Author Topic: The 38-55 WILL kill a deer! - Pics added 10/29  (Read 1947 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline mechanic

  • GBO Supporter
  • Trade Count: (32)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5112
  • Gender: Male
Re: The 38-55 WILL kill a deer!
« Reply #30 on: October 23, 2009, 03:08:52 PM »
You are only sposed' to close one eye when using open sights.  Don't forget next time.....
Molon Labe, (King Leonidas of the Spartan Army)

Offline quickdtoo

  • Global Moderator
  • Trade Count: (149)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 43304
  • Gender: Male
Re: The 38-55 WILL kill a deer!
« Reply #31 on: October 23, 2009, 03:11:08 PM »
Yup, hope it's your shootin side eye that's open too!!  ;D Coarse when ya get that old, there's prolly a lotta luck involved in makin meat!! :o ;D

Tim
"Always do right, this will gratify some and astonish the rest" -  Mark Twain

Offline Oldshooter

  • GBO subscriber and supporter
  • Moderators
  • Trade Count: (4)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6426
Re: The 38-55 WILL kill a deer!
« Reply #32 on: October 24, 2009, 08:35:27 AM »
Quote
part of a keg at camp...

OK I'm gettin a clearer picture of the 30 yard miss now!  ::)
“Owning a handgun doesn’t make you armed any more than owning a guitar makes you a musician.”

"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery."

Offline jeepmann1948

  • GBO Supporter
  • Trade Count: (67)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1422
  • Gender: Male
  • San Angelo, Texas
Re: The 38-55 WILL kill a deer!
« Reply #33 on: October 25, 2009, 12:18:50 AM »
You Guys need to quit ragging poor old Richard!
 At least he isn't like the rest of the old folks , just sitting around waiting on his meds and a clean depends!
Keep up the DEBAUCHERY Richard
Happy Trails
 ;D
"it ain't what you shoot em with......................
  it's where you hit em "

Offline 44 Man

  • Trade Count: (28)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2419
  • Gender: Male
Re: The 38-55 WILL kill a deer!
« Reply #34 on: October 25, 2009, 01:53:58 AM »
Sounds like my kind of country Richard!  Here in Michigan, wearing the gun in the woods would be fine, but wearing it into a 7-11 would cause all kinds of hell!  Even though open carry is legal, it freaks people out.  And we can't carry in a car or truck with out a CCW permit, then the gun CANNOT be exposed as in open carry.  I need to move to a state (Texas?) that is still gun friendly! 
Again, congrats on the meat in the freezer.  Don't worry about missing that one, we need to do that from time to time to keep us humble.  44 Man
You are never too old to have a happy childhood!

Offline Lon371

  • GBO Supporter
  • Trade Count: (53)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2486
  • Gender: Male
  • Why Not a Handi?
Re: The 38-55 WILL kill a deer!
« Reply #35 on: October 25, 2009, 02:24:13 AM »
Quote
I tell ya, it's a different world down here.  I've walked in to a half dozen different 7-11 type stores, dirty, unshaven, long hair, wearing a pistol on my hip and nobody bats an eye

 You say it's a different world down there? Thats not why they said nothing.  I am thinking it was the later part of your comment ;)

Lonny

Offline AtlLaw

  • Moderators
  • Trade Count: (58)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6468
  • Gender: Male
  • A good woman, nice bike and fine guns!
Re: The 38-55 WILL kill a deer!
« Reply #36 on: October 26, 2009, 04:34:37 AM »
I tell ya... I can go ANYWHERE in metro Atlanta and get insulted...  :-[  And I gotta come here to get it   ::)

It's always been like that though... One of the kids I grew up with, Ester Lawrence, probably said it best.  We went all the way through school together; small town.  Every day she used to smack the crap outa me.  One day, in our senior year, she turned around in her seat and drew back.  I said "wait a minute Ester!  Every day for the last 12 years you been pounding on me!  Why!?"  She stopped, lowered her fist, and sat there a bit with a thoughtfull look on her face.  Then she looked up and said, "I don't know Vishnook," that was her pet name for me, "I don't know Vishnook.  You're just so ... hitable!"  Then she smacked the crap outa me...  :-[

So, since I been abused all my life, I should be thankful I only get the verbal type here...  :-\  Really, I guess should thank you guys!  <snif>  Y'all are so good to me!   :'(

 ;D
Richard
Former Captain of Horse, keeper of the peace and interpreter of statute.  Currently a Gentleman of leisure.
Nemo me impune lacessit

                      
Support your local US Military Vets Motorcycle Club

Offline AtlLaw

  • Moderators
  • Trade Count: (58)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6468
  • Gender: Male
  • A good woman, nice bike and fine guns!
Re: The 38-55 WILL kill a deer!
« Reply #37 on: October 26, 2009, 05:25:53 AM »
Sorry fellows.  I was so overcome by the emotion of that last post I couldn't finish...  ;)

Anyway, the 38-55 load was 30 (maybe 31) grains of 3031.  See the reason for my confusion?   The bullet was one of the very accurate 265 gr. jacketed types I posted a picture of earlier.

I now understand why the 30-30 got such a good reputation as a killer early on.  There is something to this idea of a big hunk of exposed soft lead with a thin jacket at comparatively low velocity!   :o

I don't know how fast this load was going as I never fired it over my chrony.  I was running out of time during development so I was looking to quickly work up an accurate load without to much concern for velocity.  I will put some rounds over my 'graph first chance I get however!  I just GOT to know!   :D

This deer came walking up the main trail and stopped broadside at 30 yards when I grunted at him.  At the shot he jumped and did a kick that would have made a Lipizzaner stallion jelous!  He ran, I could tell he was in bad shape, and made it about 50 yards.  The shot was through and through, with a small entrace hole.  The exit was also supprisingly small for the horrendous amount of damage that was done to the internal organs.  I would guess the core slipped the jacket but enough lead remained to drive out the far side.  In effect, it acted like a cup and core version of the Nosler partition.   :)

End result?  I'm very happy with the 38-55 cartridge in my Target Classic.  Together they make a powerful, accurate and easy on the shoulder hunting rifle.  I sure am glad the fates conived to have Steelbanger sell it to me and I'm going to leave it just as it is!   ;D

'course that means I'm back to square one for an action for my 45-120 and wood for my 45-70...  :-\
Richard
Former Captain of Horse, keeper of the peace and interpreter of statute.  Currently a Gentleman of leisure.
Nemo me impune lacessit

                      
Support your local US Military Vets Motorcycle Club

Offline JerryKo

  • GBO Supporter
  • Trade Count: (64)
  • A Real Regular
  • *****
  • Posts: 954
  • Gender: Male
Re: The 38-55 WILL kill a deer!
« Reply #38 on: October 26, 2009, 05:52:15 AM »
Quote
course that means I'm back to square one for an action for my 45-120 and wood for my 45-70...  Undecided


 :o :o :o :o :o :o :o  Raping and pilfering the 120....and 70's....what would Pete say?

Don't say that too loudly....she's bound to hear all the talk....being stuck in the safe all those long hours alone while you're out there with that....that...... TARGET CLASSIC!

Keep the health too my friend!

Love the stories,

Jerry
"It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up."- Vince Lombardi

Offline Steelbanger

  • GBO Supporter
  • Trade Count: (15)
  • Contributor
  • *****
  • Posts: 379
Re: The 38-55 WILL kill a deer!
« Reply #39 on: October 29, 2009, 04:27:06 AM »
AtlLaw,

I've been offline for a few weeks and just read of your success. Very nice shooting. I'm not hunting this year so it's really great to read of others success.

Just got a new IMac yesterday and this is some machine! Being housebound is much easier with a computer to take me away for brief visits.

Congratulations again, Frank
"He who has gone, so we but cherish his memory, abides with us, more potent, nay, more present, than the living man."
Antoine de Saint-Expuéry

Steelbanger, NRA Life

Marlin - a hard habit to break.

Offline AtlLaw

  • Moderators
  • Trade Count: (58)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6468
  • Gender: Male
  • A good woman, nice bike and fine guns!
Re: The 38-55 WILL kill a deer! Pic added 10/29
« Reply #40 on: October 29, 2009, 06:20:18 AM »
Thanks Frank, I sure am glad you talked me into buying that rifle!   ;)  Man is it a shooter!  I just uped your target load a couple of grains, used your loading tecnique and some jacketed bullets I had made and VOILA!   ;D
Richard
Former Captain of Horse, keeper of the peace and interpreter of statute.  Currently a Gentleman of leisure.
Nemo me impune lacessit

                      
Support your local US Military Vets Motorcycle Club

Offline john keyes

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • A Real Regular
  • ****
  • Posts: 770
Re: The 38-55 WILL kill a deer!
« Reply #41 on: October 29, 2009, 06:52:05 AM »
congratulations man, those are some kewell cartridges and rifles

looks like yall have some slicing and dicing and grinding to do

btw I was already in a conundrum about which rifle to tote this saturday.  this thread just made it worse.  I don't have any 45-120 or 38-55 but I have some 444, 45/70, 30-30 and the "normal stuff"
Though taken from established manufacturers' sources and presumed to be safe please do not use any load that I have posted. Please reference Hogdon, Lyman, Speer and others as a source of data for your own use.