Henry Rifle Forums

38-55 is a caliber I'd never heard of prior to reading about it in post on this forum and with the word that Henry may be offering it down the line I looked up a bit of history and ballistics info ===> http://gundata.org/cartridge/98/.38-55-winchester/ <=== link for some more history ===> http://www.chuckhawks.com/38-55win.htm <=== for those who reload, Starline offers 38-55 brass ===> https://www.starlinebrass.com/brass-cas ... rass-2080/ <=== for me that would be a major consideration .... in one of the links it is listed as a 100 deer cartridge .... that being the case, it appears the 38-55 to fit in with several other calibers they already offer .... if on the other hand as seen in the first link, it is effective out to 300 yards, that would put as a top tier for Henry .... it will be interesting to follow its development

38-55 is a great cartridge . You can use it to make other cartridge , just run it in sizing die like a 30-30 , 32 spec or 32-40 and load it like normal .

I have one in a Marlin 336 cowboy and love shooting it everytime I take it out. There easy to load for and are great for hunting. There isnt a large selection of copper jacketed bullets for them but there is a fair amount of cast bullets for them. I think this will be a great addition to the Henry line up and there is one on my want list for sure.

BigAl52 wrote:I have one in a Marlin 336 cowboy and love shooting it everytime I take it out.

we have a Henry 44 Mag and a Henry 45-70 .... based on your experience, what would purchasing a Henry 38-55 do for us that the other two aren't already taking care of .. ..

My buddy has an old Winchester 94 in 18-55. It's a nice rifle and I have enjoyed shooting a few rounds (pricey unless you reload). Neat old cartridge.

JEBar wrote:

BigAl52 wrote:I have one in a Marlin 336 cowboy and love shooting it everytime I take it out.

we have a Henry 44 Mag and a Henry 45-70 .... based on your experience, what would purchasing a Henry 38-55 do for us that the other two aren't already taking care of .. ..

The only thing it would do is give you a third Henry which you dont have now. That couldnt be all bad. Al

BigAl52 wrote:

JEBar wrote:

BigAl52 wrote:I have one in a Marlin 336 cowboy and love shooting it everytime I take it out.

we have a Henry 44 Mag and a Henry 45-70 .... based on your experience, what would purchasing a Henry 38-55 do for us that the other two aren't already taking care of .. ..

The only thing it would do is give you a third Henry which you dont have now. That couldnt be all bad. Al

understood .... info appreciated

Good to know.38-55 is one of the few rifle calibers my state allows for whitetail hunting.
Always wanted a 30-30 lever but they are not allowed.
.38 -55 could be a good alternative.

Jdl447 wrote:Good to know.38-55 is one of the few rifle calibers my state allows for whitetail hunting.
Always wanted a 30-30 lever but they are not allowed..

The only caliber that killed more Whitetail deer in the USA then the 30-30 is the 44-40 in last 100 yrs . The 30-30 has been one of the best rounds ever made . Why don't Ohio allow the 30-30 for deer ????

tx gunrunner wrote:

Jdl447 wrote:Good to know.38-55 is one of the few rifle calibers my state allows for whitetail hunting.
Always wanted a 30-30 lever but they are not allowed..

The only caliber that killed more Whitetail deer in the USA then the 30-30 is the 44-40 in last 100 yrs . The 30-30 has been one of the best rounds ever made . Why don't Ohio allow the 30-30 for deer ????

I'm looking at a Henry in 30-30. It's down to a 30-30 or 38/357.

Go with the 38/357. It holds more rounds and I am pretty sure it is cheaper to shoot.

I see no reason for 38/357 in a lever gun when you have a 44 mag that will shoot 44 spec . Now the 30-30 is a flat shooter and fit better between 44 mag and 45-70 /. This is my opinion . If you are going to sell the 44 mag then get the 38/357 .

Sir Henry wrote:

tx gunrunner wrote:

Jdl447 wrote:Good to know.38-55 is one of the few rifle calibers my state allows for whitetail hunting.
Always wanted a 30-30 lever but they are not allowed..

The only caliber that killed more Whitetail deer in the USA then the 30-30 is the 44-40 in last 100 yrs . The 30-30 has been one of the best rounds ever made . Why don't Ohio allow the 30-30 for deer ????

I'm looking at a Henry in 30-30. It's down to a 30-30 or 38/357.

Ah what the heck SH just get one of each and then you wont need to think about it anymore. Al

BigAl52 wrote:

Sir Henry wrote:

tx gunrunner wrote:
The only caliber that killed more Whitetail deer in the USA then the 30-30 is the 44-40 in last 100 yrs . The 30-30 has been one of the best rounds ever made . Why don't Ohio allow the 30-30 for deer ????

I'm looking at a Henry in 30-30. It's down to a 30-30 or 38/357.

Ah what the heck SH just get one of each and then you wont need to think about it anymore. Al

That is what I'm afraid I'll do.

The only caliber that killed more Whitetail deer in the USA then the 30-30 is the 44-40 in last 100 yrs . The 30-30 has been one of the best rounds ever made . Why don't Ohio allow the 30-30 for deer ????[/quote]

Ohio has been a shotgun muzzle loader only state until a couple of years ago.
Here is the latest list.
Legal deer hunting rifles are chambered for the following calibers: .357 Magnum, .357 Maximum, .38 Special, .375 Super Magnum, .375 Winchester, .38-55, .41 Long Colt, .41 Magnum, .44 Special, .44 Magnum, .444 Marlin, .45 ACP, .45 Colt, .45 Long Colt, .45 Winchester Magnum, .45 Smith & Wesson, .454 Casull, .460 Smith & Wesson, .45-70, .45-90, .45-110, .475 Linebaugh, .50-70, .50-90, .50-100, .50-110 and .500 Smith & Wesson.

What is a .357 Maximum?

And I thought a .45 Colt and .45 Long Colt were the same thing?

Ohio has been a shotgun muzzle loader only state until a couple of years ago.

Another reason for never moving north of I 40 .

What is a .357 Maximum? A pic is worth a 1000 words

Why waste time with the 38-55? The factory loads are mostly anemic. The .375 W.C.F. was made to give ballistics that the 38-55 couldn't. I bought a Marlin .375 new and still shoot it and load for it. H.R. A. should get right down to business and chamber a rifle for .375 W.C.F.

Dont know that I would call it anemic. Its been around since blackpowder days and is still a great round. I think for people like myself its a history thing that attracks me to the 38-55. You dont need alot of speed to make a kill when hunting bullet mass will always do the job. Al

BigAl52 wrote:Dont know that I would call it anemic. Its been around since blackpowder days and is still a great round. I think for people like myself its a history thing that attracks me to the 38-55. You dont need alot of speed to make a kill when hunting bullet mass will always do the job. Al

agree .... our family has taken deer with 125 gr Nosler Ballistics fired from a 308 - to 240 grain JHP Noslers fired from a 44 Mag revolver - to one ounce rifled slugs fired from a 12 ga - with bullets of various weights fired from firearms of various calibers or gauges in between .... in no case was any one of them deader than any of the others ..