Win 94 BB

[Duhawki]

I have found a new '94 BB in 375 Win and a well used one in 356 Win. Both are for sale at the same shop. Strangely, the 356 is more expensive. Does that make any sense? What is the best chambering of all the 94 BB made by Winnie?

[kimwcook]

Welcome to the forum. Your question is like asking what's the best car. It's up to you and what you want to do with it. Good luck. I believe both platforms are good ones especially if their the pre-safety models.

[damienph]

I've never owned or even shot a 356 but my top eject 375 Big Bore is one of my favorite rifles.

[BenT]

The 356 is a great deer cartridge, it is one of my favorites. If it is well used ,don't pay too much for it. Pristine ones can be had for between $600 and $700.

[RIHMFIRE]

356 are pretty rare....only seen one in all my days of shooting...and shot it too!
and the 375 are not that common either...
they should be.....XTRs

I believe you can shoot the 38-55 out of the 375...but not the other way around...
and i think the components are easier to find for the 375...

either way both are stout rounds and put down some pretty big game...

356 should go for 600 to 800 bills pending condition
375 should be the same.....
EXCEPT for new in the box with papers....i have seen them
online for 900 to 1000 bills

[Pete44ru]

I've owned/shot/hunted with both .375 & .356 BB94's - and I liked the .356 a lot better, because it shot much flatter than the .375.
YMMV, of course.

All .356's are BB94AE's - angle-eject, but some (better) are pre crossbolt safety & rebounding hammer.

Most (not all) .375's are BB94's - top-eject ( a few months of AE .375's exist).

The top-eject's are factory prepped for a specially-dedicated side-mount peep (Williams); the AE's take a top-mounted peep from Williams or XS in the two rear scope mount holes, and they're a snap to scope if that floats your boat.

There's a wide selection of .35 cal projectiles available, for handloading, but not so much for .375 projectiles suitable for the .375 Win's velocities.

.

[damienph]

I probably shoot more 38-55 brass (winchester brand) out of my Big Bore than I do 375 brass.

If I ran across a 356 BB at a good price, I would like to try one.

[tman]

I have both. Get both. The Bigbores were excellently made rifles, probably the cream of the post 64's and right up there with the pre-ones.

[hfcable]

and get a .307 to go with your set

and a 444 too.

[1886]

The .375 XTR models are some of the nicest 94s to be found. I have owned several .356 models and none were as nice as the .375 XTR models. The .356 is not as common. Both are excellent rounds. 1886.

[tman]

and get a .307 to go with your set

and a 444 too.

Throw in a 450 Marlin and your covered from mice to elephants

[Old Time Hunter]

and get a .307 to go with your set

and a 444 too.

Thankfully I do have them all, .307, .356, .375, .444 (both in a Timber Carbine and BB), and a .450 Marlin in a Timber Carbine. Even though my favorite current hunting rifle is the .444, I have probably put more rounds down the barrel of the .375 than all the rest combined. The .375 is, at least for me, the most shootable of the bunch. The rimmed .308 (.307) and the rimmed .358 (.356) are both better rounds for that extra 30 to 50 yards of distance over the .375, if you do not take the time to practice with the greater trajectory of the .375, but that comes with a price. Both the .307 and .356 have a bit more bite than the .375 and after throwing thirty or forty rounds down field with a 6 lb rifle, you can feel it (not as bad as the 450 though). I kind of made my .375 a morphodite by putting on a Ashley (XS) ghost ring sight system (had to D&T the top of the receiver since it is a top eject), but it works well for me. I used mine in a competition that follwed the old "Bridger's Rules", which had unknown various distance shots and you were not allowed to practice before hand. That ghost ring did well, front sight centered was around 125 yards, front sight a nub over at 6 o'clock in the ring was 50 yards, and front sight almost touching 12 o'clock was pretty darn good at 250 yards. My winning rounds were a 220 Hornady JSP in front of 36.3 grains of AA1680...worked like a charm...many thousands of rounds.



This was at a hundred yards with the front sight centered

[1886]

Real good shootin'. 1886.

[TMair]

I had a BB in 375, it was a beautiful gun, the fit and finish was perfect, had it been a 356 I might still have it, no I would still have it just because I couldn't get reloading components for it, that's how I roll.
Terry

[Old Savage]

One of our fellow members from across the big pond sent me some pics of 110 yd groups shot with his scoped 356 that would go under a quarter. The BBs I have seen have been excellent.

[hfcable]

i had them all but sold the 450...... i always used a 45/70 instead so let a friend buy it. i also sold/traded the 375 because i have an 1894 in 38/55 [made in 1895] that was offended by my using the younger 375 so traded it off. still have the others and wonder of wonders i also have an additional 307 and 356 that are unfired still in their boxes with all tags and papers,etc.
someday i am going to part with that pair.......since i already have another one of each of those calibers and am using them, i really should thin the herd of these two...... but not just yet.

[Old Savage]

hf

too cold up there for them NIB BBs - send them down - played golf in short sleeves yesterday. 286 yd drive on #8

[hfcable]

hf

too cold up there for them NIB BBs - send them down - played golf in short sleeves yesterday. 286 yd drive on #8

Dang, you are right, i am tired of winter already and there's months to go!

and a 286 yard drive....... i could only do that in my four wheeler!!

[C. Cash]

I'd jump on the 356 Win. myself, but there is no wrong answer. I like the thicker barrel on the 356, 307 and 444's. Excepting the 307, there is no percievable addition of weight when compared to the original masterpiece in 30/30, because of the larger caliber/more metal being removed in the bore. The 307's seem a little heavy but I think I could get used to it very easily. Just took my 356 Win. out tonight and went over it.....still my favorite rifle overall. A cast bullet doing 2000-2100 fps. should work fine for anything I might need at the present time and it loves the RCBS 200 gr. I've still got a few factory 250 gr. Jacketed left over from the early 90's for going after Elk or for camp.

[Kansas Ed]

I've always felt that the .356 was the better overall big game cartridge. But the only bull elk I ever killed was with a .375. I would avoid the model with the crossbolt safety. The .375 never had them, so we know that one is a good format. The .356's could be had either way. If the .356 has the crossbolt, go for the .375.

Ed

[tman]

The .356 is flatter shooting and harder hitting. The .375 is a top-eject WINCHESTER,as opposed to a USRA, and you can shoot 38-55's thru it, The modern one's , anyway. That's why u need them both.

[Ravenman]

My Winchester 94 BB 356 Winchester is one of the most accurate leverguns that I have. I tried only factory Winchester 200grs. ammo so far but the results are amazing.



Best group ever at 110yards from a sandbag rest.



other day same ammo - same distance.



and an other group at 70 yards that I shoot kneeling with my Big Bore



These groups are not the exception. If I do my parte these are the rule. Great gun that I love very much.

[Old Savage]

Here is the guy I was talking about and what a rifle.

[C. Cash]

Now how could that be Ravenman? The gunwriters of the day said you couldn't hit the broadside of a barn with the big bore 94. Those are great groups!

[kimwcook]

Ravenman, outstanding groups. There's nothing to change there.

[Ravenman]

Only one little change. New Leupold 2-7x33 Duplex scope. And have an eye on the ammo lot. The POI is sometimes very massive and you have to reset the scope.

[tman]

While my groups aren't exactly that tight, my open sighted .356 is an accurate, hard hitting, fast shooting deer killing machine. Always thought it was best of the bigbores, giving .348WCF. performance from a 61/4 7 shot lever! Never could understand why the gunwriters were so quick to kill this one off. I could sell off my other rifles and only use this if need be. Got enough 200, 250 factory, and 220 handloads to last me into my golden age.

[TMair]

I've said it before I just cant imagine how this cal. died and the 375 stick around as long as it did, not that the 375 is a bad round by any means.
Ken Waters didn't even do an article on it in pet loads.
Terry

[damienph]

I've said it before I just cant imagine how this cal. died and the 375 stick around as long as it did, not that the 375 is a bad round by any means.
Ken Waters didn't even do an article on it in pet loads.
Terry

Actually, Ken Waters's first Pet Loads article on the .375 was in January 1979 and he did an update in January 1983. From his 1979 article (last paragraph) "Frankly, I like the whole idea of the .375 Winchester. It should prove to be a grand cartridge for woods and timber hunting at ranges of 175 yards or less, and the little carbine was a perfect choice for it."

And from his 1983 article (also last paragraph); "...the validity of its original purpose becomes clear: to provide a harder hitting big-bore alternative to the 30-30 Winchester. In this, it has been imminently successful. No more should be expected of it."

Yep, the .375 Winchester and the .444 Marlin are two of my favorite levergun chamberings. If I had any experience with the .356, I might feel differently, but I don't.

[damienph]

Not that it matters but, I don't think that Ken Waters ever did a Pet Loads article on the .356 Winchester.

[TMair]

Not that it matters but, I don't think that Ken Waters ever did a Pet Loads article on the .356 Winchester.

Yes that is what I was meaning, after I re-read my post I could see how it was confusing, I was a little dissapointed when I went through my Pet Loads manual and there was no 356 data
Terrky

[TMair]

I've said it before I just cant imagine how this cal. died and the 375 stick around as long as it did, not that the 375 is a bad round by any means.
Ken Waters didn't even do an article on it in pet loads.
Terry

Actually, Ken Waters's first Pet Loads article on the .375 was in January 1979 and he did an update in January 1983. From his 1979 article (last paragraph) "Frankly, I like the whole idea of the .375 Winchester. It should prove to be a grand cartridge for woods and timber hunting at ranges of 175 yards or less, and the little carbine was a perfect choice for it."

And from his 1983 article (also last paragraph); "...the validity of its original purpose becomes clear: to provide a harder hitting big-bore alternative to the 30-30 Winchester. In this, it has been imminently successful. No more should be expected of it."

Yep, the .375 Winchester and the .444 Marlin are two of my favorite levergun chamberings. If I had any experience with the .356, I might feel differently, but I don't.

Yes I meant no 356 data, I liked my 375 winchester, just not enough to hang onto it, some times I do wish I had it back though, and I agree with you and Mr. Waters, it is a great round.
Terry

[dgr416]

Thats an angle eject bb 94 375 win.I have had 6 regular 94 bb 375s .I scoped a few.They are very fun to shoot.The only problem now is finding reloading bullets to shoot out ofd them.I have looked high and low for Hornady 220s and cant find any.I have shot about 10 different bullets and the 235 gr speer was the most accurate.Its only a single shot but with aa1680 powder its awesome.I hope to get to bear hunt with mine.It has taken second place to my 1895 405 win but still a favorite.