Shiloh Rifle Forums

For Lever Gun Silhouette, a rifle must have a tubular mag.

My most accurate lever gun ever was a Whitneyville-Kennedy large frame in 44-40. Wish I still had it. I still have a 15 shot target with all 15 shots touching in one ragged hole at 100 yards.

Woody

George Babits wrote: ↑Tue Dec 01, 2020 10:56 amThat octagonal barreled 38-55 has a modern barrel on it which is a bit heavier than the normal octagonal barreled 1894.
George

As Woody mentioned about scopes (not legal for LG silhouette), you also must shoot an original barrel. Can be lined, but has to be original for that model rifle.

A few years ago I talked to Brian Wakefield about his rifles. Brian said " None of my rifles shoot better than 3 inches at 100 yards...but I can hold three inches. He won the three gun national championship that year.

I picked up that old octagonal barreled Savage 1899 in 303 mainly because it is very pristine. Really I've been more of a Winchester fan but learning. Had to dismantle the Savage 1899 last summer to clean up a few things. WOW, much simpler innards than the Winchester 1894. Shoots just as well as all the '94s too. These older 303s take a .311 bullet and bullets are hard to find. Best is the 180 grain RN. Tried some lighter bullets with spitzer points but had to seat them pretty deep to feed properly. I am really looking forward to see what the 190 grain cast bullet I have will do later this winter. If I remember right, the original 303 savage loading was a 190 grain RN.

George

SSShooter wrote: ↑Tue Dec 01, 2020 6:52 pm

George Babits wrote: ↑Tue Dec 01, 2020 10:56 amThat octagonal barreled 38-55 has a modern barrel on it which is a bit heavier than the normal octagonal barreled 1894.
George

As Woody mentioned about scopes (not legal for LG silhouette), you also must shoot an original barrel. Can be lined, but has to be original for that model rifle.

It can also be rebored (hint, 30-30 becomes .38-55).

art ruggiero wrote: ↑Tue Dec 01, 2020 10:05 am what is the trick to make these lever guns shoot well? art

Pick a style of bullet and do a OCW (optimal charge weight) load test. if your running lead bullets you can go by .2gr increments. Then try primers. Seating depth is a little challenging in a lever gun but you do have a little room to play with.

Just google OCW load test......there are lots of write ups on this subject has worked very well for me in many different cartridges.

matt

Art , after years of experimenting with guns, loads, and trying everyone's secrets to shooting lever actions I have came to this fix/secret.

Sell your Marlins, Buy Winchesters and shoot a lot.

Glen Ring wrote: ↑Wed Dec 02, 2020 8:54 am Art , after years of experimenting with guns, loads, and trying everyone's secrets to shooting lever actions I have came to this fix/secret.

Sell your Marlins, Buy Winchesters and shoot a lot.

HISSSSSSSSSSS-----BOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

thanks guys for the feedback art

Yeah Glen and be sure and give you advanced warning of the fire sale!

I sure wished I owned my cousins 38-55 Marlin 93 with the 30 inch barrel and full magazine tube I built for him some 30 -35years ago. That bugger shot 235 grain lead flat points like a dream. It is still his favorite U.P. Michigan deer rifle last I knew. It will hold 11 rounds with one up the spout. It has a tapered Octagon barrel from the Montana rifle works I think their name was and I remember having to cut the dove tail up front for the magazine tether .060 deep instead of the typical .090 because the taper made the barrel so light at the muzzle. It balance perfectly,looked and shot so well I hated to send it back to him.

I have a few Marlin 39s , and a few 1894cl's in 32-20...but my best shooting 30-30s have all been Winchesters. Jeanne loves her 336 xlr...but I think the remlins aren't that good. All lever actions will out shoot most owners. My 30-30 might hold a 4 inch group at 200 off the bench...I just want to hit all the rams. when I'm shooting standing.

Thanks for the replies. I bought an 1894 Winchester like George's which is 1/2 round, 1/2 octagon with pistol grip. It has a real rough bore and I bought it with the idea that I would have it lined or rebored. A good friend of mine and lever gun shooter told me that I owed it to the rifle to see if it would shoot first before I had this work done and try gas checked bullets. I loaded up a bunch of rounds and so far, tried 4 different powders. It shot pretty darned good with 4759 followed by a so-so group with Reloader 7. So, I needed to know what was acceptable? The 4759 groups are around 2-3/4" and a couple a little larger because of a flyer.
I also bought this rifle as a winter project as I need to stay busy or I get pretty antsy. Last year, I didn't have a project for the first time in a long while and then the Covid crap hit and staying home all the time, just about drove me up a wall. The wood was shot on the rifle so I now have it fitted with new wood and I glassed both the stock and the forearm. I don't know whether it's a good idea to glass a forearm on a lever gun or not. We'll see.

What I found from actual experience instead of gun rag education it that a rough bore does not mean it will either lead up or be inaccurate necessarily. Usually a good lap job that will at least level the bore and smooth the surface can shoot as well or nearly as well as it ever did if the crown and throat are still strong and without deformity. It must be remembered that all a barrel has to do is impart enough bullet spin for it's length, on axis and not deform it. If it can accomplish this , (and rough bores often can) then it will be as accurate as if pristine.
I've personally scoped and plug gauged quite a few pitted bores that were both accurate and did not lead up any worse than did some newly machined barrels. Bad pitting in the throat or right at the crown edge will often cause accuracy trouble but up bore are almost unnoticeable to accuracy if they don't cause lead build up and constriction.

My guns are definitely not MOA lever guns. Not even the ones with brand new barrels. But then my guns are never as good as everyone else's on the 'net.