Nice 9 pt with lever this A.M.

Sharptop · Post by **Sharptop** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 1:55 pm

North GA, Marlin 1894 44.mag w/ Winchester white box 240 grain JSP. Shot once running away and it reversed and ran back at me and hit it again. Either shot would have done it. Two beagles chased the deer right by me and appeared on its trail after I shot it. They had collars on, barked at me and took off. I guess they are someone's pets but I couldn't hardly get mad at them. Same thing happened last year when a blue tick hound chased a nice 7 pt by me on a different lease.

pharmseller · Post by **pharmseller** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 2:15 pm

Very nice! Good on ya. Beautiful pic.

Quinn

crs · Post by **crs** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 2:19 pm

Nice buck, gun, and pic.
Congrats

BenT · Post by **BenT** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 2:37 pm

Nice buck . I like it's rust color hat.

marlinman93 · Post by **marlinman93** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 2:41 pm

Nice prime buck! Congrats!

canonsix · Post by **canonsix** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 3:05 pm

Great picture , thanks and good hunt

Doug

cubrock · Post by **cubrock** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 3:30 pm

Very nice! I took a doe with the same ammo this year and lost a deer with it out of a handgun last year. I'm glad to see positive results with it, as I've been wondering how good those bullets are for deer. I'm going to continue to test it, as I have a few boxes left.

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 3:44 pm

Nice!

gunslinger598 · Post by **gunslinger598** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 3:48 pm

Nice deer and pic ...........

jd45 · Post by **jd45** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 3:51 pm

cubrock, these are some VERY impressive Rugers! I'm wondering how the gripframe on the lower one was done & how it works compared to the upper one & what are they chambered in? AND who built them for you? Thanx, jd45

cubrock · Post by **cubrock** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 4:01 pm

jd45 wrote:cubrock, these are some VERY impressive Rugers! I'm wondering how the gripframe on the lower one was done & how it works compared to the upper one & what are they chambered in? AND who built them for you? Thanx, jd45

Thank you for the kind words. They are actually not Rugers, although there are many similarities. They are Texas Longhorn Arms Improved Number Fives. They were based on Elmer Keith's Number 5 custom Colt. The top one is .45 Colt. The bottom one is .44 Mag.

The gripframes were made that way by Bill Grover. The design came from combining the Bisley and SAA grip frames (Keith's idea with the original Number 5). They handle recoil very well for being such small grip frames and look darn good to boot.

There were probably only around 800 of this model made before TLA shut its doors in 1998. They can be found, but usually command $2000 and up these days. When I bought the .44 a few years ago, you could find the guns for well under $1500, but the prices went up dramatically when Bill Grover died in 2004. The .45 Colt chambering is much less common than .44 Mag. I paid $1800 for it about a year ago. The seller cut me a bit of a deal, as he could have gotten a bit more for it at the time.

While the guns are custom grade, Grover didn't always build them as well as their initial sales price would suggest. They are fairly often found with improperly heat-treated internals. So, if you find one, figure on spending another few hundred bucks getting the internals checked out and heat-treated. Otherwise, you'll wind up with a useless gun in a few hundred rounds. Ask me how I know....

If you want to know more, drop me a line! There are some good articles written about them to which I can point you (not to mention a few more pics I have). Thanks again!

steve@groundwaterresourcespllc.com

PS - to not hijack this thread completely, the pictured .44 is what I used on the doe I lost last year with the white box Winchester ammo referenced in this thread.

Sharptop · Post by **Sharptop** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 5:59 pm

cubrock, I have used the "white box" for several years now. The round usually goes all the way through. On this one I hit it going away in the hip into its body cavaty and it didn't exit. The second round hit the middle of the other side quartering away and came out the opposite shoulder. Several other more experienced .44 mag shooters tell me they have tried every .44 mag round out there and this is the best regular commercial round.

It is good, but I believe the PMC .45 Colt w/300 grains moving at about 1200 FPS was even better. I have several .45 Colt levers also. Too bad they went out of business.

I second the notion on you #5's. Beautiful guns. Are they like the original Colt type sixgun or do they have a transfer bar type safety?

cubrock · Post by **cubrock** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 6:42 pm

Sharptop wrote:cubrock, I have used the "white box" for several years now. The round usually goes all the way through. On this one I hit it going away in the hip into its body cavaty and it didn't exit. The second round hit the middle of the other side quartering away and came out the opposite shoulder. Several other more experienced .44 mag shooters tell me they have tried every .44 mag round out there and this is the best regular commercial round.

It is good, but I believe the PMC .45 Colt w/300 grains moving at about 1200 FPS was even better. I have several .45 Colt levers also. Too bad they went out of business.

I second the notion on you #5's. Beautiful guns. Are they like the original Colt type sixgun or do they have a transfer bar type safety?

The #5s have a Colt-style action, requiring carrying the hammer on an empty chamber. Also, if it isn't obvious from the pics, the TLA guns were made a mirror-image of the Colt. The loading gate is on the left side of the gun, not the right. This allows leaving the gun in your right hand for loading. I usually swap hands out of habit, just like with a standard single-action!

That PMC .45 Colt is good stuff. I have a partial box I've shot out of one of my .45s. Wish I could find more of it!

Re: your .44 ammo - what kind of expansion did you get on the bullet that didn't exit? I've gotten complete penetration on deer each time with this bullet, even out of the 5.5" revolver barrel. I was just curious if these expand at all or if they just punch a hole. I know a .44 caliber hole is still a big hole, but was curious. I have a couple .44 hollow-point molds and have been considering hunting with those bullets next year. Just gotta cast some up and get them loaded.

For what it is worth, the white box Winchester is very accurate in all my guns. The only factory ammo that matches it in my guns is Black Hills 240 grain JHPs, but they cost a lot more. I've been able to get the Winchester between $15 and $25 a box by buying it at shops with old inventory (and old price tags). In that range, I buy every box I can.

jd45 · Post by **jd45** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 7:51 pm

cubrock,.......thanx for jogging my memory. I had read previously about Texas Longhorn Arms & Bill Grover's magic with them. Right now I've got a Ruger AcuSport Bisley convertible on layaway, so that's got my attention for the moment, But, there's always the NEXT moment, if you know what I mean!!! Thanx Steve, & Merry Christmas!! jd45

cubrock · Post by **cubrock** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 7:55 pm

jd45 wrote:cubrock,.......thanx for jogging my memory. I had read previously about Texas Longhorn Arms & Bill Grover's magic with them. Right now I've got a Ruger AcuSport Bisley convertible on layaway, so that's got my attention for the moment, But, there's always the NEXT moment, if you know what I mean!!! Thanx Steve, & Merry Christmas!! jd45

I've owned two Acusport 45 convertibles. The first I traded off for some reason. The second one I sold to help raise money for the .45 #5 above. While the TLA guns are beautiful and neat, the Acusport fills a more practical role for actually using. I hope to get another .45 Acusport convertible one day. They are neat.

RIHMFIRE · Post by **RIHMFIRE** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 8:06 pm

Wow...thats a great buck
Congrats.....
Let us know when to show up for the BBQ

kimwcook · Post by **kimwcook** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 8:44 pm

Congratulations, nice buck.

People allowing their dogs to run loose in the woods ticks me off. Take a look at their kids, they'll be wilder than march hares.

brucew44guns · Post by **brucew44guns** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 9:11 pm

Until recently I thought it useless to own anything in a lever less than a .348 or a 45:70. I finally bought a 44 mag in a model 1894 Marlin. I've shot it some at targets, but how impressed I am at you nailing such a fine buck with what I always had considered a powerful round for a 6 gun. Good job, thanks for the good picture.

cubrock · Post by **cubrock** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 9:36 pm

brucew44guns wrote:Until recently I thought it useless to own anything in a lever less than a .348 or a 45:70. I finally bought a 44 mag in a model 1894 Marlin. I've shot it some at targets, but how impressed I am at you nailing such a fine buck with what I always had considered a powerful round for a 6 gun. Good job, thanks for the good picture.

I've owned Brownings in .348 and .45/70 (both very briefly). Even the 1886 SRC was quite heavy. To me, the 1894 in .44 Mag (or .357) fills a niche for a light, easy to carry gun capable of taking deer. Definitely room in the safe for both types!

rjohns94 · Post by **rjohns94** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 9:41 pm

Nice pic and nice trophy. Happy Eating!!

LeverBob · Post by **LeverBob** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 9:47 pm

prime venison...send me a strap Bro....pretty please!!!!

LeverBob

jd45 · Post by **jd45** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 9:51 pm

Steve....I appreciate your comments on the AcuSports you owned. I'm committed to the purchase & intend to wring this hogleg out, whatever it takes, cause it's SO pretty, as you know. I may just stick to handgun hunting deer in the future, if I can get his thing to do what I want. jd45

Marlin .35 · Post by **Marlin .35** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 12:23 am

Very nice buck!!! Very nice rifle!!!! Good eating!!! Art

Sharptop · Post by **Sharptop** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 1:01 am

brucew44guns wrote:Until recently I thought it useless to own anything in a lever less than a .348 or a 45:70. I finally bought a 44 mag in a model 1894 Marlin. I've shot it some at targets, but how impressed I am at you nailing such a fine buck with what I always had considered a powerful round for a 6 gun. Good job, thanks for the good picture.

Frankly, I think a .44 mag rifle at 130 yards or less is every bit as good as a 30-06.

I've killed every deer that I've shot at with a .44 magnum and that equals my experience with a 30-06.

Bigahh · Post by **Bigahh** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 9:40 am

Very Nice! After looking outside my front door this morning to a Blizzard, its nice to see some fall pictures even though its quite a long ways away from me.

KirkD · Post by **KirkD** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 9:48 am

One thing that just crowns the fall season for me is to get a nice buck for the freezer. Congratulations and nice photo.