Old Style Inline Rifles are still working fine

cayugad · 09-09-2011, 10:22 AM

Today I wanted to shoot since it was a beautiful sunny day. I was going to grab one of my newer inline rifles when I saw the old CVA Stag Horn Magnum hiding in the corner. I felt sorry for not shooting it more. So out it came.

The rifle is not fancy. It was an $89.00 rifle new. And then topped off with a $39.00 scope. So not a big investment in this one. But it always was a good shooter. And I remember it liked 90 grains of Pyrodex RS or Goex. So since I have a lot of Goex but almost out of Pyrodex RS.. it was Goex time.

I looked through my wall of bullets and picked some .430 diameter .44 caliber Hornady 240 grain XTPs. I some green crushed rib sabots. I also saw some of the pure lead bullets I cast from a LEE 405 mold. Normally they weigh 423 grain but I have not weighed these. I grabbed some of the orange Knight .458 sabots and headed out the door.

I set the target at what would normally be 75 yards, but forgot that when I mowed the lawn I moved the bench table. A range finder told me it was 68, 69, and 68 yards. So I decided that was good enough.

I loaded on a squeaky clean barrel. The first shot was low. But my card said it was sighted in at 50 yards. I then did not swab, wanting to see how hard it would be to load a second shot on a fouled bore. It was hard!! I really thought I was going to have to pull the breech plug and push that load out. But using the range rod was finally able to seat the bullet. Shot #2 was a little higher, and that did not surprise me seeing how hard it was to load. But then I started swabbing and shot 3-6 and actually this was a good group, but I was surprised it was this high.

So I swabbed the barrel clean. I then reset the target and got back to the bench. I knew these were a large heavy bullet so I was kind of excited about seeing how they would shoot.

While that group is not real tight.. consider being hit by that 423 grain all lead bullet. All of them in that group at 68 yards would have been in a kill zone of a deer. And that should be a good hard hitting load.

These old open breech rifles I know are avoided now days. Every one wants a clean foul free easy to clean rifle. But in reality, these old open breech rifles, like this Staghorn were a good accurate hunting rifle. All you need do is work up a good load.

This will be my loaner muzzleloader this year, should the need arise.

falcon · 09-09-2011, 10:38 AM

That is some good shooting. Guns get a lot more expensive than the StagHorn but they don't shoot much better.

cayugad · 09-09-2011, 12:32 PM

I have to agree.. that rifle would have met all my hunting needs.

flounder33 · 09-09-2011, 01:33 PM

Nice shooting Dave.
I like the plunger style inlines best. Wait, come to think of it all the inlines I own now (Knights and Whites) are plunger style guns. I'm really not feeling too inadequate with them needer.
Art

Brknarrow1970 · 09-09-2011, 01:39 PM

Great group, I dont have any experience with inlines but like the looks of that compared to mine earlier wished I would have take photos

bronko22000 · 09-09-2011, 01:58 PM

Dave you are right, I am sure those big heavy bullets would leave a mark. And that very first bullet out of the clean barrel being only an inch low, would have definately put venison in your freezer. So for under $130 - that's a deal any day in my book.

stripercrazy · 09-09-2011, 02:40 PM

are those 45-70 bullets?

cayugad · 09-09-2011, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stripercrazy

are those 45-70 bullets?

Yes the bullet that I cast is meant for the 45-70 Government cartridge. Lee sells the mold. I got them because they are nice to shoot and I size them down to a .451 and shoot them out of my White Model 97.

Grouse45 · 09-09-2011, 03:18 PM

Cayugad, why is that considered a magnum ML? Maybe i should say, what is considered magnum ML? 150grns of powder by volume???

cayugad · 09-09-2011, 04:31 PM

This was one of the CVA rifles that could handle three pellets. It will not handle 150 grains of loose. And it is considered a "magnum" because it is stamped on the side of the barrel Stag Horn Magnum.

I have shot three pellets out of it, but the accuracy was terrible and the recoil was too much for my liking. I have found that the rifle for some reason likes 90 grains of loose powder. That's hardly a magnum charge or anything compared to the kind of loads you shoot.