38/55 in a modern lever

[munk]

A funny thing happened on the way to buying a Marlin 336 38/55 Cowboy; the 375 Winchester Big Bore boys jumped all over me. This was in another forum, and the dust has settled and everyone is A-OK.

My terrible sin? I am going to load the 38/55 to 375 Big Bore levels in the Marlin occasionally for hunting. I've thought this for years, planned on it, have finally made arrangement for a suitable rifle, and was stunned to discover this was an affront.

All I said was that in actions of equal strength, the 38/55 could duplicate the 375. Now, we all know the 375 is a modern 38/55 designed for a buttressed Winchester called the Big Bore. We also know it went over like a lead balloon, along with it's cousin, the excellenct .358

I was told there was no way the 38/55 could ever equal the power of the 375, regardless of handloads.

The 375 case is a tad shorter, and has stronger brass. Does any of this sound like a repeat of the crisis when the 45 Colt was first warmed up, or the 45/70 in modern actions?

Starline is promising to make brass. The only real problem i can see to this is that 38/55 brass will stretch faster, and rather than develope two load regimes for 38/55 brass and 375 brass it might be best to stick with one.

I noticed in the May ShootingTimes Layne Simpson did it with his Marlin 336, averaging 1805fps with a 255 Barnes.

munk

 

[Mike Irwin]

Thou art unclean.

Get thee hence, wicked spirit.

While I certainly wouldn't want to try to take the .38-55 brass to the firewall .375 numbers, when you get right down to it there's 100 fps. difference in the Hornady manual between the top end .38-55 loads and the bottom end .375 loads with the same bullet.

In a strong, modern action I don't see any real issue with what you're doing, as long as you observe careful loading habits and inspect the brass thoroughly to ensure that you don't have a situation growing.

Judging by the Hornady manual, it looks like Reloader 7 has the widest velocity/lowest pressure range and will work well across both cartridges.

 

[munk]

The discussion got wierd. And it made me think strange things like; "If the rifle and action are the same for both cartridges, and I'm putting a 375 case into a 38/55 chamber, which is the same for practical purposes, and the .375 jacketed bullet is going to travel down a 379 bore instead of a 375 bore, am I shooting a 38/55 or a 375?

And if I was shooting a 375, then what was the argument about? That it's not fair? I cheated? I turned my 38/55 into a 375 now turn-it-back-again immediately?!!




munk

 

[Jim Watson]

Coincidentally, Lyman shows a .38-55 255 at 1805 fps.
Accurate Arms gets over 2000 fps with 200 and 220 jacketed and 240 cast. A guy on the Shiloh board figured a .38-55 would shoot with a Krag up to 200 yards and be more "period" for the single shot rifles. Me, I've got a 335 loping along at 1121 fps with black. It hits hard enough to impress a steel ram at 500 meters.

 

[Trapdoor_1875]

Buffalo Bore

Buffalo Bore (www.buffalobore.com) sells "heavy" .38-55 loads with either 255gr JFN at 1950fps/2044ME or 270gr LFN GC at 1900fps/2044ME.

I have shot a few 255 Gr. Buffalo Bore through my 336 CB. Impressive!!!

I use Barnes 255gr. JFN (0.377" diameter) when reloading.

 

[Glamdring]

A 38-55/270 @ 1900!
Matches 45-70/400 @ 1800+
And 44mag/240 @ 1800
And 357mag/158 @ 1800

I like rifles with similar trajectories but different power levels. Makes practice with one transferable to other.

The above are my picks for iron sighted rifles. For scoped rifles I like 250 Savage, 308 Win, and 375 H&H.

I like the 38-55/375 Win much more than a 44 (just because it isn't common).