I just aquired a Winchester model 94, made in may 1955. Do I have to be carefull about my amunition choices because of the age of the gun? Thoughts on stopping power, & maximum distance for a clean kill, use a scope or open sites?
RE: Your opinion on using a Win. 30-30 for Whitetails
That rifle will handle any 30-30 load made today. The 30-30 is a low pressure cartridge with low recoil.
For whitetail deer it will cleanly kill them to about 200 yards with no problems.
As far as sights goes you are pretty much limited to open sights due to the fact that the older 94's were not angle eject. They eject straight up out of the receiver. I would suggest a tang mounted peep sight if you really want to change it up. Personally I would not go messing with it since it is a pre 64' model 94. I would leave it the way it originally was built. Unless, of course, it has already been messed with.
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RE: Your opinion on using a Win. 30-30 for Whitetails
A bow will kill a deer and many hunt with a bow. A muzzleloader will kill deer better at farther ranges and many hunt with muzzleloaders rather than bows. A 30/30 will kill deer better and at farther ranges than muzzleloaders and so many hunters use a 30/30 rather than a muzzleloader. There are many cartridges that are better than the 30/30 and extend the range at which deer can be shot.
If you know your limitations and stick within them you will have to give up some opportunities but you can hunt deer successfully with a 30/30 or a muzzleloader or a bow.
RE: Your opinion on using a Win. 30-30 for Whitetails
For woods hunting, the 94 in 30-30 is pretty hard to beat.
Its a gun meant for hunting in the woods, or still hunting where your shots will be fairly short.
The 30-30 drops off pretty quick after 150 yards, but has plenty behind it to make clean kills at least out to 200.
If you don't like the buckhorn sights, you can get a Williams receiver sight that screws right into the receiver using holes that were drilled and tapped into the receiver from the factory.
Don't bother with a scope- the 94 isn't made to take a scope though one can be mounted in a goofy offset mount. A scope does nothing to add to the rifle, but does screw up the rifle's nice balance and light weight.
Have fun with the old rifle, they used to make them a whole lot nicer than the current crop of 94s.
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RE: Your opinion on using a Win. 30-30 for Whitetails
Like Briman says, you can put a side mount on there, my buddy has one they look a little strange, hey whatever works.. More importlanly dont use and ammo that is pointed, most 30-30 ammo is rounded and that is because your next shell is pushing against the primer of the one ahead of it so if you had a pointed round and it hit a hard jolt it could fire in the storage area.If you use round ed bullets this is not supposed to happen. BTW I have a 94 and a 336 Marlin in 30-30 and they are o.k. to deer hunt with...
RE: Your opinion on using a Win. 30-30 for Whitetails
I have a model 94 made in 1947 that i used for years and took alot of deer. Most of my kills were around 25 yards but i took a few out past 130. It still has the old buckhorn sights and i wouldnt change a thing, it is very accurate for such an old gun. I have had several people want to buy it off me after they see how i can shoot it. Mine was never even drilled for sling mounts, which kinda makes it a pain carrying it through the woods for long distances. As far as ammo, i have tried several diffrent makes and loads. My rifle prefers Remington Core-lokts in 170 grain, i have also shot federal high shocks, PMC flat noses, remington hollow points and winchester power points. The winchester ammo shot the worse of all out of my gun. You fiqure since it has been around since the 1800's the 30-30 probably accounts for more deer than most popular calibers. Like Briman said you can put a new set of sights like the williams on them, my friend has a set of peep sights on his and he is deadly accurate with it. I carried his gun one day and i didnt much care for the peeps, especially with a deer in heavy cover. You definetly cant go wrong with the old 30-30 for close to medium range deep woods deer slaying.
Dave
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RE: Your opinion on using a Win. 30-30 for Whitetails
For most deer hunting especially in the heavily wooded Northern states it is the handiest, most practical gun for that purpose. Shooting deer inside 100 yards all the gun one needs. Most however see it as inferior and choose large mags for the same purpose, they are simply overkill in this situation unless there is a powerline one is watching or a very large field.
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RE: Your opinion on using a Win. 30-30 for Whitetails
I had a 30-30 marlin loved it kinda heavy good brush gun. I have a 32 WINCHESTER SPECIAL mod 94 love it weighs 7 1/4 lbs. can hit milk jug or deer at 100 big paces...buck horn sights is all it needs..[8D]
Your opinion on using a Win. 30-30 for Whitetails
