Where are all the old coots???

[big bear]

I joined back in 2007. Under the influence of this forum my shooting interests veered from active IPSC competition to investigating lever action rifles along with a big commitment to mountain game hunting. I accumulated a bunch of Winchester, Browning, Savage and Marlin leverguns and components. I have survived long enough to retire. I am now trying to shoot up all the stuff I hoarded back in my working days. There were a bunch of guys on here back then who shot their lever guns a lot and shared their experiences freely. I know some sadly have left the range but surely there must be a few old guys still around.

So maybe if I chum the water maybe I can get some of those fellows talking again.

Current projects that would benefit from advice and new perspectives:

Anybody casting/shooting cast bullets in their Winchester 71s? Should I dedicate one of my 71s for cast bullets only?

Loads for both cast and jacketed bullets in my Browning 1886 SRC, using the ladder sights (it's a High Grade version that I got a great deal on). I mention that because I am not going to alter the sights . It is shot purely for fun, out to 200yds, no more.. Not for hunting but it is brought along sometimes for a camp rifle as I live in bear country.

Finally can I ask safely here, why am I finding that my Marlin leverguns are not very accurate?? ( I dare not ask this on a Marlin forum). I have Marlin's in 357Mag and 218 Bee , both with scopes.My Browning 92 and 65 both shoot better groups (MUCH better)at 100yds with their tang sights.

Cheers from Canada

[JimT]

I don't know if I am old enough to be a coot, but I am still here.

[Old Savage]

Still here from 2007. All my Marlin rifle calibers are accurate.

[samsi]

In 2007 I wasn't young but I also wasn't old yet. My little brother turned 60 recently, I think that means I am getting old although I'm not sure when the changeover to Coot-dom occurs.

This may be a more important debate than Marlin accuracy...

[joepb]

I am new only joining in 2008.

[big bear]

Still here from 2007. All my Marlin rifle calibers are accurate.

Hmmm? Must be me. I gave a waffletop 35Rem that I can get 3 shot 1.5" or better groups with the Levergun powder recipe on the container. My 375Win Marlin does under 2" , 4 shots at 100yds and I haven't tried many loads in it. It is also a JM model. the problem children are Remlins, maybe that is the issue.

[big bear]

In 2007 I wasn't young but I also wasn't old yet. My little brother turned 60 recently, I think that means I am getting old although I'm not sure when the changeover to Coot-dom occurs.

This may be a more important debate than Marlin accuracy...

If everything aches when you wake up in the morning, you sit up and smile cause that means you are still alive, then you know you are old. Being a coot is more of an attitude (devilish) thing

[jeepnik]

Like you Big Bear I joined in 2007. I also wasn't young, but not yet old. I am officially old now and my wife frequently calls me an old coot. I don't get the connotation, as I think coots are fine looking birds. I do shoot my lever guns more than my other action types. But where I live it's an all day trip to do so. So, I shoot handguns much more these days. I shoot, pun intended, to go to the range weekly. Doesn't always happen but it is pretty regular.

I must also admit that I now load somewhat lighter for my 45-70 than in days of old. But since I mostly shoot cast in everything, including horror of horrors, my Glocks I never did push the velocity/pressure envelope anyway. Should I need T-Rex killers I keep a few Buffalo Bore and Garretts around.

The two lever guns that get the most work out are the 1895 GS and Centennial Model 39. The midrange calibers sometimes must feel like step children.

[jkbrea]

Wow...I joined in 07. I was 45....now in my 60's!! Time flies. I only had a Mossberg .22 lever then. Now I've gone through about half a dozen 30-30's, .22's 45-70....and that's just in leverguns.

[COSteve]

I joined in 2009, however, I still qualify as an "old coot" as my next birthday I will celebrate my 3rd lap around 26.

(For those who are math challenged that's 78 yrs young).

[Nath]

Finally can I ask safely here, why am I finding that my Marlin leverguns are not very accurate?? ( I dare not ask this on a Marlin forum). I have Marlin's in 357Mag and 218 Bee , both with scopes.My Browning 92 and 65 both shoot better groups (MUCH better)at 100yds with their tang sights.

Cheers from Canada

It's a standard feature of Marlin, dint ya know.....

[oldebear1950]

I am older than some on here and not as old as others.
I was a late joiner, but been shooting lever guns since I was 10 years old. I am now 74.
I don't know if that quals as an old coot or not.

My two granddads were old time town marshalls in Oklahoma during the oil boom of the 1920s and 1930s.
They taught us to shoot their lever guns and one had a Winchester 73 in 44-40
and the other had a Marlin in the same caliber, but I do not remember the model number.

They both carried Colt revolvers in the same caliber as their lever guns. Said it saved them from mixing up ammo.

Been shooting them ever since, Winchesters, Marlins, Savage.
I have shot Winchesrter, 73, 92, 94, 95, Marlin 45 colt, 45-70, 30-30, and a 300 savage.

I am still learning and hope I never quit learning

[oldebear1950]

You apparently have not found the right combo for your rifles. My Marlins have always been accurate at 100 yards.
Not tack drivers, but can keep all 7 rounds from a 30-30 inside a plate sized target, and the same with 45-70

[Bill in Oregon]

Another coot-certified latecomer from 2008 here. Drifted over from the old Sixgunner.com site.
Alls I have leverwise right now is an Uberti 73, but I have had a slug of Marlins over the years and a few Winchesters as well. Wish I had kept the Marlin Cowboy in .38-55.

[rock-steady]

If I remember correctly, I had to re-register here in 2007....I was rock steady without the hyphen before.

I do know this was one of the first sites I joined when we got the internet. The other site was the old Marlin Owners site.

Remember Big Mortie and his wife (287lbs) and shotting squill and beer bottles in his backdoor yard with greenbox ammo?

[bgmkithaca]

I am a late comer - joined in 2010. I lurk here daily but don't post often, this is post number 124. As far as accuracy with marlins go most of mine have been an inch or less at 100 yards but all of them took a fair amount os tweaking to get there. Have had much better luck with them than winchesters and a lot easyier
to work on. I am 77 years old-does that qualify for an old coot?

[ESisk]

The Coots have progressed to Curmudgeons, with some attaining Dinosaur statis.

[jeepnik]

The other site was the old Marlin Owners site.

Please tell me that net nazi run site is no more!

[big bear]

Browning 71 carbine, FastFire sight, 200gr Hornady bullet/H4831sc load at 100yds. I get 2" 5 shot 100yd groups, same load in my iron sighted Winchester 71 rifle, usually 3 of the 5 are in a 1" group.

[gamekeeper]

Been here since re-registering in 2007 but doing more with shotguns now..

[gray1]

I never had 336 that I would call accurate. I couldn’t shoot a 1 inch group at 50 yards with any of them. I think I’ve had at least 6 of them.

[JRD]

I’ve been here since 2007 as well.
Was this current forum an extension of another forum before it? Something is making me think we were part of this site before 2007.

[hfcable]

yes, it says i joined in 2007 but i was sure it was earlier. i was on the " campfire' web site from 1999 onward.

i am an old coot, but i do have a lot of lever guns and have had even more over the years.

one of my most favorites is this 1876 winchester in 50/95 caliber





it is amazingly accurate

[big bear]

Sweet, beautiful old rifle.

[.45colt]

I'm not a Coot....I'm a COG .Certified OLD Geezer. I showed up here in 2000, then when they re-did the forum All had to sign up again . I have Marlins in many calibers and haven't had trouble getting decent groups. .

[Echo154]

Well I’m not an Old Coot, but my wife calls me a COB…….Cranky Old Bastage!

[Ysabel Kid]

Here from 2007, and the earlier version dating back a few years before that. Mrs. YK will tell you all I was born an old coot!

[Echo154]

Some say it’s a gift but I practice at it every day

[Grizz]

yes, it says i joined in 2007 but i was sure it was earlier. i was on the " campfire' web site from 1999 onward.

i am an old coot, but i do have a lot of lever guns and have had even more over the years.

one of my most favorites is this 1876 winchester in 50/95 caliber





it is amazingly accurate

i'd love to shoot that rifle. beauty!

to the point of the 2007 join date, that was caused by a database kaffaffle that erased all the data. the sight was reconstructed and everyone who had history with the forum got the 2007 re-do. it was years worth of worthy conversations . . . gone with the wind . . .... :)
.
.

Coot.png

[rossim92]

im here, turned 62 past 6/28/25.

[AJMD429]

.
Most mornings, I wake up and wonder if I have dementia yet, because I can’t remember what bar I went to, what kind of booze I got overly intoxicated with the point of a hangover, and who it was a smart enough to the beat the snot out of me so that everything hurts.

Then I remember that I have it been to a bar in several decades, don’t drink very much alcohol, but I’m just getting old, so everything hurts in the morning, and until I tank up with enough, caffeine and ibuprofen, I’m not good for much.

That’s probably the definition of an “old coot”…

Until I get my cataracts fixed, pretty much all of my guns are more accurate than I am unless I use a scope on them.

[Paladin]

I had to check, I joined in Jan 08, sitting at my desk in Kabul, Afghanistan, working for JTF Paladin. I am much older than I ever thought I would be. In high school in the early 70s, the poll said I would be dead by 27. My toy collection is finally going down in number as I part with items.
I am an OLD COOT.

[Drawdown]

I'm an old something or another? But I believe my profile says registered 2020-21? But I was cruising this forum i know late 2000's-2020. In fact at my former residence I had a computer, and was maybe registered under a different name, but I can't be sure? I used to be on RinfireCentral on regular basis starting I'd say 1999 when we got our first computer, and am sure that's how I found this place! In them days I was 110% Squirrel Hunter & 22's Man, but I went deer hunting crazy not long afterwards, and all I thought about using was a Levergun & Irons! But timing of all this and how much has gotten foggy!
Now I'm shooting over more n more to Boltguns, but not totally! But all I've had for past 10 years is a Cell Phone, and I'll check several sites out regularly for a while, then get tired of it quit a while!

[LeverGunner]

I was friends with a guy named Jim for a while, he was around 80-82. I called him an old coot, and he called me a young coot. He's passed on now, but I believe he came to accept Jesus Christ before he died, and for that I am greatful for a merciful God.

On castboolits I once stated something to the effect of, I'll use regular irons until I get old and can't see, and only then would I embrace receiver sights. (Receiver sights are unsightly.) One gent said my comments were whippersnapperish. Gave me a good chuckle. I have since became a fan of tang sights, so I might find a happy medium, though I still mostly use barrel mounted sights.

[jeepnik]

As cootness approached I switched from open sights to ghost rings. But time marches on and I finally had to accept that some sort of either red dot or scope was needed. I still like to shoot irons. I just don't hit as well anymore.

[flightsimmer]

Old coots? Well it says I joined in 2012 and I'm going on 83, feels like 103 and yeah I keep 2 bottles of Tylenol in my nightstand, one in the kitchen and one in the car and my wife of 60 years has one in her purse.
You guys are just a bunch of kids.

I've learned a lot about firearms over the years since I was 12 years old, my first handgun was a Sheridan, single shot 22lr Knockabout, my first 22lr longun was a Marlin bolt action repeater that I purchased from the back page of a gun magazine and had it shipped to my door, you can't do that anymore. I also bought a Terni Carcano carbine with ammo the same way.
I learned a lot about reloading from John Wooters publications and all of the great gun writers.
Oh those were the days my friend, those were the days.
I guess that's what memories are for.

[WinM71]

Been here since 2007 as well. I'm well into Cootitude. I don't sign in and post much, but visit regularly to see what's going on.

[OldWin]

Been here since 09. I'll be 58 soon. Not too old yet, but I've been accumulating old Winchesters since I was in high school.
I think I only only have 3 bolt action rifles. Only 4 scoped rifles total. A couple with red dots. All the rest use regular irons or an aperture sight of some sort.

[Hairy Clipper]

I arrived here a week before Christmas in 2007 and turned 73 years old a month ago today. So old Coot might apply!

[new pig hunter]

Still cooterating, and still nosing around since long before the 2007 forced re-registration.

Still enjoying the Leverguns in .375Marlin, .444Marlin, and .45Colt.

[450 Fuller]

I have a couple of 1886 Winchesters in 33 WCF, and newer pre-war Model 71s.
Do old rifles help you be an old coot?
Can I take my 450 Alaskan thru Canada, with form papers, on the way back to Alaska?
(There's grizzlies in Canada between BC and Alberta).





{Ben Lilly carried an 1886 in 33 WCF while in New Mexico N. of the Gila around Pinos Altos-1912 through the early 1930s}.


NRA-life

[Malamute]

Anyone know what happened to 45stomp? He had a 1990s production 92 in 45 Colt, he shortened the magazine tube, and shot a moose with it, thats about all I recall. Cant find anything about him anywhere in searching, so perhaps before the 07 forum re-set.

[horsesoldier03]

Well I am still just 59 and a whippersnapper to most, but been here since before 07. Just glad I keep good company!

[Bryan Austin]

Got here a little late myself, 2011. Joined the MarlinOwners forum in July 2007. Once I started getting the hang of the internet forum stuff, I ventured out for more.

[big bear]

I have a couple of 1886 Winchesters in 33 WCF, and newer pre-war Model 71s.
Do old rifles help you be an old coot?
Can I take my 450 Alaskan thru Canada, with form papers, on the way back to Alaska?
(There's grizzlies in Canada between BC and Alberta).
Here you go. Shipping to your Alaska address probably lowest stress way. There are indeed grizzlies in Canada (B.C.,Alberta,Yukon, and NWT. If you were to shoot one you would be in more trouble than you would ever want and out of alot of $$$.

https://www.canada.ca/en/border-service ... order.html


{Ben Lilly carried an 1886 in 33 WCF while in New Mexico N. of the Gila around Pinos Altos-1912 through the early 1930s}.


NRA-life

[Shasta]

Another card-carrying old coot here, will be turning 75 later this year. Been here since 2007 after drifting over from the old Leverguns site. I've learned a lot here and I've posted a lot of threads that I hope others found informative or at least entertaining. As a lefty, I really like Winchester leverguns. I never could warm up to Marlins other than the venerable 39A. My primary focus is NRA style Lever Action Rifle Silhouette. I cast my own bullets and have over 100 bullet molds. Here is a picture of some of my silhouette rifles and a picture of my bullet casting bench.





Shasta

[JDL]

I resemble an old coot at 78 years old! Had to look to see when I joined and it was 2007 but, I'm almost certain I was on the Sixgun site. Don't talk much, Mama told me to listen, learn, and be courteous.

[Griff]

Not an old coot... at least until I try something easily accomplished at 25! Starting my 4th quarter in a little less than a week & hoping for at least one overtime quarter! Been here since 2007. Still hangin' around, nobody's tried pushing me off yet!