The old cartridges
 

I really enjoy shooting the old cartridges. I don't know if its the nostalgia or what it is. I recently picked up a Win 94 in 32 Spl and took it out today after removing the rear sight and installing a Williams peep sight on it. I fired 3 sort of hurried shots at 25 yds to see how close I was. All 3 were in the bull (I must admit, I installed the peep first and lined up the peep with the rear and front sights before removing the rear sight). So I moved the target out to 50 yds and really beared down on the sights. The result was 2 shots in virtually the same hole and one just about 1/2 higher.
As I came home and was cleaning the rifle(s) I realized that my gun safe holds quite a bit of the oldies. I have a 30-30, the above 32, a bunch of .22 lrs, 30-06, 45-70, and even a 405 Win.
I do have a couple of the newer chamberings (7-08, 325 WSM, .223) but the old ones seem to hold a special charm and are still quite capable of filling the freezer. The problem arises around hunting season deciding on which rifle to take for deer or black bear.

I also have an affinity for the old cartidges. 7 X 57, 8 X 57, 6.5 X 55, 30/06 and my monicker, 8mm/06 isn't a terribly old wildcat, but was born of necessity when many surplus Mausers came home without a good supply of ammo. A simple ream / re-chambering and the Mauser then shot the same .323 ball from the /06 case.

I also enjoy shooting my older guns ... Moisin Nagant, Swede Model 94, 1928 made Savage 99 takedown in .300 Savage, 1923 produced Winchester Model 06 .22 pump. One of my older Swede's has a Obendorf 1899 date on it.

Nothing wrong with the new cartridges and equipment. Many great improvements. But the older stuff can still get the job done.

Me, too bronko!

The newest rifle cartridge I've even owned was introduced in 1956!

a .405?!?!?!?
Dude.. you're gonna hurt yourself with that.. you need to put it in a box and send it to me...

srsly.. I LUVS me my .32-20's

They still work do they ?


Just like the guy with one gun.................he can shoot it !!!

I also have a Win 94 in .32 Spl. (1950's vintage). Got it from my Dad's estate. It's a blast to shoot and has very low recoil ... although my eyesight sucks so I put a Burris FastFire II on it. Sweet.

My latest "unusual" chambering is a .300 H&H in a Ruger 1S. It's the original super 30! A guy just can't have too many guns. LOL.

The last couple years have been great! I can now find ammo/brass in a reasonable price range for a lot of guns I had sitting in the closet. Some you could not even buy brass if you wanted to. .303 Savage, .22 Savage Hi-Power, 6.5 Carcano, 6.5 Arisaka, 7.7 Arisaka, 7.65 Mauser, and some people have others. In the last couple years I have shot deer with all of the above.

Yes my father passed on down to me his Model 64, identical to the 94 except with a longer barrel and pistol grip in 32 Win spl. For years it was my 'elk' rifle and to be honest it worked very well. Nowadays I gravitated to a bigger (not necessarily better) bolt rifle. The 32 WS is a fun gun to shoot and his is pretty accurate open its original buckhorn sites.

I've got an old pump .30 Remington that I inherited from my granddad. I believe it was manufactured around 1900. Grew up deer hunting with it. Went through a period when I couldn't find ammo, but now I've run across a few sources.

Remington 14 or 141 ?

I've got a Lee-Remington chambered in 30-40Krag that was my Grandpa's. I think the original load for that round was 30-40-220 (30 cal, 40gr smokeless powder, 220 grain bullet). So I loaded some Sierra 220gr Roundnose bullets on top of 40grains of H4831, and this past fall, my brother became the 3 generation of my family to harvest a buck with this gun.

It IS pretty amazing how over the last half century or so all the worlds animals from mice to moose have become so much tougher and armor plated! :biggrin:

I've gotta safe full of rifles and now that I own a "swamp" my days of needing superdooper crossfield woopers are gone. My oldest son will be getting a 45-70 Henry as soon as they are released. I will mainly use my grandpa's old 35 Marlin this fall (stoked full of Buffalo Bore's 220 heavies) as well and after I see how my sons Henry performs I might very well get one myself nextyear! Honestly I have a hankering for a Marlin 1894 with a 20" octagaonal barrel in 45LC loaded with Buffalo Bore's extra stout!!!

NOTHING drops game like a near half inch diameter chunk of metal penetrating its way through ANYTHING in it's path! :rock:
HL

Unless you're interested in paying "collectors price" for a used one, I'd say find one and buy it in a hurry, or forget about ever getting a Marlin 1894 Cowboy (the hexagonal barreled 1894 in .45lc that you're referring to). Part of the Marlington take over was the discontinuation of the 1894 Cowboys. Maybe they'll bring them back in the future, but according to Marlin about 4months ago, these are out of the catalog and aren't on the production list for any foreseeable future.

Kinda sad. Hopefully some of my fellow cowboy action shooting enthusiasts will raise their voices and encourage Remington to bring them back, but that's not the buzz I'm hearing.

Hey Bronko do you need a 44-40 long gun, I might have 1 that might be going up for sale.