New Guy

[Chaser]

Hello All,
I have popped in and read here off and on for a long time. I had always planned to register but just never go around to it. So, I figured it was high time I should join in.
I love lever guns and old cartridges, anything classic really, and I enjoy shooting as well as hunting. I'm looking forward to swapping stories and discussing classic guns and cartridges with you all.
Chaser

[Bill in Oregon]

Chaser, I b'lieve you will fit right in with those interests. Glad to have you. Let us know something about the old cartridges you like to fool with.
Bill

[gamekeeper]

Welcome to the fire Chaser.....

[GunnyMack]

Stories- we need stories!
Welcome.

[LeverGunner]

Howdy Chaser, sounds like you have some interesting interests.

I'm a cartridge and bullet collector. Something about old cartridges has always stirred me, and then I got into casting my own bullets and that became a whole other hobby; Then I started cataloging them, and man... it seems like all I ever do is research bullets and cartridges.

I love old guns, but I don't have anything old right now. I do have a couple of modern Winchesters that I'm fond of though. Sixguns and Leverguns are what I find the most interesting.

[Griff]

and Welcome to THE Forum!

[Chaser]

Thanks for the warm welcome, fellas.

At the moment I only have a couple of .30-30s and a .45-70. All modern guns, but of pre-1900 designs, which I like. My real interest is for the old lever guns and single shots. If it's got a hyphen in the name it interests me - .25-20 to .50-110. I'd make an exception for a 1895 Winchester in .405 or 30-06. Or a Savage 99 in .300 Savage.

I spend a lot of time researching to old cartridges and ballistics as well. Sometimes I feel like I was born to be a researcher for the Firearms Museum in Cody. I'd probably do it for free!
I haven't gotten into casting bullets yet, but have a friend that is really big into it and may start down that rabbit hole someday.

[Drawdown]

Welcome Chaser, you'll pick up some bad habits here, Lotta hyphenated out there! But you can take a 30-30 & 45-70 and span the globe! There's a bunch rifles discussed on here I'd love to have, but my favorite? 30WCF! And I do love the 30-06, but two especially I'd like to have badly, Mod 71 in 348 but equally as much, a BB 94 in 356 Win! And a 300 Savage 99 for Dessert! Nothing wrong with dreaming, but I enjoy what I already have! I've shot everything from 110gr to 190gr in my 30-30's a great cartridge! Started to begin Casting couple times but never did, guess I'll stick with jacketed.
Jump in where you can and Hang On!

[Rube Burrows]

Welcome.

[JBowen]

Welcome aboard, Chaser!

JBowen

[AJMD429]

.
Welcome - it's about the only 'forum' or 'social media' I ever deal with. More info here on leverguns than most anywhere, but ALSO more good info on all-things-related (revolvers, other long guns, hunting, fishing, tractors, boats, gardening, cooking) than most places, with less 'ego'.

[Ysabel Kid]

Welcome, Chaser! You've come to the right place!

[LeverGunner]

Welp, ya'll opened the can of worms, might as well fish.

Here's my Winchester 94 in 30-30. It was made in 71 I think. I previously had thought 70, but new serial number searches conclude otherwise. I've fired about 800 rounds the last 8 years according to my empty powder cans, but most of that was in the first 3-4 years. I haven't shot that much lately as I have been busy and had other guns take up my time.



I shoot a lot of the Lyman 31141 out of it. My best loads so far are 32.0 grains of W748, but I've been working with IMR 3031 and 27.0 grains was the most accurate there. Though it's not quite as accurate for me, I load 28.0 grains because it duplicates factory point of impact and the point of impact of the W748 load.

I cast them from wheel weights with 2% tin (ww+2%Sn), size to .310, and lube with White Label 50/50 mix.



I'm actually out of reloads for 30-30. I shot the last of them this last fall with a couple of friends.

Shortly before that, I sent my mould to Eric Ohlen and had him recut the alignment pins since the halves were slightly misaligned. The bullet I pictured there is one of the misaligned ones, it was very slight, and only showed after being sized. They were concentric and shot pretty well - my better loads shot around 1.5" at 70 yards (I had my bench at 70 when I tested due to the shade of a nice cedar tree).

I haven't cast with the mould yet after getting back from Eric. I was an ignoramus and didn't take pictures of the mould before sending it off. At the time I'd not gotten started on BulletMatch, and it didn't occur to me that it might be helpful to someone to see a before picture. I do have about a 100 of the bullets left that I had given to a friend who dropped the caliber he was using them for and gave them back.

[Chaser]

Nice write-up Levergunner! Thanks for sharing. Beautiful model 94 you've got there too.

My 94 is a '73 or '74, IIRC. Interesting story on how I got that rifle, but that's for another time I think.

[Paladin]

Welcome, I would make that exception also.

[Oldncrusty]

Welcome and howdy from KY. Glad you joined up.