PDA

View Full Version : ...and sometimes you eat bear!



Trailblazer
12-18-2005, 03:34 PM
I lucked into a good combination for my remodeled Sears 100 30-30. The rifle is the Sears version of the post 64 top eject Winchester 94. Mine originally had a 20" barrel. I bought a 24" AE barrel from Numrich for it. The barrel comes with the magazine tube for the princely sum of $45.00. I did have to cut a new extractor slot to fit the top eject action. Other than that it screwed right on and headspace seems to be just a hair tighter than the original barrel. This is the rifle with the longer barrel and the original forearm:
http://www.hunt101.com/img/355634.jpg ([url="http://www.hunt101.com/?p=355634&c=557&z=1")

It just didn't look right with the short forearm so I made a longer one which isn't quite finished yet:
http://www.hunt101.com/img/355637.jpg ([url="http://www.hunt101.com/?p=355637&c=557&z=1")

I have now shot the rifle twice with the new barrel in the levergun silhouette match. The 20" barrel liked the Lyman 311466 which is the 152 gr. Loverin. I shot the first match with the 24" barrel with the Lyman boolit a couple months ago. Results were not encouraging. Although the longer sight radius with the longer barrel really helps with iron sights, the load didn't seem to shoot very well. I put it on paper after the match and it patterned 5 rounds into 4" at 50 yds. Because of the longer sight radius I still didn't embarass myself as I scored a 28.

For yesterdays match I cast up some of the Saeco 311's which is a 165 gr. bore rider. When I tried some in the rifle and the rifling engraved the nose I got that warm fuzzy feeling that I had a winner! I did have to crimp them to keep the rifling from shoving the bullets deeper into the cases which I did with the Lee factory crimp die. I loaded them with 21 gr. IMR4198. It was overcast and dark and I forgot my good glasses so I wasn't real optimistic about how well I would do at the match. When I started shooting the match the warm fuzzy feeling returned. That 24" barrel really helps the tired eyes and the boolits seemed to be going right where it was pointed! The only trouble with this load is that there are no excuses. If you miss it is the fault of the nut behind the butt. I did not put it on paper and it probably isn't going to set any bench rest records but dang it sure shot good off hand!

JDL
12-18-2005, 04:24 PM
I like the looks of your remodeled rifle, Trailblazer. A receiver sight would probably help with the groups some. -JDL

9.3X62AL
12-18-2005, 07:55 PM
That IS nice-looking!

Throckmorton
12-18-2005, 08:16 PM
That longer foreamr you're making looks just about right for the barrel.
Have fun dialing it in!! :)

versifier
12-18-2005, 09:53 PM
Nice looker! I'm with JDL, it looks like you're already d&t'ed for a receiver sight. I think the 94 is naked without one. :Fire:

C1PNR
12-19-2005, 01:20 AM
I just gotta add that new forearm REALLY looks good. Makes the whole combination come together!:grin:

Buckshot
12-19-2005, 06:37 AM
.................Yup, good looking rig. The longer forearm is better looking too. I have a M93 Marlin that had a 26" straight taper octagon bbl that was way weak in the land dept. I bought a tapered round 20" bbl from GPC. It was NOS Marlin for a 36C so it had 4 lands and grooves. FOrget what I paid for it but it twern't much.

Problem was trying to get a handguard. Boyds wasn't interested in trying. Finally got a semi finished one from Great American Gunstocks. Their's looks like a train wreak next to a Boyds, but it was better then me trying to whittle one out from lumber :D I cut the mag tube down to half length. All I have to do now is get after it.

.................Buckshot

Trailblazer
12-19-2005, 12:17 PM
Thanks, I got a couple compliments on it at the range too. I copied the original Winchester forearm length. Ken Waters gave forearm lengths in Rifle magazine on the old Winchesters he played with. I also took a tape measure to the gun show and got permission to measure some old 94's. This forearm is a practice piece that I made from two pieces of 3/4" plank glued together. I have two forearm blanks which both have nice figure so I didn't want to butcher them up before I knew what I was doing. I do have to come up with a better way of drilling the magazine tube hole. Knowing me, I will use this first one for quite a while. The glue line isn't normally that noticeable anyway.

I have a nice Redfield receiver sight for the rifle. I have an eye problem that makes me see double and the peep really aggravates that problem. I don't notice it as much with the regular sights. I looked through a peep on another rifle that had a blade front sight and that seemed to work better for me than the front bead. One of these days I will fit a blade front on this rifle and try again. Our club also classes peep sights in with scope sights at our levergun matches. Doesn't really matter 'cause I beat those scope users too, but there is more competition in the stock sight class.

The 20" barrel has a bit of a throat and it really likes the Loverin bullet sized at .311". This 24" barrel doesn't have much of a throat and it definitely prefers the Saeco bore rider which I sized at .310" because that is about what they drop at. I will put these on paper next time I go to the range but they definitely shoot minute of ram. It feels like shooting a ray gun!

JDL
12-19-2005, 04:00 PM
I have a problem with old eyes too! I have found the sourdough front sight to be best for me, although it doesn't compair with a low power scope. -JDL