Will My 94 38-55 rounds work in an H&R 71 38-55

[Muddy Creek Sam]

Howdy all,

Getting an H&R 71 38-55 for Long Range Single shot SASS. Will be shooting 300 Yards and Trying to do 600 yds. I am loading 48 grs of 3f Goex with a 1/16" wad and 255 gr Big Lube RNFP Bullets for my Legendary Frontiersman Win 94. Shoot is on the 25th of this month and Gun is shipping from Ohio. Won't have it till next week at the soonest.

Think they might work? Any suggestions.

Thanks,

Sam :D

[NickSS]

That load should work in the H&R if you are sizing your boolits to .379 or larger. The H&R tends to like fatter slugs. Mine works real well with .379 sized bullets. Your load might work well out to 300 yards but the sight the rifle comes with is inadequate to reach that range (not enough elevation). I have only shot mine out to 200 yards but had to replace the sight with a williams FP sight. Of course most cowboy shoots do not allow receiver sights so you will probably have to fit a tang sight. This is no big deal except coming up with the coin to buy it.

[cajun shooter]

I am only speaking from my experince of using the PRS 45 in rifle for longer ranges at CAS matches. The design of the bullet will not hold up for long range shooting. I had to switch to a 454190 to shoot in the longer ranges. I also agree with Nick on the sight. Might want to consider a tang site such as those made by Marbles and sold by Brownell's. Later David

[John Boy]

Will be shooting 300 Yards and Trying to do 600 yds.
Sam, your accuracy with the Big Lube bullet will be in the poor range at those distances that you want to shoot it. Buy some Lyman 378674 from Sagebrush that are already lubed. They won't let you down out to 300 yards - but 600yds? A 38-55 is a solid 300yd rifle but further than that - you have to be a very accurate marksman and pray the wind is not blowing.
https://www.sageoutfitters.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=38551
Load the Postells with 43gr FFg powder - light crimp

Also, do you plan to put a vernier on the rifle or just use the Williams peep receiver sight?

[Muddy Creek Sam]

John,

Got Marbles on both the rifles, And as I said, I will Try 600, This is my First Long Range Shoot. Haven't gotten the 71 in hand yet. It is in transit and the shoot is 2 weeks from tomorrow. So Won't be to upset as long as I don't make a complete fool of myself. :D Will look into the Sageoutfitters. Bullets.

Sam :D

[Springfield]

John Boy: I assume the BL won't work as well due to the flat point? Think it would be worth having some of the cavities recut to a sharper point? I have 2 38-55 rifles also.

[John Boy]

I assume the BL won't work as well due to the flat point?
Springfield - the Big Lube BPCR bullet designs are finicky. The original 500gr 45-70 one with such a long shank and a medium size metplat produced the best group I have ever shot at 600yds: 2.75 x 7". I had to shoot it with H777 because could only get 53gr of FFg in the case. The 400gr spitzer shot well at long ranges. I sent the mold back to Lee and they lost it on me so no further results. The MK-III at 600 in a 45-70 had bullet holes all over the frame. The 38-55 one (with a metplat)at 100yd does about 3" groups. Further than 100, I have never been able to make it produce decent groups. So, I gave up on all of the BPCR Big Lube bullets and stay with the Tried and Proven

The revolver Big Lubes at CAS distances work for what they were designed for - carry a lot of lube. I've shot the 45cal PRS bullets going on over 10,000 rounds

[Bad Ass Wallace]

Starline are now producing 38/55 "long" cases that when combined with a bore riding boolit, allow a bit more powder in the case. In my custom BPCR rifle a full 55gn is now possible with the 2.125" cases.

Why Winchester chose to make their brass only 2.080" is a mystery as all references in COTW show a case length of 2.130".

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v152/BAWallace/Starline3855.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v152/BAWallace/PJBullet.jpg