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.

[Ysabel Kid]

I shoot a few as well... 25-20, 30-30, 30-40, 32-20, .45-60, .45-70, and .45-120. I like hyphenated cartridges too!

[fordwannabe]

Ok my turn, I own and load, 25-20, 25-35, 30-30, 30-40,32-20, 32-40, 35/30-30, 38-40, 38-55, 38-56, 40-82, 44-40, 45-70, 45-90, 50-90(i load for one but don't own it yet), 50-110, and 7-30 waters those are off the top of my head, I am probably missing a couple.

[geobru]

I shoot a few. 30-30, 30-06, 40-82, 44-40, 45-90.

[Oldncrusty]

Yep, me too. Smith K frames in 32-20, Cim. Model Ps in 32-20, 38-40. Sav. 23 in 25-20. Win 73/38-40, 92/32-20. Marlin 1881 45-70. Itching for a Rem. pump in .38 or .44.

[Safestuffer]

I owned a .32-20 Colt Army Special long before I ever owned a .38spcl.
Since then ive bought s few .32-20 lever actions. I just picked up a .44-40 levergun as well, though i sadly won't get the chance to shoot it at all, if I convinced myself to buy one .44-40, I can do it again.

Technically I already have, I guess, but it hasn't been a .44-40 for about 50 years

[High Desert Hunter]

Loaded up a few more 38-40 this evening. More NOE 192gr cup points, same bullet in solid form weighing 202gr, and finally some 180gr bulletsgifted along with some brass I purchased from a kind individual. They are from an Accurate bullet mould. Look forward to testing them, weather is not likely going to permit it this weekend. All are loaded in Starline cases with 2400 and lit by Fed 150s.

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Dave

[piller]

I haven't loaded anything in far too long. I need to fix that.

[earlmck]

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

I'm using a 200 grain gaschecked bullet from Accurate. But I am needing some extra velocity for the little game my shooting group does where we are shooting these pistol-cartridge levers out to 600 yards. A case full of RL-7 pushing the Accurate 200 grainer gets me there (barely).

But I wouldn't feel badly under-gunned popping an elk with that load. Not out to 600 yards, but within 200 he'd be in trouble.

[Drawdown]

Reading about the old hyphenated cartridges is what what stirred my interest toward Leverguns, and equally all the WCF'S too!
Im loading some 30-30 today, have been loading 30-06 and 270Win recently. The 30-30 is my sweetheart in every way, loading, hunting, & shooting, but these other two are about its equal!
Gotta love Winchester old way of adapting cartridges to best use? Equal or bigger Cal, more bullet weight, thus more powder. As effective as needed, still effective, until world got interested more in the longer shots than hunting game for an effective shot! Today each his own, but i like hunting, and loading for hunting shots, and that's why I always liked the 30-30! But there's several i never got into that i wish I had? 38-55 especially, and 33wcf & 348wcf! But studying the 38's lately makes them real interesting!
Ive neglected mostly my 30-30's, shooting & loading, in past two years, mostly due to 270Win interest. But I got my 30-30 NRA Centennial = Mod 64 out yesterday went to gun range, mostly to enjoy a good weather day, shoot some for fun, off hand. It's like coming home, i swear it is! That rifle & receiver sight, for packing these mountains, deer hunting on foot, as i most always do, I sure thought, "Why do i even consider another rifle!"
I shot offhand at 60yds, with the Hornady 170gr IL and on a front rest at 100yds paper target n two milk jugs of water at 110yds for that load and my Barnes 190gr Original FN. First shot at a jug with the Barnes, it hit less than an inch of dead center, and not much less with the Hornady 170gr!
Im thinking i may go back to this rifle this fall! I put a really serious consideration into which rifle I use each fall. It's bucks only and one buck only here!

[Shasta]

I too like the dash calibers, especially for my NRA Lever Action Rifle Silhouette competitions. I currently shoot .25-20, .30-30, .30-40, .32-20, .38-40, .38-55, .38-72, .44-40, .45-60, and .45-70.

My latest levergun aqusition is a Winchester Model 1892 octagon barreled rifle in .38-40. My chosen bullet is the Accurate 40-180E because of its wide grease groove suitable for black powder or smokeless loads. I've not yet had a chance to work with it much, but I do have the rifle set up with a Montana Vintage Arms vernier rear sight and a Lee Shaver spirit level globe front sight.





Shasta