.38-50 Hepburn

[ian45662]

Here are my first groups with the 38. I will start shooting at 200 and farther from now. These 2 charges were with the case just about completely full so I think going forward I will try backing the compression down a grain or 2. I may also try these same loads with fed large rifle match instead of the large pistol match but for this being the first groups I am pretty happy. Both loads were going about the same speed which is 1394 average.

[ian45662]

Here is the 2F target. This thing was so pleasant to shoot I can’t wait to try it again.

[ian45662]

I have a shoot in oak ridge Tennessee when the big long range match in AZ kicks off. But I can only do one out west trip this year and it will be Raton. That will also be my first time shooting west of the Mississippi

[beltfed]

Ian,
I have been shooting my 38-50 with Swiss 1.5.
MOstly now with 67 grains of a very early dense lot that is as dense as some 3F I had tried early on. Has been shooting very well.
Just don't have much 3F.. load was 66 grains.
Now, a couple days ago I loaded some with a newer lot I have, actually a blend of
"cats and dogs" - three lots of 1.5F blended together in 2019. load, same drop tube volume as for the early lot. Weight of this load is 64.5 gr. All loads fill RP FF cases
such that I can seat 0.060 LDPE wad flush with case mouth. Then compress 0.085"

The 200 yard group below was the last I have shot the rifle last fall with the 67 grains of the old Swiss 1.5.
Arnie

[Kurt]

Both of you guys are doing pretty good.
I been shooting in the garage with the door down and the heater running shooting cornmeal blanks. 500 are trimmed and reloaded for the final shot with a lead bullet. Nothing special with the loads some old 3F Goex exp. 1F exp. and 1F old Goex from the 90's This is a good time to empty the old stuff.
What surprises me is the capacity of this caliber with just a load of corn meal blowing the necks and shoulders out. I got 65 grains of the 3F in the case and 60 grains of the old 1F Goex that is as corse as road rock.
I hope to get out tomorrow and shoot the final FF and retrim the cases and load ladder loads.
This has been time consuming but I worked a lot of cases that I won't have to do again.

Arnie,

I'm going to have another mould made. I think I will have this at 1.420". You have designed some good profiles for long range and the few I shot just dumping powder in the case and call bullets I like what I see.
I want with just a little more mass for the rams with out getting too long. What is the ball diameter of the nose on the 345? I'm thinking doubling the diameter and keep the DD base at 371: but .225" up the shank.
Also what is the radius length of the 345? a guess maybe a 2 Caliber diameter?

[ian45662]

I really really really want to try these on some rams soon. Once this snow melts off I may go to our silhoette range and see how it goes.

[Don McDowell]

I have a shoot in oak ridge Tennessee when the big long range match in AZ kicks off. But I can only do one out west trip this year and it will be Raton. That will also be my first time shooting west of the Mississippi

If you're only going to make 1 trip west to shoot Raton you should probably give the other big silhouette and 22bpcr championships.

[ian45662]

I have a shoot in oak ridge Tennessee when the big long range match in AZ kicks off. But I can only do one out west trip this year and it will be Raton. That will also be my first time shooting west of the Mississippi

If you're only going to make 1 trip west to shoot Raton you should probably give the other big silhouette and 22bpcr championships.

I will be in Alma Michigan that weekend. 1 day of 22 and 3 days of big bore

[JKR]

Could a 38-55 chamber be recut to 38-50 Hep?

Made the mistake of borrowing my buddy’s bore scope.

JKR

[beltfed]

JIm,
The 38-50RH reamer will be able to completely recut a 38-55 chamber since the
38-50 RH is larger in diameter and also longer.
Just need it done properly, with appropriate reamer pilots so as to follow the 38-55 chamber and ream it out concentrically.
HOWEVER, your 14 twist bore would still be a hindrance and you would be still using
the bullet length for that twist rather than the faster 12 or even 10 twist to gain
the longer, heavier bullets where the 38-50 RH really shines.
You might want to consider selling the 38-55 and building a 38-50 RH with 12 or 10 twist or if you like the current rifle, rebarrel it.
Arnie