First deer with "new" Winchester 94

[Carlsen Highway]

Well, I got this old thing last month, and posted earlier about how it turned out to be probably the most accurate .30/30 I have ever met....looks like a beat up campaigner on the outside, and nothing special pedigree-wise - a 1979-'80 Winchester. But it will shoot one to 1.5 inch groups with the stock sights, and I have proved that over just to make sure.
I took it hunting this last week, and checked the zero after I knocked the rear sight when I dropped it on the floor, and ended up firing three x two shot "groups" in a row each at an inch, as I walked her back to where she should be at 100 yards...

Anyway - to the hunting. A red stag roaring in a clearing - shot offhand at 90 paces and a neck shot to boot. Only had the top line of his back, neck and head showing over some scrub. I was confident of the rifle and and it turned out I was right. He dropped like an armload of wet towels.

[Old Savage]

Dandy - more pics of the rifle.

[Griff]

Congrats Carlsen. Whereabouts were you hunting?

[Carlsen Highway]

This is on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand; about four hours drive away.


This is what she looks like, although the receiver is showing more wear on the blueing and where some old rust got taken off than the photo suggests.

[Ravenman]

Real nice red stag! What kind of ammo did you use?

[Carlsen Highway]

I was using factory Prvi Partisen 150grains.
I have the set up to reload for the .30/30 again, and a whole bunch of Winchester Powerpoints on hand which is a fine performing bullet in my opinion, but the rifle shoots so well with this Serbian factory stuff that I havn't got to it yet.

[Borregos]

Nice stag and nice 94

[RIHMFIRE]

Nice stag and nice 94

+10 Congrats

[Pete44ru]

Yep - Game & gun, both someting to be proud of. Not to mention some pretty decent shooting, to boot !

A neck shot @ 90 yards tell me the shooter's just as accurate as the rifle...............................


Thanks for posting.

.

[86er]

Nice!

[rjohns94]

very nice. great looking animal. fine shooting

[bdhold]

outstanding

[Old Ironsights]

A shooter's better than a looker in my books...

[Blaine]

More proof that the post 64s are good shooters.....Way to go

[gak]

Nice job! You say "no special pedigree" but these ca '79-80 guns are not just any Post 64 in my book. IMO they"re much nicer than earlier guns. They did start making improvements--correcting some of the sins in mechanical areas which had been cheapened such the cartridge lifter, and cosmetically in the finish/treatment to the receivers, as well as better wood than much earlier Post 64s. Overall quality at least appears way up. My 79-80 carbine and trapper are, finally again, the near-equivalents of my Pre 64s, and they're (both eras) stellar pieces. Would I trade them out with each other? No (except there were no post war Pre 64 trappers), but they're firearms worthy of pride of ownership.

[mikld]

Excellent! And I was told by my brother's uncle's friend who knows a guy at work that said 30-30s are only good for chicken thieves and cats.

BTW, I read your signature line, and I must be kinda slow, but I ain't never carried a cat by the tail very far and don't know what I should have learned from that...

[Blaine]

Excellent! And I was told by my brother's uncle's friend who knows a guy at work that said 30-30s are only good for chicken thieves and cats.

BTW, I read your signature line, and I must be kinda slow, but I ain't never carried a cat by the tail very far and don't know what I should have learned from that...

It's not unlike locking your dog and wife in the trunk of the car, letting them go after a couple hours, and seeing which one still likes you.

[earlmck]

Fine rifle and a fine story there, Carlsen. And the little rifle is d&t for a receiver sight should your eyeballs get to fuzzing up on you like they have on some of us old guys .

[COSteve]

Great looking red stag and a fine old Winchester. Looks like it will be a keeper for ya.

This is on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand; about four hours drive away.

Down by Greymouth, Mt. Cook, or more towards Milford Sound?

I took my family to visit NZ back in 1993 as we have friends in Hamilton. We rented a car and spent 3 weeks driving all around both the North and South Islands from Bay of Islands in the north all the way down to Invercargill in the south. We all loved the varied scenery of NZ and I've got to say that NZ is a beautiful country and the people we met were universally kind and helpful. In some ways, it reminded me of Northern California back in the '50s before it got crazy. Beautiful country and great people. I'd go back to visit again in a heartbeat as it was one of our family's best holidays together.

[Canuck Bob]

Congrats, what would that stag run for live weight?

Are they good eating?

[stew71]

Impossible!!! Everyone knows that the 30-30 is just too old and too underpowered for deer. /sarcasm

Nice shot. Nice rifle. Nice stag.

[GoatGuy]

Fine shooting, rifle and nice red stag. Ya' did good.

[Old Shatterhand]

Nice stag - and a fine shot with a fine rifle.

Congrats!

Pete

[tman]

A good shot and a good hunter could feed and defend himself with the outdated and underpowererd 30-30 in a post 64 carbine. But that would kill the new and collectable gun industry. So don't tell nobody.

[Carlsen Highway]

Yes, I am very pleased with the rifle. And I got it for a song too...
My 1952 pre'64 only shot slightly less well than this one with tailored handloads, (I say "tailored", but it took one afternoon to settle on it.) so I wont hear anything about Winchester leverguns not being as accurate as the average bolt action, I just havn't experienced it.
They are the easiest to shoot and the best fitting for me personally to shoot offhand. Nothing else comes close.
Plus much of NZ hunting is backpack hunting, so a lever carbine is perfect. I am the exception though, most people use scoped bolt actions here. But I have proven it right for myself time and again.

This stag tasted real good. Some people won't eat them during the rut, but I don't believe in that, its all about how you handle the meat mostly.

It was south of Jackson Bay, in South Westland. If you ever come back this way let me know. THere are more deer around than there were in the '90's as well.

[olyinaz]

Great looking stag! Well done.

Oly

[tman]

I've always shot an iron sighted 94 better than a scoped bolt in the type of hunting I do; Stalking in heavy brush. The model 71 winchester, while a little on the heavy side, a close second. No flies on the 30WCF, but My holy grail, for the type of hunting I do is A Bigbore .356. There is nothing on the North American Continent I woundn't hunt with it.

[Shasta]

Good pictures (as required) and a good read. Thanks for posting, but now I'm feeling all jealous.


SHASTA

[PackinPreacher]

Nice gun, nice deer, nice shooting.

[JerryB]

Thank you, once again the old 30wcf has proven that it is still the king of deer rifles. You done real good.

[kimwcook]

Excellent job, mate. That's something to crow about.

[1894c]

Nice stag and nice 94 :D :D

+1 ...may not be the prettiest, but sure does the job...thank you for the post... :)

[Nath]

Trick shots hey! Nice goin'.

Looks like my biggn' (top phot).



Nath

[t.r.]

Excellent stag and good shootin' too!

TR

[Dave]

Nice shot and a good looking deer!