Hi Guys,
I have a 1894 winchester .38-55 that I would like to do some deer hunting with. The bore measures .379 so cast bullets are the only option for me.
The gun is in good shape so I would like to come up with a load in the 1500-1700 fps range. I've heard both horror and success stories from those who have used cast bullets in this caliber. I understand that the meplat diameter has alot to do with the terminal perfomance. Any info/hunting experiences you can send my way would be greatly appreciated.
I'm new to reloading so this will be my first project. Wish me luck.

God Bless,
Northernboy

Haven't heard any horror stories other than the people too hard headed to get the right diameter bullets...get them to .379-.380" and you should be fine...takke a look at this Beartooth site's offerings...the 250gr. FP would be a good choice, but the diameter offered maxes out at .378" and I'd prefer one .380" for a .379" bore.

Did notice that there were some custom casters offering bullets to .379" and .380", so you could give them a try before buying a mold.

Lyman #48 only lists 5 powders in their pressure data for this round...but all 5 of them will get to the vel. range you're looking for (in fact, only one is lower than 1500fps as a starting load with a 249gr. bullet).

Personally, if looking for high vel., will look to Reloader 7 or 3031...if looking for the option of good low velocity performance and a max. of 1500-1600fps, would look to XMP5744.

NOt going to mix into a meplat argument...like them, use them, think they make a difference when shooting meat, but don't do a thing for shooting paper.

38-55 Win., my favorite. Uh, one of my favorites. Yes by all means the bullet should fit the bore, BUT there is more than one way to achive this. Back in the good old days,Smell the black powder? Hard lead bullets as we find common place now, were none existant. They used a soft bullet and booted it smartly causing it to obturate. (Take the lands.) If you can find some of the old Ideal loading books you'l note that most of their loads were using handgun/shotshell powders, because of their quickness. When you seat a .380 or .381 hard bullet in the case and then find that the cartridge will not chamber you will look for alternatives. Pepe Ray

Agreed...no other way to get it done when the seated bullet matches the bore but is too large to allow chambering. Can check, some modern rifles will allow seating a .380" bullet and chambering cleanly...others won't unless the bullet is .378". It's a gun to gun variation, but one that needs to be checked. The 1970's Winchester I shoot in 38-55 will allow .380" bullets.

Measuring fired brass give a vague idea...brass "springs back" (which is why it's used for cases and not steel), so the measurment of a fired case doesn't represent the actual largest diameter safely possible. Does have to be at least a little bit of slack in the system to allow a chambered round to release the bullet.

Hard to get a .380" sample to test...but if you have a .375" bullet, squeeze it in a vice, measure it, and try again until it reads .380". Will be more flared at the base, but that's OK as we just need to get an idea if the chamber will allow a .380" bullet to be seated in a case and chambered without binding in the chamber.

So...will modify the advice..in that case of that .379" bore, use a bullet as close to .380" as possible that will allow a loaded round to freely chamber and extract. With luck, it will be .380-379". If not, and the the bullet needs to be .378" to chamber cleanly, then you got to work a bit harder.

One thing that has worked in those cases is to fire form brass from .30-30's. The case necks become thinner as they become larger diametere, and this will often allow seating a larger bullet than normal 38-55cases (esp. the modern ones that have become a bit thicker necked than the old ones).

Baring that, then casting your own in softer alloy will help when using the faster (listed loads please) smokless powders. The fast powders seem to give the bullet ar harder initial "thump" and they respoind by slugging up to bore size.

BP is the best at giving this kind of thump, but the faster smokless powders loade to the 1500fpsm level you want can be made to work even with small bullets (if they are soft enough) in large bores.

There is a fork in the road, Two people on Marlintalk
make a Jacketed bullet for the 38-55 .379
and they both are vey good bullets one goes by the handle of Stone Fence (edeering@tampabay.rr.com)
and makes a 250gr bullet,the other is Boar bullets in Oregon and his is 220gr.
.................................................. .Marko

From personal expierience the Stone Fence Bullets (250gnrs) work extremely well, I push them with 29.5gns of RX7 and get sub MOA groups at 100, this mind you is in the fps you want. I have used .379 245gnhard cast and 8gns of unique with good sucess. These are rnfp and plain base. Just plinkers.

Thanks for the feedback. Recently, my father-in-law gave me a bunch of 265 grain gas-checked bullets that measure .379. I'm brand new to reloading so my question is: Is it possible to achieve 1600 fps with these bullets (assuming they shoot accurately) or am I being unrealistic? The gun is a 1894 and its in good shape. If anybody has any loads for bullets at this weight I'd love to hear about it.

God Bless,
Northernboy

Lyman #48 has loads for the #375248 (250gr.) that would work...the data for the longer #378647 (335gr.) isn't of use as the OAL is too great to work in a 1894.

They get the 250gr. to more than 1750fps in 3 of the 5 loads listed...beating 1900 with one load, none listed at over 26,000CUP. Think you can easily get your vel. with 3031 or Reloader 7.

I've used as much as 35gr. of 3031 for 1804fps in my 1894 (but it's a modern one)...but I certainly worked up to that level from well below. Normally I'll load 32gr. for 1526fps.

IF you have Reloader 7 near at hand, would start with 28gr. That should earn about 1500-1550fps with that bullet, and it may be all you desire. If you've got 3031 on tap, can try 31gr. for about 1450-1500fps...can work up a bit to get your desired velocity, but I have to say that the 1500fps loads do most of what needs to be done with a 38-55 lead bullet.

Lyman #48 has loads for the #375248 (250gr.) that would work...the data for the longer #378647 (335gr.) isn't of use as the OAL is too great to work in a 1894.

They get the 250gr. to more than 1750fps in 3 of the 5 loads listed...beating 1900 with one load, none listed at over 26,000CUP. Think you can easily get your vel. with 3031 or Reloader 7.

I've used as much as 35gr. of 3031 for 1804fps in my 1894 (but it's a modern one)...but I certainly worked up to that level from well below. Normally I'll load 32gr. for 1526fps.

IF you have Reloader 7 near at hand, would start with 28gr. That should earn about 1500-1550fps with that bullet, and it may be all you desire. If you've got 3031 on tap, can try 31gr. for about 1450-1500fps...can work up a bit to get your desired velocity, but I have to say that the 1500fps loads do most of what needs to be done with a 38-55 lead bullet.

what is the difference between Reloader 7 and 3031? Are they pretty much the same type of powder?

They don't look anything the same and their burn rates are different...Rx7 is a bit faster/ 3031 a bit slower.

Loading data for 3031 in the 38/55 has remained stable for a good long while...the current max. load of 3031 in the Lyman #48 matches the max. load of the Lyman #37 (1950's). That's always a good sign that the data is well testd.

Hi Guys,
I have a 1894 winchester .38-55 that I would like to do some deer hunting with. The bore measures .379 so cast bullets are the only option for me.
The gun is in good shape so I would like to come up with a load in the 1500-1700 fps range. I've heard both horror and success stories from those who have used cast bullets in this caliber. I understand that the meplat diameter has alot to do with the terminal perfomance. Any info/hunting experiences you can send my way would be greatly appreciated.
I'm new to reloading so this will be my first project. Wish me luck.

God Bless,
Northernboy

Contact Joel Penny at Penny's Hand and Machine Casting, P.O.Box 314, Topanga, CA 90290. Telephone (310) 455-1567 for a variety of cast bullets for the .38/55 (and others). He has molds for Lyman, SAECO, RCBS, and LBT bullets, plain base or gas check, in 250, 265, and 270 grains. His bullets are pure Linotype (5% tin and 11.5% antimony).

Ask him to size the bullets 0.001 inch over groove diameter.

His price is $7.00 per hundred plus shipping and handling for .38/55 bullets weighing 250 to 270 grains.

Give him a try. He makes a good product and can deliver in a relatively short time.

Good luck.

Lyman #48 has loads for the #375248 (250gr.) that would work...the data for the longer #378647 (335gr.) isn't of use as the OAL is too great to work in a 1894.

They get the 250gr. to more than 1750fps in 3 of the 5 loads listed...beating 1900 with one load, none listed at over 26,000CUP. Think you can easily get your vel. with 3031 or Reloader 7.

I've used as much as 35gr. of 3031 for 1804fps in my 1894 (but it's a modern one)...but I certainly worked up to that level from well below. Normally I'll load 32gr. for 1526fps.

IF you have Reloader 7 near at hand, would start with 28gr. That should earn about 1500-1550fps with that bullet, and it may be all you desire. If you've got 3031 on tap, can try 31gr. for about 1450-1500fps...can work up a bit to get your desired velocity, but I have to say that the 1500fps loads do most of what needs to be done with a 38-55 lead bullet.


I think you guys are pushing the envelope on the .38/55.

27 grains of IMR-3031 behind a SAECO-373 265 grain cast lead, gas check bullet sized 0.001 inch over groove daimeter in Winchester cases with CCI #200 primers produced an average velocity of 1474 fps in a 26 inch barreled Model 94. Standard deviation was 25 fps, and extreme spread was 57 fps. The five shot group at 50 yards (I don't see well enough to shoot at 100 yards) measured 13/16th inch.

Other five-shot groups produced the following velocities: 1595, 1576, 1570, 1550, and 1555 fps.

23.3 grains of RL-7 with the same bullet, case, and primer produced an average velocity of 1540 fps (Std. Dev.= 14, ES= 35) and a five shot group measuring 1 3/8th inch at 50 yards.

I would be inclined to not push the .38/55 much past the 1500 to 1600 fps range. I have tried some loads that produced muzzle velocities in the 1800 fps range but the accuracy was very poor and the recoil (crescent steel butt plate) was unpleasant. I find RL-7 and IMR-4198 give more consistant results than does IMR-3031.

A very pleasant and accurate load I have found is 22.3 grains of IMR-3031 with a 245 grain cast lead, plain base bullet from Mid-Kansas. Five shot groups run around an inch at 50 yards and the muzzle velocity is 1225 fps from a 26 inch barrel.

Good luck and be careful out there!

If you want to push 250 grain bullets to 1800 fps and beyond, get a Model 71 in .348 WCF. It is a fun gun to load for also.

Going to have to check my powder...using 32gr.of 3031 only give me a 1526 average (Lyman #375248 @ .379" / Fed. LRP / 2.56" OAL)...didn't sound any warning bells as that's only 1gr. above the minimum Lyman listing.

When practicing on the indoor range, use 7gr. of red dot (other data the same as above)...mild load by any stadard.

Think Northern boy would be free to work up or down from that starting load, depending on his needs. I'm certainly not one to recommend pushing the old girl past it's limits, esp. not with some of the older rifles of dubious strength.

Contact Joel Penny at Penny's Hand and Machine Casting, P.O.Box 314, Topanga, CA 90290. Telephone (310) 455-1567 for a variety of cast bullets for the .38/55 (and others). He has molds for Lyman, SAECO, RCBS, and LBT bullets, plain base or gas check, in 250, 265, and 270 grains. His bullets are pure Linotype (5% tin and 11.5% antimony).

Ask him to size the bullets 0.001 inch over groove diameter.

His price is $7.00 per hundred plus shipping and handling for .38/55 bullets weighing 250 to 270 grains.

Give him a try. He makes a good product and can deliver in a relatively short time.

Good luck.

Thanks alot. I'll give Joel Penny a call. With any luck I'll have the gun ready to use by next deer season. Thanks again to all those helping me out.

God Bless,
Northernboy

Thanks alot. I'll give Joel Penny a call. With any luck I'll have the gun ready to use by next deer season. Thanks again to all those helping me out.

God Bless,
Northernboy


I would just like to let you know, incase you haven't heard, Joel Penny passed away.