1866 Yellowboy Rifle 24 1/4" bbl. - Use 38 spcl. +P?

**joelmck** · 10-01-2006, 06:12 PM

I just shot my new 1866 Yellowboy rifle for the first time and I love it. I did notice that some of the holes in my target looked like the bullets had been sideways on impact. I figure that they were tumbling perhaps due to slow velocity. My gun is chambered for 38 special. Can I use the 38 special +P rounds without damanging the gun?

**Irish Dave** · 10-02-2006, 12:13 AM

In my experience, the '66 in .38 Sp should not require extra power for accuracy or to prevent tumbling. I have both a 66 rifle and carbine in .38 Sp and they both are very accurate with standard loads and no keyholing. Typically keyholing indicates that the bullet is stripping the rifling for some reason or is otherwise not acquiring the needed spin upon leaving the barrel.

What grain weight bullet are you using?
Are they soft lead or jacketed or ...?
Factory loads or handloads?

**joelmck** · 10-02-2006, 01:14 AM

I was using American Eagle (Federal Cartridge Company) .38 Special, 130 grain, Full metal jacket (Copper covered). These were the first eight shots in this new rifle.

**Irish Dave** · 10-02-2006, 11:15 AM

Why don't you try some plain lead bullets (not jacketed or half-jacketed or copper washed etc)before going any farther. See if they, too, are tumbling in flight and keyholing the target. I'm guessing they will not, but I've been wrong before.

**joelmck** · 10-09-2006, 01:43 PM

I went back to the range and it shot great with no sign of keyholing. I figure that the brand new gun had a load of grease in the barrel and after a good cleaning things were OK.

Just to satisfy my curosity aside from the previous issue would the increased power of the +p load damage the workings of the gun?

**Irish Dave** · 10-09-2006, 02:21 PM

Well, the toggle-link action (Henry, Win. 66 and 73) were not the strongest mechanisms ever produced. While I would be surprised if a few Plus-P rounds would damage the gun in the short-term, I certainly would not subject it to consistent use of the higher pressure Plus Ps.

May I ask, why do you want to use the Plus Ps? They will not be any more accurate than a good standard load and will be more powerful than you'll need for Cowboy -type shooting. I can't imagine hunting with a .38 Spec. anything. Plus it seems to me that you'd be stressing the mechanism for no real benefit.

Just curious.

[ 10-09-2006, 01:36 PM: Message edited by: Irish Dave ]

**joelmck** · 10-09-2006, 04:18 PM

You are right about the cost benefit. I was thinking that the accuracy would be enhanced some but it was mostly a question for the sake of argument to be sure.

Thanks.

**Irish Dave** · 10-09-2006, 08:35 PM

Thanks. Just wondering.

I think if you work with your handloads (or experiment with different factory loads) you'll come up with a dandy standard loading that feeds well and shoots very accurately.
I've been extremely pleased with mine and find that they typically shoot better than I can.

In fact, my 24" Oct. BBL rifle will darn near shoot a one-ragged-hole grouping from a rest at 25-30 yards. That's with a 147-grain, tapered flatpoint lead bullet over 3.8 grains of WW 231.

Good luck and good shooting.