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I need a bit more info to load 38-55 whats your favorite load?


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Using RCBS 255gr on top of 16 grs  of 2400    Factory duplicate at 1200 fps       GW

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Near any 250g bullet on top of 9g of Unique with small piece of toilet paper to hold powder against primer.

 Super accurate and very low recoil in half a dozen rifles I own.

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I load  245 grn on top of 9.6 Unique. Works very well. I dont use any toilet paper ( too valuable now anyway!!!) or any other fillers. I use unique  In  38-55, 45-60 & 45-70. Never had a problem with it being position sensitive. 
 

for my 38-55 HiWall with a 310 grn Bullet I use 10.0 Unique 

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Marlin 336 in 38-55 smokeless load: 255 grain bullet sized to .379, 20 grains of 4198, Winchester large magnum rifle primers.

 

TB

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On 3/9/2020 at 8:43 PM, Turquoise Bill, SASS #39118 said:

Marlin 336 in 38-55 smokeless load: 255 grain bullet sized to .379, 20 grains of 4198.

 

TB

 

This is a pretty hard combo to beat. Will get you in the ballpark for load development, or if you wish, "one and done".

 

I prefer H4198, my primer was a WLR and sometimes a F210M. I belled the case with a NOE expander in a LEE die. SR4759 at the same 20 gr is also good. My bullet was a LEE, the 379-250-RF. For the money, that is a good mold. 

 

2-Stroke oil is your friend if you use LEE molds. Lightly coat the contact points, when you see galling, re-apply. 2-stroke oil (I use Polaris Blue) does not gas at casting temperatures, and really helps prevent galling. Aluminum anneals and softens when heated, it galls with any friction. It is not hard to destroy a LEE mold. LEE 6 cavity use a hard anodized aluminum sprue plate, it's good, nothing can be done to improve it. The 2 cavity sprue plate is steel, it is rough, not flat and the cutting edge is dull. They can be lapped, smoothed, sharpened, heat treated (a bit) and you can bevel the edges. The top surface of the mold can be polished and the edges beveled, but if you don't use 2-stroke, it will not help. I experimented with my 379-250-RF for quite a bit before I was confident that I could use a LEE mold without beating it up. 

 

My rifle was a Commemorative Win 94, and it seemed OK with short and long brass. I used 2.02 or 2.08 or 2.125 and adjusted OAL for a good crimp. Mostly I used 2.08 to keep things consistent. A 20 gr load is a pretty close duplicate of black powder velocity, and for plinking, it's stout enough for me. 

 

In Northern Manitoba the old timers used the 38-55 for moose and up until a few decades ago, the local Flin Flon hardware store used to bring in a case of it every fall.

 

I sold my 38-55, including the mold, but if I ever get another 38-55, that mold will be on the shopping list. I also have a 375296 and two 375248, but none would cast large enough. 

 

BB

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