Winchester 38-55

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SSShooter
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Re: Winchester 38-55

Post by SSShooter »

Woody wrote: Mon Apr 13, 2020 7:25 pmWhat it boils down to, is a .38/55 is a good starting caliber.
Woody
Good ending cartridge, as well, as I move into my dotage. Have both a 38/55 & 38/40Rem barrel for my CPA. The 38/55 barrel is, as any good Texan should own, a nice lapped Shilen 12" twist barrel so no problem with 360gr+ bullets and 49gr of 2F Swiss. Another nice think about a 38/55 is it can be taken out to more powerful 38/50Rem at minimal cost if one decides they need additional power. Rick Moritz seems to shoot his quite well.

As others have stated, that crescent buttplate will be a problem. I started my BPCR career with one shooting a 200m all off-hand match. When I shot my first 'real' match it could not end soon enough with a very sore shoulder. Check on ebay for a proper Browning stock, as they will fit without much work. Another option for wood is CPA. They have a pattern machine for the Browning and can whittle you a shotgun buttplate stock with cheek-piece in short order.

Some longer-term problems with the Winroku............. twist is too slow, limiting bullet choice, and it is too light. Going to a 38/55 with the skinny barrel on the Winroku is sort of self-defeating. Lighter cartridge in a considerably lighter rifle results in a similar felt recoil to a heavier cartridge. And that trigger. From the factory the rifle will likely have a 5#+ trigger, or so, which can be frustrating, especially in off-hand. Lee Shaver used to sell sears that had been modified to get the pull down to about 3#, but they were not hardened and wore, so I always carried a spare. Easy enough to change out, but the Winroku action is difficult to work on and is nothing like a true High Wall, whether C. Sharps or an original. No parts are interchangeable between them if you need service. Even with Wayne's book they are still complex by comparison to John Browning's original and all the parts for them that are available (MVA, C. Sharps, DZ Arms, ASSRA forum, eBay, etc.). With the Winroku you are pretty much stuck with the factory.

The suggestion of a C. Sharps High Wall is a good one, as would be a CPA Stevens 44 1/2 with a 38/55 barrel. I up-graded to a C. Sharps about half-way thru my 2nd season of BPCR and shoot a CPA today. While many do well with the Browning models, I find the C.Sharps & CPA to be better suited rifles that do not require additional mods as do the Winroku or Browning. There are a number of good shooters that use the Winroku or Browning, but don't believe any of them shoot a stock rifle (trigger work or rebarreled or both).
Glenn
Clarence
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Re: Winchester 38-55

Post by Clarence »

A slightly different thought, not about caliber but rifle.

Think about whether it's more effective to optimize for chickens (light rifle) with some disadvantages for the letdown animals, in order to pick up 1 or 2 chickens, or optimize at least to some degree for the letdown animals. That way, the laydown animals motivate them, since they hit far more than chickens, and they grow into the rifle and the ability to shoot chickens with a couple of years of experience.

I built a .22 silhouette rifle for my grandson when he was 11, and he enjoyed shooting the prone targets. I began to build a BPCR rifle for him when he was 13. It happens to be a 40-65. By that time, he shot my .40-65 prone with no problems, and got really motivated about getting up to AA class (made it in .22, but missed it in BPCR by 1 target when he was 15). By the time he was 15, he got a chicken with both the .22 and .40-65.

Lee Burrow's grandson is a year younger, but has similar experiences.

Clarence
Glen Ring
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Re: Winchester 38-55

Post by Glen Ring »

Thanks for all the good advice Clarence, Kurt, Chris, Brent, Glenn, Woody , Beltfed....I appreciate your knowledgeable responses. We have only been shooting this sport a couple of years with Jeanne only shooting ONE match...But we love it and the majority of the people that shoot it. Now to hook my Grandson into coming along and cutting up with Jeanne and I
There are those that talk, and those that act. Make a choice.
SSShooter
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Re: Winchester 38-55

Post by SSShooter »

If it makes any difference, two current junior records are held by a young man shooting a 40-50SS cartridge. He held three with the 40-50SS, but one has been more recently bested. Believe the adult long-run for either pigs or turkeys is held by someone shooting a 40-50SS. I know the young man who holds the two junior records and, if memory serves, in all his years of shooting the 40-50SS he rang a grand total of one (1) ram. So another possibility for a 'soft shooting' cartridge.
Glenn
Clarence
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Re: Winchester 38-55

Post by Clarence »

One thing I neglected to put in my note. Since his grandson couldn't hold the heavy rifle offhand, Lee Burrow threw a loop of rope over the superstructure of the covered firing point. This helped his grandson learn trigger control at the chickens. Not something currently allowed at sanctioned matches, but something to think about. It can give a youngster confidence that he/she will be able to hit chickens when he/she grows into the rifle.

Both Lee's grandson and mine are more than adequately motivated by the ability to hit the letdown animals that the temporary inability to hit a chicken is not a significant issue. They tend to look at the overall score, and the easiest way to impact that is to have a rifle suited for the laydown animals.

Clarence
Glen Ring
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Re: Winchester 38-55

Post by Glen Ring »

Clarence
My Grand monkey has hit 3 out of ten chickens with his Nina's 1885. We have a 100 yard range out our back door and put a lot of practice into Chickens.
I just want to get him into BPCR the easiest and cheapest way right now. His father is not really a gun guy and his new stepmother isn't either.
If he will just shoot a couple of matches then we can trade up if he wants a different rifle.
I agree with all of your recommendations.
There are those that talk, and those that act. Make a choice.
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Don McDowell
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Re: Winchester 38-55

Post by Don McDowell »

I believe you're on the right track. One thing you might do if you get that rifle, is look around and see if you could come up with a take off shotgun buttstock for those winchesters.
Once he decides he likes the match shooting or not, then you can dive into a different rifle and cartridge.
AKA Donny Ray Rockslinger :?
beltfed
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Re: Winchester 38-55

Post by beltfed »

Glen,
You might want to take a look at the idea of having your grandson try the laydown shooting with the 40-65
you already have.
I have a very good shooting light bullet design that has shot Very Well out to 1K from my 16 twist 40-65.
It is 371 grains Elliptical Minigroove and my load gets it up to 1400fps. It is down in the bullet weight range of
the fast twist 38s and produces very little recoil. No more than with a lighter 38-55 with similar wt bullets.

Alternatively, if you care to be into Paper Patched bullets I have a 380 gr DDEPP bullet that also shoots very well in 40-65/16 twist.
Again, I find it a pussycat to shoot in my "just under max legal weight" 40-65

PM me with your address and I will send you whichever or both E-mini and DDEPP bullet samples to try.
I always am willing to help other shooters, especially to get a youngster started.
beltfed/arnie
Glen Ring
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Re: Winchester 38-55

Post by Glen Ring »

That idea of having him shoot our 40-65 is probably the best one. We are about to have another 40-65 made by C.Sharps. I have a tapered lyman mold for a 370 grain chicken bullet that takes up a LOT of powder space in Jeanne's 40-65. It's very soft shooting. Jeanne thought that was the best idea yet so , as usual, she has made the decision!!
There are those that talk, and those that act. Make a choice.
beltfed
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Re: Winchester 38-55

Post by beltfed »

Glenn, here is the 371 DDEPP bullet. Two diameter such that is can be seated out
I get 74.5 gr Swiss 1.5 under it for 1402 fps across my Oehler Chrono.
My 371 gr E Mini is the gg bullet Predecessor of the 371 DDEPP and it has proven
out to 1K accuracy also. Same powder chge- 74.5 gr Swiss 1.5 under it.
It is listed in BACO catalog as JIM #403371E .
Again, it is a pussycat to shoot
See Pic:
beltfed/arnie
371DDEPP100ydgroup1535RESIZED.JPG
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Glen Ring
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Re: Winchester 38-55

Post by Glen Ring »

Holy moly...I need to learn how to paper patch!! That's a tight group. I may need to order a book on how to PP bullets. All this is new to me and I feel I'm just beginning to understand after two years.
There are those that talk, and those that act. Make a choice.
beltfed
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Re: Winchester 38-55

Post by beltfed »

Glen, If you don't want to get into PPs just now, how about
this : the 371 gr Elliptical Minigroove at 800yds at Lodi.
It was a good day/relay.
beltfed/arnie


371gr40calEminiat800yds2011.JPG
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Glen Ring
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Re: Winchester 38-55

Post by Glen Ring »

Man...I need that Bullet!!
There are those that talk, and those that act. Make a choice.
mdeland
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Re: Winchester 38-55

Post by mdeland »

Wow, impressive, and I thought I was doing good with 99 and 4 at 600 yards! :lol: About like another day I thought I had the match in the bag with 274 agg in position shooting and wound up in 4th place on x count. Four of us shot a 274 that day! I really got a kick out of those scores and me mentally counting my chickens before they hatched! :lol:
beltfed
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Re: Winchester 38-55

Post by beltfed »

Kurt A. spotted for me at the 1k, for the 88.
Another guy spotted for me at 900. Cost me two misses.
at 800, I spotted for myself. Saw a good condition to shoot in.
Darn last shot. Out of 10 ring less than 1" according to Kurt who was in the pits
pulling my target.
Wish I could shoot that well nowadays 9 yrs later at 78. I have not been able to shoot
prone because of shoulder and hip problems. From tall stix, its tough.. Not to mention
eyesight is not what it was. Scope time for me now.
beltfed/arnie
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