Gonna Start Working With The Trapper This New Year

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JimT
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Gonna Start Working With The Trapper This New Year

Post by JimT »

Image

My favorite bullet in it has been the Speer 130 gr. and it has worked well on deer. I shot some fairly large Whitetail in northern Missouri back in 2008/2009. I have recently come across the Hornady Mono Flex 140 gr. bullet and that weight sounds interesting for the short gun. Using Leverevolution powder some interesting velocities seem to be reached at fairly moderate pressures. I don't expect speed of light velocity from the short Trapper, but it will be interesting to see what they will do.

Last year I started loading the 125 gr. .311" bullet designed for the AK but I did not shoot enough to find a real accurate load with them. I will have to continue the work with those as I have a bunch of them.

So I am gathering materials as I find "deals" on them. We will see what comes of it.
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OldWin
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Re: Gonna Start Working With The Trapper This New Year

Post by OldWin »

Nice!
I was shooting one of mine today. I have several, and like them a lot.
Never tried different loads. Always shot my standard 30-30 or 32 loads in my trappers too.
"Oh bother", said Pooh, as he chambered another round.
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Griff
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Re: Gonna Start Working With The Trapper This New Year

Post by Griff »

My favorite version... along with the 26" octagon bbl'd versions, 20" "short rifles", and half mag, pistol gripped, aw... doggonit... I like 'em all, but the Trappers are sure fun!
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t.r.
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Re: Gonna Start Working With The Trapper This New Year

Post by t.r. »

You should consider the Sierra 125 grain spitzer bullet. Very accurate and flatter trajectory than typical flat nose bullets. I load one in the magazine and one in the chamber.

TR

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JimT
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Re: Gonna Start Working With The Trapper This New Year

Post by JimT »

t.r. wrote: Sat Dec 15, 2018 7:00 am You should consider the Sierra 125 grain spitzer bullet. Very accurate and flatter trajectory than typical flat nose bullets. I load one in the magazine and one in the chamber.

TR

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I have been using the 125 gr. AK bullet in the same way ..

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Bill in Oregon
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Re: Gonna Start Working With The Trapper This New Year

Post by Bill in Oregon »

Had one of these in .45 Colt. What a hammer! Did break the lifter, though -- an apparent issue with Trappers in this caliber. Boy these are handy to carry!

8)
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J Miller
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Re: Gonna Start Working With The Trapper This New Year

Post by J Miller »

JimT,
Is your Trapper 18"? Looks longer than mine.

The "funnest" load I've ever shot from my Trapper was a case full of 3031 under a 110gr 30 carbine bullet. HUGE fire ball from the muzzle, a sonic boom muzzle blast, and the bullets made a big sparking flash when they hit. Just like Hollyweird.
Bill in Oregon wrote: Sat Dec 15, 2018 9:45 am Had one of these in .45 Colt. What a hammer! Did break the lifter, though -- an apparent issue with Trappers in this caliber. Boy these are handy to carry!

8)
Bill,
I don't think the lifter is an issue with all the pistol caliber 94's. My 94AE .45 Colt Trapper is 1st year production and has thousands of rounds through it. Nothing has ever broken.
I have seen a few with with defective lifter castings though.

Joe
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Re: Gonna Start Working With The Trapper This New Year

Post by Griff »

JimT wrote: Sat Dec 15, 2018 7:57 amI have been using the 125 gr. AK bullet in the same way ..
Image
Oh gosh... nickel cases... :mrgreen: :mrgreen: I use nickel cases for my "special" rounds, in almost every cartridge I reload... Mostly my SD rounds... For jacketed stuff, I mostly use the Sierra 125 HP for hunting small game with the .30-30.
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Re: Gonna Start Working With The Trapper This New Year

Post by Ysabel Kid »

J Miller wrote: Sat Dec 15, 2018 4:40 pm JimT,
Is your Trapper 18"? Looks longer than mine.

The "funnest" load I've ever shot from my Trapper was a case full of 3031 under a 110gr 30 carbine bullet. HUGE fire ball from the muzzle, a sonic boom muzzle blast, and the bullets made a big sparking flash when they hit. Just like Hollyweird.
Bill in Oregon wrote: Sat Dec 15, 2018 9:45 am Had one of these in .45 Colt. What a hammer! Did break the lifter, though -- an apparent issue with Trappers in this caliber. Boy these are handy to carry!

8)
Bill,
I don't think the lifter is an issue with all the pistol caliber 94's. My 94AE .45 Colt Trapper is 1st year production and has thousands of rounds through it. Nothing has ever broken.
I have seen a few with with defective lifter castings though.

Joe
Joe, I was going to ask the same question. Mine sports a 16" barrel, and Jim's looks a tad longer.
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HillbillyGadget
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Re: Gonna Start Working With The Trapper This New Year

Post by HillbillyGadget »

Nice JimT! I've read the articles about the little Trapper many times, I'm glad she's still around.
I see it's minus the scout scope.

I have a Centennial trapper in .45 colt that has hundreds of rounds through it, and didn't know my lifter might break until a few years ago. I hope it doesn't break, does anybody make replacements?
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JimT
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Re: Gonna Start Working With The Trapper This New Year

Post by JimT »

First ..
It's a 16" ... probably just the way I was tilting the camera ... :o

Image

I took the Scout scope off and went back to aperture sights. Somehow a scope on a levergun didn't appeal to me all that much after I had tried it awhile. The Scout setup is handy and quick but I dislike things that can break at the wrong time and ... sigh ... the scope that was on it had the horizontal controls quit working. That decided it for me and I went back to the original configuration.

I have used a few of the different brands of lightweight (125 to 130 gr.) bullets and find they work just fine for game up to and including large deer. I used the Speer 130 on large Whitetails with no issues. My Dad used .. I think it was 125 gr. that Paco recommended to him. In his Marlin. I was with him and watched him drop two Mule deer at an honest 200 yards with one shot each.

Like I said, I am planning on trying the Hornady 140 gr. MFTX bullets. They should give deep penetration. We will see. I also ordered some Hornady 135 gr. FTX and will give them a try. I like the lighter bullets in the Trapper and these are in the range I think will work well in the short barrel.
Bill in Oregon
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Re: Gonna Start Working With The Trapper This New Year

Post by Bill in Oregon »

Joe, the lifter issue may have been limited to the .45 Colt Trappers. A buddy bought one about the same time I did and broke his lifter as well. Fortunately, there was a gun shop in Grants Pass, Oregon, that was a warranty station for Winchester and the smith there had us both up and running pronto. Never had an issue with the replacement lifter.
They sure are handy little carbines!
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Re: Gonna Start Working With The Trapper This New Year

Post by Griff »

HillbillyGadget wrote: Mon Dec 17, 2018 9:43 pm Nice JimT! I've read the articles about the little Trapper many times, I'm glad she's still around.
I see it's minus the scout scope.

I have a Centennial trapper in .45 colt that has hundreds of rounds through it, and didn't know my lifter might break until a few years ago. I hope it doesn't break, does anybody make replacements?
Unless your's is a stamped steel carrier, (which was discontinued well before a mdl 94 was produced in 45 Colt), you shouldn't have a problem... but, just in case: Wisner's has you covered.
Griff,
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There is a fine line between hobby & obsession!
AND... I'm over it!!
No I ain't ready, but let's do it anyway!
3leggedturtle
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Re: Gonna Start Working With The Trapper This New Year

Post by 3leggedturtle »

Jim, i have the R-P 125gr SPP bullets that Paco wrote about using and was so fond of. They shot great and I could average 4-5” groups at 200 yards with a peep sight. I have never shot any thing with them other than paper tho. Todd/3leg
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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JimT
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Re: Gonna Start Working With The Trapper This New Year

Post by JimT »

3leggedturtle wrote: Tue Dec 18, 2018 1:43 pm Jim, i have the R-P 125gr SPP bullets that Paco wrote about using and was so fond of. They shot great and I could average 4-5” groups at 200 yards with a peep sight. I have never shot any thing with them other than paper tho. Todd/3leg
I believe that may be the bullet my Dad was using. I know they worked just great on Mule Deer.
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Re: Gonna Start Working With The Trapper This New Year

Post by octagon »

I started lever life almost 45 years ago using 150 corelokt with good results. Back then Dad made me up a several boxes of Sierra 125 HP. This was lever "magic" for me, killing deer like lightening from Zeus! I used these for many years, mostly neck shots, but heart and chest shots when too far for neck shooting. I still have 4 or 5 of the Dad shells, that I have saved for sentimental reasons, having long ago gone back to 150 corelokt. Still have a few boxes of 125 HP bullets. I always wonder why folks call these varmint shells, when they are pure hell from a 26 " barrel. It makes me feel good that there are others here that have killed deer with "varmint" 125s. Recoil from the 125s are like a mother's kiss as well! :D

Dad started me on levers after I'd blasted quite a few with a scoped 270, thinking to increase my interest in hunting by maki by it more challenging with open sight, it did. I still have that Winchester, with a lock of Dad's hair under the but plate.
Idiot
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Re: Gonna Start Working With The Trapper This New Year

Post by Idiot »

Hi JImT.


I've got a similar carbine and it likes Sierra 150 grain flat points. It shoots them straight and since they don't cost a lot, I can shoot them a lot, which makes them shoot even straighter. However, for serious stuff and real accuracy, I've found nothing beats Barnes TSX 150 grain FP. It shoots arrow straight and hits all the way through. My granddaughter knocked down a big muley doe at 200 yards with it. She hit a bit back and high and broke it spine. A lesser bullet might not have got it done. Anyway, give it a go if you want.


God Bless you brother and have a Merry Christmas.


Homer
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HillbillyGadget
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Re: Gonna Start Working With The Trapper This New Year

Post by HillbillyGadget »

Thanks, for the link Griff.
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