Those old Winchesters will still do the job.
We have an area here where rifles aren't allowed except muzzle loaders, shotguns are legal, traditional revolvers, bow & arrow.
It's pretty brushy & probably a good shotgun with sights would work well.
Those old Winchesters will still do the job.
We have an area here where rifles aren't allowed except muzzle loaders, shotguns are legal, traditional revolvers, bow & arrow.
It's pretty brushy & probably a good shotgun with sights would work well.
U.S.A. " RIDE FOR THE BRAND OR LEAVE!"
Cleared off the workbench and put some moulds on the hot plate to make boolits for the 38-55, 38WCF and 32 Special. My oldest 32WS is a bit short of the 100 yr mark but it's a nice old rifle. All the boolits have big meplats and plain bases. Ordered a couple of Lyman sights last night, one is for the 38WCF. This project is coming together!
Endowment Life Member NRA, Life Member TSRA, Member WACA, NRA Whittington Center, BBHC
Smokeless powder is a passing fad! -Steve Garbe
I hate rude behavior in a man. I won't tolerate it. -Woodrow F. Call, Lonesome Dove
Some of my favorite recipes start out with a handful of depleted counterbalance devices.
I killed several moose with a 1915 production Win M95.
A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms *shall not be infringed*.
"The greatest danger to American freedom is a government that ignores the Constitution."
- Thomas Jefferson
"While the people have property, arms in their hands, and only a spark of noble spirit, the most corrupt Congress must be mad to form any project of tyranny."
- Rev. Nicholas Collin, Fayetteville Gazette (N.C.), October 12, 1789
The 95 is an interesting rifle.
U.S.A. " RIDE FOR THE BRAND OR LEAVE!"
Yes, must agree. I have an early (flat side) and a later (1915) rifle in 30US. I enjoy shooting the later gun but the sights are too tiny for me to use for hunting....at least until I get some new glasses. Will talk to my eye doc next week about making me a set of glasses for shooting my old leverguns.
Endowment Life Member NRA, Life Member TSRA, Member WACA, NRA Whittington Center, BBHC
Smokeless powder is a passing fad! -Steve Garbe
I hate rude behavior in a man. I won't tolerate it. -Woodrow F. Call, Lonesome Dove
Some of my favorite recipes start out with a handful of depleted counterbalance devices.
I started my hunting career using the most modern whizz bang cartridge's available with scopes that you could hit running shots on into next week if you tried hard enough, LOL...then I discovered "auction sales and old guns" about 15 yrs ago...haven't hunted with a modern gun since.
I have shot a few deer with the old ones, including the more memorable ones, a couple of good Alberta WT (one just under 170") with an '84 Trapdoor, a 32" wide Mule at 245 yrds with a RB ( Early # 1 action with new 45-70 barrel, 24" vintage style brass tube-scope), a decent 4x4 mule with a first year production Marlin 1895 in 38-56.
This year will be a 4 ser # 94 Win in 38-55...I hope anyways.
U.S.A. " RIDE FOR THE BRAND OR LEAVE!"
This has been a very enjoyable and interesting thread. The stories are wonderful as are the "old guns", pictured and mentioned. I have smiled a great deal while reading it so thanks to all who posted and to the OP for starting it. I hope some will enjoy a few pictures. First is my Jost & Diehl in 16 X 10.5 X 47R. It has yet to be properly blooded.
Next is 3 of my drillings, from the top; A Thieme & Schlegelmilch in 16 X 9.3 X 75R Nimrod from about 1905. Middle is a Franz Jaeger "Herold" in 16 X 9 X 57R and I forget the proof date. Bottom is an Imman. Meffert in 16 X 7 X 57R from 1936, which is a little new for me.
Next, on top is my Johann Otschar in Ferlach stalking rifle in the old 9 X 57R, straight tapered, BP cartridge. Bottom is an unmarked, non-Nitro proofed drilling in 16 X "Who Knows What?" I make the case from 30-40 Krag, trimmed and fireformed to a bottleneck, 9mm cartridge. We're fairly confident it was a war trophy and re-chambered on this side of the Atlantic but, beyond that nothing is known....other than it's pretty darned accurate!!
Lastly what is probably my favorite bolt rifle. A 1929 proofed, 1903 Mannlicher/Schoenauer in the classic 6.5 X 54 MS. There's a few Mausers from before WWI and between the wars in various obsolete and largely unavailable cartridges but the above is enough.
"In general, the art of government is to take as much money as possible from one class of citizens and give it to another class of citizens" Voltaire'
The common virtue of capitalism is the sharing of equal opportunity. The common vice of socialism is the equal sharing of misery
NRA Benefactor 2008
Took my 1921 vintage 32 WS 1894 SRC to the range today, mainly to double-check some loads before loading a few for a buddy. I'd forgotten how well the old girl shoots! Just for giggles I also had an old 1873 in 38 WCF with a sewer pipe bore along. I'd pretty much given up on it but wanted to try some loads (8 grs Unique) that work well in a recently acquired 1892. I was shocked, last load wouldn't stay on the target @ 50 yds and today it printed a 2" group with only one flyer.
It's like my old Winchesters are all excited about the prospect of going hunting again and this old girl piped up and said "Me too!"
This project has gone from "whether" to "which" over the past few weeks. I cast a pretty good pile of 38-55, 38-40 and 32 Spl boolits yesterday. This is going to be fun!
Endowment Life Member NRA, Life Member TSRA, Member WACA, NRA Whittington Center, BBHC
Smokeless powder is a passing fad! -Steve Garbe
I hate rude behavior in a man. I won't tolerate it. -Woodrow F. Call, Lonesome Dove
Some of my favorite recipes start out with a handful of depleted counterbalance devices.
sharps 45-90 those are awesome. Now that's the vintage of the vintage!!
Look twice, shoot once.
sharps4590, I agree, those are beautiful.
A very nice collection, thanks for sharing.
U.S.A. " RIDE FOR THE BRAND OR LEAVE!"
Thank you gentlemen, I appreciate your comments. All have given me untold hours of pleasure....and more than a few hours of hair pulling while working up brass and loads. I see I left off the dates of the Jost & Diehl, it's from probably the 1880's. The Outschar stalking rifle might be as early as the 1870's or perhaps early 1880's and the unknown drilling, given its lack of proof marks at least before the 1893 proof law.
"In general, the art of government is to take as much money as possible from one class of citizens and give it to another class of citizens" Voltaire'
The common virtue of capitalism is the sharing of equal opportunity. The common vice of socialism is the equal sharing of misery
NRA Benefactor 2008
fingers284, most of us would probably enjoy a range report on that nice old Marlin & .38WCF! I prefer to call it a .38WCF rather than .38-40, just seems well more period I guess.
Thanks
U.S.A. " RIDE FOR THE BRAND OR LEAVE!"
Endowment Life Member NRA, Life Member TSRA, Member WACA, NRA Whittington Center, BBHC
Smokeless powder is a passing fad! -Steve Garbe
I hate rude behavior in a man. I won't tolerate it. -Woodrow F. Call, Lonesome Dove
Some of my favorite recipes start out with a handful of depleted counterbalance devices.
I've only been collecting old Winchesters for the past few years. The humbling part of this activity is looking at the well-used specimens (all I can afford!) and realizing that a handful of these old rifles have seen several lifetimes of hunting experiences. Some have quite likely been passed thru two or more generations. I'll never know where they've been or the game they've taken but I have no doubt they could tell some wonderful stories. I can tell that they were prized possessions and saw a lot of time in the field and saddle scabbards.
Seems only right that while I'm their custodian at least a few should go hunting with me. I think it's an honor that we to get to take these pieces of history with us when we go hunting.
Endowment Life Member NRA, Life Member TSRA, Member WACA, NRA Whittington Center, BBHC
Smokeless powder is a passing fad! -Steve Garbe
I hate rude behavior in a man. I won't tolerate it. -Woodrow F. Call, Lonesome Dove
Some of my favorite recipes start out with a handful of depleted counterbalance devices.
I surely hope to have that for you before freeze-up and deep snow sets in...I had a box of new factory loads with J bullets but didn't want to use those in the 1889 barrel(some disagree but I wont use J in a barrel older than 1900 or so) so have pulled them and dumped the powder...now am trying to decide if I want to go "Holly Black" or light cowboy loads with cast boolits...
35 WCF. Mostly used Hornady 250 gr round nose.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |