Took the Safe Queen Marlin to a silhouette match Sunday

[Irascible]

The Wilkes-Barre, PA IHMSA silhouette matches are now opened for NRA Cowboy levergun silhouette, so I took my 20 year old Marlin 1894 CL in 25-20 out of the safe and went to a Silhouette match. I only took 30 rounds which were loaded in 1998. Just wanted to see what it was like. Lot of fun! I hit 23 out of 30 skipping the second round of Turkeys and Rams. It is equipped with a Williams shorty rib and a 1/16" white bead, also a Williams receiver sight. The front bead still almost covered the chicken targets at 40 yards and it was kind of hard to see until I put on my very first pair of reading glasses from 30 years ago! I added a Merit optical device for the turkeys and rams as they were kind of fuzzy. It seems to me that an Lyman 17 aperture sight in front might be a better way to go even though it would ruin the looks of the gun. Hmm, maybe a Sourdough front blade blackened with soot?
This was the sixth firing of these cases and I ended up with 28 of the 49 cases having split necks. Too large a chamber? Too tight of a sizing die? Maybe just weak brass (R-P)? I guess anealing would be the answer for extended life, but i hate to go through the trouble.
The load? 10.5 gr of 5744 under a Speer 75gr FP ignited by a Fed 205m primer. 1600 fps and 3/4" group at 50 yds.
ANY HINTS? CAST BULLET IDEAS?

[Bear 45/70]

[jnyork]

The Lyman 17a front is the the way to go for silhouette, use the wide flat post, that will allow you to use a nice 6 o'clock hold on the amimals and do wonders for your score, wont hurt the looks of the rifle a bit. For brass, next time you buy some see if you can get Starline, I use it for my 32-20 and it seems to last a long time, althought I do anneal it after 6 or 8 firings. These little cases have very thin brass in the necks so you will eventually get some splits. Welcome the the silhouette range!!

PS: try some Lil Gun powder in that thing.

[Hobie]

I would put a good post or sourdough up front. The 17 is too much sight to hang on those barrels! The post will give adequate precision. The Williams FP is just fine with that front sight. I bet you take more ammo next time!

[Irascible]

Yup, more ammo. It looks like W-W is the only producer unless I make cases from 32-20. I have the remaining 51 cases from that last batch of R-P, but I don't see it listed anymore.
I've been shooting handgun silhouette for a long time. Actually before there was an IHMSA which of course pre-dates the NRA classes. I started in 1975 at the very first matches held outside of California and Arizona. they were in Redding, MA at a National guard range. I also attended my first IHMSA Internationals there in 1980 where I signed up. My membership number is 984. I've been shooting steadily since. I've tried BPCRS which I love, but with no spotter it's very difficult and pick up spotters vary greatly. I've been reading about Cowboy Leveraction Silhouette for a while, but had no chance to try it until my local (hah, 169 miles each way) range decided to try it this year alongside the handgun matches. Good idea we had a good turnout.

[El Chivo]

When I went to reduced loads the Lyman globe was too tall for what I was shooting, so I ordered a custom front sight from Skinner sights.

The reason I went custom is to get the width I wanted, wider even than the wide post of the Lyman. It really helps with silhouette. If you use a thin post, it's easy to slide it up into the shape (they're both black) and your shots will go high. The wide post forces you to keep it right at the belly so it can't stray.