Learned a lot today in Cowboy Silhouette.

[Remmy4477]

Made it to the Cowboy Silhouette shoots today out in Watkins this mornin.

Ran a total of 58 bp rounds through my new to me early Uberti Winchester 1873 copy in 45 colt.
Learned a lot today in Cowboy Silhouette.

Ran a total of 58 bp rounds through my new to me early Uberti Winchester 1873 copy in 45 colt.

Things I learned today:
Off hand with 10-15mph wind gusts at your back, is not your friend!
Wobble n shoot n miss.

Neck sizing 45 colt cases do cut down on blowback when using bp, maybe 60-70%.

SPG lube is your friend, fouling stayed soft for all 58 rounds. Yea it was soft, but blowing coal out of the end of the barrel by the last round.

A Lyman 452664 250grn on top of bp, when there's a hit, stuff moves out of the way.

When you graze a chicken, it spins on the stand and stays there just starring straight at you, mocking you.

Trying to time it to swab the bore, my first match, fast paced. Nope ran her through to the end.

Everything gets dirty shooting bp in a lever gun, even your 15yo boy who's just spotting and keeping score.

Rams, your either under there belly, or over there backside, nothing in between.

Pigs, not bad unless you shoot out of sink. Remember its 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 NOT 1, 2, 4, 3, 5.

White out does not work well for white beads on front sights, yep that dot fell off after the fifth round, kind of looked like a flee running for it's life.

Screw heads are not supposed to just pop off when you touch them with a screw driver. During disassembly for cleaning at home, yep touched that screw for the left side spring and pop, off it goes! Luckly was able to turn the remainder of what was left of the screw out of the spring. Just ordered a hardened set for the replacement and spares.

Cleaning a rifle full of bp residue on the living room floor, I would advise on not doing this when the wife is home. Lets just say it does not end well and leave it at that!

Overall, learned a lot, had a great time, going to do it again!
Great group of folks out there.

My boy went with to observe and wound up spotting, scoring, and setting and painting the silhouettes. He wants to shoot at the next match, so regulating the 73 copy to him. Of course he wants to use smokeless rounds, which is fine.
I'll run my marlin 1895 cb.

Should be a great father and son ordeal!

[GBertolet]

I went to neck sizing also for the 45 Colt. Just size down about 3/8". Eliminates blowback, and cases last a whole lot longer. I use 231 powder. I have a Marlin CBL in 45 Colt.

[HawkCreek]

What was the deal with the screws? I just ordered a Miroku 1873 yesterday, now you have me worried.

[Remmy4477]

What was the deal with the screws? I just ordered a Miroku 1873 yesterday, now you have me worried.

The left carrier spring screw, went to turn it out and the head just popped off, no effort at all. Did a little research on it and uberti was using soft screws.

Ordered a hardened set from pioneer gun works, arrived this evening and replaced the broken one.
The rifles working again just fine.

Not real impressed with the carrier spring setup on the uberti, back portion of the spring acts like a fulcrum up against the frame, the screws like the pivot point and puts the pressure on the spring tips. Awful small screws to use for the pressure the spring requires in the fulcrum for the carrier to operate correctly.

[HawkCreek]

Interesting, I'd not heard of that problem with Uberti. I went with the Miroku because it had a few features I wanted that I would have had to get custom on the Uberti. Might still end up with one.
Never shot silhouette before but with a lever it sounds like a good time.