Shiloh Rifle Forums

I'm thinking of having a new silhouette rifle built in .38-50 with a 1:12 twist barrel. What chamber designs are being used successfully? I have Dan T's print and was thinking of ordering that reamer from Manson but would like to collect a few experienced opinions first.

thanks,

Chris.

How different is the 38-50 than the 40-50 SBN ? I’m locked into the 40-50 SBN for my next rifle and curious as to why the 38-50 over the 40-50 SBN. Parent brass is from what ? I know nothing about the cartridge.

I already have a couple of .40 caliber rifles but a fast twist .38-50 is just something I want to play with.

I actually already have a highwall in .38-50 Remington Hepburn, but it's set up for schuetzen and has a slower twist.

The parent brass is .30-40 Krag ans is really easy to form.

Chris.

Thank you for that, I did do a little reading on the cartridge since I posted which I should have done before.

Chris, I have Dan's 38-50 Cody Ballard. It seems to be a shooter. I haven't been shooting for a while but last time I shot it, I got a personal best at 600 (94+?) and did fine at 200 and 300 in a midrange match. 12 twist, Dan's chamber etc. I think it would be a real serious contender in a 77 Shiloh.

Bryan

Chris my 38-50 was made on a 18:1 twist barrel I had won and would only shoot 310 grain bullets.
I was shooting 50 grains of Swiss FFFg and it shot well.

However Harvey Trace made his 38-50 with a faster twist barrel and he shot 360 grain bullets.
Unfortunately the tight twist barrel would lead up quickly and he would be pushing chunks of lead out of it when he cleaned it.
He never did figure how to stop the leading.

SchuetzenDave wrote: ↑Mon Jun 20, 2022 6:19 pm He never did figure how to stop the leading.

He may never use em, but I bet DD could tell him how to stop the leading.

bryany wrote: ↑Mon Jun 20, 2022 5:59 pm Chris, I have Dan's 38-50 Cody Ballard. It seems to be a shooter. I haven't been shooting for a while but last time I shot it, I got a personal best at 600 (94+?) and did fine at 200 and 300 in a midrange match. 12 twist, Dan's chamber etc. I think it would be a real serious contender in a 77 Shiloh.

Bryan

Funny that the rifle and shooter are mentioned here but not the Spotter.

Robert

Wasn't he shooting rifleman?

His Spotter is short and might have been hard to see. I remember asking why he didnt shoot that rifle more. I think he felt he was cheating on his Shilohs.

Robert

Schuetzendave
Tell Harvey : Stop leading in that fast twist 38-50 by going to Paper Patch bullets.
beltfed/arnie

COBPTR wrote: ↑Mon Jun 20, 2022 7:58 pm

bryany wrote: ↑Mon Jun 20, 2022 5:59 pm Chris, I have Dan's 38-50 Cody Ballard. It seems to be a shooter. I haven't been shooting for a while but last time I shot it, I got a personal best at 600 (94+?) and did fine at 200 and 300 in a midrange match. 12 twist, Dan's chamber etc. I think it would be a real serious contender in a 77 Shiloh.

Bryan

Funny that the rifle and shooter are mentioned here but not the Spotter.

Robert

Well probably everyone knows his spotter is a good part of the success. Talented fellow that spotter . I will never forget when you guys cleaned our clocks at 600 in Worland last time I was there and I asked how you did it and you said you just used our wind flag .

I don't think I've ever seen Bryan shoot anything other than a Shiloh. I imagine he felt a little bit bad.

Chris.

Dave I'm not too worried about the faster twist. Rick Moritz consistently does very well with his. Once you know it can be done then the rest is just figuring out the details. Besides, I'll just copy Bryan. So far copying him has worked out sorta well for me .

Chris.

I downsized to a .38-50 Rem Hep this winter and at first it was a head scratcher with the bullet I was using from a mould I ordered before I got the rifle with on and off good results till I made a chamber cast and had Arnie has a skill I don't have drawing up a print for the .100" free bore chamber it has with a 1-1/2" lead and got the print sent of to BA to have Jim make a DDPP mould.
My .38-50 has a 1/12 ROT and I still have not shot the .30-40 Krag Winchester cases enough that they are not fully blown out for a consistent bullet release and I get an occasional vertical, but it's coming around very well.
The target below I set up at just 100 yards here in my yard to run test loads over the chronograph to see what's going on and I found the tight necked cases spiked the velocity.
From what I see on this target I feel the little .38-50 Hepburn will make a very fine silhouette and midrange rifle.
That bullet is one of Arnies design DDEPP bullets with the base patched to groove diameter and shank snug to bore. That long DD of .250" fits the free bore to the lead angle with a firm thumb push to close the breach. That bullet is 1.420" long and with my alloy it weighs 353 grains.
It shows good potentials looking at those holes through the paper. The group below center should be just 4 shots instead 5 that I marked down.
At first I was going to set the barrel back when I looked at thee chamber cast but I worked with the long free bores in the past and I always got them to shoot and I think this chamber will also be fine as it is.

That looks promising Kurt. When you say that the tight necks caused velocity spikes, how tight were they?

Thanks,

Chris.