Range report: Relined Stevens Favorite

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FatJackDurham
Senior Levergunner
Posts: 1067
Joined: Sun Jan 01, 2012 10:18 am
Location: Morrisville,vt

Range report: Relined Stevens Favorite

Post by FatJackDurham »

I had my Stevens Favorite 22 LR relined and reblued at boses in Nebraska. Today, I took the gun and my new chronograph out to the range to see if it had improved. Unfortunately, I left the chrono instructions at home and was only able to get speed measurements, not the statistics.

I tried fourteen different ammos, everything from 22 short to Stingers, in an attempt to find out what my gun would like.

Most of the ammos aren't worth mentioning, but several seemed to shoot well in my gun both at 25 yards and 50 yards.

A surprise was the CCI Stinger round. The rifle loved it! Pretty much the tightest groups at both distances, about one inch at 25 yards and 2.5 inches at 50 yards.

Right there with the Stinger was the Aquila Supermaximum round. Pretty much the same performance as the Stinger, strange smell, though.

The worst was the Federal Gold Medal Premium Match. My gun HATED it!!! For something with the words Gold, Premium and Match, I expected more. However, I tried some Federal Auto Match and that shot reasonable well.

I was hoping the CCI Standard Velocity would do well, being subsonic out of my rifle. It shot okay, but kind of fell apart at 50 yards.

I also shot RWS Subsoninc at 25 yards for the tightest group of all, however, I ran out before I could shoot at 50.

A big surprise was the Aquila SSS 60 grain. Not in the Stevens, though, but in my Savage model 101 faux revolver.

You see, I had shot everything both in the rifle and in the pistol at 25 yards. While the rifle didn't care much for the 60s, the pistol showed a surprisingly tight group with the 60s over everything else! However. Leading build up was terrible, and after 15 rounds, I had to push pretty hard to get the rounds in the chamber.

Speaking of chamber fit, the Remingtons I shot, three varieties all seemed to run narrow. This made for easy fit in the chamber, but it allowed a ton of back blast around the edge of the shell, causing unstable velocities.

Speaking of velocities, I noticed that the 22 rounds had wide velocity ranges in my gun. I wonder if the chamber might have been reamed wide. I am talking 150 fps swings. However, being only the first time I used the Chrony, I am not sure.

So, when I get the Tang sight I ordered, i plan to do this all again, and this time with pictures!

At this point, the ammos I will use are the Aquila supermax, CCI Stinger, CCI Standard Velocity.
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O.S.O.K.
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Re: Range report: Relined Stevens Favorite

Post by O.S.O.K. »

Yes, pictures. :) But it sounds like it's shooting good! And the reline was a success :D
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Mescalero
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Re: Range report: Relined Stevens Favorite

Post by Mescalero »

I have a Stevens single shot myself, it has a Frankenstien barrel on it.
Need to get an original, your re-line is inspirational.
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Shasta
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Re: Range report: Relined Stevens Favorite

Post by Shasta »

If you haven't already done so, give the Federal bulk packed ammo a try. Several guys at our silhouette club are using it with good success in their leverguns. It shoots good in my Marlin 39A as well as my Cimarron Low Wall single shot, but I must admit I do have better luck with the CCI Standard Velocity ammo.

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Re: Range report: Relined Stevens Favorite

Post by 1894c »

Shasta wrote:If you haven't already done so, give the Federal bulk packed ammo a try. Several guys at our silhouette club are using it with good success in their leverguns. It shoots good in my Marlin 39A as well as my Cimarron Low Wall single shot, but I must admit I do have better luck with the CCI Standard Velocity ammo.

SHASTA
+1 on the Federal Bulk Pack... :)
KCSO
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Location: North East Nebraska

Re: Range report: Relined Stevens Favorite

Post by KCSO »

I have generaly found that a re lined barrel will shoot as good or in most cases, better than the original rifle if you use a good quality liner.
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flightsimmer
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Re: Range report: Relined Stevens Favorite

Post by flightsimmer »

This is one that my uncle left to me many years ago, I keep it safe for my grandkids.

Image
10mm, when you care enough to send the very best.
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FatJackDurham
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Location: Morrisville,vt

Re: Range report: Relined Stevens Favorite

Post by FatJackDurham »

By bulk pack, do you mean those larger boxes that have 300 or 500 rounds in them?

I've seen the Winchester and Remington boxes, but I haven't seen the federal, except at the range, a fellow had a large box of Federal Auto Match. I'd like some of that.
FatJackDurham
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Location: Morrisville,vt

Re: Range report: Relined Stevens Favorite

Post by FatJackDurham »

flightsimmer wrote:This is one that my uncle left to me many years ago, I keep it safe for my grandkids.
Schway cool! I love that octogon barrel. Is that a smooth bore or rifled and what condition is it in?

Is there any hardening left visible on the receiver or was that originally blued?

That looks a heck of a lot better than mine did before I had it blued. I notice a few things, too. One, the barrel doesn't have a knob to adjust the headspace, like mine, so I imagine yours was made better and didn't need it.

Two, I see the front site looks like a bead, where mine is just a blade

Three, i see the rear sight looks like a leaf type that can be elevated, my was a solid triangle in the dove tail with a notch cut into it.

I think yours must have been a higher end unit.
GoatGuy
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Re: Range report: Relined Stevens Favorite

Post by GoatGuy »

Great test info FatJack. Thanks! Another +1 for the 550 round bulk Federals and the bulk pak Federal 330 round automatic. Also, in my experience, the 40 grain Winchester power point .22lr' s consistently do well for me in a variety of hand and long guns.
"If a man does away with his traditional way of living and throws away his good customs, he had better first make certain that he has something of value to replace them." - Basuto proverb.
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flightsimmer
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Location: Indianapolis, In.

Re: Range report: Relined Stevens Favorite

Post by flightsimmer »

FatJackDurham wrote:
flightsimmer wrote:This is one that my uncle left to me many years ago, I keep it safe for my grandkids.
Schway cool! I love that octogon barrel. Is that a smooth bore or rifled and what condition is it in?

Is there any hardening left visible on the receiver or was that originally blued?

That looks a heck of a lot better than mine did before I had it blued. I notice a few things, too. One, the barrel doesn't have a knob to adjust the headspace, like mine, so I imagine yours was made better and didn't need it.

Two, I see the front site looks like a bead, where mine is just a blade

Three, i see the rear sight looks like a leaf type that can be elevated, my was a solid triangle in the dove tail with a notch cut into it.

I think yours must have been a higher end unit.
It was made after Savage acquired Stevens, you can see the stamp on the left front of the receiver. It came with Lyman sights and the .22 cal. bore is rifled and perfect, my Uncle knew how to take good care of his belonging. Oh, and it's all blue, no case hardening.
10mm, when you care enough to send the very best.
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If possible, so much as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Rom 12:18
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