoots best. Soft cast. I do not have that reloading info with me BUT I do know with smokeless it shot Very nice with whatever charge for about 1200-1350 fps with COW on top of the powder so the seated boolit compressed the mass about 1/8 inch. Start at 1200 FPS and keep adjusting and you will find accuracy. But if your boolit is undersize prepare to do some lead mining.
Mike God Bless you.

[NickSS]

I have never used H 4895 in a 38-55. I have used BP, Unique IMR 4198, and AA 5744. I was looking for accuracy at 200 yards and found that loads that kicked a 250 gr slug out at about 1100 to 1200 fps gave me the best results. My standard smokeless target loads today are 18 gr of AA 5744 and 42 gr of FFG with the 250 gr plain based bullet. These are not hot loads but they will shoot into 1 to 1.5MOA in my rifles all day long. I also use a 300 gr slug with 41 gr of FFG for target shooting. This bullet shoots about the same as the 250 gr but will hold its accuracy further. It starts out at slightly under 1100 FPS.

[Brownie]

I use 4895 in my Uberti Hi-wall 38-55 with 250gr pb bullets. this is a very accurate powder in 38-55, my Cartridges of the World book says 250grPB bullets with 28grs of 4895 will give a muzzle velocity of 1400fps and is ok for old lever rifles.

Good Luck

[FromTheWoods]

Since I don't have a chronograph, the combined information here helps to set the range of powder I can use. If 28 grains is 1400fps, and the barrels perform well around 11-1200fps, I can now load a batch of various weights and see which perform the best for my rifle.

Thank you fellows.

[KCSO]

My hunting load for the 38-55 is IMR 3031 powder and I am pushing the bullet at 1900 fps from a 26" Winchester. This is about the same as the old factory Hi Speed load. 1200 fps is B/P velocity and 1400 is low end smokless. To my way of thinking the 4895 28 grainn load is a nice target and plinking load and your rifle should thrive on a steady diet of this. I ususlly shoot about 10 hunting loads a year and the rest of my shooting is with b/p.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

I have three 38-55's; two levers and a high wall. I use Lyman 375248 and a couple of old WRA original molds. With WW all the the bullets are around 255 grain and mike at .379-.380. Loading for the SRC I have always used 25 grains of 3031 and in the others have used between 25 and 30 grain loadings. An old Lyman loading manual lists the 30 grain load listed at 1575 fps; kicks a bit more than the 1200 fps loads. It groups well especially from the Hi-wall which has a longer barrel. The same manual lists 35 grains of 3031 with a 250 grain bullet as traveling at 1825 fps which makes the round seem pretty potent for hunting. LLS

[FromTheWoods]

What about pushing the bullet too fast? Isn't 1700fps where most say the cast slugs usually begin to lead the bore?

[Onlymenotu]

What about pushing the bullet too fast? Isn't 1700fps where most say the cast slugs usually begin to lead the bore?

depends alot has to to with the fit, the lube and the powder,,, look here at what Boomer Mikey did with the 381268-pb (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showpost.php?p=308194&postcount=97) buy:-D


I don't know how mutch or how fast you want to push them out of your rifle... and what is safe in one rifle might not be safe in the next,,,, go slow and work your way up...... watching for signs of preasure

[KCSO]

I use the Lee 250 grain bevel base for plinking and my huntinng bullet is a 260 gr GC that i had Mountain Moulds make up for my Marlin. I have to size it down a tad for the Winchester but it really flattens the deer. I also use the 94 for small game with a 380 round ball predded into the case mouth and greased and am pushing it with 6.0 of Trail Boss. This is a zippy load but shoots under 1 1/2" at 50 yards. Soo far it has taken everything from field mice to a coon and is an excellent turkey load.

[FromTheWoods]

Hey KCSO!


Any of those monster field mice make Boone and Crockett?

[Boomer Mikey]

Your Hodgdon load data is current and IMO conservative. Other load references list H4895 loads as high as 35 grains in group II rifles (Marlin 1893's & Winchester 1894's) with a 255 grain cast bullet.

Most of these rifles have the original 2.125" long chambers and bore groove sizes are usually between 0.377" - 0.380". Starline 2.125" long brass will typically allow 0.381" - 0.382" bullets to chamber reliably. RCBS Cowboy dies are a good choice for this cartridge and I prefer to use a Lyman "M" die to expand the cases necks or I re-work the RCBS expander to put a step in the case neck at the size I want to prevent shaving larger bullets. I adjust the sizing die to partial size fired cases to original, new case mouth diameter. Bullets should be seated so they will reliably release from the throat when the action is opened and crimp just enough to remove the step or bell in the case from the expander die while preventing bullet set-back from recoil and magazine spring tension without dragging case necks.

I use H4198 and WLR or Federal primers for most of my 38-55 loads, Federals for the light to medium loads and WLR's for full power loads. No fillers were used with these loads.

Loads:

18 grains H4227 1300 fps
20 - 22 grains WW296 1550 - 1675 fps (do not reduce below 20 grains)
16 - 19 grains 2400 1500 - 1700 fps (match load)
20 - 21 grains 2400 1750 - 1800 fps (full power)
26 - 33 grains 3031 1350 - 1900 fps
27 - 32 grains RL-7 1400 - 1800 fps
21 - 23 grains H4198 1200 - 1400 fps (match load)
23 - 28 grains H4198 1400- 1900 fps (full power)
30 - 34 grains H4895 1400- 1700 fps

Just about any of the popular 30-30 powders will work, 3031 and RL-7 are sure bets

H4198 has been my go to powder but H322, also works very well with heavier bullets. I also use some Titegroup for plinking/cowboy loads between 8 and 10 grains for 1000 - 1200 fps, Unique will do the same as well as 6.5 - 8 grains of Red Dot.

The most important thing is to load the largest bullet you can chamber. Get a sizer die to make 0.381" bullets and the rest is easy.

Have fun,

Boomer :Fire:

[FromTheWoods]

Thank you for the information, B Mikey.

Today, I shot cartridges loaded with 28 grains of H4895. The only sign of pressure=the primers where protruding a bit. But they were not flattened by the bolt face. At 25 grains, they were slightly protruding also--about 1/2 the distance that the 28 grains stuck out.

These are .382 240gr. from RimRock Bullets. I have to run them up into a sizing die to finish them so they will fit the chamber. When I ordered them, RimRock was not able to size at .381. They can now, so they are sending me a batch of test bullets to see which diameter will fit my chamber. .382 is what my bore is supposed to like, but they just won't go into the chamber without that sizing die trick.

I'll hold off testing more loads until I receive the .381's.

[Boomer Mikey]

The 38-55 was originally a black powder cartridge and bullets were soft and under bore size to chamber with fouling present. Black powder charges were strong enough to obturate the soft bullet to fill the bore completely. If you aren't using Starline 2.125" brass your brass may be too thick to allow a 0.381" bullet to chamber.

Removing the sizing die decapping pin and re-sizing the case with a bullet loaded will allow the round to chamber and makes the bullet under bore size. It also removes any case neck tension on the bullet as the brass springs back slightly and lead doesn't.

38-55 bullets should be no harder than BHN 14-15 (air cooled ww) for full power loads and softer for reduced loads (BHN 10 or less)

http://www.lasc.us/TaylorBulletWeakEnough.htm

http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm

Have fun,

Boomer :Fire:

[FromTheWoods]

Wow! I'm imagining a .38-55 slug with a hollow point--nasty!

How would Erik Ohlen's hollow point perform on big game animals compared to "normal" slugs?

B Mikey,
Do you know a good source for those 14-15 BHN bullets?

[runfiverun]

mike over at rimrock uses the 2/6 mix for most of his stuff.....

[Slow Elk 45/70]

Thanks for the links Boomer, lots of good information here and good conversation also.:coffee: :castmine:

[FromTheWoods]

runfiverun: aka, joe reloader,

The fellow I've been in contact with at Rim Rock is Frank. Is there a Mike there also? Two Rim Rocks?

The Rim Rock site lists the hardness as 20-22. How hard is Mike's 2/6 bullet?

[Boomer Mikey]

Wow! I'm imagining a .38-55 slug with a hollow point--nasty!

How would Erik Ohlen's hollow point perform on big game animals compared to "normal" slugs?

B Mikey,
Do you know a good source for those 14-15 BHN bullets?


Look at the cast bullet notes link above... Lyman #2 alloy is BHN 15 and any alloy mix that duplicates #2 alloy is in the same area. Air cooled clip-on wheel weight bullets are BHN 12-15. Add more stick-on wheel weights to make softer bullets as stick-on wheel weights are ~ BHN 6.

Boomer :Fire:

[FromTheWoods]

I don't build my own boolits yet--how embarassing!--, so I was asking if there is a supplier who makes them around 15 BHN.

[Boomer Mikey]

I don't build my own boolits yet--how embarassing!--, so I was asking if there is a supplier who makes them around 15 BHN.

No problem,

Go to the link at the bottom of this page for "The Bullshop".

Have fun,

Boomer :Fire:

[FromTheWoods]

Weirdness!

Yesterday morning I cleaned out a pile of papers that had been in a case for over two years. Stuck a slip in my pocket. Guess whose name and contact information is on it?--Yup; Bullshop folks.

Oh my, dear, dear, dear; it was meant to be! Sigh.

I'll give them a call.

Thank you for your help.