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38wcf for short range target round 50-100yds (Read 6187 times)

Gard72977 Full Member Offline Posts: 201 Location: Tupelo MS Joined: Dec 18^th, 2016	38wcf for short range target round 50-100yds May 13^th, 2018 at 9:41pm	Print Post
	I have been thinking about about low power cartridges with larger bores for short range shooting. I may have been overlooking the 38wcf. It seems to have the right balance of bore and capacity for mild tartet shooting. Its not as sexy as some of the more exotic cartridges. Any body like this for target shooting? (not competition or hunting)


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Rebel Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 4292 Location: Rockets and Race Cars Joined: Mar 9^th, 2015	Re: 38wcf for short range target round 50-100yds Reply #1 - May 13^th, 2018 at 10:15pm	Print Post
	not that it matters, but that is one ugly cartridge. 40 S&W would be easier, same ballistics, and available. Aaron

	WARNING: This post may contain material offensive to those who lack wit, humor, common sense and supporting factual or anecdotal evidence. Let's Go Sonny!
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boats Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 7537 Location: Virginia Joined: Apr 23^rd, 2004	Re: 38wcf for short range target round 50-100yds Reply #2 - May 13^th, 2018 at 10:23pm	Print Post
	I use the cartridge in a Marlin 1894 for NRA Lever silhouette Pistol caliber class. Use Unique and store bought lead pistol bullets. For that purpose It’s as good as the other large bore pistol calibers like it’s cousin 44/40 & the other common PC cartridges 45 Colt 357 Magnum etc. Optimal for the match is 25/20 or 32/20, since finding a nice 1894 in 25/20 moved the 38/40 to back up Rifle. Flater trajectory less recoil. It’s fun to play with easy to load for, not a particularly accurate cartridge. Pistol Caliber Silhouette it’s good enough to compete 3 or 4 moa at 100 meters. Don’t think anybody has won big matches with one. Friend of mine wants to go Javelina hunting. If we go may take the 38/40 and a 2nd more capable rifle. Boats
	« Last Edit: May 13^th, 2018 at 10:30pm by boats »

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Redsetter Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 3468 Location: New York Joined: Aug 6^th, 2013	Re: 38wcf for short range target round 50-100yds Reply #3 - May 13^th, 2018 at 10:35pm	Print Post
	At the apex of the "most useless cartridges of all time" list stands the .38 WCF, without a challenger. Does everything the .44 WCF can do, except not as well. A classic case of introducing a new cartridge in the gunmaker's fond hope of selling another gun. If .44 WCF throws too much lead for your purpose, there's the excellent & accurate .38 Spl. or .38 S&W.


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Ranch13 Oldtimer Offline Posts: 543 Location: East Central Wy. Joined: Jan 20^th, 2018	Re: 38wcf for short range target round 50-100yds Reply #4 - May 13^th, 2018 at 10:58pm	Print Post
	The 38 wcf is a dandy cartridge. It shoots well to 200 yards or so. I do think it makes a better handgun round than a rifle cartridge. New brass is the biggest bugaboo. Other than that you can use a number of the 40 caliber pistol bullets, and if you cast the RCBS 180 gr cast from #2 alloy or 16-1 is a good way to go.. Unique and Bludot are my preferred smokeless powders, but they don't hold a candle to a case full of 2f blackpowder.


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Gard72977 Full Member Offline Posts: 201 Location: Tupelo MS Joined: Dec 18^th, 2016	Re: 38wcf for short range target round 50-100yds Reply #5 - May 14^th, 2018 at 7:25am	Print Post
	I was really thinking this cartridge would be intresting. It seems if I get one I better like it because most people dont.


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boats Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 7537 Location: Virginia Joined: Apr 23^rd, 2004	Re: 38wcf for short range target round 50-100yds Reply #6 - May 14^th, 2018 at 7:50am	Print Post
	If I was designing a short range large bore rifle cartridge 40 caliber on a 44/40 case probably not what I would come up with. However if buying a original rifle 38/40 is not a bad choice. No issues with component avalablity or its performance, compared to the other large bore pistol calibers. Building a single shot small caliber from scratch I would probably go with a 32/20 One mans opinion Boats


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wcf3840 Senior Forum Member Offline ASSRA Life #299 Posts: 354 Location: Palatine Joined: May 28^th, 2007	Re: 38wcf for short range target round 50-100yds Reply #7 - May 14^th, 2018 at 9:12am	Print Post
	My first centerfire rifle was an 1889 Marlin my Grandfather gave me when I was 11. Since then I've fired thousands of rounds through various Colts, Winchesters, Marlins and even a Ruger. The most accurate handgun I own is a Ruger Blackhawk in 38-40. I have a High Wall that shoots extremely well at 100 yds. Part of the fun is finding cast bullets that fit and that shoot accurately. Unique and HP-38 are the powders that have worked best for me. I've hunted, plinked, shot cowboy and targets happily with my 38-40s.


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Ranch13 Oldtimer Offline Posts: 543 Location: East Central Wy. Joined: Jan 20^th, 2018	Re: 38wcf for short range target round 50-100yds Reply #8 - May 14^th, 2018 at 10:07am	Print Post
	Gard72977 wrote on May 14^th, 2018 at 7:25am: I was really thinking this cartridge would be intresting. It seems if I get one I better like it because most people dont. My guess is most of the folks that don't like it, never shot it.


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Old-Win Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 1667 Location: Minnesota Joined: Nov 24^th, 2005	Re: 38wcf for short range target round 50-100yds Reply #9 - May 14^th, 2018 at 10:07am	Print Post
	I think the 38-40 is a great cartridge. I don't know what kind of accuracy you're looking for but I shot this 8 shot group at 90 yds with my 92' Winchester and a 185 gr bullet from an Accurate Mold. 5 rds were smokeless and 3 were with 35 gr of Swiss. Like Ranch13 says, it will shoot to 200yds easily with accuracy and I've hit a 20" plate 50% of the time at 300 yds. Lyman 17 on the front and a Lyman 47 on the rear. Bob


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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 16009 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: 38wcf for short range target round 50-100yds Reply #10 - May 14^th, 2018 at 11:57am	Print Post
	It is a great cartridge and seems to be accurate enough for me. But I think there are better choices in similar sized cases that I'd choose over the .38-40. I have a Ballard that Al Perry sold me decades ago that Al reworked to one of his favorite pistol caliber rounds. He took a Ballard .38 Long barrel and rebored it to .429" and chambered it to .44 Special. Al loaded it with 210 gr. cast bullets and a full charge of black powder. I've used both black powder and smokeless charges in it with the same Ideal mold Al gave me with the gun when I bought it. The gun shoots 1moa groups at 100 yds. so I've always been tickled with it. Cheap brass, bullets, and dies! I took the gun to our annual longrange shoot a couple summers ago and it rang the 650 yd. dinger with ease and consistently too! Load were the 210 gr. bullet moving out the muzzle at 1,000 fps. and they held well in the light 10-15 mph crosswinds.

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Schuetzenmiester Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 6707 Location: Cool Wet Side of WA Joined: Apr 27^th, 2008	Re: 38wcf for short range target round 50-100yds Reply #11 - May 14^th, 2018 at 12:28pm	Print Post
	Gard72977 wrote on May 14^th, 2018 at 7:25am: I was really thinking this cartridge would be intresting. It seems if I get one I better like it because most people dont. Resale could be an issue in that case. Years ago I read about the reloading issues that plagued those little bottle neck cases, .38 and .44 -40. I decided to go with straight wall because they were a lot less trouble.

	"some old things are lovely, warm still with life ... of the forgotten men who made them." - D.H. Lawrence
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boats Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 7537 Location: Virginia Joined: Apr 23^rd, 2004	Re: 38wcf for short range target round 50-100yds Reply #12 - May 14^th, 2018 at 2:43pm	Print Post
	You read a lot of things but best make up your mind yourself. I got into 38/40 because of the Rifle & Lever Silhouette does not allow caliber changes. Has to be shot with original caliber and barrel. Re lines are allowed, John Taylor lined it for me. Using new Starline Brass and CH4D neck sizing dies I have no problems at all with the bottle neck case. They are thin as are most Pistol caliber cartridges, use some common sense 38\40 is fine. Ham handed Bubba should look for another caliber . Cowboy action guys love the caliber my Marlin with dies and components would be a fast sell at our club, if I wanted to let it go, don’t think so it’s a nice outfit Boats
	« Last Edit: May 14^th, 2018 at 2:54pm by boats »

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svartkruttgris#369 Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 2980 Location: Colorado, Norway, Sweden Joined: Oct 28^th, 2014	Re: 38wcf for short range target round 50-100yds Reply #13 - May 14^th, 2018 at 2:56pm	Print Post
	[/quote] Resale could be an issue in that case. Years ago I read about the reloading issues that plagued those little bottle neck cases, .38 and .44 -40. I decided to go with straight wall because they were a lot less trouble. [/quote] I started reloading 32-20 at age 13 and had very few problems with thin, WW brass. As young adult started loading 44-40 and had NO PROBLEMS. Both load easily and reliably in lever guns, thanks to the slight "bottleneck" on both. I started loading 45 Colt about same time as 44-40, and 44 Mag many years later. Both 32-20 and 44-40 are much easier to reload than the thick walled 45 Colt and 44 Mag and both seal chambers much better unless 45 Colt and 44 Mag are loaded heavily for hunting. I sold my 45 Colt and 44 Mag guns, no regrets. Both 32-20 and 44-40 can be loaded well above standard (BP chamber pressures) in modern, solid head cases. My preferred cases are Remington and Starline -- I avoid WW.


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wcf3840 Senior Forum Member Offline ASSRA Life #299 Posts: 354 Location: Palatine Joined: May 28^th, 2007	Re: 38wcf for short range target round 50-100yds Reply #14 - May 14^th, 2018 at 2:57pm	Print Post
	I agree with Boats. I've had no problems with case life as long as I pay attention.


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