38-55 cast

[Pioneer2]

Worked out a good load for my grandpa's 1894 38-55 using Jet Bullet's .381 273gr FN GC and 18gr of SR4759 .Three shot group ran 1.2" at 100 yards.Likely around 1400fps.RCBS was kind enough to send me free of charge an oversized bullet seater to accommodate the fatter bullets required for the generous grooves in the 1894.Should work fine for my intended purposes.

[fps plus]

That awesome. I have drug a 38-55 around a few times and it has accounted for some Columbia ground squirrels.

Good luck with yours

[Pioneer2]

Would like to try a .380 ball with 3gr of Bullseye for grouse or rabbits.

[32-40win]

Thought about buying a 38-55 a number of times, never did quite give in to it yet. Missed one I liked, at a gun show a few years back, gone before I got back there
Nice to shoot, kill deer just fine.

[Pioneer2]

The 45-70's little brother.Great target cartridge in it's time and was well thought of for all NA big game including grizzly within it's range limits.

[Dean2]

I have an old 1894 that was bought new in 1898 and used to guard the stage between Clarsholm and Calgary/ Lethbridge. I use .378 Bullet Barn cast bullets and .375 Hornady jacketed flat points at about 1500 fps. I worked up a round ball load for it using Trail Boss. They are quiet, about 800 fps, and work good for grouse and small game. It shoots just as good today as it did new. Shot a few bears with it, kills bears just fine.

Also have the modern 38-55, a 375 Winchester. It is just as good a round except it is true .375 bore. The same .378 cast work fine in it too, but it shoots the jacketed .375 flat points a little more accurately than the old gun does and both are traveling closer to 2100 fps so quite a bit flatter shooting than the 38-55.

It is a great old round. I would have no fear at all in using either for deer, Bear or even moose.

[Pioneer2]

RE#7 is one of the best powders in both the .375 Big Bore and 38-55 for jacketed bullets.Cost aside I'd like to swage bullets from .223 brass with a lead core inserted.

[Huntsman]

I picked up my first last summer, Win 1894 Alberta Diamond Jubilee.
For a commerative she’s a beaut! And ahe even dropped a young bull moose last year.
And just recently matched her with the Saskatchewan Diamond Jubilee in same cal.
I cast the Lyman 264gc FN for it and so far have had good results with 23grs of IMR 4198.
I recently found data for IMR 3031 which i would like to tey next.
I’m also loading the Hornady jacketed 220 and 200gr.
So now that I have 2 one will be cast boolit and the other jacketed.

[Huntsman]

Here’s some pics of my cast boolits;



t

[Pioneer2]

Mushroomed nice!

[Huntsman]

Originally Posted by Pioneer2

Mushroomed nice!

No, I wish. I dropped the moose with the reloads that cam with rifle which were Hornady 220 gr FN SP pushed by 26.4grs of IMR 4198 (Max) and bullet was not recovered.
(I did drop a cow moose in 2015 with 200gr RNGC .308 bullet sized to .309 with my Winchester model 88/308 though)
I dug that cast outta the sand backstop.
Btw, Hornady no longer makes the 220gr bullet. So if you’re re-loadiing jacketed bullets only Barnes and Sierra are making then as far as I know.

[Pioneer2]

Sierra makes a 200gr FN but hey realistically for me it's easier/cheaper to just run straight cast.Find something it likes and buy a 1000

[Huntsman]

Lee makes a mould for 250gr flat nose/flat base boolit.
These dont require sizing, you just pan lube and load.
I size them though thru my Lyman Lube sizer which fills the lube rings nicely.
I shoot them at around 1400fps with IMR 4198.
All lead is straight Wheel Weight lead.

[yukon254]

Originally Posted by Huntsman

I picked up my first last summer, Win 1894 Alberta Diamond Jubilee.
For a commerative she’s a beaut! And ahe even dropped a young bull moose last year.
And just recently matched her with the Saskatchewan Diamond Jubilee in same cal.
I cast the Lyman 264gc FN for it and so far have had good results with 23grs of IMR 4198.
I recently found data for IMR 3031 which i would like to tey next.
I’m also loading the Hornady jacketed 220 and 200gr.
So now that I have 2 one will be cast boolit and the other jacketed.

I just ordered the same mold for my 375 Winchester. What is your alloy? The pictures of your bullet shows excellent expansion! On another note how did the 38-55 perform on the moose? I have a partial box of the old Hornady 220s but will primarily use cast in my 375.

[Huntsman]

Originally Posted by yukon254

I just ordered the same mold for my 375 Winchester. What is your alloy? The pictures of your bullet shows excellent expansion! On another note how did the 38-55 perform on the moose? I have a partial box of the old Hornady 220s but will primarily use cast in my 375.

Hi Yukon, I’m using straight Wheel weights. Velocities are under 1700fps so leading is minimal.
The link below is one the places I used for data.
http://www.stevespages.com/375_5_220.html

The Hornady 220gr i used on the moose dropped him on the spot.

[yukon254]

Originally Posted by Huntsman

Hi Yukon, I’m using straight Wheel weights. Velocities are under 1700fps so leading is minimal.
The link below is one the places I used for data.
http://www.stevespages.com/375_5_220.html

The Hornady 220gr i used on the moose dropped him on the spot.

Wow thats a nice rifle! Thanks for sharing info on your bullets, loads, and the pictures!

[Huntsman]

Originally Posted by yukon254

Wow thats a nice rifle! Thanks for sharing info on your bullets, loads, and the pictures!

Thanks eh. I just picked up a Saskatchewan Diamond Jubilee in same caliber.
Casting is fun and works as good if not better than jacketed bullets.
You don’t get copper fragments all thru the wound channel and or lead particles.
The lead boolits just pass on thru and not a whole lot of bruising as compared to high-velocity jacketed bullets.
You still have to trim away around the wound channel as per normal.
Anyways just happy to share my experiences

[Diesel_wiesel]

I found these moulds to be the best for hunting cast bullets
http://www.biglube.com/BulletMolds.a...5-657e0ec19a65

[yukon254]

Originally Posted by Huntsman

Thanks eh. I just picked up a Saskatchewan Diamond Jubilee in same caliber.
Casting is fun and works as good if not better than jacketed bullets.
You don’t get copper fragments all thru the wound channel and or lead particles.
The lead boolits just pass on thru and not a whole lot of bruising as compared to high-velocity jacketed bullets.
You still have to trim away around the wound channel as per normal.
Anyways just happy to share my experiences

Where are you getting gas checks ? Im having trouble finding any

[Huntsman]

P&D had them as well as Proline Shooters.

[Dean2]

Bullet Barn also sells gas checks, $59 a thousand.

[Huntsman]

Originally Posted by Dean2

Bullet Barn also sells gas checks, $59 a thousand.

And same price at Ellwood Epps

[wolf308]

Tagged.

Might start reloading an old worn out 94 myself. In 38-55

Bore is pretty shot out ..... bullet barn sells .401" lead rounds ...... hoping those would catch the bit of remaining rifling

Or should I slug the barrel first ? And how's that done , lol.

[Huntsman]

Originally Posted by wolf308

Tagged.

Might start reloading an old worn out 94 myself. In 38-55

Bore is pretty shot out ..... bullet barn sells .401" lead rounds ...... hoping those would catch the bit of remaining rifling

Or should I slug the barrel first ? And how's that done , lol.

Slug it with pure lead with either a round ball (in .375...?) or a bullet. I used a half poured cast. Not a full bullet as I was worried it would jam up in the barrel. I’ll measure a Lee cast. They normally run over bore diameter.
Basically you tap the slug through with a dowel from end to end.

[Huntsman]

So the Lee 250gr .379 mould casts a bullet using wheel weight alloy at .380”

[Dean2]

.401 is going to be WAY too big, even on the most worn out barrels. You are talking .023 increase in Diameter which is a big increase in circumference. That would be a very bad thing in any gun let alone one 100 years old. I would push a pure lead .380, not a hard cast or wheel weight, round through the bore and then buy cast that size. If that goes through too easily go up to .385. You can also get it re-barreled for not a lot of money.

[wolf308]

Copy. Thx.

Yesterday when I put the 94 on paper , I put a cartridge up side down into the muzzle ...... ya quite the mouth on it. Didn't contact the crown .... I'll maybe ask bullet barn to send me some lead or something to slug it

[Dean2]

If you go to a place that sells Black Powder stuff you can get Hornady or other makes of pure soft lead round balls in .380, .385 and .389. A box of 100 is about 12 bucks, and you can load them in your 38-55 with Trail Boss for plinking and small game loads. You can order these from Track of the Wolfe if you can't find any locally. The Bullet Barn bullets are 25 Brinell, as are most bullets or balls made from wheel weights, and far too hard to easily push through a bore manually.

[wolf308]

Hey thanks. Was just about to ask

[qwert]

Originally Posted by Huntsman

Slug it with pure lead with either a round ball (in .375...?) or a bullet. I used a half poured cast. Not a full bullet as I was worried it would jam up in the barrel. I’ll measure a Lee cast. They normally run over bore diameter.
Basically you tap the slug through with a dowel from end to end.

I avoid driving or tapping any wood dowel into a bore, as they can split diagonally and wedge very solidly expanded into the rifling of the bore. Removal may be very problematic.

I prefer a suitable length of plain brass welding rod, with any end swell or sharp edge removed. (I use 1/4" for most bores.)
A short length can be helpful to get the (lightly oiled) soft lead slug started into the (lightly oiled) bore,
then a longer length used to tap the slug through while feeling for any tight or loose sections.
IMHE, a heavy hammer is easier to control.
Fluted barrels can be surprising.
Measure the slug OD with a micrometer for best accuracy,
a caliper can be used to measure the land height, but an accurate reamer/range rod bushing is better.

Good Luck, YMMV.