I do like hyphenated cartridges

[High Desert Hunter]

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I need to pick up a levergun to go with this Buckeye Special in 38-40.

[fordwannabe]

I need to pick up a handgun to go with my Marlin 1894 in 38-40. So I guess we are in the same boat but your in the bow and I'm in the stern.

[High Desert Hunter]

I don't have a lot of experience with the 38-40, but I do have a bunch of brass, and am looking for the right 180ish grain bullet mould.

[piller]

I know of the 38-40, but I don't know it. I am somewhat familiar with the 45-70, and have used it. I have used a 30-30, and consider it a hyphenated cartridge.
Many of the old cartridges are still worth using. Not every target or critter needs to be stomped to death.

[AmBraCol]

If y'all take a look over at Starline's page, you'll see most of the hyphenated cartridges we're interested in here are in stock. Unfortunately the 218 Bee and 25-20 are not on that list, but 32-20 is there, with the caveat that using their 32-20 to form 25-20 and 218 Bee may yield feeding issues in some rifles. 45-70 is also not currently available, but they're accepting backorders for it.

[marlinman93]

I prefer the .38-40 over the .44-40 just because I like the .40 caliber bullets the .38-40 uses better.
When I started hunting with my old 1800's rifles I took my 1889 Marlin in .38-40 for mule deer hunt and shot a big 200 lb. mule deer at about 80 yds. with it. I've never before or since seen a deer react so violently to a hit as that one did! The deer bucked up on it's hind feet and fell over backwards and didn't move at all. The .38-40 is a good deer cartridge for sure.

[ollogger]

This is my choice for the hyphenated cartridges
25-20 - 32-20 -- 25-35 -- 30-30 -- 38-55 -- 45-70 -- 38-40 -- 44-40 --


i have used all of these for pleasure or hunting, they flat out work!

oh forgot 32-40 & 30-06, might be more?

ollogger

[High Desert Hunter]

What bullets are you gents using in your 38-40s?

[AJMD429]

.
My favorite is probably the 32-20, because until recently there wasn't really a 'modern' equivalent.

I finally got a 25-20 (Marlin 1894CL), although I'd always wanted a Thompson Contender barrel in 25-35 for that bullet diameter.

I didn't own a 30-30 until I was probably fifty years old, but found out that it was against the law to live in the midwest and NOT own one, so I had to comply...!

My first 45-70 was a Thompson Encore rifle barrel, but later on I picked up a Marlin Guide Gun, then a Marlin '1895' octagonal 'Cowboy' one.

I've never had a 38-40 or 44-40, but they seem like great fun, and actually reasonably practical cartridges for a reloader.

But I generall shoot the 35 Remington instead of the 30-30, and the 444 Marlin (or 500 S&W) instead of the 45-70, and of course the 357 Mag, 44 Mag, and 45 Colt pretty much covers everything bigger than the 32-20, so these days the 32-20 is still my most-used hyphenated cartridge.

[ollogger]

What bullets are you gents using in your 38-40s?

I use the Lee 90431 it works good for me, just tumble lube it around in a bowl
175 gr



ollogger

[High Desert Hunter]

Thanks!

[EdinCT]

I have a nice 38WCF1892 from my grandfather that has a Marbles tang on it and I have to say it is a GREAT shooter! I looked for a Colt clone for years and just recently given up. I have handguns I don't get to shoot now so I'm showing restraint.
I have posted in the past that when I was young I wished the 38-40 was any other caliber. Once I mentioned to my Dad how it was pretty weak and he said to me If you put a 40 cal slug through a deers lungs weighing 180gr. at 1300fps it's going to die!
I have killed several with it and they did, quick too.
I have a 45/70, and 32-20, also and they do the job they did 100+ years ago and sure are fun!

[Griff]

I only load for 6 hyphenated cartridges: .30-30, .30-06, 32-40, .40-90SBN, .44-40 & .45-70. For 4 of 'em I only have one rifle each. In both .30 caliber cartridges I have multiple rifles so chambered. If I were to ever add another it would probably be the .38-40. But... I'd have to have both rifles & handguns in it.

[jeepnik]

I feel like a slacker. I only load the 45-70, 30-30 and 30-06. Although I have loaded some 30-03 for a friend a few times. The 30-03 is pretty hard to find. Harder to find are rifles like his, an unmodified 1903 Springfield.

[OldWin]

What bullets are you gents using in your 38-40s?

I use the old Lyman 401043. This was a black powder bullet, and while many say it will push-in when using smokeless, I haven't had that issue. I've used this bullet in all my 38-40s with excellent results.

[JBowen]

I like them too. I have a 25-35, multiple 30-30's, 30-40 Craig, 30-06, 32-20, 38-55, 44-40, and 45-70. Would love to have a 38-40.

JBowen

[High Desert Hunter]

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One thing about the 38-40 in a Blackhawk, recoil is almost nonexistent. I can push them harder, but hard to argue with a 40 caliber 190gr bullet at 940 fps.

Dave

[veeman]

I shoot a few, 32-20, 38-40, 44-40, 30-30, 38-55, 40-60, 45-60, 45-70, 45-75, 50-95. I think that's all of them.

[piller]

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One thing about the 38-40 in a Blackhawk, recoil is almost nonexistent. I can push them harder, but hard to argue with a 40 caliber 190gr bullet at 940 fps.

Dave

That is 10mm territory, and the 10mm is reputed to be something more than it is by gun writers. Funny that a more than 100 year old cartridge can do the same.