38-55 bullet fitting

Interesting thread. My family (Dad and I) ran a few 38-55 over teh years with FFg.
Bullets varied for the gun and came out of a Lyman 255 gr mold. They case (wheel weights) at 0.376. Generally to small for most of our stuff.
Being the amateur machinist/mechanic that dad was, he fabricated a die and punch that would upset the bullet enough to be able to run it through large sizing die, which he also made. We ran 0.384 through a falling block 39-50 heavy barrel target gun and 0.380 through a new barrel on a Trapdoor action The falling block would shoot 2" at 100 yards and the trapdoor would break 1.5" regularly at 100 yards. Winchesters (1894) were tough to nail down but we usually ran 0.379 through them with mixed results...some where great others not so good.
 
tokguy said:
I've played this game with a sewer pipe bore in a 94 38-55.
The bore is abysmal. Patina and function are awesome.
Out of box that bullet must be like a drunk staggering down a hallway... bouncing from one side to the other.
I use the Lee .379 255 gr bullet with PL.
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ha sounds like mine, old Marlin 1893 24" 8sider
I found .381 pills, and powder coat then size back to .381
 
yiterp said:
Smokeless powder " WILL NOT" bump up a lead bullet unless you are using a fast burning pistol powder and its "NOT RECOMMENDED "
Shoot black and shoot straight and enjoy šŸ˜‰
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The guys competing in cast bullet benchrest will probably disagree with your analysis of bore obduration while they achieve benchrest quality groups. They tend to pay more attention to matching the alloy's tensile strength to the working pressure of their loads than powder.

In hunting rifle class they're doing .7 moa for a ten shot small group score at 200 yards and 1.0 MOA ten shot group aggregate scores at the same distance. The plain base bullet guys at the top of their game are turning in .2 MOA five shot groups.

I doubt that a look at those placing in those matches at that distance will turn up anybody getting competitive groups getting it by using black powder instead.

Bullet fit in ball seat and lede along with matching bullet hardness to the operating pressure of the load is everything.
 
I agree with Rick. You can shoot some seriously excellent groups with pistol powders and cast bullets, it's standard practice in schuetzen competition. It's not too hard to shoot 1/2 moa groups at 100m with a good single shot rifle breech seating soft bullets using IMR-4227 in 32-40 and 38-55. With respect to hard bullets and conventional rifle powders that you'd see in the Lyman Cast Bullet handbook, I've never been able to come remotely close. Not sure what the top competitors in the Cast Bullet Association are doing these days though.

Chris.
 
pistol or fast rifle, they work

Heres a few saves I have form The Net
"Bullet fitment is FAR more important to preventing leading and ensuring accuracy than BHN is."
"1 Brinell for each 100 fps"
and
"1769802756560.png"

thats not to say smokeless wont work, recipes for the like of 3031 and 4064 and 4227 go back to ancient times
Lyman #2 alloy was a standard for a long time, at about 16-18
 
Valiant said:
I would bet that the biggest,softest cast bullet that you can chamber will give you best results.
Black powder will help bump up the bullet to fit the barrel.
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I take this back.
I've been loading a Taylor 1876 in 45-60. Trying different things including different size dies on the cast bullets.
My gun definitely shoots better sizing bullets down to 457.
The mold is lee 405 grain hollow base. Throws big bullets. I was sizing 460. But 457 makes groups shrink!
I was getting lead in the barrel with 460 sized
 
gunlaker said:
Not sure what the top competitors in the Cast Bullet Association are doing these days though.
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As per the above, (the hunter class being the closest thing to a box stock rifle with cast bullets):

In hunting rifle class they're doing .7 moa for a ten shot small group score at 200 yards and 1.0 MOA ten shot group aggregate scores at the same distance.

The plain base bullet guys at the top of their game are turning in .2 MOA five shot groups.
 
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