Trailblazer
12-19-2009, 11:36 AM
I bought an 1895 Winchester in 30US a couple months ago. It was made in 1899 according to Madis. Most of the blue is gone but it is generally a solid rifle. The bore is frosty and dark in the grooves. It did not look to have been fired much recently if at all. I loaded some old Remington RN 180's for its first trip to the range. It fired and functioned fine but it grouped those 180's into about 6" at 50 yards. Not promising!
The rifle had a cracked forend and was very dirty inside so I completely disassembled it and glued the forend and gave it a thorough cleaning. The cleaning turned into a major project as there was hardened dirt and congealed oil packed in every nook and cranny. I also took a critical look at the crown. The copper fouling ended inside the muzzle and there was pitting at the muzzle. One land was rusted away completely at the muzzle. Since I had the rifle apart anyway I decided to counterbore it, so I pulled the barrel and stuck it in the lathe, indicated it in and proceeded. I ended up only going about .100" inside and opening the bore to .320" to clean up the pits and get back to solid rifling. I then faced the muzzle and cleaned up the bevel on the edge of the bore.
The sights were not original and it had been drilled and tapped for a tang sight. It has a folding Marbles rear sight and had a very tall bead front sight. I don't shoot my best with bead sights so I replaced the front bead with a fat square post. I loaded the same load with the 180 Remington RN's and took it to the range. What a difference! I ended up with what looks like three shots at 100 yards in a little over an inch. I wasn't sure because it looks like two went in the same hole but the hole is elongated ever so slightly. The other option is that round missed the paper completely.
I made it back to the range Thursday with more jacketed loads and some cast loads. I also mounted a Pedersoli Soule type tang sight that I bought in Cabela's bargain cave for $75. The jacketed loads were with 180 Sierra spitzers which the rifle doesn't like. My cast loads were the RCBS 180 FN cast from range scrap and loaded with 18 grains of 2400. The rifle with the tang sight.
http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/Resized_1895.jpg
The results speak for themselves. 50 yard target first.
http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/RCBS_180_50_yd.jpg
That target looked encouraging so I went to 100 yards.
http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/RCBS_Sierra_180_100_yds.jpg
The upper five shot group is the 180 Sierra and the lower five shot group is the cast load. These were shot after shooting jacketed bullets. There is jacket fouling in the bore. But, no load development! The first load I pulled out of my hat worked! I have scoped bolt guns that don't shoot this good. Now I need to get the Lyman 311284 mold and work up some long range loads. Love that tang sight too.
The rifle had a cracked forend and was very dirty inside so I completely disassembled it and glued the forend and gave it a thorough cleaning. The cleaning turned into a major project as there was hardened dirt and congealed oil packed in every nook and cranny. I also took a critical look at the crown. The copper fouling ended inside the muzzle and there was pitting at the muzzle. One land was rusted away completely at the muzzle. Since I had the rifle apart anyway I decided to counterbore it, so I pulled the barrel and stuck it in the lathe, indicated it in and proceeded. I ended up only going about .100" inside and opening the bore to .320" to clean up the pits and get back to solid rifling. I then faced the muzzle and cleaned up the bevel on the edge of the bore.
The sights were not original and it had been drilled and tapped for a tang sight. It has a folding Marbles rear sight and had a very tall bead front sight. I don't shoot my best with bead sights so I replaced the front bead with a fat square post. I loaded the same load with the 180 Remington RN's and took it to the range. What a difference! I ended up with what looks like three shots at 100 yards in a little over an inch. I wasn't sure because it looks like two went in the same hole but the hole is elongated ever so slightly. The other option is that round missed the paper completely.
I made it back to the range Thursday with more jacketed loads and some cast loads. I also mounted a Pedersoli Soule type tang sight that I bought in Cabela's bargain cave for $75. The jacketed loads were with 180 Sierra spitzers which the rifle doesn't like. My cast loads were the RCBS 180 FN cast from range scrap and loaded with 18 grains of 2400. The rifle with the tang sight.
http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/Resized_1895.jpg
The results speak for themselves. 50 yard target first.
http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/RCBS_180_50_yd.jpg
That target looked encouraging so I went to 100 yards.
http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/RCBS_Sierra_180_100_yds.jpg
The upper five shot group is the 180 Sierra and the lower five shot group is the cast load. These were shot after shooting jacketed bullets. There is jacket fouling in the bore. But, no load development! The first load I pulled out of my hat worked! I have scoped bolt guns that don't shoot this good. Now I need to get the Lyman 311284 mold and work up some long range loads. Love that tang sight too.