38-55 heavy cast in Marlin BC

[Dusty Wheeler]

Howdy!
I just bought a 38-55 Cowboy... I'm wondering if anyone has had any luck using either the Saeco 571 300 grainer or the Lyman 378674 335 grainer. I'm looking for a heavy boolit for next year's Quigley. I shot an H&R Target 38-55 and 240's this year and the wind blew me all over the place...
Thanks,
Dusty

[KCSO]

Boy oh boy...
First off the Marlin has an oversize bore and an undersize chamber. The bores run from 379 at the samllest to 381 to the largest I've measured. The chambers on the other side are really too tight for a 382 bulllet if you use Winchester or Remington brass and they are cut for a 2.082 case.

Starline brass is thinner and you can load to 382 bullets with no problem. The twist in the Marlin's is really optimal for a 220- 275 grain bullet and I have gotten my best accuracy with a 260 grain bullet that Mountain Moulds made up for me. The lead is very short so you can't seat the bullet out tooo far. I was thinking of having my Marliin rechambered to a full 38-55 case when I ran across a deal an traded up to a different rifle. The Marlin Cowboy is capable of excellent hunting accuracy, I shot several goups just at 4" at 200 yards with a marbles peep on the rear. I have to think that for serious target work with a heavy bullet there are better choices.

[EDK]

This was my fourth year at Quigley. I didn't do very well, but I ain't real serious either. 4 on the buffalo made me happy. AND I was shooting my 50/90 SHILOH with 610+ boolits. There's a song about "They call the wind Mariah," but that wasn't what I heard in 2007 with a 42 mile per hour cross wind, per one of the little weather gizzies the serious guys had. The wind will kick your butt...and make you curse or cry!

IIRC, you have to single load the boolits in a lever gun at the Q. That will give you some leeway on designs. There's a recent post somewhere on this site on an adjustable paper patch mould from Rick Kalynuik....I'd think about that direction and it would eliminate the bore/chamber issues too. (I got one of his moulds from Powderburnerr at the Q for the 50, but haven't patched and loaded boolits yet; cast them out of wheel weight metal by mistake, but they sure look good!) There are a lot of paper patch shooters at the Q....more every year. Orville, Redneck, and Powderburner gave me some pointers and explained their theories and results.

Do some searches and some research and I'll see you there next year. I ain't heard of anyone who only goes there once!

[Doc Highwall]

I would like to know the twist in the marlin, and what is the longest boolit it will stabilize.