Huntin with the 38-55

[Yooper003]

I have seen it mentioned a couple times, but, where do you find a Lee mold for a gas check boolit for the 38/55. Lee doesn’t list one on there site.

[farmbif]

lee doesn't make one, but rcbs 37-250 and Lyman 375449 are both gas check designs

[beltfed]

NOE and Accurate molds also make 38 cal molds similar to the Lyman 375499 . Good molds, and probably more "available' than the Lymanmolds just now,
My load for me 336 CB is a Lyman 375449 cast of 9+1 COWW/lino(15bhn) over 28 gr Re 7 for 1750fps or the NOE 235 RD over 29 grains.
Very Accurate Loads.
beltfed/arnie

[Dom]

I have been using IMR 4198 for my 265gr LBT GC bullet for about 1650 fps & great accuracy. I have some Rel7 so might give it a try.Attachment 286906 This is how they turned out after coating & sizing at .380.

[beltfed]

Dom,
Yes, the Re 7 is close to the burning rate of the 4198. I like the Re 7 because its fine grains allow for more smooth and accurate
powder metering without kernel cutting
beltfed/arnie

[Norske]

As for big game (deer are really medium game), you should check out Buffalo Bore's 38-55 loads, reading their detailed description of each.

[PositiveCaster]

I have seen it mentioned a couple times, but, where do you find a Lee mold for a gas check boolit for the 38/55. Lee doesn’t list one on there site.

Lee just lists a 250 plain base, so you can’t get one retail. I’ve used the RCBS 250 FNGC for many years, it works fine. I hollow pointed it and took a couple deer with it.

I have an LBT mould as well, but that wasn’t cheap even 30 years ago.


.

[Jim22]

I have been casting a 250 grain gas check for my .375 JDJ from a Lee two cavity mould. Lee's designator is '379-250 RF' It also says it casts to .379". I think that depends on your alloy but will this work in the .38-55?

Jim

[Mk42gunner]

I have been casting a 250 grain gas check for my .375 JDJ from a Lee two cavity mould. Lee's designator is '379-250 RF' It also says it casts to .379". I think that depends on your alloy but will this work in the .38-55?

Jim

Mine does with plain old air ACWW. Mine is an older style two cavity, and be advised it comes as a bevel based boolit.

Robert

[versa-06]

Let me borrow some knowledge from ya'll. I'm considering asking JES to convert a Win 94 AE 30-30 I have to 38-55. What kind of velocity can I expect using Lee's 250 grain bullet PC'd with accuracy? Thanks

[versa-06]

There must be someone with some pushing the envelope figures?

[725]

I don't know the speeds specifically, but a .38-55 rebore from JES sizzled right through my last deer. No bullet recovered. Not ever having been exposed to the .38-55 before, I was curious about performance. Not any more! Why did I wait so long? I think a loading manual would give you a better idea about speeds possible.

[1006]

Versa-
I buy my cast bullets—no casting experience.

I have a 375WINCHESTER in which I load 260 grain cast bullets with gas checks added by me. I only push them to 1500fps. 2.5moa at 100yards is the best I can get with iron sights, using a rest on a shooting bench. I can, on a good day, get about 1.5 moa at 50 yards. I think the lower velocity tends to allow the moa divergence to grow with the distance of the target. I keep the loads around 1500 and use a gas check to make cleaning easier. So far, the Winchester bore of .375 stays free of lead with a hard cast, gas checked bullet, sized to .376.

My experience with PC’d bullets in rifles has been with a Winchester 94 AE in 30-30. I couldn’t push them past 1300fps without leaving some coating and a little lead in the barrel. The bullets were sized .309, coated with High Tech Coating, and had a hardness of 18.

I like shooting the cast bullets, but if faced with the choice of investing the required time to perfect an accurate maximum velocity load with cast, or simply loading a jacketed bullet for more velocity……

[725]

I've found commercial lead bullets to be sized too small. YMMV. Although .309 bullets work, .310 or .311 might work significantly better. Even paper patching the .309 might yield much better accuracy.

[Gray Fox]

Bear Creek Supply in CA has a 250 flat point in their proprietary moly based coating that is available in .377. .378, .379 and .380 $39.75 for 300 boolits. My Legendary Frontiersman takes a .379. www.bearcreeksupplybullets.com

[versa-06]

Thanks for your experiences, But loading manuals tend lo be light loads because of so many older firearms. I am curious as to what can be expected out of the newer stronger rifles. 38-55 is not in my racks yet but I'm getting close.

[T-Bird]

I have a '94ae that I had "JESed" to 38/55 a few years back. I haven't killed anything with it yet, but I really like the way it shoots and it was much cheaper than a new gun. I haven't tried for velocity stretching, I shoot the Lee boolit and it's bevel based about 1300 fps and use 17gr IMR 4227. The "hottest" I've shot is 22gr 4198 for, I guess, 1450-1500 fps. That shot well too. I have the 3 groove option for the barrel.

[Mk42gunner]

versa-06, I don't know for sure, I've not had the chronograph setup when I was shooting my .38-55. I'm going to guess that you can push the PB Lee to somewhere around 15-1600 fps. How PC effects that, I have no clue.

I've also not been deer hunting in the last ten years or so (hurt my back), but if I were to use my .38-55, I would go for an accurate load first then find out how fast it was going. After all the BP era loads with a 255gr FP were supposed to kill deer fine, and deer haven't gotten any tougher.

Robert

[pworley1]

The 38-55 has been killing every kind of game found in North America for over a hundred years. It should work for you.

[versa-06]

Anybody shoot'n the heavies, 300-325 gr & if so what kind of vel are you get'n. I've got this thing for heavies now that we've got a few bears.