38-55 dies any good???, I need help.
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- Advanced Levergunner
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38-55 dies any good???, I need help.
I have been shooting the Winchester 94 30-30 that Jess Ocumpaugh rebored to 38-55 with a 245 grain light load, and fire formed 30-30 brass. Last week I ordered 50 rounds of Starline 38-55 short brass. I am using a set of Lee dies my son got off ebay. It came with a 38-55 full length sizer and decapper. The expander and bullet seater are marked as .375W. When I started loading the reformed 30-30 brass it took a little to get the dies adjusted. Now I can not get .375 expander die adjusted to load the new Starline brass. It just crushes the neck or if I back it out it won't expand the neck enough to seat a bullet. Any body use these Lee dies for 38-55???? I have ruined 5 cases so I quit trying for now.
JerryB II Corinthians 3:17, Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
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- Advanced Levergunner
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Re: 38-55 dies any good???, I need help.
I use an RCBS Cowboy set for my .38-55 along with
Star-Line long brass.
I bought my Marlin Cowboy 336 .38-55 used from a collection after the owner passed but I think the chamber has been opened up as I can load .381 bullets and they chamber and shoot like a dream. 1" five shot groups with peep sights is the norm at 50yd. That`s as good as I normally shoot iron sights with any rifle.
Star-Line long brass.
I bought my Marlin Cowboy 336 .38-55 used from a collection after the owner passed but I think the chamber has been opened up as I can load .381 bullets and they chamber and shoot like a dream. 1" five shot groups with peep sights is the norm at 50yd. That`s as good as I normally shoot iron sights with any rifle.
- ollogger
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Re: 38-55 dies any good???, I need help.
my lee 38-55 dies are marked the same as yours, I found if you dont read the instructions
for the expander die & fiddle with it a bit you can make it work, hope that helps ya
ollogger
for the expander die & fiddle with it a bit you can make it work, hope that helps ya
ollogger
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Re: 38-55 dies any good???, I need help.
I thank ya for your comments. I reckon that I'll keep fiddlin with expander die and see if I can get it set right without losing to much brass.
JerryB II Corinthians 3:17, Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
JOSHUA 24:15
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- Griff
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Re: 38-55 dies any good???, I need help.
3 hints: Lube. Inside. Neck.
Griff,
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Re: 38-55 dies any good???, I need help.
My Lee 38-55s work perfect, I do lube the inside of the neck. They put a nice bell that receives oversize bullets fine. I will have to look at Mine to see if they say 375 or 38-55. I also use the Lee FCD.
Perry
Perry
Perry in Bangor----++++===Calif
- fordwannabe
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Re: 38-55 dies any good???, I need help.
YEAH what Griff said! Those are the dies I use on a 94 Jesse did for me.
a Pennsylvanian who has been accused of clinging to my religion and my guns......Good assessment skills.
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Re: 38-55 dies any good???, I need help.
I have both Lee and RCBS Cowboy dies for the 38-55. There is no comparison with this cartridge. The RCBS dies simply load a much more consistant round. And this goes against my experience with Lee dies as I usually find Lee dies to load the best cartridges.
And it has to do with the expander die. The Cowboy dies come with two different diameters. And they expand in a nice straight fashion.
But that said, I still needed to make another expander plug at .381 to get my soft lead bullets to seat properly.
Hope this helps!
And it has to do with the expander die. The Cowboy dies come with two different diameters. And they expand in a nice straight fashion.
But that said, I still needed to make another expander plug at .381 to get my soft lead bullets to seat properly.
Hope this helps!
- ollogger
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Re: 38-55 dies any good???, I need help.
Lee universal case expanding die is a good tool also, goes from 22 - 45 cal.
real cheap & real handy for a cast shooter
ollogger
real cheap & real handy for a cast shooter
ollogger
Re: 38-55 dies any good???, I need help.
Sounds like you have 375 winchester dies.
Re: 38-55 dies any good???, I need help.
I use RCBS (OLD dies) for my .38-55 and have different seater dies for the short and long brass. I prefer the long brass for many reasons but mostly because they handle the bullets correctly. The short brass needs more "fiddling" to get right.
Sincerely,
Hobie
"We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best that we find in our travels is an honest friend." Robert Louis Stevenson
Hobie
"We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best that we find in our travels is an honest friend." Robert Louis Stevenson
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- Advanced Levergunner
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Re: 38-55 dies any good???, I need help.
Well boys I do thank you for all the help. I reckon that tomorrow I'll give it another try. I used qtips to lube the case necks but now I'll put more on them. If some of ya'll can load 38-55 ammo with Lee dies I reckon I can try. May have try the universal expander. Then again maybe something wrong with the dies and were sold on Ebay.
JerryB II Corinthians 3:17, Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
JOSHUA 24:15
JOSHUA 24:15
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- Advanced Levergunner
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Re: 38-55 dies any good???, I need help. UPDATED!!!
Well boys, it's like they say when all else fails follow the directions. I called Lee Dies and talked to a rep that set me straight on using their dies. I can't believe that it was so easy to get them set up.I loaded ten rounds with a load Kirk uses,5744 and 255 grain Montana Bullet, real nice looking rounds.
JerryB II Corinthians 3:17, Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
JOSHUA 24:15
JOSHUA 24:15
- gundownunder
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Re: 38-55 dies any good???, I need help.
375 and 38-55 are a few thou different.
If you want to reload any of the classic calibers like 38-55, 32-20, etc, go for the RCBS cowboy dies. Lee may be alright for the modern mainstream stuff but cowboy is cowboy and Lee ain't cowboy. Trust me, I spent the dollars to work that out.
If you want to reload any of the classic calibers like 38-55, 32-20, etc, go for the RCBS cowboy dies. Lee may be alright for the modern mainstream stuff but cowboy is cowboy and Lee ain't cowboy. Trust me, I spent the dollars to work that out.
Bob
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Re: 38-55 dies any good???, I need help.
Jerry !, You wouldn't be a Man ifn You read directions First. Glad You got it ironed out. I still haven't looked at Mine to see if they say 375, too busy with other Toys.
Perry
Perry
Perry in Bangor----++++===Calif
Re: 38-55 dies any good???, I need help.
I use the same dies and had the same problem until I used plenty of lube inside the neck .
- Old Shatterhand
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Re: 38-55 dies any good???, I need help.
Roll the bullets on the case lube pad before setting them. Then make a firm crimp.BenT wrote:I use the same dies and had the same problem until I used plenty of lube inside the neck .
The same problem with crushed cases did I have with my .375 Wcf, 255 grs Barnes Original and Hornady tools. When I used the expanding tool and rolled the bullets on the pad, the cases finally came out quite nice and pretty.
And - btw - a friend used the dies for his old Savage 99 .38-55 without problems.
Pete
Winchester model 88 .308 WCF
Winchester model 71 .348 WCF
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- Advanced Levergunner
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Re: 38-55 dies any good???, I need help.
I asked the Lee man on the phone about the dies being marked .375W and he said not to worry about it they work fine. They did work fine after I got them set the way he told me. The rounds I loaded looked as good as the Black Hills factory rounds I have and these are alot cheaper.I'll shoot some the first of the week and let ya'll know how they do.
JerryB II Corinthians 3:17, Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
JOSHUA 24:15
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- KirkD
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Re: 38-55 dies any good???, I need help.
Jerry, I have the same Lee dies you have, including the 375 marked ones. I've used them for several years and never had a problem, but I must admit I may have just gotten lucky in how I set them up ..... I never read the instructions.
Kirk: An old geezer who loves the smell of freshly turned earth, old cedar rail fences, wood smoke, a crackling fireplace on a snowy evening, pristine wilderness lakes, the scent of
cedars and a magnificent Whitetail buck framed in the semi-buckhorn sights of a 120-year old Winchester.
Blog: https://www.kirkdurston.com/
cedars and a magnificent Whitetail buck framed in the semi-buckhorn sights of a 120-year old Winchester.
Blog: https://www.kirkdurston.com/
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- Advanced Levergunner
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Re: 38-55 dies any good???, I need help.
Kirk, good to hear from you. The 10 rounds I loaded are 18 grains of 5744 with the 255 grain cast Montana Bullet.
JerryB II Corinthians 3:17, Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
JOSHUA 24:15
JOSHUA 24:15
Re: 38-55 dies any good???, I need help.
Yep, but only one of Mine says 375, the others 38-55.
Perry
Perry
Perry in Bangor----++++===Calif