Paco Kelly's Leverguns.com

william iorg

Townsend Whelen, E. C. Crossman and a few others, perhaps Paul Curtis, fought hard to put those fat forends on the lever guns - and to change the bolt rifle stocks too. Whelen and Crossman are certainly the instigators of the Model 64, 65 and 71 Winchester stock designs. I too feel Marlin has overdo...

william iorg

Well, the 327 Federal cartridge took off for me. This is the cartridge I wanted when the 32 H&R Magnum appeared. I am a big fan of the 32 Magnum and the 327 Federal - I see them as different use cartridges. The 32 Magnum is a small game cartridge and the 327 Federal is for larger called critters...

william iorg

Seattlerdwarrior has what amounts to a 307 Winchester Improved built on a Marlin 336 action. Mr. Nonneman built it for him. http://shootersforum.com/showthread.htm?t=69457 He dubbed it the .30 Levermaximum and it is an interesting cartidge. The Marlin 336 action will not acccept a steady diet of hig...

william iorg

I have a good selection of NEI molds. Most were made by Walt or the fellow who owned the company for a while. I have a recent mold with two cuts of heavy bullets for the 327 Federal. I had this mold made in mehite (sp?) as I didn’t have and NEI mold in iron. It is a good mold and has dropped round b...

william iorg

Seattleroadwr (Eric) has the most extensive current experience with re-chambering the Marlin 336 rifle to the 307 Winchester cartridge. Eric had Mr. Noneman re-chamber and re-barrel several rifles for him. Mr. Noneman’s work with the lever action rifles appears to be first class. Eric found the Marl...

william iorg

I need to try the TSX. In the 307 Winchester and the 30-30AI the Barnes bullets gave me the best accuracy. My 25-35 seems to do its best work with the 100-grain bullets, or I have a liking for them and do my best work with them! The 25-35 loaded to “modern” pressure levels meets my ideas of the 256 ...

william iorg

My M-94AE seems to be able to digest anything I hand it and deliver excellent accuracy. The 117-grain Hornady shoots well in my rifle using Alliant Reloder 15. 23.0 chronographs 2,71 fps and 27.0 grains chronographs 2,325 fps. The groups seem to tighten as the velocity increases. 25.0 grains of Hodg...

william iorg

I am looking at loading 100 gr spitzer bullets for a Win 94 25-35 Win for hunting in the Ca. condor areas. Has anyone tried this. I realize it will be a two shooter. While not a condor friendly bullet I shoot the Speer 100-grain JHP in my Winchester Model 94AE. I feed these through the magazine wit...

william iorg

I intended to say top of the chamber when I originally posted but wrote bottom. When you ream a chamber to 30-30AI on a Winchester or marlin lever-gun you will see this egg shape at the rear of the chamber. Your reamer will never clean this portion of the chamber. We have had this discussion several...

william iorg

I am late getting into this conversation but I believe there is nothing wrong with your rifle. The Winchester and the Marlin 336 rifle both have chambers cut with the slight bulge you describe cut on the bottom of the chamber. I have cast a number of these chambers and have measured many pressure ri...

william iorg

I agree the Model 92 with a wildcat based on the 357 Magnum appears to answer the feeding issues, it is an intriguing idea. As outlined below it might be as simple as a barrel swap and a set of custom dies. I wondered about a .32 caliber wildcat based on the 357 Magnum. The 357 Magnum has an establi...

william iorg

I am shooting the 327 Federal with heavy for the caliber bullets in the Ruger Blackhawk. With the 125-grain NEI #76 bullet I am exceeding 1,400 fps from the 5 ½” barrel Using Hodgdon Lil’ Gun. Alliant 2400 will push the NEI #82 122-grain bullet to 1,400 fps. The 32-20 will push the 115-grain Lyman 3...

william iorg

86er, I prefer the 170-grain Speer Hot Core bullet to all others in the 307 Winchester. Driven at any speed from 2,300 fps up I have had more: “one shot, dropped in its tracks” kills from this bullet than any other on whitetail deer. This bullet also has the best BC of the flat nose 30-30 class bull...

william iorg

I know better than to get started on threads like this. I say get the 308 Marlin. If you can find a 99 Savage in 300 Savage that will shoot with the 308MX shooting factory Hornady ammunition you will have found the most accurate Savage Model 99 on the planet. Don’t take me wrong, I like the Model 99...

william iorg

Chris, Some of the worst thumping I have taken from rifles has been at the hands of light 44 Magnum rifles. I prefer the Williams sight to the others for this type of rifle as you will be adjust elevation as you try different load and bullet weights. It is really too bad Lyman does not make a sight ...

william iorg

OSAK, Thank you for your post on the Ruger forum. I was reading the thread and about to join for the purpose of making a similar post. When I started loading for the 30-30AI Terry Murbach was the only person who stepped up with “been there – done that” load information and pointed me in the right di...

william iorg

I have not read the article but I shoot all of the Winchester Big Bore cartridges, they all kill deer and pigs very well. It’s no secret I prefer the 307 Winchester. In my non-gunwriter opinion John Haviland does not have enough experience hunting deer with these cartridges. His article on the 356 W...

william iorg

If we add the Model 94 Winchester to the mix – and it does not qualify as a light: “back forty walking rifle” for me. I think we should then talk about the 25-35 WCF. Using 75- 85- and 100-grain bullets you have a real walking varmint rifle that will take on coyotes at long range and light critters ...

william iorg

As a small game hunter I prefer the 32 H&R Magnum. For raccoons in trees the 32 Mag will punch a shoulder and remain in the body. Large male raccoons can be a challenge for the 32 Magnum even with 115-grain bullets driven to 1,400 fps. I believe this is where the 327 Federal will come into its o...

william iorg

This is the NEI No 347A bullet. These are available in different diameters. They were tested in the Fouling Shot years ago and shot reasonably well.

william iorg

Rick was the real deal when it comes to varmint hunt – I am thinking specifically coyotes. Rick and his wife hunted with a Savage Model 99 in 358 Winchester. Rick wrote one of the first articles on the 307 and 356 Winchester when they came out and he wrote the first serious reloading article on both...

william iorg

C-H reloading tools have the dies and the form dies for very reasonable prices. I forget what I gave for mine but it was not much as form die prices go. I suggest using 357 Maximum brass for your heavy loads and 357 magnum for your lower velocity stuff. With a Marlin case life is short at the higher...

william iorg

ENGLANDER and I speculated on this a bit when the 308 Marlin Express first appeared. ENGLANDER lives in Scotland and must meet some specific velocity and energy goals and these must be proven by shooting his loads across a chronograph. I took a look at what the factory Hornady 308ME ammunition deliv...

william iorg

You can use any paper you desire. Ross Seyfried used pages from guns and Ammo to patch bullets for the pictures in his articles. While any paper will do the next time you are near a stationary store stop in. The sell paper by the sheet. Ask for 25%, 50% and 100% rag paper. I prefer 100% and my Dad p...

william iorg

“What sort of drizzlinshxts ammo do you use to get that sort of a failure rate?” Some of the late cross bolt safety Model 94’s and many of the tang safety Model 94’s experienced light strikes and miss fires due to the hammer strut fingers being adjusted improperly. The upper strut finger starts the ...

william iorg

I read all the posts in the thread and had to think about it a bit. I don’t believe Winchester had the consumers best interest at heart from the mid 1950’s on. Certainly by the mid 1960’s Winchester had their eye on military contracts and was not giving much thought to the sporting market. When we l...

william iorg

I am pleased to see someone address his load data. I don’t have a problem with the listed W-748 load in the 356 Model 94 Big Bore rifle. For those who might remember his 300 Savage article there was load data listed which does exceeded the maximum loads listed in current load books – at least all th...

william iorg

Youneed to ask your library for a copy of Cache Lake Country by John J Rulands

william iorg

Slim did you ever get the pressure testing done on the 30-30 ai you were talking about several years ago? Lymans data on 335 with cast bullets sized .308 shows 30 grs as max, with a pressure of 36.9k cup We never did. Time was the problem. Maybe after I retire I'll have time to play with a pressure...

william iorg

A very interesting thread. I have shot the 30-30AI quite a bit and have found Hodgdon 335 to be one of the “ideal” powders for the cartridge. I must admit I have not attempted to push cast bullets to the highest velocities in the 30-30AI. What was your velocity goal for cast bullets? This is an asid...

william iorg

I had two similar experiences with the 356 Winchester when using the 220-grain Speer bullet while hunting our smaller West Texas White tail deer. Both shots involved deer in motion at less than fifty yards. The first deer – a doe of about 100 pounds on the hoof was hit at an angle from behind and th...

william iorg

The rimless cartridges do not work very well in our Winchester Model 94’s. In general terms the Big bore rifles will feed one rimless cartridge through the magazine. Two cartridges in the magazine and it is an iffy proposition whether or not the cartridge will eject while the second cartridge is rid...

william iorg

The 308 brass works fine for the shooting. My particular Winchester does not extract the cases very well. My extractor generaly drops the empty case prior to it being ejected. Other rifles seem to work fine with the rimless cases. My 356 seems to handle the rimless cases a little better but still no...

william iorg

Chris, While I have shot a few 358’s in the 356 Rifle I also don’t recommend it on a regular basis. Today’s 358 Winchester appears to have been loaded down a bit. The last Winchester factory 358 I fired in the 20” Winchester was a 200-grain Silver Tip – admittedly not exactly a “fresh” load. These a...

william iorg

I shoot the 310 Lee in my Timber rifle. I prefer 39.0 or 39.5 grains of of IMR or Hodgdon 4198. This load gives me a bit over 2,000 fps muzzle velocity and accuracy on a par with any other load I shoot in this rifle. On grey days this load put a 4” tounge of fire out the barrel and you can clearly s...

william iorg

John, I try to look at the Leverguns board every day but don’t always make it. That old work thang has slowed some of my posting. I remember the threads from the old Marlin board. Greg Mushial and I started out discussing the 256 Winchester and then the 25-20. We had some good conversations and then...

william iorg

Happy Birthday Hobie!

Eels! roast them slow...

william iorg

It’s a good looking rig.
I find the forward scope to be very good for hunting the brsh where the critters are in motion when first seen.

william iorg

I have a Patriot and I like it pretty well. The Charter Arms is not a S&W but it is a good serviceable gun with just a few minor drawbacks. Mine will push the 115-grain Gold Dor factory load 1,430 fps which is a smoking load for a 32 with 115-grain bullet. I have shot mine beside the 32 H&R ...

william iorg

Get well soon Terry.

youre still teaching and I'm still learning.

william iorg

The 32 H&R Mag rifle can do plenty. One of the delightful things about the 32 H&R Magnum rifle is the ability to limit penetration while still delivering a knock-out blow to a raccoon of porcupine in a tree. The 32 H&R Magnum using a 115-grain cast bullet will deliver the goods. There ar...

william iorg

I have a Burris straight 4x Short Mag scope on my 308 Marlin Express and I am very happy with it. I have adjusted this scope quite a bit as I load tested with all available bullet weights. I have never had a problem with the scope not able to hold its adjustment while shooting a group. I use a Weave...

william iorg

Slimster Its been awhile since we discussed the .30-30 AI. Since the .308 Marlin hit the street I have spent most of my time looking at it. I thought I had saved an old post from Paco about his .30-30 Improved cartridge and a looked around and sure enough there was a thread on the old Leverguns Foru...

william iorg

Paco’s version of the .30-30 Improved is more like Gary Reader’s – I believe they are the same cartridge. This version has the shoulder blown further forward for more powder capacity and a shorter neck. Edit] Sorry about the spelling of Reeder. Here is a link to the picture of the cartridge. A diffe...

william iorg

I try to set my start screen at 15 feet. How far out is your start screen?

It sure is hard to handle the rifle in recoil the same way every time. Even a light kicker like the Bee or .25-35 requires a good bit of concentration and I often fail...

william iorg

Yes, lost my mind, I was answering an e-mail at the same time. Snow from Australia and I have been discussing the same topic on the .25-35 and the .25-35AI. For the 117-grain bullets I have chronographed the 117 grain Hornady bullets quite a bit. During December I chronographed a load of 27.0 grains...

william iorg

I am setting about 2,000 feet. In October of last year I shot some Alliant Reloder 10 loads across the chronograph and 26.0 grains gave me 2,650 fps. I was using Winchester brass and Federal lr primers. Another very good load was 28.0 grains of Hodgdon 4895 which gave me 2,570 fps also using Winches...

william iorg

J. R. Mattern wrote his Handloading Ammunition book in 1926 and while the .25-35 was still in common use its height of popularity was long past. Mattern suggested the most serviceable loads were those duplicating the .25 Stevens rimfire and the .25-20 standard velocity loads. It was commonly stated ...

william iorg

Thank you for posting the link. I am a fan of the cartridges and the rifles. I believe both rifles are fairly priced for what they are. Years ago when Chris cash and I were looking at Big Bore rifle serial numbers a Beartooth forum member posted about a Monte Carlo stocked angle eject .375 which was...

william iorg

It’s odd that we don’t see very many of the .25-35 and .25 Remington rifles in use or for sale. Kenneth Fuller Lee wrote of the popularity of the .25’s with Guides and Woodsmen in the North East. In Texas the .25-35 and to a lesser extent the .25 Remington were pretty popular. It’s easy to strike up...

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