The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting Varmint Hunting Lever action for varmints anyone?Go | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
| Lever action for varmints anyone? | Login/Join |
| One of Us |
Lost interest in shooting varmints such as sage rats, jack rabbits and such with high power, scoped rifles. No challange. So started using peep sighted lever rifles and open sighted handguns with home made cast bullets. It added a challange and put the fun back in the shooting. I now get more satisfaction if I connect with 1 out of 3 then I did connecting with every one with the scopes. Anyone else feel this way? | ||
|
one of us |
I have pretty much given up hunting Deer with anything except an open sighted handgun. I've used a couple of 30-30's to shoot at different types of varmints, lots of fun. And I've used a 45/70 to shoot a few ground squirrels. You either hit'em or miss completly.  The problem with America is stupidity. I'm not saying there should be capital punishment for stupidity, but why don't we just take the safety labels off of everything and let the problem solve itself? | |||
|
One of Us |
That sounds like fun! My main reason for preferring to stay with a scope is target identification, but the idea of a 30-30 type cartridge with cast bullets - why not? I am just starting to play with cast bullets for my 303 Brit and I plan to pop a few hares and rabbits with it. Not to mention a few feral goats and if a deer were to happen to present itself, well ....   P.S. That is not the only crazy idea I've have - I am busy silencing a cheapo shotgun for rabbits and possum shooting!  Regards 303Guy | |||
|
| One of Us |
I've been thinking along those same lines lately, breaking the mind set of bolt action, flat shooting, scope sighted rifles. So, I bought an old Marlin 336 Carbine in 30-30, and will not scope it. I have a set of iron sights on order for it, Williams peep and Williams front. Also, just bought yesterday, and old Winchester Model 54 in 22 Hornet, in excellent condition. It will get the same treatment as the 336, Williams irons, or something similar, but no scope. As a kid back in the late 1940's and early 50's, I didn't have a rifle with a scope on it, just the irons the rifles came in. And, I hunted groundhogs using those irons, and killed them too. Don | |||
|
| One of Us |
On our last prairie dog trip I bought a winchester model 75 with a Lyman peep sight on it,.22lr. We wound up having more fun shooting at prairie dogs with that rifle than we did with our scoped varmint rigs.  I sold that rifle, but I have a .22 hornet that I'm going to put peep sighta on for this coming year. velocity is like a new car, always losing value. BC is like diamonds, holding value forever. | |||
|
| One of Us |
I have found the hornet to be such a fun rifle to load for and shoot with. It is challenging on both counts but perfectly adequate and surprisingly powerful for its size. It seems to be an ideal cartridge for cast bullets with expected velocities of around 2600fps. Regards 303Guy | |||
|
| One of Us |
 Don | |||
|
| One of Us |
I've been shooting picket pins (small ground squirrels) and grey diggers (California ground squirrel) with cast bullets out of M94s. A few years back i picked up a M94AE Legacy with 24" barrel. I worked up some of Paco Kelly's loads with Sierra 125s and Speer's 130 gr bullets. Velocities run 2710 and 2695 fps respectfully (for use only in the new AE models). They are very accurate and deadly on jack rabbits and coyotes. A friend made an offer for the rifle that I couldn't refuse so I sold it. Recently I aquired a Black Shado M94AE with 24" barrel. It is like a M64 only if has composit stocks. accuracy with those varmint loads is also excellent and I expect to nail a few jacks/coyotes this next spring or maybe this winter. I also still use the M94 Carbine 30-30 I got for my 14th birthday in '61. I most often use a 150 gr cast WFN bullets at 1850 fps out of it. I cast them pretty soft and HP them with the 1/8th Forster tool. Quite deadly on varmints also. Lots of fun using the lever rifles on varmints. Larry Gibson | |||
|
| One of Us |
A friend of mine had a 357 Rossi carbine. I loaded up some round for him and tested them too. You know, that thing was pretty damn accurate out to 100m (110yds). I'm talking sub-MOA with open sights! (And no-one can call me on this one because we are on the internet! ) This guy was known to have shot a small antelope at about 200m with it. Way too far - it took several shots (all of which hit) to kill the animal. He must have set the sights for the range he had estimated. (And he could estimate ranges! I used to pace out his estimations and could never catch him out. He was a surveyor).Regards 303Guy | |||
|
| One of Us |
Well right on! Figured I could'nt be the only one. It's just that after about 40+ years of hunting, going back in time a little seems to bring out a satisfying challange without all the high tech equipment. Went sage rat shooting a couple years ago with a huntin buddy of mine. He used a scoped .223 rifle. No challange at all. I shot nothing but my Kimber 1911 .45 auto. I'd get maybe 50% out to 50 yds, and maybe 1 of 3 past that. Even he got a little surprised when I connected a head shot at 95 yards according to his range finder. He would raz me about not using a high power scoped rifle, as he would seldom miss with his. I told him I got more satisfaction with the handgun or lever rifle and home cast bullets, even if I connected 1 out of 10 times. Anyway, I finally convinced him to try my Colt Woodsman .22. He missed several times and was about ready to give it up when he made a between the eyes head shot on a 40 yard gopher. He got so excited I thought he was gunna pass out. It was also the only time during our hunt that he jumped up and down with excitment. He admitted he got quite a thrill from the challange, and was going to bring his Marlin lever and Ruger blackhawk .357 next trip. It's not the bag numbers that counts. It's how you go about baggin' um. You guys know what I'm talkin bout! | |||
|
| One of Us |
Does this count?? Tom.  WEST BY GOD VIRGINIA | |||
|
| One of Us |
Nice! That's what I'm talkin bout! | |||
|
| One of Us |
EXCELLENT!  Don | |||
|
| One of Us |
By the way, I picked up my latest varmint rifle a couple weeks ago. . . . a Marlin '1894 in .357 mag. Will be shooting 158 gr. cast Keith styles out of .38 spl. cases. Has a hi-tech sighting system on it however. . . . XS ghost ring peeps. Thinned down the forend flush with the action and refinished it; as I do all my Marlins. Can't figure out why Marlin puts such a fat forend on their rifles. | |||
|
| One of Us |
I pack a Browning lever 243winmag in my truck for coyotes etc. Open sights and fun as hell to shoot. shoot a lot of open sight stuff-243's, 22longs, 223 in AR-15 and mini-14, etc. good times I also use some scoped varmint guns to----I like them all nothin sweeter than the smell of fresh blood on your hunting boots | |||
|
One of Us |
I decided to try something that I've wanted to do since I was a kid. (Now I'll be dating myself) I had finally come across a .32 Special M94. I've had several .30/30's, over the years, fact is, the first rifle I loaded for was a .30/30. Anyway, I didn't care to get gear for the .32, so I rebarrelled to .25/35. The barrel is 22" and the magazine was cut by 2". It sure is a quick little carbine, with its Lyman peep w/Merit aperture. I use mostly 64grain cast Lyman flatpoint boolits, but from time to time, a Speer 75gr flatpoint jacketed bullet finds it's way down range. Tons o' fun! Have fun, Gene | |||
|
| One of Us |
Very nice! .30-30 was my first reloading experience as well. 30 gr. 3031 with a 170 grain Hornady as I remember. Guess that's why the old levers remain my all time favorites. | |||
|
| one of us |
I have a Marlin 219 Zipper and a 1894CL in 218 Bee for this very purpose. John in Oregon | |||
|
| One of Us |
Savage 99C .243 | |||
|
| One of Us |
How do you like the CL Johnly? I'm contemplating one here at our local gun hangout in 32-20 that's getting more and more tempting. "...I hunt, therefore I am." James Hetfield | |||
|
| Powered by Social Strata |
 | Please Wait. Your request is being processed... |
|
The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting Varmint Hunting Lever action for varmints anyone?
Visit our on-line store for AR Memorabilia