Ballard introduced the .38-55 in 1884 for their single shot target rifles. Its nomenclature is derived from its .38 caliber bullet (generally around .377" today) and the 55 grains of black powder with which it was originally charged. Black powder loads typically launched a 255 grain lead bullet at a muzzle velocity (MV) of about 1300 fps.

The .38-55 was, and is, an outstanding schuetzen-type target rifle cartridge. It was also considered an excellent hunting cartridge for animals in the deer and black bear class and with the advent of smokeless power the .38-55 successfully made the transition to the new propellant. In addition to Ballard and Winchester rifles, Stevens, Marlin, Savage, Remington, Colt and other rifles of various action types were offered in .38-55.

The old "High Speed" smokeless powder hunting load drove a 255 grain bullet at about 1500 fps and later factory loads increased the MV of the 255 grain jacketed bullet to 1700 fps. These were and still are very effective loads for woods hunting and they can safely be duplicated (and even exceeded) by the modern reloader.

The .38-55 was in its hey day when Winchester introduced their famous Model 1894 lever action rifle and it became the first cartridge for which the new rifle was chambered. Necked down, the .38-55's case formed the basis for the .30-30 Winchester, introduced the following year in the Model 1894. In fact, the entire line of smokeless powder Model 1894 rifle cartridges, including the .32 Winchester Special and the .25-35 Winchester, were based on the .38-55 case.

The much later .375 Winchester (circa 1978) was based on an internally strengthened and slightly shortened .38-55 case and .38-55 cartridges will chamber and are safe to use in .375 Winchester Big Bore 94 rifles. Unfortunately, .375 Win. cartridges will also chamber in .38-55 rifles. However, it is NOT safe to fire .375 Winchester cartridges in .38-55 rifles. The .375 Win. is loaded to a SAAMI maximum average pressure (MAP) of 52,000 CUP, which is far in excess of the permissible MAP for .38-55 rifles.

Old timers claimed that the .38-55 killed game better than the new-fangled, small bore high velocity cartridges like the .30-30. However, as the years went by the .30-30 and the cartridges it inspired revolutionized hunting and sales of the .38-55 slipped to the point that Marlin and Savage stopped chambering their lever action rifles for the cartridge. Winchester finally dropped the .38-55 from the Model 94 line in 1940, although they continued to offer factory loaded .38-55 ammunition in both the Winchester and Western brands.

It was the revival of schuetzen target shooting that ultimately saved the .38-55 from obscurity, coupled with the interest generated by cowboy action shooting. Winchester chambered a couple runs of commemorative Model 94 Angle-Eject rifles in .38-55 and Marlin saw the cartridge's potential and introduced their Model 336 Cowboy Gun in .38-55. Browning followed with their Model 1885 Traditional Hunter single shot in .38-55. Winchester introduced the new (Miroku made) Model 94 in 2011 and the .38-55 is a standard chambering.

Winchester currently offers a single Super-X .38-55 factory load. This uses a 255 grain Power Point bullet at a muzzle velocity of 1320 fps with 987 ft. lbs. of muzzle energy from a 24" barrel. At 100 yards the velocity of this load is 1190 fps with 802 ft. lbs. of energy. The trajectory figures for this load, with a sight height of 1.5", show that with a 100 yard zero the bullet rises 2.3" above the line of sight at 50 yards and drops 8.4" below the line of sight at 150 yards.

This essentially duplicates the old black powder load in both pressure and velocity, although with a modern jacketed soft point bullet. It is actually loaded well below the SAAMI authorized maximum average pressure (MAP) for the .38-55 of 30,000 CUP.

The paper ballistics of this load are not impressive. However, its 100 yard G&S Online Killing Power Score (KPS) is 22.7, almost identical to the standard .30-30 150 grain/2390 fps load (KPS 22.8). This makes it a useful deer and black bear cartridge at typical woods ranges.

The handloader can achieve considerably better ballistics than those provided by the Winchester factory load without exceeding the SAAMI MAP. Hawk Inc. offers .377" diameter JFP hunting bullets for the .38-55 weighing 200, 220, 255 and 280 grains. Sierra offers a .200 grain Pro-Hunter flat point bullet and Barnes offers a 255 grain Original bullet suitable for the .38-55. In addition to these jacketed bullets, the Missouri Bullet Company has a "Hardness Optimized" (Brinell 18) 245 grain coated lead bullet for the .38-55 (#1 Ballard).

According to the Hodgdon 2017 Reloading Manual a maximum load of 33.0 grains of H322 powder behind the 255 grain Barnes Original bullet achieves a MV of 1830 fps at a MAP of 28,200 CUP. This is a serious Class 2 and Class 3 big game hunting load. The remaining energy at 100 yards is 1432 ft. lbs. and the 100 yard KPS is 42.5. The maximum point blank range (+/- 3 inches) of this 255 grain/1830 fps .38-55 load is 177 yards when zeroed to hit 2.86 inches above the point of aim at 100 yards.

Even more powerful than maximum reloads is the Buffalo Bore Heavy .38-55 factory load. It uses a 255 grain JFN bonded core bullet at a MV of 1950 fps and muzzle energy of 2153 ft. lbs. This cartridge is loaded to a MAP of 38,000 CUP, the same as the .30-30, and thus exceeds the SAAMI specified 30,000 CUP for the .38-55. This powerful .38-55 +P load is suitable for use ONLY in Winchester Model 94 Angle-Eject rifles and other rifles of at least equal strength.

The Buffalo Bore .38-55 Heavy load achieves a 100 yard G&S Online KPS of 61.5. It is suitable for hunting all Class 2 and Class 3 game and even dangerous predators.

The Winchester Super-X .38-55 factory load (or an equivalent hand load) has a very mild kick, noticeably less than the .243 Winchester or .30-30. Per the Expanded Rifle Recoil Table the recoil energy of this load is only 7.8 ft. lbs. in a 7.5 pound rifle.

Naturally, maximum reloads and the Buffalo Bore Heavy .38-55 +P load kick harder, but their recoil is still modest compared to most medium bore cartridges. For example, in a 7.5 pound rifle a 255 grain bullet at 1830 fps MV has a recoil energy of 15.1 ft. lbs. The Buffalo Bore Heavy factory load recoils at 17.4 ft. lbs. in a 7.5 pound rifle or 15.3 ft. lbs. in an 8.5 pound rifle.

The .38-55 is alive and well in the 21st Century and better than ever!