38-55 Questions

[David658]

I have a new-to-me 38-55 Winchester Low-Wall repro (Uberti). I am wondering a few things about it, and am curious if any of you have played much with this cartridge.

• What has been your experience with long-range shooting with this round - targets, not animals?
• Has anyone here loaded with a spitzer type bullet for single shot use?
• Have you hunted with this cartridge?

This may turn out to be purely a target toy, I do kind of prefer at this time my scoped '06 (now that I have it shooting right), but am very intrigued by this rifle and the cartridge. Close cousin to the 336 I received that is in 35 Remington, both will be fun.

David
NM

 

[BrentD]

I have a new-to-me 38-55 Winchester Low-Wall repro (Uberti). I am wondering a few things about it, and am curious if any of you have played much with this cartridge.

• What has been your experience with long-range shooting with this round - targets, not animals?
• Has anyone here loaded with a spitzer type bullet for single shot use?
• Have you hunted with this cartridge?

This may turn out to be purely a target toy, I do kind of prefer at this time my scoped '06 (now that I have it shooting right), but am very intrigued by this rifle and the cartridge. Close cousin to the 336 I received that is in 35 Remington, both will be fun.

David
NM

The .38-55 is sometimes used for BPCR silhouette (200-500 meters). It is really not a great long range rifle. Generally, it is preferred to have 10 or at least 12" twist. I have several .38s with 14" twist and they are not great as a mid-long range target gun. Heavy bullets (>300 gr) are preferred as well. Velocities are probably in the 1300 fps range. The .38-50 Rem is bit more case capacity, and often preferred as a target rifle. There is a multi-time National Champion that always shoots ar .38-50 12" twist. He is amazingly good with it, but for midrange target rifle and long range, he uses .45s.

Pointed bullets like as spitzer are never used. Well, almost never. Short range Schuetzen shooters may use them. The .38-55 excels at schuetzen (100-200 yds bench and offhand, fixed and breech seated).

I'm guessing, but I would wager that your rifle has a 16" twist, which is too slow to stabilize a heavy bullet for caliber very far.

It would be an excellent hunting rifle. I have shot deer and antelope with my .38 Highwall (it as been both .38-55 and .38-72) and Marlin 1893 .38-55. Great rifle for that. I also have an 1878 Sharps (Borchardt) schuetzen rifle that I made up in .38-55. I use 300 gr breech-seated, flat-nosed bullets for that.