aka w44wcf
aka Jack Christian SASS 11993 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
aka John Kort
NRA Life Member
.22 W.C.F., .30 W.C.F., .44 W.C.F. Cartridge Historian
NEAT! The NRA Cowboy Pistol Cartridge silhouette is fired out to 100 meters (110 yards). No problem with the 100 Meter rams. ,
The NRA Cowboy Rifle Silhouette is fired out to 200 Meters. If you use your 38-40 there, you will likely have a problem knocking down the 55# ram at that distance.....unless they are set at the proper topple point. No problem on the 50M chickens, 100M Javelina or 150M turkeys though.
As Don indicated, Winchester claimed accuracy out to 300 yards for the 38-40. They also claimed the 44-40 to be accurate to that distance as well. I have experience with the 44-40 at a bit beyond that distance and Winchester was right. I would expect real world experience to be the same for the 38-40.
Have fun!
w30wcf
Last edited by w30wcf; 06-11-2012 at 08:15 AM.
aka w44wcf
aka Jack Christian SASS 11993 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
aka John Kort
NRA Life Member
.22 W.C.F., .30 W.C.F., .44 W.C.F. Cartridge Historian
Roy, have any target group pictures using the Big Lube 38-40 at 200 & 300yds? It's purpose of design is lube capacity.The BEST mold on the market for the 38-40 if you are shooting BP, is the Big Lube.....PERIOD!
If you really want a bullet that carries accuracy out to 300yds, may I suggest these molds:
* Ideal 375166
* Ideal 37584
* Ideal 375300
These are all 300+ gr BPCR bullets and were used for decades before Lyman bought out Ideal and eliminated from production because of the demise of BP shooters
Regards
John
You might have a tough time getting those 38-55 boolits to work in a 38-40......
The Big Lube 38-40 holds LOTS of lube and has a large meplat, probably more of both than necessary for a longer range bullet. Be interesting to take one and make the base longer by taking out some lube space to add weight and see if it was better at knocking over rams and such.
Last edited by Springfield; 08-08-2012 at 11:11 PM.
Several years ago I purchased a Uberti 1885 Low Wall new . I did alot of load development with this round . Everything from Bulleyse ,Unique powders and eventually settled just on Goex 2ff BP . Somone stated earlier that alot of the other moulds are designed with pistol loads in mind they are correct sir ! I started with a Lee mold 40 S&W or 10mm Auto . 175 gr. .401 the same as a 38-40 bullet . Accuracy was terrible could not get any lube to stick in the shallow grove ,I beleive this bullet works only with Lee's tumble lube method .This is a pistol bullet period . Bought the Lyman 38-40 WCF mold # 401043AV 175 gr flat nose . Lyman even has this orignal bullet listed under rifle bullets . For some reason alot of shooters think the 38-40 WCF was designed as a pistol round ? Lube sticks in the groove and accuracy is great . Cast the bullets from the molds that this cartridge was designed for and you cannot go wrong . If you want to try the Big lube bullet go ahead , but why would you when the Lyman , the orignal mold for the 38WCF is all you will ever need . My BP lube of Beeswax ,olive oil, some Crisco and a little Lanolin sticks very well in the Lyman groove .
I use the Lyman 041043 mold and w.w. + a little tin. Charge is about 33 grains of goex ffg, medium compression. Lube is B.P. Gold. Gun is a Whitney Kennedy with a 24" barrel. Although there's not much lube showing on exterior muzzle, there's not a leading problem.
I think it's a pretty accurate round. I'm recently back to shooting after a decades-long hiatus, so I haven't had the chance to shoot the gun over 100 yards. It has a "wiggly" rear lyman aperture sight, but it still groups inside an 8" circle. (old gun, old boolit design!)
Both rifles and handguns of the latter 1800s combo cartridge era, were designed to shoot the same style boolit as to weight and design, as that was the intention for such from the get go.
Hard to feature some lawman or outlaw in 1880 having a 1873 Winchester and Colt in .44-40, carrying cartridges with different bullet designs for rifle and revolver.
Last edited by Hang Fire; 06-30-2012 at 01:12 PM.
Just got home from the range. Shooting at the turkey silhouette at 200 yards. I hit it 18 * out of 30 rounds of hand. This is with my 1873 built in 1884. Shooting the big lube bullet with 35 grains of black powder. This rifle and cartridge will group at 1 inch at 100 yards. You can read all about this rifle on my website. Www.rvbprecision.com
My 1892 winchester project in 38-40 is coming along nicely and should be shootable in a couple of weeks. I'll be using black powder in some of the loads and was wondering what you guys that shoot black use for a wad? I've got .410's" for my 40-70. Are they too large? Do any of you know of a source for something like .402" to .403" diamter wads. Bob
Buffalo Arms has them, if nothing else you could get a wad punch from them to make your own.
You can probably also order them direct from John Walters.
Long range rules, the rest drool.
Don, BACO sells .410" diameter wads for a .408" diameter bullet. I'm thinking they will be too large for the .400" diameter bullet in the 38-40. I'm hoping some guys that shoot black in the 38-40 has some info that might help me out. Bob
I shoot black in the 38-40.I have a wad punch that you whack with a hammer that works well.
BACO sells two 40 cal wads, one for rifles at .410 and one smaller. They also sell wad punches that will work fine to punch your own.
Call them and tell them what you want, or google up John Walters and tell him what you are needing.
You might also check with Track of the Wolf.
Long range rules, the rest drool.
Track sells these http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Catego...73/2/WAD-405-B
Long range rules, the rest drool.
Thanks Don, I believe the Baco punch is what I'll use. I've been using WWd's in all my rifles and his are a couple of thousandths over groove so that Baco punch at .403" should work.
The nice thing about a punch the right size is the variety of stuff you can use for wads.
Long range rules, the rest drool.
Finished my 92 Win. project and have done some shooting with both smokeless and black. The blackpowder load shot very well. 34.5 gr of 1 1/2 behind the Lyman bullet. We had a buffalo gong match last weekend so got to shoot it at some long range targets. I hit the 24" gong 5 times in a row at 300 yds but only hit the the 18" once. The smokeless attempts have been dismal with extreme vertical spreads of 2-3' at those distances. You could hear a difference in detonation from shot to shot because of powder position. Looking for a good smokeless powder load that will fill most of the case as 2400 and Accurate #7 don't. Bob
Old Win,
Try RL7. A capacity load works very well in my 44-40.
Velocity will likely be around 1,500 f.p.s. in your 38-40.
w30wcf
aka w44wcf
aka Jack Christian SASS 11993 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
aka John Kort
NRA Life Member
.22 W.C.F., .30 W.C.F., .44 W.C.F. Cartridge Historian
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |