WHAT IS THE BEST SHOOTING LEVERGUN YOU OWN ?

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  • Last Post 04 October 2010
linoww posted this 04 February 2008

I own a Savage 99 in 30-30 with a custom barrel that is gem.Why I have thought (and tried to)of selling it I dont know.It groups from .5” an the smallest side to 1.5” biggest groups at 100 yds with good loads.It has shot as well as 1.25” at 200 yds.It once shot over 20 consecutive 5 shot groups at 100 (with 4 at 200)and averaged .990 MOA.The load is simple  Linotype cast SAECO 315(or Eagan MX3-30ARD),15g of 2400(or W296) and any LR primer.

What lever guns do you have and what do they do?? Are there any more accurate??

 

George

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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linoww posted this 04 February 2008

Here is a typical good session with it.As you see one of the groups has alot of vertical.It is a pretty hard gun to hold on the bags and shots do get away sometimes.It is critical to position on the bags.It can shoot good groups but if you slide forward or backwards the POI changes a bit.I have since added a "tape reference" to the forend to help and now it is alot easier to get a consistant group center. The bent over right corner of the target is hiding a 2"+  group with .22 cast bullets didnt want to get “public” <G>  

George

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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Lefty posted this 04 February 2008

George Very nice!  I have nothing that will compete with this.  You may have given me an idea for my next project. Jim

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linoww posted this 04 February 2008

I tell you I never thought a 99 could shoot.I am hoping others have similar results with them to share.

I wasnt trying to brag,cause its the rifle not me.

 

George

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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6pt-sika posted this 04 February 2008

Nice looking rifle !

I did the Savage 99 thing a few years ago ! Had a older 99TD in 300 , an even older 99 in 30-30 and a 60's 99 that was also a 300 .

At the moment however my best shooting lever is a toss up between my Marlin 1893 in 32-40 and my even older Marlin 1895 in 38-56 .Both of these are with cast bullets .

Now for a jacketed bullet lever my new Marlin 308MX is hard to beat !!! I have yet to reload for it , but it will shoot factory into .75” at 100 yards ;)

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linoww posted this 04 February 2008

6pt-sika wrote: Nice looking rifle !

I did the Savage 99 thing a few years ago ! Had a older 99TD in 300 , an even older 99 in 30-30 and a 60's 99 that was also a 300 .

At the moment however my best shooting lever is a toss up between my Marlin 1893 in 32-40 and my even older Marlin 1895 in 38-56 .Both of these are with cast bullets .

Now for a jacketed bullet lever my new Marlin 308MX is hard to beat !!! I have yet to reload for it , but it will shoot factory into .75” at 100 yards ;)

I had bet the 308 Marlin would shoot,now I am sure of it.

How well do the 32-40 & 38-56 shoot?

I had a Marlin 36 20", barrel , 32 Spec that would shoot the Lyman 319289  into 1.5” with irons at 100 (old days with good eyes) I then read an article about accurizing them.I did all the stuff  and then it never shot better than 2.5".What did I think I was going to get with the accurizing 1/2” groups!!!! I should have been happy as it was. If it aint broke.......(you know the rest)

Thats why I never tried hard with a lever ever since. Until this one came along I just used them to plink and 2-1/2” groups were good enough in most 30-30's

George

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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argie1891 posted this 05 February 2008

I have a Marlin cowboy in 38-55 that will shoot into an inch on a good day with soft bullets and 9 gr.of unique. i cant remember the bullet number, but it is the heavier gas check bullet lyman makes. for a hunting load i used 25 rg. of rl7 for right at 1650 fps almost as accurate as the unique load. i shot a doe with it 3 yrs ago and it never took a step after i hit it.

if you think you have it figured out then you just dont understand

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Ed Harris posted this 05 February 2008

I used to have a Savage 1899 originally a .303, which was rebarreled to .30-30 with a heavy barrel of configuration VERY similar to yours, and it shot very well.  I never scoped mine, but using the Lyman tang peep sight and bead front with good handloads it would shoot 3-4” five-shot groups at 200 yards with my heavy hunting loads with 190-gr. LBT flatnose and 36 grs. of WW760.  I killed a couple deer and a moose with it.  When I left Ruger I gave it to one of the fellows in the shop who had done the barrel work for me.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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Russ posted this 05 February 2008

Marlin 336A , 1949 with same year Weaver k2.5 in beuhler mounts. Will shoot 3 shots touching in the hands of a good rifleman. (not me) 32 Winchester Special.

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linoww posted this 05 February 2008

 

Ed wrote:

I used to have a Savage 1899 originally a .303, which was rebarreled to .30-30 with a heavy barrel of configuration VERY similar to yours, and it shot very well. 

 

Do you think the 99 can always shoot with a heavy barrel?? Of course my chamber is not typical 30-30 and actually has a throat. The fired neck expansion is only a couple of thou'.It was set up for jacketed 168  bullets and a .310 cast slug will not enter the chamber.I thought about turning necks and trying larger bullets,but it is doing so well I am afraid to change anything.

I would like to build another,but thought maybe mine shooting so well was a fluke!I want to build up a '99 varmint gun in 219 ZIpper,but don't know if I could get the magazine to work properly.

 

Geroge

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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linoww posted this 05 February 2008

Russ wrote: Marlin 336A , 1949 with same year Weaver k2.5 in beuhler mounts. Will shoot 3 shots touching in the hands of a good rifleman. (not me) 32 Winchester Special.

If you see my post above i  once had good luck with the .32 Special as well.I am looking for another these days,but in full rifle form for an offhand gun.What load do you shoot in your 336-A ?

 

George

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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Ed Harris posted this 05 February 2008

linoww wrote: Ed wrote:

I used to have a Savage 1899 originally a .303, which was rebarreled to .30-30 with a heavy barrel of configuration VERY similar to yours, and it shot very well. 

Do you think the 99 can always shoot with a heavy barrel?? Of course my chamber is not typical 30-30 and actually has a throat. The fired neck expansion is only a couple of thou'.It was set up for jacketed 168  bullets and a .310 cast slug will not enter the chamber.I thought about turning necks and trying larger bullets,but it is doing so well I am afraid to change anything.

I would like to build another,but thought maybe mine shooting so well was a fluke!I want to build up a '99 varmint gun in 219 ZIpper,but don't know if I could get the magazine to work properly.

Geroge Mine was throated similarly to the .300 Savage.  I think any 99 with a stiff barrel and proper chamber would do well.  I fully glass bedded the fore-end and had the wood attached to the barrel with a screw, whereas the tenon was relieved so that it didn't contact the receiver.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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linoww posted this 05 February 2008

Ed Harris wrote:  I fully glass bedded the fore-end and had the wood attached to the barrel with a screw, whereas the tenon was relieved so that it didn't contact the receiver.

 

Thats how mine is set up.Maybe i will try to build another then. It sounds like they are more accurate than given credit when customized.I cant see why they would'nt shoot as well as the respected Ballards or  Low Walls,as they would be about as ridgid.I am going to shoot it as a Heavy Class gun in Spokane next month for fun.I will lose with style at least :-)

 

George

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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Russ posted this 05 February 2008

Linoww: I use LBT#32.150.FN over 15 gr. of SR4759. The rifle is as it left the factory mechanically. IT was very dirty with a fine film of rust in and out. I polished the chamber and scrubbed the bore. Had the scope rebuilt in El Paso.

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linoww posted this 05 February 2008

Russ wrote: Linoww: I use LBT#32.150.FN over 15 gr. of SR4759. The rifle is as it left the factory mechanically. IT was very dirty with a fine film of rust in and out. I polished the chamber and scrubbed the bore. Had the scope rebuilt in El Paso.

I'd like to see a picture of the bullet.I am looking for a 32 rifle mold.

Is it GC or PB?

 

George

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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6pt-sika posted this 05 February 2008

linoww wrote: I had bet the 308 Marlin would shoot,now I am sure of it.

I have the 308 Express in both the blued and the syainless versions .

I got the XLR in the summer when it was hot and it was shooting about 1.5” out of the box , however when it got cooler and the barrel got shall we say worn in a bit it closed up !

But I got the blued version in early december and took it to the range , sighted in and the first 3 shot group at 100 yards with a 8x scope was .75” :dude:

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6pt-sika posted this 05 February 2008

linoww wrote: How well do the 32-40 & 38-56 shoot?

Bear in mind I have never gotten tang sights for either of these and have been using just the reguler old buckhorn sights .

In the 32-40 I use the RCBS 32-170GC mould and cast with straight WW's pushed by 15 grains of XMP5744 . On a good day I can keep 5 inside 2” at 75 yards . I think with a tang sight I could do better .

In the 38-56 I use the Lyman 375449 mould and push it with 20 grains of XMP5744 and it to will keep 5 of them tight at 75 yards .

To some this may not sound all that hot , but with 100+year old rifles open sights and unculled cast bullets I think it is quite adequate !

 

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Russ posted this 05 February 2008

Linoww: I don't know the age of the bullet, but it is plain base. I buy them from Western Bullet Co. in Missoula Montana. I couldn't find a mold I liked so I was using Jon Vivas' bullets. He hand casts a wide variety of bullets of very high quality. I now have a mold to play with. I also use this LBT load in a Win. 94 16” Wrangler. Check Western bullet site for pics.

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linoww posted this 06 February 2008

6pt-sika wrote: Bear in mind I have never gotten tang sights for either of these and have been using just the reguler old buckhorn sights .

In the 32-40 I use the RCBS 32-170GC mould and cast with straight WW's pushed by 15 grains of XMP5744 . On a good day I can keep 5 inside 2” at 75 yards . I think with a tang sight I could do better .

In the 38-56 I use the Lyman 375449 mould and push it with 20 grains of XMP5744 and it to will keep 5 of them tight at 75 yards .

To some this may not sound all that hot , but with 100+year old rifles open sights and unculled cast bullets I think it is quite adequate !

  Thats good shooting in my book! 

I doubt my Savage would do any better with irons.I dont bother to "weight cull” my bullets.I look at them while casting an maybe once before sizing.I think if you pay attention to your casting cycles and visually sort during that time all is well for all but serious BR shooting.

George

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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linoww posted this 06 February 2008

Russ wrote: Linoww: I don't know the age of the bullet, but it is plain base. I buy them from Western Bullet Co. in Missoula Montana. I couldn't find a mold I liked so I was using Jon Vivas' bullets. He hand casts a wide variety of bullets of very high quality. I now have a mold to play with. I also use this LBT load in a Win. 94 16” Wrangler. Check Western bullet site for pics.

I'll look them up.

 

Thanks George

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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devin1955 posted this 06 February 2008

That's a very fine looking rifle. I really like the looks of heavy barrels like that.

I own a grand total of 2 lever guns. A Marlin 39A .22rf and a Marlin model 444. How's that for opposite ends of the spectrum? Both were purchased about 1970. I last fired the 444 when I was a teenager (I'm 53 now) and the scope put a nice bloody ring above my right eye. I keep thinking I ought to get back up on that horse one of these days. Ya think??? Maybe this should be my first “cast bullet load for a rifle” project. -Don

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