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+---- Thread: .38-50 Hepburn (/thread-3174.html)
RE: .38-50 Hepburn - Kurt - 02-08-2022
made it out this morning and shot some ladder loads with Swiss and OE.
1.5 Sw and 2F OE and 3F Sw and 3F OE from 62 to 66 grains and using the 371-345 DDEPP bullet.
Like I said this chamber has .100" freebore and I knew from past rifles I had with excessive freebore that the only thing that will shoot in a chamber like that is a groove diameter PP bullet so I don't expect to much using this short shanked DDPP bullet.
Six rounds I filled the case as much it will hold, 66 grains of 3F OE and 66 grains of 3F Swiss with no compression and seated a .06 wad compressing the powder with the wad so it had .06" compression seated flash with the case mouth with the intend of breach seating those rounds.
The best I got with the ladder loads with the bullet seated in the case was 3-7/8" to 5-1/4" the largest shot at 200 yards.
The breach seated rounds , three each, the swiss put 3 shots into 2-1/8" with two shots 1/2" C to C and the three 66 gr of OE the group was 2" with two 3/4" C to C.
Seeing those two groups gave me a warm feeling that this rifle will shoot with the proper bullet for this chamber.
I have a mould in the works at Buffalo Arms that has a longer DD base what will fit this chamber like a breach seated bullet only it will be in the case .100" or a little more depending what works when I get the final test shooting them.
I'm going to hold off doing more shooting till I get the mould. No sense working with this one that I have.
RE: .38-50 Hepburn - ian45662 - 02-13-2022
The 38 shot really well today. Had some winds which made me a little apprehensive but it went better than expected. I didn’t adjust the windage but just shot into the conditions. There are 8 hits on this one. We had one go low which I think was me. I brought the sight up and sure enough that went over as I put it back where it was and the rest hit. We hit a bunch of turkeys with it with just a couple of misses. After seeing this today I am starting to get really confident in this rifle and bullet. For some reason it won’t let me upload the picture. If someone wants to try I can e mail it to them.
RE: .38-50 Hepburn - Don McDowell - 02-13-2022
Probably need to size the picture down
RE: .38-50 Hepburn - Kurt - 02-14-2022
Well Ian, it sounds like that long bullet is a critter killer and doing well.
I'm still waiting for my new BA mould before I do any more shooting. I hope I get it intimate for Alma
RE: .38-50 Hepburn - ian45662 - 02-14-2022
(02-14-2022, 11:51 AM)Kurt Wrote: Well Ian, it sounds like that long bullet is a critter killer and doing well.
I'm still waiting for my new BA mould before I do any more shooting. I hope I get it intimate for Alma
Hopefully I can get down to Georgia and put up a score with it
In 2 weeks. Hopefully what we saw yesterday wasn’t a fluke but it was a lot of fun. It was hard not to giggle every time I sent one down the tube.
RE: .38-50 Hepburn - Kurt - 02-14-2022
It's always good to see a new rifle come around.
I have some concerns about the .100" + freebore and a very shallow lead angle but from the few rounds I have shot down range I found breach seating the DD into the lead explained why I was getting those flyers shooting them seated in the case and a large gap between the DD and the lead angle. I will see when I get the mould with a .250" long DD that will let me seat the bullet in the case and also sit tight in throat. And there is always the option of a groove diameter PP.
What the Hey!! two moulds aint enough for a rifle anyway
I'm really pleased to hear that the little .38 handles the Rams and it tolerates the longer bullet also.
I would like to go down to the GA shoot also but I'm not sure that I caught a cold or the Chinese bug, so I put myself on lockdown. My first Covid test came in negative but talking to the nurse this morning she said I might have took the test to soon.
I will have a second test tomorrow.
RE: .38-50 Hepburn - ian45662 - 02-14-2022
Take care of yourself.
RE: .38-50 Hepburn - Kurt - 02-15-2022
I took a couple shots today here in the yard at 135 yards with 65 gr of 3F OE and the 371-345 DD bullet.
The top 5 I breach seated with the wad flush with the case mouth and I just pushed the bullet in the throat with the case. I haven't made a breach seating tool for this rifle yet.
This he bottom 5 I shot with the same powder load but compressed the wad in .100" and seated the bullet in the case.
It's very apparent that the DD bullet needs to make contact into the lead with this .100" freebore it has.
The new mould when I get it will tell the final story.
Kurt
RE: .38-50 Hepburn - ian45662 - 02-15-2022
Looks good! They say when your new mould might be ready?
RE: .38-50 Hepburn - Kurt - 02-15-2022
Ian, no I called back a couple days after the order was placed to make sure Jim got the e-mail print I sent so they should have it in the works.
I hope I get it in time for Alma in April. I will give it a couple weeks and if I don't have it by then I will lengthen this mould base length.