.38-55 Winchester for Whitetail Deer Hunting? Best Ammo (Round, Load, Cartridge) for a Successful Whitetail Deer Hunt
- Hunting Calibers
- 04 Apr, 2020
Is the .38-55 Winchester a viable caliber/load/round/cartridge for whitetail deer hunting? The accurate answer is “it depends”. However, the goal of this article is simply to address the question of whether the .38-55 Winchester is within the ideal range of suitable calibers to harvest whitetail deer.
As with anything, the devil is in the details. To answer the question completely, we would need to evaluate the downrange distance to the whitetail deer, the bullet type, the grain weight of the bullet, the physical condition of the firearm, the size of the whitetail deer in question, the shot placement, the local wind conditions, the expected accuracy of the shooter, the ethics of the ideal maximum number of shots – the list goes on.
What we can do is provide a framework to understand what average conditions might look like, and whether those are reasonably viable for a shot from the average shooter to harvest a whitetail deer in the fewest number of shots possible, i.e., ethically.
Let’s dive right in. In the question of “Is the .38-55 Winchester within the ideal range of suitable calibers for whitetail deer hunting?” our answer is:
No, the .38-55 Winchester is UNDERKILL for whitetail deer hunting, under average conditions, from a mid-range distance, with a medium grain expanding bullet, and with correct shot placement.
Let’s look at those assumptions a bit closer in the following table.
| Assumption | Value |
|---|---|
| Caliber | .38-55 Winchester |
| Animal Species | Whitetail Deer |
| Muzzle Energy | 990 foot-pounds |
| Animal Weight | 210 lbs |
| Shot Distance | 150 yards |
What is the average muzzle energy for a .38-55 Winchester? In this case, we have assumed the average muzzle energy for a .38-55 Winchester round is approximately 990 foot-pounds.
What is the average weight of an adult male whitetail deer? Here we have leaned conservative by taking the average weight of a male individual of the species, since females generally weigh less and require less stopping power. In this case, the average weight of an adult male whitetail deer is approximately 210 lbs.
What is the distance this species is typically hunted from? Distance, of course, plays an important role in the viability of a given caliber in whitetail deer hunting. The kinetic energy of the projectile drops dramatically the further downrange it travels primarily due to energy lost in the form of heat generated by friction against the air itself. This phenonemon is known as drag or air resistance. Thus, a caliber that is effective from 50 yards may not have enough stopping power from 200 yards. With that said, we have assumed the average hunting distance for whitetail deer to be approximately 150 yards.
What about the other assumptions? We have three other primary assumptions being made here. First, the average bullet weight is encapsulated in the average muzzle energy for the .38-55 Winchester. The second important assumption is ‘slightly-suboptimal’ to ‘optimal’ shot placement. That is to say, we assume the whitetail deer being harvested is shot directly or nearly directly in the vitals (heart and/or lungs). The third assumption is that a projectile with appropriate terminal ballistics is being used, which for hunting usually means an expanding bullet.
Various calibers
A common thread you may encounter in online forums is anecdote after anecdote of large animals being brought down by small caliber bullets, or small animals surviving large caliber bullets. Of course those stories exist, and they are not disputed here. A 22LR cartridge can fell a bull elephant under the right conditions, and a newborn squirrel can survive a 50 BMG round under other specific conditions.
Again, the goal of this article is simply to address the question of whether .38-55 Winchester is within the ideal range of suitable calibers to harvest whitetail deer - and to this question, the response again is no, the .38-55 Winchester is UNDERKILL for whitetail deer hunting.
This article does not serve as the final say, but simply as a starting point for beginner hunters, as well as a venue for further discussion. Please feel free to agree, disagree, and share stories from your own experience in the comments section below.
Disclaimer: the information above is purely for illustrative purposes and should not be taken as permission to use a particular caliber, a statement of the legality or safety of using certain calibers, or legal advice in any way. You must read and understand your own local laws before hunting whitetail deer to know whether your caliber of choice is a legal option.
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11 Comments
not everyone needs field artillery to hunt deer some of us know how to hunt ,this is a great cartridge not everyone shoots deer at 600 yards
Glad i read those comments . Going to get ammo for old gramps lever action 38 55 and doing some hunting with it!
Your article in short is too short. With the terribly anemic factory ammo available to those who do not hand load the old girl is probably best kept inside 100yds on bigger bucks, I’ll give way to that statement. JMHO from what I have witnessed others attempt.
However if you handload, the 38-55 win/Ballard is a very lethal adversary to a whole slew of critters that roam the woods.
It is in my opinion a woods range class rifle still but a darn fine one when loaded with quality jacketed bullets (if you can find a load it likes pushed hard enough to obturate the bullet to seal in the bore) or cast bullets of correct diameter for your gun. The 260gr. Performance Cast gas checked bullets leave the muzzle of my rebored 94 Winchester at 1900 fps and they just keep going no matter how much bone and muscle they penetrate.
Penetration is not an issue with the 38-55 when it is properly loaded. It’s a different kind of hunting experience that I fear will someday be lost to super dooper whooper mag crowd whose idea of hunting is a questionable thousand yard snipe of a record class buck. Sorry but that ain’t hunting, I haven’t found a suitable description for that yet, but hunting doesn’t come to mind. Anyway, don’t sell the old 38-55 winchester short, if you hunt, you’ll do just fine.
Interesting how an elephant falling to a 22LR round is somehow mentioned in an article regarding a 255 grain bullet traveling at 1600 fps towards a whitetail deer. If a 44 magnum rifle round has been considered suitable for harvesting whitetail deer, so should a 38-55. The content in this article was silly and was designed to inspire a narrative by folks who have actually used levers in the field.
Interesting how an elephant falling to a 22LR round is somehow mentioned in an article regarding a 255 grain bullet traveling at 1600 fps towards a whitetail deer. If a 44 magnum rifle round has been considered suitable for harvesting whitetail deer, so should a 38-55. The content in this article was silly and was designed to inspire a narrative by folks who have actually used levers in the field.
I agree with other commentors. I have taken several antelope between 60 and 250yards with handloaded ammunition. An elk at 75yards only traveled70 yards after one shot that entered the chest and exited the forward portion of the “ham”, penetrating over 40" before exiting. (Barnes 255gr) I have shot several deer between 75 and 160 yards none of which traveled over 30yards before falling. I use the same M1885 Winchester rifle in metalic silhouette competition with good success using bullets of 340 grains or more. Shot placement is key to success with any rifle.
Like most of these suppositions, it all depends upon the person behind the gun. The cartridge is more than capable given the proper load, the proper conditions, and the proper hunter.
Generalized questions and generalized answers seldom paint an accurate picture of a cartridge’s abilities. But then again, usually the capable, competent, people behind the trigger, aren’t the ones asking these types of questions; nor unfortunately are they frequently the ones writing many of these articles to begin with!
On occasions I still use my 1894 Winchester 38-55 with a 26" octagon barrel with a 4 digit serial number. I have killed a handful of deer with it in the last 60+ years. I use WINCHESTER factory loads with 255 gr. bullet. The longest shot I had to make was maybe 80 yards, and all were standing broadside shots. What matters is this: they all crumpled and fell like a cement block! Certainly the 38-55 is not my ‘go to’ gun, but if the right circumstance arises, I take it and enjoy the hunt immensely!
This is extremely misleading, the 38-55 is a heavier bullet than the 30-30 and shoots it comparably. This is absolutely enough to take deer hunting.
I agree with the above, in the South a 150 yard shot is the exception, it is (as anyone) should know very thick brush, with shots between 50 and a 100 yards, that being said, I have a 1979 Winchester (legendary frontearsman) that I hunt with a long with a marlin. 44 mag, the .38-55 is literally death to any white tail ( with Winchester FACTORY) AMMUNITION 255 grain. Saying otherwise is ridiculous. You know very little about “real ballistics” you are using the same formula that puts a 9mm more powerful and a better killer than a .45 ACP. Everyone knows or should know better