SB & HP silhouette shooter with questions. =)

scotty250 · Post by **scotty250** » Sun Jun 01, 2008 2:43 pm

Hello all, i am thinking about getting into the lever action stuff. i shoot SB and HP currently and would like to get a lever gun. not too interested in the 22 at this point. price is a large factor for now. i have some 357 and 44 cases, used in my pistols. is it cheaper to shoot the pistol cartridges or the 30-30's. i have never loaded 30-30, i do have acces to a bunch of once fired brass. i am open to any caliber if there is one caliber that works better than the ones i have listed. i just have to keep cost in mind for the rifle and components. i also dont know much about the rifles and the rules. what brand rifles are good and are there some to stay away from?? i see you can install peep sights, what are the rules on trigger pull and barrel shape/diameter?? are the octagon barrels better than the standard round barrels? well, hope this makes it clear that i dont know much about lever action silhouette and would like some help to get started.
thanks
Scott

jnyork · Post by **jnyork** » Sun Jun 01, 2008 4:45 pm

With a .357 or .44 you can shoot both Pistol Caliber and the .30-30 class, which are two different courses of fire. Cowboy Lever Action is for .30-30 etc, full size targets starting at 50 meters and going out to 200. Cowboy Lever Action Pistol Cartridge uses half-size targets, starts at 40 meters and goes out to 100. Although you will occasionally lose a ram by shooting CLA with pistol calibers, you can do pretty well for yourself. 24" barrel is vastly better than carbine length due to the increased sight radius and gets that sight out into focus range for older eyes. You can use any safe trigger. Barrels must be factory original. Most people use a tang sight and a Lyman 17a front, the Marbles tang sight is very good for this purpose. You will benefit from getting a rule book from the NRA. Marlin or Winchester, take your pick of rifles. I prefer Marlins but that's just me. Many shooters are using the Winchester commemortives, some of them have 26" barrels and do very well with them. Try to attend a match or two and talk to the shooters there and see how things go, there are a LOT of lever action shoots in southern Arizona.

scotty250 · Post by **scotty250** » Sun Jun 01, 2008 5:47 pm

i actualy did stop by our monthly match today. the full spectrum from short carbines in 22lr to 26" + octagon 45-70's and everything between. i did talk with a couple guys i shoot SB and HP with, they told me the same thing on the pistol cartridge rifle in 2 classes.
thanks for the reply
scott

GTKF · Post by **GTKF** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 4:47 pm

I shoot a 44 mag 1894 cowboy with a 24" barrel in both PC and rifle, Haven't lost a ram. I'm not sure about the 357's ability to take all the rams.

No personal experience but I've heard some say it does others say it's not enough

eskuri · Post by **eskuri** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 6:32 pm

357 should be okay for 200 meters, esp now that the rules specify light setting the rams.

scotty250 · Post by **scotty250** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:05 pm

Update - i found a previously owned new in the box marlin 1894 in 44 for a great price. i have a 44 pistol, brass and bullets so i went for the 44. its a 20". planning on the williams rear and lyman front sights and some trigger work. thanks for all the help so far.
Scott

ppkny · Post by **ppkny** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 6:58 am

Scotty. I have a 20 inch also and recently went to a No1 tang in the rear. You'll find that the receiver mounted sight doesn't give enough sight radius with the 20 inch barrel. The extra 4/5 inches you get with the tang is worth it.
ppkny

Bob259 · Post by **Bob259** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 6:59 am

ppkny wrote:Scotty. I have a 20 inch also and recently went to a No1 tang in the rear. You'll find that the receiver mounted sight doesn't give enough sight radius with the 20 inch barrel. The extra 4/5 inches you get with the tang is worth it.
ppkny

You keep forgetting you have a 18" barrel

scotty250 · Post by **scotty250** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 10:00 pm

i have given the tang sight some thought as well, but i think i might stick to the reciever sight. i might actualy use this rifle for more than steel animals

glen ring · Post by **glen ring** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 8:36 am

Scotty

I filed the front sight down a bit to be able to shoot the targets at 200 yards with my 18 inch 357.

I use a light load for chickens and pigs and then use a heavy load for turkeys and rams....same sight setting.

I like the ability to be able to shoot a wild pig or coyote and know where the sights are all the time without getting lost in sight settings.

scotty250 · Post by **scotty250** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 2:49 pm

I was planning on doing the same thing. i have yet to work on my load but i hope to find something that i can hold low on the chickens, center on pigs with one load, then low on turkeys and center on rams with another load, i will have to do some asking arround or work up the loads myself to find something that works. i am going to try that, i would like to leave the sights set. but if i cant get it to work out, i will dial up and down. 44 mag is an easy one to work with, as is 357. also, anyone try this trigger??
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.e ... mid=188646

glen ring · Post by **glen ring** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 3:31 pm

I found that I didn't have enough sight to shoot 180 grain bullets at 200 yards. I found a quite a few 160 grain speer flat points and quite a few hornady 160 grain silhouette bullets. A minimum load with the speers shoots dead on at chickens and pigs.
A maximum load with the Hornadys makes me hold low turkey and top of the back rams. The same sight settings on all.
I think the 160 Hornadys have been discontinued, but the flat point 158 should impact very close to the 160s.

I wanted to shoot lever action silhouette with a round I had components for, and that I was familiar with. I like Hodgon powder and the loading info is available on line.

I know there are probably much better guns for the 200 yard course, but man is it fun hitting a ram at 200 yards with an open sight 18 inch 357 rifle!

SB & HP silhouette shooter with questions. =)

SB & HP silhouette shooter with questions. =)

SB & HP silhouette shooter with questions.

357

Re: 357

sight settings 357