I like my Cowboys more each year.(long)

[EdinCT]

I was blessed to have been raised by a man who appreciated fine rifles. I have also had the opportunity to use many different types and calibers and because of my family owning land up until I was in my thirties in CT were I live I had two full months of deer hunting and 4 rifle tags.
My grand father had gave me a 92 Winchester 38 WCF and it is one the first centerfire rifles I ever fired.It is a 24 inch Octagon barreled gun that hangs on a target like its glued to it for me.
When Marlin came out with the 1895 CB model I was looking for a Browning 1885 Hunter model in 45/70 and I couldn't find one anywhere. I Went to Kittery Tradeing Post in Maine hoping they would have a Browning. They didn't and I happened to pick up a Marlin and it hung in my hands like the 92,So I bought it and put a tange sight on the cowboy.
I year latter I ran into a used 44 Cowboy limited and it too followed me home.I have since scoped them both for hunting seasons because of 50+ eyesight.
I have shot two deer and a bear with the 45/70 and 3 deer and 3 coyotes with the 44. In the offseason I remove the Scope from the 44 and shoot alot of lead bullets at 1400 fps. (Not as well as I once did though)
This year on opening day I took my 44 with 240 gr Gold dot SP's loaded over 24 gr of H110. I had a mangey coyote come in and caulked up one more. The second day I had a doe come by at 70 yards picked a hole and shot a branch a quick lever and the next hole produced venison. No digital pictures.
That afternoon I saw a large buck out back but a shift in the wind saved him. I saw a group of 2 does and a fawn two days in a row but passed.
I had to go to work for a week of 12 hour days and my neighbor got the big buck! So I went out Monday morning thinking if I see a large doe she might be in trouble and the above buck came up behind me in my treestand. He stomped and bolted away towards a neighbors farmhouse so I thought he was home free. At about 50 yards he took a sharp left and ran up a wall past me at about 40 yards. The 45/70 was glued to him so I shot and saw him roll over his rack on to his back! I used the 300 grain Speer with 50 gr of Reloader 7 with no complaints.
I have gone full circle back to were I started and really love the balance of these two rifles. This is the first picture I have ever posted so I am hoping I followed the sticky correctly.

Ed

[Rusty]

Nice Deer and nice Cowboy. I love my .44 CB too.

You said it all. It's the way they hang.

[1886]

I hang at Kittery quite a bit myself. 1886.

[marlinman93]

Nice buck!

[RIHMFIRE]

Nice shooter....
Nice deer....and
Nice pic and story.....

we just love pics of levers and game!
They are mandatory!

[Old Savage]

Like those rifles - mine is a 357 with a 4x Leupold compact.

[C. Cash]

Thanks for sharing that, and congrats!

I am tempted to get a Marlin Cowboy in 44 and forgo the EBR that I've been planning.

[WCF3030]

Nice!

[AJMD429]

Thanks for sharing that, and congrats!

I am tempted to get a Marlin Cowboy in 44 and forgo the EBR that I've been planning.

Actually, the EBR's I'd bought in the past are now going for trade towards leverguns I really like better, so to me, now seems the time to SELL EBR's rather than buy them (just keep your favorite one ). Seems to me like the EBR's are generally too many parts to break and too fussy about ammunition, as opposed to leverguns. Mausers/bolts might be even better, and I suppose breakopens are the ultimate in durability, but leverguns seem a good compromise meeting most needs.

[JustaJeepGuy]

Wasn't there a time when "coyotes" and "Connecticut" just didn't occur in the same sentence? When did that change (if it did)?

[EdinCT]

To answer the when did coyote come to CT question.I had a flock of sheep growing up and the only issues we had were tramp dogs.Around 1977 I had left home but still had sheep on both my Dad and my Grandfathers places. One day my dad told me he was awaken by a noise he couldn't identify and looked out his bedroom window and saw what he was sure was a coyote standing in the lane through the pasture.
I doubted him at first but then started seeing them around in the daylight.
I moved backto the area and live 8 miles from where I grew up and I have 6- 15 sheep to keep my 5 acres open and if I don't put them in at night I Will lose them. I had two killed , one totally eaten and one disemboweled while in the shower just before sunrise about 5 years ago. Its the only time I had a dud 22 mag shell and only got one before they got out of the field. I could almost justify a 32-20 lever
I and My hunting partner shot one each last week. His was chasing turkeys.

[Hillbilly]

Coyotes have made a big comback in just about any semi-urban suburban area in the US

They even claim there are a few in NYC's Central Park. We had em right in town in Midland MI when I was there ... but that town has a couple of creek bottoms and a lot of "greenbelt" areas...Midland has a pretty big city deer herd too.

Other than just too many people ...well, the east coast still has a lot of "small" wide open spaces... lots of wood lots and places for game to hide out.

Jeff

[Hobie]

Great post! Nice photo, too. I think you done good all around.

[cshold]

LOL when I first read the title to this thread I thought
You were referring to the Dallas Cowboys.

[AZ Desertrat]

I would like to get a cowboy lever in .357. since I have .38 and .357 revolvers in my current collection...and I reload for both....what would be a good model to look into?

[44LVR]

Nice buck, and I too LOVE Marlin Cowboys! I have a couple of the 24" .44's and one of the 38-55's. One of the .44's is left with just a receiver sight for my trail gun and just plain fun gun, the other two are scoped.

Anymore I hunt with the two scoped CB's nearly exclusively. This year I took a nice bull elk with the 38-55 and a smallish buck with the .44. Last year I took a pretty good bull with the .44. The year before that another bull with the .38-55 and a buck with the .44. The year before that a bull AND buck with the .44.

So as you can see, I too am SOLD on Marlin Cowboys!

44

[GANJIRO]

I had two killed , one totally eaten and one disemboweled while in the shower just before sunrise about 5 years ago.

When I read this I pictured the shower scene from "Psycho", poor naked sheep had no chance.

[C. Cash]

Thanks for sharing that, and congrats!

I am tempted to get a Marlin Cowboy in 44 and forgo the EBR that I've been planning.

Actually, the EBR's I'd bought in the past are now going for trade towards leverguns I really like better, so to me, now seems the time to SELL EBR's rather than buy them (just keep your favorite one ). Seems to me like the EBR's are generally too many parts to break and too fussy about ammunition, as opposed to leverguns. Mausers/bolts might be even better, and I suppose breakopens are the ultimate in durability, but leverguns seem a good compromise meeting most needs.

Yep...EBR's seem more like tools, and for me they get traded away before my Doubles/Levers/Single Actions that have true character. An 11 shot+ Marlin in 44 Mag. is not a bad compromise at all, and I'm already loading for the 44 Mag.