Author Topic: .38 PRS Bullets (Read 1481 times)

Graybeard · « **on:** February 19, 2003, 05:45:38 AM »

Here is the photo of the .38 caliber version of the PRS bullets.

First bullet from the left is an RCBS bullet for comparison. Next is the as cast .38PRS, then a sized one and finally one sized and lubed.

GB

Black Jaque Janaviac · « **Reply #1 on:** February 19, 2003, 06:52:34 AM »

How have these worked?

Anybody gonna put together an order for these?

Greybeard · « **Reply #2 on:** February 19, 2003, 05:24:35 PM »

Dunno. They were just sent to me to photograph and put on here for folks to see.

GB

Goatlips · « **Reply #3 on:** February 19, 2003, 05:25:05 PM »

Black Jaque,

They sure work fer me! Shot my first clean match with 'em last Sunday and they cycled in my Marlin microgroove without a hitch. Never cleaned it for the whole five stages, like I usta hafta do. I pan lubed the boolits in the picture with Pigeonroost Slim's concoction, tryin' to maintain brand loyalty since the mold is from him and Snakebite.

That there boolet weighs 159 g as I cast it and holds 2 g of lube. I switched from RCBS cowboy pills in a .357 case which required double clutching the Marlin sometimes to the "Snakebite Greasewagon" in a .38 case which are too cheap to bother pickin' up. Life's sweeter than ever.

Goatlips

Black Jaque Janaviac · « **Reply #4 on:** February 20, 2003, 03:43:22 AM »

Would the Snakebite .38 even work in the .357 case? Or is it too long?

My understanding was that this is supposed to be elongated to allow a .38 case to function in the .357 lever actions.

Pigeonroost Slim · « **Reply #5 on:** February 21, 2003, 04:18:25 AM »

Well now; that's a right purdy boolit! I hope it shoots well and does not keyhole. Ole snakebite done good! I would like to know the metplat diameter and if Lee is going to make additional copies of the 38 version.

Goatlips · « **Reply #6 on:** February 21, 2003, 04:54:08 AM »

Hay Pigeonroost,

I don't care if the thing's goin backwards when it hits them rifle targets as long as it hits 'em, and it sure does. Snakebite has the measurements as I ain't yet learned how to use my micrometer. I think this boolit's a thing of beauty and sure would like to see Lee come out with another run of molds in case I damfool mine up.

Hay Black Jaque,

Although I haven't tried this slug in a .357 I don't know why it wouldn't work. I've tested longer loads in a .357 case a lot, different seating depths and such, even some too long fer my roogers but nothin' would work hardly at all in the Marlin. This one does! If ya want I can mail ya some if you care to test 'em. The SB/PRS has solved my two problems, rifle feeding and runnin' out o' lube with BP.

Goatlips

Greybeard · « **Reply #7 on:** February 21, 2003, 07:50:02 AM »

PRS, the bullet is 0.730" long nose to base and meplat is 0.200" as carefully as I can measure it.

As a comparison the RCBS bullet in the photos is 0.657" nose to base and the meplat on it is 0.240".

GB

Pigeonroost Slim · « **Reply #8 on:** February 21, 2003, 08:11:17 AM »

Greybeard wrote:

"PRS, the bullet is 0.730" long nose to base and meplat is 0.020" as carefully as I can measure it.

As a comparison the RCBS bullet in the photos is 0.657" nose to base and the meplat on it is 0.024".

GB"

Thanks for look'n. I rekkon ya really meant the metplat is .24. Would ya mind taking a diameter of the "stem area"; that area left at the bottom of the lube groove; .252" would be about ideal there.

prs

Graybeard · « **Reply #9 on:** February 21, 2003, 09:21:10 AM »

PRS, yes you are correct. Typo. I'll edit and correct in my post.

The stem area appears to be 0.300" in diameter. Guess that holds somewhat less lube than you think ideal.

GB

Pigeonroost Slim · « **Reply #10 on:** February 21, 2003, 09:51:33 AM »

Hey HO Greybeard!

Beleive me, Snakebite has plenty of lube capacity there! 2gr of PRS lube is a goodly bugger! The .45 version only holds 3gr of that same lube!

My idealized theory has it that the bullet's stem should be small enough to allow for significant, hopefully symmetrical, compression of the lube reservoir under the set-back and acceleration forces associated with BP shooting. That way the lube would be highly compressed and greatly heated to the point that it vaporizes and sort of diesel combusts as well as penetrate and clean the fouling. Trouble is, thats just theory and I have no idea of how to test to see if there is any merit to it. Since the Snakebite/prs apparently works very well, regardless of theory, then I rekkon the question should be; "What's the difference?"

I really appreciate you taking time to do those measures.

prs

Goatlips · « **Reply #11 on:** February 21, 2003, 11:48:12 AM »

OK here's one fer the mathematicians, I only went to public school:

If you took a .45 rifle barrel and split it length wise and nailed it to a board like a snake skin, and ironed the rifling down flat, and buttered the area with 3 g of PRS lube, how thick would that lube be?

And takin' the same length .38 barrel, and doin' the same thing with the 2 g that the smaller boolet carries, how thick would that there lube be?

Golly Dink, now that I got this far I guess ya gotta take into consideration the amount of BP that each g of lube hasta suffer from, an' pressures, and weight of the boolet in question, an'.. an'..an I think I'll go have a beer. Yer right, prs, what's the difference! Sorry fer wastin' y'alls readin time.

Goatlips

Black Jaque Janaviac · « **Reply #12 on:** February 21, 2003, 11:50:43 AM »

PRS,

I like the hypothesis on the combustion of the lube. But, you need a source of oxygen. If your BP is mixed properly there won't be any available oxygen from the saltpeter. And inside the bore, especially behind the bullet, there will be very little available oxygen to burn the lube.

However, lube combustion may not be necessary. The vaporized lube could then condense on the bore walls, keeping the fouling soft.

To advance this hypothesis into theory, one could load with some clean burning smokeless, two different bullets. Load the Lyman or RCBS cowboy bullet and the snakebite or PRS bullet with same lube, same charge. Then see if there's a noticeable difference in the amount of smoke after the shot.

Snakebite · « **Reply #13 on:** February 23, 2003, 02:55:11 AM »

Congrats to PRS on his 38 bullet. :wink:

The bullet that I designed had two major functions. One was of course, to hold a bit more lube than is usually available in a 38 bullet, but of equal if not more importance was the length of the bullet. I have been looking for such a bullet for years....not months. I never did find one that was within the weight range I wanted, so I designed one. The longness of the bullet is a major feature that makes it unique. I haven't been hitting the talk shows about my bullet, but I guess word has leaked out. I have been contacted by a major national bullet company about the possibility of adding my bullet to their lineup. It is unique. Knowone else that I know of has a bullet that occomplishes what this one does. That being to allow the use of 38's in rifles that usually only like 357's, and carry enough lube to use it with BP. I gave Lee Precision my approval to make some more of the molds if they decide the call is there. I have no interest in organizing a large purchase of molds.

Snakebite

howdy doody · « **Reply #14 on:** September 29, 2003, 06:23:14 AM »

Pards, I am happy to report that Mav Dutchman has been kind enough to ramrod the re order of the famous Snakebite bullet mold. For those not familiar with it, it is a 358dia 160gr bullet, in a 6 gang mold that was designed with a unique profile and when crimped in the groove that will feed through anything in a 38spl. case. We are talking about Marlins too. How many times have I heard my marlin jams and all that? This bullet will feed through a marlin cs and load ten in the mag. No gunsmithing and all that stuff. They shoot equally well in pistols. It was designed by our pard Snakebite for BP shooting with a wide and deep lube groove, but it will shoot equally well with smokeeless.
Lee will remake the Snakebite if we can get 25 people that want to order up. Mav Dutchman is a dealer and has agreed to be the go between. He needs email confirmations to place the order and Lee won't make less than 25 in a run. The cost will be about $50 and Mav will get the handles at dealer cost for us. So if you have the urge, better do it, because this may be the last time you can get one of these. I am in for two of them. I will save one as an investment. When they are gone they are gone. I thought I would never be able to get one of these and here is my chance, I am going for it.
email Mav Dutchman at
mavanderkarr@msn.com

44 Man · « **Reply #15 on:** September 30, 2003, 07:59:34 AM »

Y'all might also want to post this on the lever action forum. Might be some pards over there want to get in on this. 44Man

howdy doody · « **Reply #16 on:** September 30, 2003, 02:19:59 PM »

Snakebite it was good to see you at the shoot sunday and my posse was last to finish and you were gone by the time I wanted to corral you and discus your bullet a bit. Billy Bob must have one of the original Snakebite molds and showed me the bullet unlubed along with the Mav bullet too, when I ran into him a few weeks back. I know from feeding a Marlin for 5 years that that bullet is just exactly what will feed without trouble in a .38spl case, no matter what kind of powder that is used.
Soon, Marlin cs and cb owners will be hollerin' I want my Snakebite. :-D

ya did good pard.

savageT · « **Reply #17 on:** September 30, 2003, 03:08:46 PM »

Hey Howdy! Let's Sing...........
"It's Howdy Doody Time, It's Howdy Doody Time. Bob Smith and Howdy too....... say "Howdy Doo" to you! Let's give a Rousing Cheer...... cause Howdy Doo is here....It's time to start the show, so Kids Let's Go!!!!!!"

Sorry.............Buffalo Bob was my hero, and Flub-A-Dub too........Just another sliver off the ole' red head! Whatever happened to that "Hottie", Princess Summer Fall Winter Spring??? Clarabelle???

Jim

howdy doody · « **Reply #18 on:** September 30, 2003, 05:02:47 PM »

Quote from: savageT

Whatever happened to that "Hottie", Princess Summer Fall Winter Spring???

Well, pard I ended up marrying her eventually. I say eventually, because I had this crush on Penny, Sky Kings grandaughter and then of course I went through the Annette phase, but I went back to my roots and married the princess.
I see you are from NY. I have run into some pards out this way that actually got into the peanut gallery on my show in NYC. If you were there too, then maybe I remember you, or maybe not. Ol' Howdy's memory isn't what it used to be. :grin:
Get a Snakebite mold they are endorsed by me and worth more than a loaf of wonder bread any day.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #19 on:** October 05, 2003, 02:55:16 PM »

The good princess was killed in an auto accident, but they never announced that on the show.

savageT · « **Reply #20 on:** October 05, 2003, 03:14:54 PM »

Funny, I have a buddy who says the princess was originally a " Hoochie Koochie dancer" in New York City before she was hired for the H-D Show??? The girl had to pay her rent ya know! That would make a great story for Paul Harvey's "The Rest Of the Story".

I think Howdy would have been better off with Penny....Sky King's niece, don't you? I loved the old radio and tv shows!!! Were you a "Video Ranger" too?

?

howdy doody · « **Reply #21 on:** October 05, 2003, 07:19:09 PM »

Boy you old farts are really up on your Howdy Trivia, fer sure. OK, how many freckles did I have before they faded away when I hit puberty? :grin:

No fair doin' an internet search either.

savageT · « **Reply #22 on:** October 06, 2003, 02:24:43 AM »

Ouch.....The truth hurts! Now considering my greatest affliction is CRS (that's "Can't Remember Schmidt") :oops: I'd venture a guess at about 149 H-D Facial Freckles (no fair countin' the ones below yer skinny little neck!)

:-D :bye:

howdy doody · « **Reply #23 on:** October 06, 2003, 05:20:18 AM »

Savage t yer pullin' my string there ain't ya pard? There is specific number of freckles on my head. Only the Princess knows about the birthmark thingy. We better not get into that one, this is a family website.
:grin:

Next think I know you will be asking me where Little Beaver from the Range Rider show is these days. :grin:

savageT · « **Reply #24 on:** October 06, 2003, 06:54:44 AM »

Ooh, Ooh, :eek: Little Beaver and Red Ryder.......I had his BB Gun.....and don't try to tell me Buffalo Bob didn't let you have one too :roll: