Shot silhouette with 30/30 yesterday

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earlmck
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Shot silhouette with 30/30 yesterday

Post by earlmck »

Our local shootin' group is having the last shoot of the year this week-end. I went out yesterday and shot with the boys (and a girl) in their "big lever" category. This is the first time I have shot in this match; until now I have been just shooting pistol-caliber lever which they do on the Sunday. I no longer have a "big" lever but they let you sneak in with a 30/30 so thought I'd give it a go. I am embarrassed to admit I had never shot the old girl out much past 100 yards, let alone to 500 yards.
Here's the weapon -- Marlin 336A, 1950 manufacture.
Marlin30309616.jpg
And a closer shot of the ammo: 180 grain Loverin goobered with some LBT Blue and seated out to almost engage. 18.5 grains 4759 for about 1750 fps, and at this length you load 'em one at a time and hope you don't have to get one back out without shooting it.
Marlin30309617.jpg
Shoots pretty good to 200 yards but I think I must be spraying a little by 500. I dropped a shot at 300, another at 400, and a couple at the 500 for a 16/20 score (we shoot sitting or prone with cross sticks). I was plumb tickled with that score and got to ogle a bunch of nifty old rifles the other shooters were using. And talk levers and cast bullets and generally have a good time.

A little more load development and I'll be ready to really clean their clock by the time we shoot again next April :D
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fordwannabe
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Re: Shot silhouette with 30/30 yesterday

Post by fordwannabe »

Earl, please keep us up to date on your load development for the old girl. I am interested as I may have a Marlin like that, or maybe two :shock:
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Camel73
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Re: Shot silhouette with 30/30 yesterday

Post by Camel73 »

Wow! Pretty good I'd say considering the unknown. I'm excited to hear of any load developments also. Sounded like you had a great time. :mrgreen:
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Re: Shot silhouette with 30/30 yesterday

Post by 3leggedturtle »

What great looking thutty thutty! Todd
30/30 Winchester: Not accurate enough fer varmints, barely adequate for small deer; BUT In a 10" to 14" barrelled pistol; is good for moose/elk to 200 yards; ground squirrels to 300 metres

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Bill in Oregon
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Re: Shot silhouette with 30/30 yesterday

Post by Bill in Oregon »

Earl, was this at the COSSA range out there near Millican? Some fine folks shoot out there. I'd be pretty pleased with your score!

8)
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Re: Shot silhouette with 30/30 yesterday

Post by Griff »

Bill in Oregon wrote: Sun Oct 28, 2018 8:25 amI'd be pretty pleased with your score!
8)
+1!!!
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Re: Shot silhouette with 30/30 yesterday

Post by Rusty »

Earl that's really good for the first time out. There's always a lot to learn. I shot some benchrest rimfire matches a few years ago and I was surprised at how fast I learned some of the fine points of the game.
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earlmck
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Re: Shot silhouette with 30/30 yesterday

Post by earlmck »

Bill in Oregon wrote: Sun Oct 28, 2018 8:25 am Earl, was this at the COSSA range out there near Millican? Some fine folks shoot out there.
That's it Bill. I don't know why I hadn't got with those folks years ago: guess I had just heard about them shooting the BPCR thing and I don't have one of those. But dang, they also do the pistol cal levers and quarter bore and military bolt and trapdoor and big lever and military single shot -- all cool stuff. I gotta' get more rifles limbered up for next year with that bunch. You get back to Oregon you can join in again -- at least three of the regulars that I have met come down from Washington: pull fifth-wheels and camp for the three day shoot.
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Re: Shot silhouette with 30/30 yesterday

Post by Sixgun »

That's some fine shooting Earl with a 30-30 and cast bullets. If you double the 16/20 you get 32/40 if your shooting 40 shots. At the Ridgway Levergun Jubilee I got 21 x40 and past years got only 16/40 and an 18/40 but I was using the 1881 Marlin in 40-60.

We use the bench also but with no support other than what the Good Lord gave you, along with jacketed bullets if you so choose.

Last year a guy with a 99 in 300 Savage with a 3x9 Leupold won it with a 31x40 using jacketed bullets.----6
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earlmck
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Re: Shot silhouette with 30/30 yesterday

Post by earlmck »

Sixgun wrote: Sun Oct 28, 2018 8:33 pm That's some fine shooting Earl with a 30-30 and cast bullets. If you double the 16/20 you get 32/40 if your shooting 40 shots. At the Ridgway Levergun Jubilee I got 21 x40 and past years got only 16/40 and an 18/40 but I was using the 1881 Marlin in 40-60.
Naw, that's apples to oranges 6. We're shooting quite a lot larger targets (buffalo cut-outs) sized down depending on the range. And these folks shoot iron sights only, and cast bullets only except for the military bolt, and for that they shoot a round gong -- they don't want jacketed dinging up these buffalo cut-outs. Good fun and good folks but nothing remotely NRA sanctioned.

And today I re-learned what I was already afraid of -- on anything other than a nice cloudy-bright day my eyes are not to be trusted with shooting the iron sights. I shot my Henry 22, Win 92 25/20, and Rossi 357 in our 50 to 200 yard shoot. Heavy overcast day, occasional rain, dab of wind but not enough to be much of a factor. And I shot very poorly. With the Henry 22 and the 25/20 especially I have no excuse for ever missing. But I went ahead and did plenty of missing: these old eyeballs are kinda' letting me down. And my Friday shoot with the 30/30 was a fairly heavy overcast day and I'm guessing that what I thought was the load not shooting up to snuff was this old kid's eyes not being up to snuff. The 30/30 load is probably just fine for the 500 yard shooting; just needs a better shooter. Not to say I won't try some load development and report back but I have this fear that unless I have really perfect light I am no longer able to detect a really good load from a kinda' good load when using iron sights.
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Re: Shot silhouette with 30/30 yesterday

Post by Nath »

That's 8)
Great going Earl.
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Re: Shot silhouette with 30/30 yesterday

Post by Sixgun »

I hear ya on the eyes Earl.......yep, an overcast day makes for a happy day on the gun range.----6
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