Uberti 1885, 38/55

[Mumblypeg]

Hey bigjim,
Jon K was kind enough to send me some projectiles to try in the 38-55. So far I haven't been thrilled at the results but not so bad that I'm ready to make a boat anchor ouy of it either. The Lyman 375449 seems to have shot the best so far but the Magma 250's are close. 4227 is the best powder out of what I'v tried, 18.0grs.
The 300grs seem to be a little wild. I don't have any reloader 7 to try. IIRC that's a good powder to try. I guess the best group has been about 2 inches but that was only once and the others open up a bunch. All are shot at 100yds. If that was consistant I could live with it but I really expect to do better. I have another ubertti in 30-30 that I've shot 1 1/2" groups but put it aside to work with the 38-55 for awhile. I'm still working on it. I'll keep you posted...

Jon K, Thanks for the boolits. I OWE you man and I'll let you know about that item after a few more shooting sessions I hope.

[Jon K]

Mumblypeg,

The 300 grain Saeco shot very well for me with 5744, 4759 & Unique. Although 4227 looked the best and most promising on the chronogrph, it didn't group. Tested it in Uberti High Wall, Win '94, H&R BC, T/C (Van Horn Barrel).

I just tried the 5744 in my new CPA Stevens 44 1/2, and it seems to shoot very accurate, although I will shoot mainly BP in it.

Experiment, that's half the fun of cast boolits.

[bigjim]

Hi Mumblypeg,

Sounds like you are on the right track so far. It is going to be awhile yet before I will be able to start reloading for my new rifle. I bought 50 rounds of Starline brass and have received them and annealed them. Those long cases fit my chamber good. I ordered a rcbs die set. I plan on using .380 dia. bullets to start and my question is I want to thumb seat these bullets and need to know what size neck sizing plug I need to get? Do you think a .378 dia. would work? Also running low on lead. Haven't bought any in a few years. The 45/70 that I cast for sure take up alot of lead. Just wondering where there is a good deal on purchasing some over the internet.


Take care,
Good shooting
Bigjim

[Mumblypeg]

bigjim, Keep looking on this sight. Some other theads have guys selling ww and other metal all the time. I would think the swaping and selling thread would have it. We are always talking about finding or not finding wheel weights(W-W) to melt down to make boolits.

[ktw]

I plan on using .380 dia. bullets to start and my question is I want to thumb seat these bullets and need to know what size neck sizing plug I need to get? Do you think a .378 dia. would work?

I would try thumb seating one in a fireformed case. You may not need to size/expand at all. If you do want to size, I would think .378 for a .380 would be ok for seating in a press but too tight to thumb seat.

-ktw

[Jon K]

bigjim,

Make sure you slug the barrel first before you commit to a expander plug that ay be too small.

Expander plug w/.3805 boolit, I use a .379x.382 expander plug from BACO.
Follow up with a very light taper crimp, just enough to keep the boolit from falling out.

Works for me.

Jon

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

the twist is what kept me from ordering one. I have a Shiloh Sharps with a 1:12" twist Krieger barrel in 38-90. The barrel is a true .375" not a .38. Land & Groove are .367"x.375". I shot well at the Quigley other than forgetting to reset my sights (from the 600yd setting) when I went to the Buffalo at 784yds. I have been Emailing Dick Trenk RE the Pedersoli Target Model HiWall in 38-55. Smart people, they went with the 1:12" twist. I can shoot sub-moa with my 375gr semi-spitzer, and under 2moa with the 335gr Lyman.

Rich

[GLL]

Rich:

Can you please provide details about the Pedersoli 38-55 Target High Wall? I would be interested in getting one !

Jerry

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

Dick says they are just starting to filter in, a lot of distributors at the SHOT Show were interested, but rifles were not going to be available until May, so they held off ordering. Since then, they have been apprehensive about the market for a target version, even though it is a Hunting Model with good long range sights and DST's.

Rich

[ktw]

I got side tracked this summer with work and some other higher priority load development projects, leaving me less time than desired to work with the Uberti. I did get to the range with it last Friday.

The Saeco 571's did remain stable out to 200 yards and turned in some impressive groups in the process.

I had a whole 50 round box of my 375449-paper-patched-over-3031 loads and spent most of my time playing with sight settings at 200 and 300 yards. The range has a 12" gong hanging out at 330 yards. After about 4 sighters to establish sight settings I had no problem ringing it about 80% of the time. With a little more practice I think I can make up those misses.

I could not see any of my paper targets well enough through the peeps at 200 yards. I ended up spray painting entire paper plates. Those worked well at both 200 and 300 yards.

-ktw

[STCMSW]

What a great thread!
I have a Winchester 1885 HW repro.
Have 1 box of WW 255gr & 1 box of Buffalo Bore 255 gr both jacketed SP for sighting in & barrel break-in.
Got 50 WW bag brass & 100 each of 250 gr .377 & .378 from Dave @ Montana Bullet Works to start with.
Paperwork with the rifle has it as a 1-18 twist , Bore Diam's: Lands .368 Grooves .376 .
Looking for loads & boolit mold to get. Have several hundred lbs of Lyman#2 alloy.
Don't know if that is good in this rifle.
Did load 20 rounds of .377 & .378 using 5744. 5 each from 20 gr to 23 gr.
Now, the snow here is still bad, so don't know when I'm going to get out and shoot this beauty, but want to mold & load more.
Any help will be appreciated.

[Jon K]

STCMSW,

That load combo 5744/250 gr will shoot good, let the gun tell which it likes best. It would still be best to slug the bore, then you know exactly what you have, often printed specs won't even make good toilet paper.

Have Fun shooting,
Jon

[mod70]

Has any one done a cast of the uberti 38-55 chamber as to what case length they are chambered for?
Thanks!
John Roberts

[Buckshot]

Has any one done a cast of the uberti 38-55 chamber as to what case length they are chambered for?
Thanks!
John Roberts

.............Mine handles the original (long) brass. The 2.125" as available from Starline.

..............Buckshot

[ktw]

It's been a while since my last update. I didn't get a lot of shooting time in this summer. Only had the Uberti out three times. I have not done any further load development work with it. Most of the shooting I did do was with a couple of smokeless loads I had worked up earlier; working on sight settings and gaining some more experience with the peep sites at 200 and 300 yards.

I was also delinquent in getting around to compiling up my targets and range notes for the summer. I finally finished that up this evening and to cap that project off I am posting this update.

My favorite load is still the paper patched Lyman 375449 over 32.5 grains of IMR3031. I can cast this out of wheelweights and wrap with the Mead Academy tracing paper or cast it out of 8 BHN range scrap and wrap with a slightly thicker tracing paper I have on hand for a final wrapped diameter in both cases of .382. I haven't seen any significant difference in group size between the two. The 8 BHN slug gives me approximately 50 fps more velocity and hits slightly higher on the targets.

Both loads have been giving me reliable 2.0 to 2.5 MOA performance over 10 shots at both the 200 and 300 yard lines. The rifle and load may well be capable of more, but based on my limited my experience with the vernier sight I have been thrilled to be doing that well at those ranges.

I did finish up a partial box of loads with the SEACO 300 grainer at the 200 yard line and see what I suspect may be instability in some of the holes on the targets. I'm going to have to load up a few more and try them on the 300 yard target to be sure. I've only been pushing it 1400 fps with 2400 to date. A load with a little more velocity might be in order.

The rifle has been a hoot to shoot on the plates at 200 and 300 yards. Most days I am shooting there alone but I did have one session where a couple of guys stopped by just in time to see me go 10 for 10 on a 10" steel plate at 300 yards. Those guys are still talking about it a couple of months later.

-ktw

[giorgio]

I too have an Uberti 38-55 Highwall ,I bought it at the factory,I live in nortern Italy.
I got the shotgun style stock,the double point Kentucky style stock is painful,for me.
No double triggers,(stecker) I hate them.
I shoot .379 bullets,I have not measured bore nor throat,a mistake,but as it shoots satisfactorily,I just load and shoot.
Good results with a 37- 250 -FN by RCBS, and a similar design from a four cav saeco mold,Though it casts 376-377 bullets.
I had 1 - 1 1/4 moa groups with Lyman378674,but I hate to work with single cavity moulds.
My latest mould is a four cavity 300 grainer,gas check mould By Veral Smith of LBT,I have tried it at 25 meters only,because of the foul weather.
I have to wake up and prepare the rifle for a 200 meters match in mid march.
I'll put on a Pedersoli vernier tang sight and a Lyman 17A front sight on an US ramp.
I'll use the front sight for lateral adjustements,using a sight pusher,and the rear Vernier for vertcal adjustements.
The Soule tang sight would be better for both tipes of adjustements ,but I have only one of them ,and it is on a 45/70 rifle.....
Some day I might screw on the flat octagon barrel of my Highwalls a Marlin Weaver base,and experiment with modern scopes, I think that the Highwalls are the very best and safe single shot replica rifles.
As far as I know their latest barrels are made by old and good Pratt & Withney american machines that Uberti bought from Armando Piscetta,a respected name in replica guns and old ex GI rifles.

[Don McDowell]

I recently got ahold of one of these rifles.
I'm using the lyman 335 gr bullet cast from 20-1 pan lubed with sagebrush alox , and loaded in winchester cases with 22 grs of 5744. Accuracy on paper looked reasonable enough, and there was no problem hitting the metal gongs at Alliance Ne all the way out to the 965 yd bear.
Only real gripe is the hokey deal with the set trigger, the back trigger needs to be set before the front will release the sear, and that squirrely shaped crescent butt plate with the knob for the cleaning rod cover will sure get your attention.
Have now cut the butt of to a shotgun butt, and think things may work better now.
Got ahold of some fiber wads so now will go on with some blackpowder trials.

[hk33ka1]

I've been considering either the Pedersoli 807 High Wall or the Uberti in .38-55. I'm wondering if the Pedersoli might be the better choice based on standard mold availability among other things. Any one with experience slugging Pedersolis and their diameters compared to the Uberti? I have a Lee 379-250-RF mold thats dropping WW at .381. Considering ordering a sizing die too but want to have an idea of what size to start with.

[DHB]

I know this is a CB wesite. I have a Cimarron 38-55 for sale now. That's not why I'm replying though. I installed a tang sight and fired it twice with (God Forbid) jacketed bullets, I had bought already loaded and got a two shot group of less than one inch at 100 yards. The following week I lucked into an original Winchester Highwal in 38-55. This is just to show not all Cimarron's are over sized. I also have a 40-65 (Cimarron) I've never gotten to shoot well.
D

[500 FAN]

Hello all,

Every once and a while I get a second to log in. I purchased a uberti 2 yrs ago now and have done lots of testing with smokeless and just started with Swiss. My chamber slugged out at a whopping .382 At first I was going to send it back but with the help of Bullshop, came up with a bullet 265gr. .383 that works well with 18gr. 4227. And although the testing has just begun on the black. Shot this weekend at 200yds. 6 goups of 5 worst was 4"x4" and best 1.250.!!! Average was around 2.5" Load was Starline long brass, winchester LR primers, 45 grains swiss 1.5, circle fly wad, and the 265 bullet. Chamber although generous in diameter, is short so bullet is just off the rifling. no crimp. only lowered to smooth off bell. So the moral of this story is even though the barrel diameter is larg with the right combo lots of potetial.