Levergun Range Day!

Too windy to shoot anything serious, too pretty to stay home so a few old leverguns are patiently waiting by the door. The 1921 vintage 38-55 94 and 1901 vintage 32WS 94 SRC are too old to get impatient but I'm excited enough for all of us. 38-55 has been waiting for it's first range trip for months, 32WS didn't like the RD 323-170 on it's first trip so it and the new Accurate mould waited patiently thru deer season for a chance to cast a few and go try again. Have a new boolit design for a Marlin 30-30 and a scope test for Scopekiller to round out the agenda.
Have a bolt gun with a new boolit that needs shooting but it will have to wait for a calmer day.
Adios and good shooting if you're headed out!

those are fun days at 25 and 50 yds.
1Shirt!

I also had a lever gun range day. First time out with my new to me 336CB in 38-55. First time with that cartridge as well. Had a blast. Indoor range only due to all of the wet weather lately but still a good day.

Spent the day casting for my 38-55. Will have to wait for another time to get to the range. 38-55 sure is a fun caliber :drinks:

"32WS didn't like the RD 323-170 on it's first trip"

Interested to hear that. I picked up a NOE 325-180 I think is their designation which I thought was a RD copy. I've had pretty good luck with the .30 caliber 165, I hope this .32 bullet works in an old Marling I'm beginning to work with.

Windy today in Georgia, but it was a great day at the range. I took along the 1860 Henry and 92 Rossi both in .45 colt and had some really good results with the .309-200 lee out of my ruger gunsite scout. At 80 yards I had 2 loads that gave 5 shot groups less than 1" wind and all. I wish all my loads worked like that.

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Originally Posted by richhodg66

"32WS didn't like the RD 323-170 on it's first trip"

Interested to hear that. I picked up a NOE 325-180 I think is their designation which I thought was a RD copy. I've had pretty good luck with the .30 caliber 165, I hope this .32 bullet works in an old Marling I'm beginning to work with.

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This 94 has a very short leade and the generous ogive of the (Lee) RD boolit would jam into the rifling. Have seen a couple other older 94's with similar chambers. My 1969 94 vintage has no problems with the RD boolit. Should work great in your Marlin, hope so anyway. RD designed many of his boolits for Marlins. RD changed the designation from 323-170 to 323-180 about the time I bought the mould from him, it's marked 323-170 but drops closer to 180. I call it 170 to keep from confusing myself.;)

I took my new AR build (my first) to the (indoor) range today.

I was really happy with how the rifle shot, all things considered.

I would have brought at least one of my leverguns with me but I wanted it to to be a quick and dirty visit.

[smilie=w:That old 38-55 is a shooter! Shot up some oddball stuff the previous owner gave me (I know, he's been loading longer than I have-35 yrs-so it's OK!) and a few loads shot quite well, except for one load. That load consisted of a .376 commercial cast boolit and every one tumbled, another load with a .378 commercial CB did quite well. I think I know what I'll find when I slug this 94 yr old 94.
32WS SRC 94 did pretty good but I couldn't see the tiny sights, I see a tang sight in it's near future.
30-30.......let's just say two out of three ain't bad. Fourth levergun was a no-show, thought I cased up Scopekiller but she was at home in the safe and Elly Mae was in the case. Beautiful day on the range other than a gusty 30mph wind. This 50yd range has 10ft walls, that helped but it was still a little swirly.

Yesterday was a lever day, A marlin 1894 44mag came along as well as a 336 30-30 and a erma werke eg72 22 mag I happened into up some years ago. Also brought my sons CZ 527 .223 varmint that previously had a sticky magazine problem and wanted to insure it's working properly.

Everything worked great except all the AR's with muzzle breaks, Bout drove me nutz.

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Originally Posted by TXGunNut

This 94 has a very short leade and the generous ogive of the (Lee) RD boolit would jam into the rifling. Have seen a couple other older 94's with similar chambers. My 1969 94 vintage has no problems with the RD boolit. Should work great in your Marlin, hope so anyway. RD designed many of his boolits for Marlins. RD changed the designation from 323-170 to 323-180 about the time I bought the mould from him, it's marked 323-170 but drops closer to 180. I call it 170 to keep from confusing myself.;)

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The Marlin in question is pretty old, late 1940's I'm pretty sure. It has standard rifling, not Micro Groove, so not real sure it'll be much different from your Winchesters.

The rifle shot and functioned quite well with an old plain based mold I found designed for the .32-40 (Lyman 321232) with about 9 grains of Unique. I really want to make a hunting rifle out of it, though, so I'm looking forward to what this NOE/RD bullet will do.

If it doesn't work out a handful of the Accurate boolits is only a PM and a post office visit away. IIRC correctly the other 94's are pre-WWII but not as old as mine.

Thanks. I'm kind of weird in that I think I like '94 Winchesters better, but there is something about those old Marlins.

I know you're a trustworthy guy TX, but I REALLY have a hard time believing it happened without pictures. :kidding:
yooper

Having some trouble sending pics from phone to netbook...and they're inches apart!
Will try again later.

Attachment 128640Attachment 128641
Here's what happens when you buy boolits online and don't get the right size. The boolits that refused to go thru the paper nose-first measured .376, the ones that did a little better are sized .378. Other target was at least three different loads with a j-word, can't tell from the target but it seems to shoot quite well.
Keep in mind I was just blowing thru some ammo and checking the gun out, was pretty impressed all those tumblers hit paper.

Here's the 32WS target, original sights are tiny and my eyes aren't what they used to be. Simply couldn't see anything resembling a sight picture, hate to even post this pic. This is the new Accurate boolit, think I need to utilize the tang holes and mount a suitable sight!

Attachment 128642

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Originally Posted by richhodg66

Thanks. I'm kind of weird in that I think I like '94 Winchesters better, but there is something about those old Marlins.

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I'm beginning to take a liking to older Marlins as well, I have a few newer ones but have to agree with you about the older ones.

I'm thinking 30grs 3031 under NOE's 380681 for the 38-55's next outing....or I may decide to shoot up a bit of BP ammo that I have lying around here. Will ladder up from 28.5 or so.
I think all the 32WS needs is a tang sight. 30-30...I wish I knew.