Versione HTML di base
88
SHARPS
made sporting versions from
the late 1840s until the late 1880s. After
the
AMERICAN CIVIL WAR,
conver-
ted Army surplus rifles were made into
custom firearms, and the Sharps factory
produced Models 1869 and 1874 in large
numbers for the
COMMERCIAL
BUFFALO HUNTERS AND
FRONTIERSMEN .
“
”
55 Lyman reloading die set. During
the necking process, I crushed four of
the Winchester cases, and five of the
Remington cases.
Four percent failures rate for the
annealed cases versus 25 percent for non-
annealed shows an obvious benefit.
Even though the converted .30-30
cases were shorter than specified, they
worked fine for the rifle’s break-in and
plinking loads.
I had trouble locating new .38-55
brass, but was able to find some once-
fired .375 Win to use in testing. The two
different .38- 55 case lengths exist, 2.125-
inch and 2.080- inch. Starline Brass makes
both lengths. Winchester is another source
for .38-55 brass. In a pinch, .375Win brass
can be used as well.
Two days before finishing this
article, I did receive some new .38-55Win
brass and put it to use.
For starting loads, I used Reloader
7, IMR 4198 and Accurate 5744. Without
much loading data available, I decided to
start low with powder charges and work up
to loads that performed well enough to get
a feel for the rifle and optics.
I measured powder charges with
an old RCBS 5-10-5 scale and used a
handloading tool to seat five bullets for
velocity testing.
When I got the speed up to
minimum velocities, I loaded enough
shoot groups. My first load of IMR 4198
was 16 grains, which produced an average
of 1,175 feet per second (fps) with the
RCBS 312-grain cast bullet. Bumping the
charge to 18 grains produced an average of
1,296 fps, which was fast enough to start
punching paper.
I learned quickly that the 1-in-18-
inch twist rate for this rifle wasn’t fast
enough to stabilize the long 312-grain
RCBS bullet. Every shot was keyholed -
even though it printed a 5-inch, three-shot
group at 100 yards.
To confirm that the heavier bullets
were not compatible with the slower twist
rate, I loaded 18 grains of 4198 behind the
Lyman 330- grain bullet and proceeded to
put elongated holes in targets.
Crossing these bullets off my list,
I started working the other two bullets.
The 249-grain Lyman 375248 bullet
and the Lyman 375449 gas-checked bullet
were cast from a 50:50 alloy of linotype
and clipon wheel weights.
This alloy has a Brinel hardness of
17, which is higher than I would want
for hunting loads, but is fine for target
shooting.
The 249-grain Lyman 375248
averaged 1,435 fps when pushed by 20
grains of IMR 4198, and produced 2.13-
inch 5-shot groups at 50 yards with factory
sights.
At 100 yards with the Malcolm 3x
scope groups measured 2.58 inches.
I tried 23 grains of Accurate 5744
behind the 264-grain Lyman, and got a
1,638 fps average.
At 50 yards with iron sights, this
load kept five shots under two inches,
and at 100 yards with the 3x scope its best
group measured 1.28 inches.
Late in the testing, I was able to
purchase a box of Winchester 250-grain
factory ammunition to form a basis of
comparison with the cast bullet loads.