38-55....pure delight!

[45coltnut]

Hello Friends,

I'm currently sitting alone at the gun range after an absolutely wonderful morning with my winny 94 legendary frontiersman in 38-55.

Yesterday I was out shooting it and I was getting frustrated as my thumb kept busting my nose shot after shot. This is due to the Marbles tang sight and how my thumb was behind it. Well, even though it was shooting good I decided to try it without it and possibly even get a Lyman receiver peep. But, first I wanted to try out the Marbles bullseye rear sight that came with the gun.

So, this morning I head to the range in what I thought would be a disappointing and frustrating time trying to sight it in as I came prepared with hammer and drift punch for the sight.

To my amazement it was drifted correctly and after a slight adjustment it was on. Well, actually on the third shot it was on

The pic below shows two shots below the 1.5" dot shot at 50yds. The next shot was adjusted first for elevation and hit just on top if the dot. Then I go to 100yds and the top two show the group. I'm ecstatic to say the least. I have many bolt guns with nice scopes that get 1" and under. But I never thought I'd shoot this good with a lever gun and with my own cast boolits.

I have everyone here to thank for this! I just started to cast last year and many many people gave their advice on tools, molds, lube, etc. I've also had free boolits shipped just to try before buying the mold. I love this site and all the great people that make it up!

This year will be a lever/cast only hunting season. From deer to hogs and hopefully a Texas dall ram. Oh, and if lucky enough, a KY elk!

Here's the pics

[raingauge]

Good deal!! Nice to see it shooting so well this early in the game. I think everybody know by now 38-55 is my favorite caliber

[bigted]

I se that your rifle has the holes d&t ed for the receiver sight. I drilled and tapped my Winchester 92 and installed the Lyman 66A receiver sight ... remove the sight insert and now I have a nice ghost ring to shoot with. I love it and just wonder what took me so long.

I tried the sight you have on your rifle and didn't really care too much for but maybe your eyes can enable some fine shooting.

nice photo's and good shooting ... have fun with your 38-55 ... I like them too and have a couple ... my favorite is a relined Marlin model 1893. it is the old safety model and smooth as glass as well as having one of the best triggers I have ever had on a lever.

[45coltnut]

I'm going to give it a go over the summer with the marbles bullseye rear sight. But, I may end up with a lyman 67 too. I like the quickness of the marbles as well as being able to see around the sight.

[bigted]

[TXGunNut]

Good shooting! I have a couple of those sights and they seem quite good to me as well, my first choice for a hunting sight especially for a rifle not d&t'd for tang or receiver sights. Which boolit are you shooting?

[45coltnut]

Thanks,

The boolits are WW in a the Lee 379-250. Using Ben's red lube. And, I'm sizing them at .379" right now and I get just a little leading but not much. My bore does measure at .380". So, I'm getting buckshot to make me a .381" sizing die. I hope to possibly improve both the groups and leading. But, maybe just the leading as the same nut behind the trigger will still be there

[TXGunNut]

Good plan on the sizer, what do they drop at now? And you're right, proper sizing and alloy will all but eliminate leading. Good luck on the nut behind the trigger, I fight that battle every range trip!

[35 shooter]

Thanks,

The boolits are WW in a the Lee 379-250. Using Ben's red lube. And, I'm sizing them at .379" right now and I get just a little leading but not much. My bore does measure at .380". So, I'm getting buckshot to make me a .381" sizing die. I hope to possibly improve both the groups and leading. But, maybe just the leading as the same nut behind the trigger will still be there

Like the lube your using. I like the first shot cold bbl. consistency it gives. Very good shooting for irons by the way. Nice rifle too. Hope you get the leading thing figured out, it's definitly not the lube. No leading in my whelen even at 2600 fps. with Ben's Red or Simple lube...another good lube. Again, nice rifle, wish i had one just like it.

[45coltnut]

Yep, I'm truly liking this rifle. I think I'm going to order another Lee 379-250 and polish it out to drop .381-.382 boolits. Then I'm thinking about making one a HP mold as well. I bet a 250 HP would be awesome on deer and hogs for both penetration and knock down. It's an obsession at this point

Somebody help me with this sickness!

[bigted]

nope ... no help available ... srry ... HOWEVER ... you have fallen in with some awfully good company in your sickness.

my opinion is that the hollow point business will be more heartache then benefit ... those soft cast boolits runnin along at anything past 1200 or so will make good meat with almost anything hit with them.

practice practice practice and then do some practice with your load and get so you can hit em every time and the meat pole will be heavy every time.

[missionary5155]

Greetings
That is good news on the caliber 38 rifle ! It is a joy when it all comes together at the range.
Now that you have the basics settled and an understanding of throat diameter do not be afraid of the old 38-55's. Just be prepared for fat throats.
But do watch out. There is a 38 caliber bug that floats about and you never know when it will decide to bite and infect you with bulging eyes and the sweats. The only cure is that caliber 38 rifle you just looked at or worse held in your now tingling fingers.
Mike in Peru

[TXGunNut]

That is good news on the caliber 38 rifle ! It is a joy when it all comes together at the range. -Missionary5155

Dunno about that, Mike. First mould (375449), first casting session (ACWW), first load, first trip to the range...my 375 Winny nailed it. Didn't even take long to get the new receiver sights set. Almost disappointing.

[45-70 Chevroner]

Yep, I'm truly liking this rifle. I think I'm going to order another Lee 379-250 and polish it out to drop .381-.382 boolits. Then I'm thinking about making one a HP mold as well. I bet a 250 HP would be awesome on deer and hogs for both penetration and knock down. It's an obsession at this point

Somebody help me with this sickness!

Hollow point if you like but it is really not needed. That Lee boolit will be a real killer on deer and hog. I have two Lee molds (double cavity) in that boolit. What I did was cut the bevel base out of the molds and I like them a lot better, no lube to contend with around the base.

[Trinidad Bill]

Thanks,

The boolits are WW in a the Lee 379-250. Using Ben's red lube. And, I'm sizing them at .379" right now and I get just a little leading but not much. My bore does measure at .380". So, I'm getting buckshot to make me a .381" sizing die. I hope to possibly improve both the groups and leading. But, maybe just the leading as the same nut behind the trigger will still be there

Buckshot probably likes us 38-55 guys. I ordered a .380, .381, and .382. My Marlin Cowboy slugs at .380. I suspect I will need .382.

BTW how did the Lyman 375449 bullet work? They were scary accurate (10gr Unique, Starline Brass) in my Marlin CB but I still saw leading with them as cast.

[45coltnut]

Hi Bill,

They didn't really do any better than the lee 250's. Of course it may have just been the load. I have more to try out though with different powder. I still get just a little leading but think a larger boolit will solve that.

Ironically enough, I was just browsing thru the Accurate website thinking about a brass mold. But, lust window shopping right now

[johnson1942]

just to let you know what your gun can do, i have a friend who is native. when a elder passes in his tribe the family can have a buffalo for food at their their wake. he has shot over 300 buffalo in his life time for these wakes. 1/2 of them was shot with a 38/55 just like yours. he shoots them at about 100 yards in the neck and hits the spine. one shot and they are down for good. its a great gun and a great cal. thanks for your post.