Black Bear Loads for a 38-55.

[javelinaboy]

Hello, I am new here, and this may have been covered in the past, but I am in need of some information for a black bear hunt in Idaho this September.

I will be hunting from a stand over a bait, and intend on using my Winchester Model 94, Chief Crazy Horse Commerative in 38-55 on this hunt.

I have some Barnes Originals in 255 grain, but am interested in using a cast bullet if possible.

Also as a side note, I have been working with a 1907 Winchester Self Loader in 351 Winchester that was built in 1923.

The load that a friend worked up for me is a 180 grain Copper Plated bullet ahead of 14 grains of 2400 out of reworked 357 Mag cases.

The area I will be hunting in is a 2 bear area, and I have started thinking about using the 38-55 on the first bear, and then switching to the 351.

So far the only things I have killed with the 38-55 are Javelina and with the 351 a couple of Texas white tail does.

I am interested in any info any one may have concerning cast bullet loads for either of these rifles that would be adequate for black bear out to 50-75 yards.

[OBXPilgrim]

First of all, welcome to the forum. Lots of knowledge here.

I don't know if you have tried, but you might want to do a search on 38-55. There has been lots of discussion on it in the past, I remember several. I don't have a 38-55, but it sounded like a fun round to figure out. I say figure out because it seems like that's been required of several folks with the 38-55. It seems that it is a caliber that is sometimes prone to being made with an oversized bore - H&R Handirifles being one of the ones I remember hearing of the most - but also hearing that even old Winchesters having the same issues.

Don't know if you have shot any cast through yours yet at all or not, but don't be too shocked if it has a somewhat oversize bore. I do remember hearing several folks using soft lead boolits that deform under the pressure of firing to fill the bore (obturate - I think it's called).

I'd say just about any book load for the 38-55 would be good for black bear, unless you tried lighter boolits in your load.

Good luck, & I'm sure there will be some more knowledgable posters here soon.

[Nrut]

What OBXPilgrim says about over sized bores in most 38-55 is true however from what I have read the Winchester Commemoratives used .377 groove dia. barrel similar to the ones they used on their .375 Win lever gun.. If jacketed .375 bullets are shooting fine out of your rifle then most likely it has a .377 groove.......

[jtaylor1960]

The RCBS 37-250-GC bullet shoots extremely well from my Marlin.

[javelinaboy]

I have shot both jacketed bullets and cast in this rifle and really don't notice a whole lot of difference in the accuracy.

My reason to want to use the cast bullets is purely from a nostalgia standpoint.

Many Thanks for the info you folks have given me.

[NickSS]

I have 4 38-55 rifles and like them all. Most of my shooting with them is at targets and I tend to stay in the black powder velocity range of 1000 to 1350 fps. My target load is a 250 gr cast flat point Lee bullet over either 45 gr of FFG Goex or 18 gr of AA 5744. I never chronographed the loads but they shoot very well in all my rifles. If I were to want to hunt with it for black bear I think I would pick a smokeless load that would kick velocity up to 1600 to 1700 fps. There is a lot of loading info in books that will get you to that velocity.

[Bret4207]

The 351 is sort of like the 357 mag from a rifle, so given adequate shot placement you should be fine. The 38-55 will not be a problem. Many, many black bear have fallen to the 38-55, more than a few with the "wimpy" loadings from the factory ammo.