.38-55 Today

D

DPris

Member Emeritus
In a levergun, recognizing a niche caliber, which do you think is shot more- lead or jacketed?
Denis
 
It depends upon how many 38-55 owners are also handloaders and bullet casters. I do believe that most of the commercial rounds are jacketed. But the true bore diameter of the old guns was .379...something not easy to find today so that cries out for a cast lead bullet. I had two 38-55's and one Winchester .375 in my lifetime.
 
My old Marlin has a 0.381" bore so I gotta shoot cast. I had a custom mold made by Accurate Molds. It is the 38-250F in the catalogue and casts 0.382" which is perfect for me. I can shoot a 1 1/4" 6 shot group at 50 yds. The longest shot so far was a beer can at 185 yds on the second shot. I also hit a turtle with it at 180 yds on 1st shot.

Thought I would mention that I use the long brass made by Starline and RCBS Cowboy dies with the larger expander.
 
Definitely lead. There's a lot of choices from commercial casters these days from different diameters to lubes/coatings.
 
Turns out that's actually a caliber. Huh.

It's so slow leading won't be a problem, and you have to reload it anyways. Might as well cast them. Not much reason to use a jacketed bullet.
 
So, if a riflemaker were going to offer the caliber, it should be set up for lead, you think?
Denis
 
That would make sense to the average person. But the people making decisions for gun companies these days seem to be below average...


why shoot a turtle
Click to expand...
Why shoot a deer?
Why shoot a pig?
Why shoot paper?

There are reasons.
 
Why shoot a turtle
Click to expand...

The water hole covers approximately 1 1/4 acres. There are approximately 800-1000 turtles in it. This includes a population of alligator snapping turtles which are a protected species.

The turtles eat fish. Small fish, which includes baby large mouth black bass, bluegills, and sun perch, as well as crawdads and salamanders. There is no other practical method of controlling the turtle population, other than netting and we are not setup for that.

Sorry for getting off topic. I apologize.
 
It's so slow leading won't be a problem, and you have to reload it anyways
Click to expand...

I clocked some Winchester factory Super X 255 gr CXP2 copper jacketed when I first bought the gun and needed some brass. The 10 shot average was 1156 fps. Advertised velocity was 1320 fps.

I can load it to 1800 fps, but I choose to keep velocities below 1500 fps with cast bullets. RE 7 and IMR 4198 work well for smokeless powder.

2F black powder is a fun round to shoot too.
 
As this is a niche caliber, I too would think most folks would be shooting lead vs. jacketed. Too many other jacketed rounds one could use for hunting like a 30-30.



As an aside, never really thought of a 38-55 as I have never seen one in the flesh (and already have two lever actions), but that could be a fun rifle (Marlin, Henry....). I would certainly reload lead rounds for it were I to have one. Straight walled cartridges like my 45-70 are fun to reload and shoot!
 
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38-55 bore diameters I have measured vary from .378 to ,382, so lead is pretty much the only option if you want any kind of accuracy out of it. But the 38-55 is such a neat cartridge that Winchester revamped it back in the late 70s-early 80s as the 375 Winchester, with a standard bore diameter of .375". The 375 Winchester never really caught on and is all but dead, but the 38-55 has enjoyed a resurgence because of cowboy action shooting.
 
My Father used to say the .38-55 would shoot.. "darn near across the room.." :D

Created using black powder and lead bullets, I think its best to stick with those, in the older rifles. Even though jacketed ammo is available at safe pressures, jacketed bullets wear out barrels faster, and barrels made before 1900 (and some say the 1920s) are "softer" than more modern steel alloys.

If you are shooting a vintage rifle, why risk accelerated wear??
 
I say lead. For the reason there are more vintage 38/55s than new ones. Most of the guys
who shoot these old guys are loaders & casters. Another reason is that I have 14 old Wins
& Marlin Levers . Calibres like 25/20-32/20-38/40- 38/55- 38/40 & 40/60. There is not one
of these rifles that will shoot jackets as well as cast. And the reason for that is bullet dia.
I have no experience with the late model win 94s in 38/55, they might launch Js alright.
 
in my late fathers pond I watched snapping turtles take baby ducks and eat most of them. I shot them in the head with a scoped .22 mag, good riddance.
 
Denis, forgive my ignorance, but what would a rifle manufacturer do differently if they were designing a rifle for shooting mostly lead rounds vs. jacketed? I don't know that my 1894 or 1895 was designed or manufactured to shoot one vs. the other?
 
Marlin and H&R had their chambers & diameter set up using the wrong specs.
For a more technical explanation go to www.starlinebrass.com & search their article on it.
Sorry, can't give you a direct link.

Written in 2015.
Details it better than I can. :)
Denis
 
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