Scopeless stalking with a Winchester '94
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 7
Scopeless stalking with a Winchester '94
I'm heading to Montana in October with guys from my local camp in Upper Peninsula, MI. I have a 1940's Mauser model '98 (heavy gun, but accurate as hell with great action and set/hair triggers) and a 1921 Savage 250-3000 both with new Leupolds (they were scoped when I inherited them, I just updated/upgraded). A friend just gave me the "high-grade quality" 200th anniversary Winchester model '94 that came with his "Custom" version. Am I insane that I want to do this hunt with iron sights and this beautiful lever action? I've not hunted Montana before (will be in Livingston area), and I've got a pretty good amount of cash invested in this hunt. Am I letting testosterone cloud my judgement? And out of curiosity, how would you rank these three in order for this hunt? Thanks! Joe
#2
Need some more info like WHAT you are hunting. Elk, Moose, Whitetail, Mulies. Believe it or not, it makes a pretty big difference because of target size. Also, how proficient are you with open sight rifles? Montana offers a VAST array of different shot options. Everything from right in your face to 1000 yard shots. If I remember correctly, the Livingston area is pretty much Elk and Whitetail (been a few years since I hunted Big Game in Montana) and they have some outfitters that offer bow hunts so that tells me that you should be able to close some distance. It pretty much boils down to, how good are you with that rifle and are you willing to risk a bad shot (big no no) when you could have been using a better tool that you are more proficient with.
#3
Unless space is limited I would take both the 250/3000 and the 94. I would put a nice marble tang peep sight on the 94 myself how ever.
Think pretty much all the bases are covered that way except for maybe elk and moose, but many have fallen to the 30-30 back in the day.
Al
Think pretty much all the bases are covered that way except for maybe elk and moose, but many have fallen to the 30-30 back in the day.
Al
#4
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 9,227
Been known to carry a rifle with iron sights myself. Took this ram off a ranch my buddy owned when it escaped from a neighboring game ranch. He didn't want it in his pasture so I broke out a Model 1903 Mannlicher Schoenauer in 6.5x54MS. It did the job.
#5
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Allegan, MI
Posts: 8,019
I hunt out in Wyoming every year and always take 3 or 4 rifles with me and depending on what I'm hunting I either carry my .243 Sako, my 25-06 Ruger, or one of my 30-06s. Usually if it's a 30-06 it will be my pre 64 Model 70 that has taken most of the bigger animals like elk. Since the OP posted in the Whitetail Forum and is asking about using the lever action on his hunt I'm just guessing he's going to hunt whitetails out there although most go for mule deer and elk.
Last edited by Topgun 3006; 06-14-2016 at 08:45 AM. Reason: add on
#6
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 7
Thanks for the input. Will be hunting whitetails and mule deer. I'm a pretty decent shooter, and I plan to put a whole lot of rounds through this gun between now and October. Based on what little I know about this, the expectation is anything from 50 to 300 yards.
#8
Yeah RR I committed some serious sacrilege scoping all my lever guns when my eyes went crappy for opens. But I love them too dang much to get rid of them when all I had to do was put some glass on them to be effective for me again.
Well you will be splitting the middle with range capability out to 150 yards with that 94 so practice a LOT.
Thanks for the input. Will be hunting whitetails and mule deer. I'm a pretty decent shooter, and I plan to put a whole lot of rounds through this gun between now and October. Based on what little I know about this, the expectation is anything from 50 to 300 yards.
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Eastern wv
Posts: 3,619
RR
#10
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 7
Update
My apologies for being offline for so long, and thanks to ALL who have posted. So I've been out to camp shooting like its nobody's business ('cause it isn't)... I'm going to follow the advice of a few folks who responded, and I'm going to take four rifles on this trip, and play a version of Russian Roulette. Each of the following four guns will get two days of carry (rotating each day for eight days):
1921 Savage 250-3000 model 99 lever: Can only get 87 grain to stabilize well, and that was some hard to find ammo.
Circa 1946 Mauser model 98 bolt action with set and hair triggers: very accurate weapon, not sure if its the hair trigger, but very tight in a 3" diameter center at 300yds. shoots 270 WCF
Remington 308: Short / light gun with a little kick. I'll probably put this one after the super heavy Mauser in the rotation.
The open sight Winchester commemorative 3030. I'm not-so-secretly hoping this is the one, just 'cause I'll feel a little more manly without the Leopulds Lol.
Thanks again everyone. In the few threads I've posted on this sight (the other about the Savage), I've learned a lot from a lot of very smart hunters and enthusiasts.
1921 Savage 250-3000 model 99 lever: Can only get 87 grain to stabilize well, and that was some hard to find ammo.
Circa 1946 Mauser model 98 bolt action with set and hair triggers: very accurate weapon, not sure if its the hair trigger, but very tight in a 3" diameter center at 300yds. shoots 270 WCF
Remington 308: Short / light gun with a little kick. I'll probably put this one after the super heavy Mauser in the rotation.
The open sight Winchester commemorative 3030. I'm not-so-secretly hoping this is the one, just 'cause I'll feel a little more manly without the Leopulds Lol.
Thanks again everyone. In the few threads I've posted on this sight (the other about the Savage), I've learned a lot from a lot of very smart hunters and enthusiasts.