BP 38-55 power enough for deer

[HPT]

A question for you exerienced Black Powder Levergunners. Based on your experience, will the following load have enough power for deer:

250 gr LEE FP 30:1 alloy @ 1225 FPS MV

Penetration?
Blood Trail?
If good chest hit how far will he go?

I'm itchin to find out myself, but unfortunately after a very successful muzzleloader deer season, someone turned off the deer tap! I want to use BP only

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z41/VonN_photos/IMG_1634.jpg

[helice]

HPT
Great question and One I would like to watch. I have a 350 Remington Magnum that I load with a plain based 240 LBT LWN that Veral Smith gave me. It works best between 1550 and 1650 foot seconds. There ain't much difference 'tween the .379 and the .359 diameters so when they answer your question they'll answer mine.

And by the way -- Beautiful Rifle.

Keep writing guys -- I'm learning. Helice

[Chuck 100 yd]

No problem !! The .38-55 and .32-40 BP loadings came before the .30-30
and were the go to deer/elk/bear rounds of the day. (I am sure several big game animals fell to those week loads before people came to understand that only modern loads will kill.)

When the newer high velocity super whammers like the .30-30 and the .25-35 came out it took several years for them to take the sales numbers away from the old timers of the Black Powder era.

[Tony65x55]

Yep. Used to work, I'll bet it still does. :p

[O.S.O.K.]

Absolutely will do the job if you place the boolit in the heart/lung area or any other fatal zone.

Consider that a 44 Special with 250 grain swc boolit going 950 muzzle velocity will completely pass through the deer on all but extreme angle shots and you begin to understand that your bp loaded 38-55 is more than enough for the job.

[Loudenboomer]

[QUOTE=O.S.O.K.;729203]Absolutely will do the job if you place the boolit in the heart/lung area or any other fatal zone.

+1 The std. vel 35-55 has harvested countless thousand head of big game.
contrary to what many would have us believe an ultra mag is not always needed.

[PatMarlin]

I dunno. New deers have hybrid skins that have been known to deflect boolits.

Nice rifle- ...drool ..:mrgreen:

[NickSS]

I have no doubt that a 38-55 slug fired with black powder will kill most deer (Heck I killed one with a 38 spl Model 36 smith snub nose revover about 40 years ago). However, You need to check your game laws. In the state I live in any breach loading rifle must meet three criteria. It must be bigger than 23 caliber, must fire a bullet that weighs more than 85 gr, and have a remaining energy of 900 ft/# at 100 yards. A black powder loaded 38-55 will put a 250 gr bullet out the muzzle at about 1200 fps from chronographing loads. This equals 803 ft/# at the muzzle at 100 yards it would be even less. Therefore this round would not qualify legally for hunting. I do not know how knowlegable game wardens are so chances are no one would know but it could be a problem.

[Baron von Trollwhack]

I had a 94 AE trapper I ran at 1550 fps with the Lyman standard gc bullet using smokeless I used to take a dozen deer with. I never recovered a bullet on a side shot, most deer had trouble making thirty yards, on one a front on shot sent the bullet to a ham and the deer was DRT. I also have a current 356 RCBS 200 FN story posted in hunting. I'd shoot a bullet that heavy at whitetails under 100 yards at 1200 fps in a minute.

Not to counsel rebellion, but I note that GWs have plenty to do with tresspassers,and slobs, and hunting related outright evil and know that thoughtful cast bullet shooters always develop legal loads. BvT

[HPT]

Thanks for the replies.

Any thoughts as to the 30:1 alloy of this bullet. Will there be any expansion? How much difference in expansion would there be by going 40:1, 60:1 or pure lead? I notice that neither LEE or Lyman have a hollow point mould. Anyone tried different alloys at this velocity & bullet weight?

Would hollowpoint be needed or even advisable or can softer alloys with a flatpoint still have some expansion?

[Bullshop]

I cant answer your questions but just wanted to mention about a very good friend from MT. Pat Bowland had a successful antelope hunt with a 38/55 and BP. He wrote up an article in The BPCR News.
It is tremendously more powerful than the 38/40 and the 38/40 sure has taken lots of deer with BP loads.
If I were going to use it with BP I would use pure lead.
BIC/BS

[Baron von Trollwhack]

If I were able to shoot a 38-55 bullet of ww or wcww, or little bit hardened lead through a deer's heart or across the top of the heart, or through the lungs, or in the spinal column, or in the head at 1000 fps, I would. There is too much adoo about this.

Fill up the case to the base of a little bit hardened bullet with fffg, crimp moderately, Know your limits on placing a shot with irons, and go kill deer. BvT

[Nrut]

HPT.. This fellow was shooting Winchester factory ammo at around 1200 fps.. Quite the show he had eh!
And he was in open country.
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=406199

Anyway I think you will agree the softer the better..

I have tested ACWW (260gr. 38-55 with 3-5grs of Bullseye) on wet catalog 2" thick with a milk jug full of water behind...Zipped right thru like butter..

Good luck!

[NickSS]

I have shot two animals with 30-1 alloy bullets. One was a 45-70 325 gr flat point and the other was a 50-70 450 gr Lee slug. both propelled by black powder. The first went into a 250 pound wild boar on a broadside shot. It left a 45 cal hole going in and a 3/4 inch hole coming out. I think it expanded OK but can't prove it. The 50-70 was used on a small female buffalo. It also was a broadside shot and it went in and was lodged under the hide on the other side after breaking two ribs one on each side. The slug was expanded to neatly 80 caliber and the buff was dead almost in her tracks.

[HPT]

Well, lucked out today on a doe (good thing as this is the second last day of the season & I had been out after work everyday & saw nothing). Shot her at about 30 yds running. She was down hill from me so the bullet went threw the spine & out threw a rib just behind the front shoulder. The hole looked like there was no expansion even though it hit lots of bone. Since it went threw the spine it dropped right away & expired within a minute requiring no follow up shot.

I plan to try pure lead next year with the .38-55 and see if that gives some expansion. With my .45-70 I have had good luck with 30:1 525 gr Postel, but it makes a big hole to start with.

[Nrut]

That's neat HPT!
Not many hunt with a lever gun using BP these days..:drinks:

[Bullshop Junior]

Well, They used the 38/55 with BP for buffalo. I don't see why it won't work for deer.
Just keep it under 100 yards