What to Expect From 38-55?

[Blackpowder Burn]

I've been tinkering with a new Marlin 336 Cowboy in 38-55, and am just looking for anyone that has experience with this cartridge.  I'm curious about what level of accuracy is typical.  I realize that leverguns are not generally regarded as tackdrivers (and everyone has different defininitions of what a tackdriver is!).

I'm shooting DD's 38-55 Big Lube bullet (sized 0.380" to match the rifles bore) with between 40 and 44 grains by weight of Goex FFg Holy Black.  I'm using Starline brass of both original length (2.125") and the shorter (2.08") length.  I've also load the ammo with sized brass and unsized brass. I do get occasional tighter clusters, but my best groups are typically in the 1.5" to 2" range at 100 yards.

Has anyone been able to get consistently better groups from a lever gun, or should I quit obsessing and just enjoy shooting it?

[Coyote Roper]

Aggie,

I've been shooting a Win 94 in 38-55 for about 5 years now.  I shot trail boss out if it for the first 3 years and then BP and some subs since I switched everything to the dark side 2 summers ago. 

I would say that if you are getting sub 2" groups at 100 yards consistantly, thats pretty good for a hunting lever gun and not bad for a cowboy long range lever action sillouhette rifle. 

I'm no ballistics or target shooting expert but that's about the same as what I've been able to get out of my Win 94 with open sights/tang peep sight. 

My rifle takes down good size deer with one shot at 50 to 100 yards with no need to track them, they usually drop where they are hit.

Just pick the best round you've developed so far and have fun smoking out the others on the shooting line.

CR

[Dick Dastardly]

Howdy Aggie,

I got lucky on my Win. 94 "Legendary Frontiersman" commemorative with too much lipstick on it. . .

This rifle seems to like 30-30 brass fire formed to 38-55.  It'll shoot *-* 38-55 brass, but it seems to do as well or better with the fire formed brass.  I also shoot the DD-38-55 255 grain RNFP Big Lube® bullets.  My powder charge that's given me best results so far is a compressed charge of Schuetzen FFFg under a 1/16" Circle Fly over powder wad.  I'm using CCI-300 large pistol primers.

My groups seem to depend more on my eyes than the gun/cartridge combo.  On a good day I've been able to get moa groups easily and very good 500 yard accuracy.  Beyond 500 yards I use my 45-70 roller.

I also size to .380".

DD-DLoS

[Blackpowder Burn]

DD,

How much of the Scheutzen are you using?  I get a slight compression with 40 grains of the Goex FFg and a fairly heavy compression (1/4" +) with 44 grains.  I did forget to mention that I am using a 0.030" fiber wad.

[Fiddler Green]

I've got a friend that shoots a Marlin in 38/55. He shoots 95's of the bench at 100 yards with the Saeco (738), 255 grain RN FP. His load is a compressed load of 42 Grains of Goex Cartridge and a .060 fiber wad. He's taken both deer and elk with this same load and says it shoot very well at 200 yards.

Bruce

[Delmonico]

As for the round it's self, in the latter part of the 19th Century it was one of the top mid range target rounds so you are really more limited to what the gun it's chambered in will do.