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Downing an animal in the hunt is a part of the spiritual side of Life. Normally I would have kept the story more private, but knowing some of you on this forum and having others share their stories, thought it was time I contributed.
November 7, 2015
Online
Closing in on a hunting load for my 38-55, loaded four loads with AA5744 as the 3031 loads weren’t quite what I was looking for. Two worked out quite well so I’ll be trying them tomorrow. I’ll be hunting two weeks from now so I’m almost out of time for load development, lol.
What bullet are you using? Whitetails?
I was planning to hunt deer and elk this fall with the .38-55. Was closing in on a good load for a gas-checked bullet over RL-7. My trouble–ran out of bullets for testing! More are on order, but the seasons have ended. .32 WS did just fine for deer, and no bull volunteered to be shot.
I had this site recorded on my favorites bar, but forgot it was there. I have killed tons of big game with original Winchesters, here are some…
Grizzly, 25-35 SRC…
Deer with 1895 40-72…
Deer with 1886 45-70…
gophers, 1873 in 22 long…
You’ve kept a few barrels warm. Thanks for the photos.
Funny how that fellow with the .45-70 had to grow a grey beard to hunt gophers with his new partner. Looks as if it was well worth it.
November 7, 2015
Online
FromTheWoods said
What bullet are you using? Whitetails?I was planning to hunt deer and elk this fall with the .38-55. Was closing in on a good load for a gas-checked bullet over RL-7. My trouble–ran out of bullets for testing! More are on order, but the seasons have ended. .32 WS did just fine for deer, and no bull volunteered to be shot.
Using the 250 gr plain-based Lyman 380681, just introduced a few years ago. Has a nice big meplat and generous lube grooves so BP is a possibility. Casting it from straight wheel weights for now. Lubed with BAC, plain based bullet. I’ll be casting a few after hunting season, PM me your addy if you’d like to try a few. I have another mould that has GC cavities but don’t know what it drops yet. My 38-55 needs a .380 bullet, have you slugged your bore?
Our little TX whitetail shouldn’t present much of a challenge for this bullet, won’t be afraid to smack an eating-sized hog with it. I’m thinking the 32WS may be next year’s project. Have a couple of nice 94’s in 32WS that haven’t been out for awhile. 
Thank your for your bullet offer. At present, we are working toward a gas-checked bullet load, so we’ll pass–appreciate your generosity.
We have two .38-55’s. From measurements and testing, a .381 might shoot the best. Any larger, and trouble arises with chambering–brass and bullet dimensions in the throat.
During the ’80’s I hunted deer in the Bryson area. It was for one season, and the hunting was good–the bucks were challenging to still-hunt. They seemed to act much the same as our Black-tails in the Willamette Valley. Mostly nocturnal, similar bedding preferences, cagey, elusive.
You know that you’ve set us up–set yourself up? We’ll be anticipating stories and photos of your hunts. Good Hunting!
November 7, 2015
Online
FromTheWoods said
Thank your for your bullet offer. At present, we are working toward a gas-checked bullet load, so we’ll pass–appreciate your generosity.We have two .38-55’s. From measurements and testing, a .381 might shoot the best. Any larger, and trouble arises with chambering–brass and bullet dimensions in the throat……..
You know that you’ve set us up–set yourself up? We’ll be anticipating stories and photos of your hunts. Good Hunting!
One load I tried today is a bit fast for a PB bullet, may address that more after hunting season.
Another problem is that my expansion die doesn’t expand the case enough and I’m afraid the case is possibly swaging the bullet down a bit.
Suspended load development today, out of time and bullets. It’s not as accurate as I think the rifle will shoot but it’s good enough to do the job.
Looking forward to the hunt but not much on pics, will share a few if possible. I hunt cull bucks, does and hogs so the real trophy is the stack of meat bags headed for the freezer, lol.
November 7, 2015
Online
Looks like a wet weekend in S TX this weekend. 
Loaded my 38-55 hunting loads before supper tonight and just need to fire a fouling shot (probably not tonight ) and the 1894 is ready to go. 1892 in 38WCF is too nice a gun for the conditions so it will be a secondary rifle. Backup is normally a (Marlin
) 45-70 Guide Gun but considering the conditions I’ll put my (Ruger Hawkeye 35 Whelen ) all-weather gun in the truck for backup duty. I was planning on packing an 1873 Colt clone (stoked w/ BP loads, no less!) for close encounters but considering the weather I’ll just pack my usual road trip/social equipment 45 auto.
November 7, 2015
Online
Fouling shot fired, old tree stump didn’t even seem to notice. Nice fireball! Even remembered to step out from under the carport this time, lol. Guns are cased up and ready to go hunting, probably for the first time in years.
Have not gone deer hunting for many years now.When I did, I most often as not used an old Winchester.My first deer and several others were bagged using a Winchester Model 1886 .45-70 made in 1911.Also bagged deer using a Model 55 in .30 WCF and a Model 71 in .348 WCF.
FromTheWoods & TXGunNut,
Was reading through the above about the 38-55 bullets & loading. When I first started loading for my 38-55 carbine I had a heck of a time getting to that right load–with much frustration on my part because I was a newbe and didnt know come from sick-em. I finally got smart and slugged the 38-55’s that I shoot most often and found they all had .380 diameter bores. I ended up buying some Cast Performance Bullets with gas check in .380 diameter (260 grn). Started loading them and found I had a problem, the Lyman expansion die was too small to seat that bullet. I ended up getting some of the RCBS “Cowboy Action” dies that had a larger expanding die at .380 (plus they were newer than the oldies I inherited). Had to ream the cases a little and put some lube around the base of the bullet and they seated fine (without those little steps I was destroying cases). Once I had my cartridges loaded I found they wouldnt chamber in any of my guns. A buddy of mine suggested removing the decapping stem from my sizing die and partially running the loaded cartridges into the sizing die to where it compressed the brass and bullet enough to where they would feed into the chamber. Been loading that way ever since without any problems.
1892takedown @sbcglobal.net ......NRA Endowment Life Member.....WACA Member
"God is great.....beer is good.....and people are crazy"... Billy Currington
For years I chased loads in our first .38-55. Found the too-tight chamber problem as you did. Years of testing various plain-based bullets, shorter brass, and several powders. Then purchased another .38-55, and now testing gas-checked slugs, the first test showed great promise. With these same loads, the older rifle still randomly scattered the shots. The old boy is a takedown, and I believed I had tightened it sufficiently over the years to avoid accuracy problems–shooting through a tang sight. I was wrong. Wrapping plumber’s tape as a test brought the bullets into a group. We have other takedowns–never a problem, and they all have tang sights.
That led to trying to find a way to tighten the takedown. You folks here helped. It is now tight with copper wire in the threads, but I haven’t the bullets left to test to see if it will move with the wire inside. Did remove the tang sight–Rats! I wanted to hunt with that rifle. But it is going to belong to my youngest son anyway, so his young eyes will be fine with the rear-barrel sight that is on it now. With that sight, there will likely be no problem, and both rifles will be dandy to shoot. The second one is normal–not a takedown, so I’ll use the tang sight on it. Next year’s elk if they will participate.
I’ve read that using the sizing die as you are will solve the chambering problem, but it might cause other problems because you are swaging (?) the bullet (lessening the diameter of the slug) and it might not perform well because it is now a lesser diameter bullet than your bore needs. I’m pleased for you that your rifle is shooting well with them.
November 7, 2015
Online
Well, the old girl did her part and was a joy to hunt with.
I got into camp Friday after the others had headed for the stands so I grabbed the 38-55 and went for a short walk behind camp. I spotted a nice buck several hundred yards from camp and moved to within 50 yds but since I’d neglected to bring my binoculars along I couldn’t determine if he was a cull buck or trophy so I just kicked myself and watched him wander on. It was a fun stalk and the 94 with a 26″ octagonal barrel was very pleasant to carry. I still-hunted my way back to camp, while under a bush I watched a doe cross the road in front of me, soon followed by a young buck running with his nose inches off the ground. He missed where she changed course, then he came charging back and resumed his pursuit. I love watching deer, especially during the rut.
Saturday morning was very busy, I watched somewhere between 15-20 deer in the three senderos I was watching and but wasn’t able to pick out a doe without a fawn (I know, that’s just an old preference) or a cull buck. Had one very nice buck with a broken antler and two other nice young bucks that I felt would be a trophy in a year or two. Lots of does with fawns. A little before I was due to be picked up a nice spike showed up and I made a management decision and removed him from the gene pool. The youngster in the pic with me is my cousin’s son, he got his first buck a few weeks ago.
Thanks for sharing the hunts with us.
It is rewarding to be out seeing the animals while they are unaware of you. That young man seems to still have the glow of downing of his first buck in his smile.
Such a sleek buck. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the long faces your Whitetails have. Our Black-tails’ faces are more compact.
And definitely–NICE RIFLE!
November 7, 2015
Online
Thanks, I don’t get to hunt much so every trip is special. I developed a low-recoil load and loaned that handsome youngster a rifle to kill his first buck a few weeks ago. And yes, he’s still pretty excited about it. He listened carefully when I told him the management reasons why I killed this little spike. Yes, our little white-tails are pretty deer but they’re a bit like old rifles; I like them all. As I mentioned earlier this old rifle isn’t an especially good rifle from a collector’s standpoint but I like it and I’m not afraid to take it hunting in rough or messy conditions. Still need to work on bullet alloy and load development but that’s just an excuse to take this old girl to the range.
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