Range report: Vintage 38-55 (photos)

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KirkD
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Range report: Vintage 38-55 (photos)

Post by KirkD »

Headed over to the range today to try out a new load for my Winchester Model 1894 38-55. This particular rifle was made in 1904. It has a full octagon barrel and a tang sight. I set up the target at 100 yards and took five shots. Measuring with my steel ruler, all five shots went into a 1 & 7/8" group at 100 yards. The load was 17.5 grains of 5744 under a 255 grain soft cast bullet sized to .380. To write this up, I went to weigh one of the sized and lubed bullets and noticed that the butt end seemed to have a lot of lube on it, so I wiped it off and made a discovery. These are gas checked cast bullets and I'd completely forgotten they were when I sized and lubed and loaded them! So that five-shot, 1 & 7/8' group at 100 yards was shot with soft cast bullets that were missing their gas checks! I'm surprised they are so accurate without them. Having done that, I don't see why I would bother with the expense and bother of putting gas checks on them in the future. This particular load gives me a 10 shot average velocity of 1,365 fp with an E.S. of 29 fps. The temperature was in the 80's and I have found 5744 to be temperature sensitive, so they will probably slow down to around 1,330 fps when hunting this fall in below freezing temps. Anyway, here are a couple photos ...
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M. M. Wright
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Re: Range report: Vintage 38-55 (photos)

Post by M. M. Wright »

Excellent report Kirk. Good shootin'.
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Re: Range report: Vintage 38-55 (photos)

Post by ollogger »

Well Kirk, you always make for a good read along with a fine photo of a great old shooting gun



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Re: Range report: Vintage 38-55 (photos)

Post by Old Savage »

I see no bullet was even an inch off the group center.
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Re: Range report: Vintage 38-55 (photos)

Post by Griff »

Old Savage wrote: Thu Jul 04, 2019 8:06 pmI see no bullet was even an inch off the group center.
+1. Very good.
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Re: Range report: Vintage 38-55 (photos)

Post by Ray »

Griff wrote: Thu Jul 04, 2019 8:23 pm
Old Savage wrote: Thu Jul 04, 2019 8:06 pmI see no bullet was even an inch off the group center.
+1. Very good.

If you were giving your whizbang supermag a pre season last check with scope turned-up to 12x, that group would be more than adequate and good to go !
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Re: Range report: Vintage 38-55 (photos)

Post by KirkD »

Glad you enjoyed my little report, men. I am very pleased with this old lever gun.
Kirk: An old geezer who loves the smell of freshly turned earth, old cedar rail fences, wood smoke, a crackling fireplace on a snowy evening, pristine wilderness lakes, the scent of
cedars and a magnificent Whitetail buck framed in the semi-buckhorn sights of a 120-year old Winchester.
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Re: Range report: Vintage 38-55 (photos)

Post by AJMD429 »

ollogger wrote: Thu Jul 04, 2019 8:03 pmWell Kirk, you always make for a good read along with a fine photo of a great old shooting gun
Yep...one of the highlights of the forum...!
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Re: Range report: Vintage 38-55 (photos)

Post by Griff »

AJMD429 wrote: Thu Jul 04, 2019 10:29 pm
ollogger wrote: Thu Jul 04, 2019 8:03 pmWell Kirk, you always make for a good read along with a fine photo of a great old shooting gun
Yep...one of the highlights of the forum...!
Another +1... Image
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Re: Range report: Vintage 38-55 (photos)

Post by guido4198 »

OUTSTANDING...!!!
Thanks for sharing. I really enjoy seeing such excellent results with home-brewed cast rounds from a fine classic rifle.
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Re: Range report: Vintage 38-55 (photos)

Post by Nath »

Excellent shooting. That's a good rifle you have.
How much does it weigh?

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Re: Range report: Vintage 38-55 (photos)

Post by gamekeeper »

guido4198 wrote: Fri Jul 05, 2019 4:16 am OUTSTANDING...!!!
Thanks for sharing. I really enjoy seeing such excellent results with home-brewed cast rounds from a fine classic rifle.
Plus one, a classic levergunners post... :D
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Re: Range report: Vintage 38-55 (photos)

Post by Bill in Oregon »

I wish I still had the Marlin Cowboy in .38-55 -- not just finely accurate, but a real pleasure to shoot. Thanks for the report, Kirk.
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Re: Range report: Vintage 38-55 (photos)

Post by Ysabel Kid »

gamekeeper wrote: Wed Jul 10, 2019 3:04 am
guido4198 wrote: Fri Jul 05, 2019 4:16 am OUTSTANDING...!!!
Thanks for sharing. I really enjoy seeing such excellent results with home-brewed cast rounds from a fine classic rifle.
Plus one, a classic levergunners post... :D
+ another! :D
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Re: Range report: Vintage 38-55 (photos)

Post by Carlsen Highway »

Kirk, we can swap lives whenever you want. :mrgreen:
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Re: Range report: Vintage 38-55 (photos)

Post by Pitchy »

Whoops missed this one been two busy building lawn mowers, very nice Kirk thanks for sharing. :)
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