Lever Action Silhouette Rifles and Calibers

[Dixiejack]

Howdy from Southern Indiana.

Been shooting mostly single shots, but thinking about starting into lever gun silhouette. What are the most popular lever guns and calibers for CF and most popular rifle for .22RF? I have a very early 9422M, but I would think .22 MRF would not be legal.
Facts and opinions will be greatly appreciated.

George

[Old Savage]

Welcome to the board.

[Sixgun]

We had a match today. For smallbore .22 I used a pre war Marlin 39, for pistol caliber I used an 1892 32-20 Winchester, made in 1893 and for big bore I used a Winchester Model 71 in 348.

But I like to mix and match a lot sometimes using Winchester Model 61, 63, or an 1890 for small bore.......32-20's, 25-20's, 38-40's, 44-40's of different manufacturers for pistol caliber discipline along with about every "dash" calibered gun ever put in a tubular magazine levergun for big bore including the 40-60 Marlin, 40-65 Win, 45-70, 45-90, 38-55, 25-35....not good on 80 pound 200 meter Rams, 32-40,

I'd have to say most guys use 30-30's, a few 38-55's, 32 Spl. 45-70 for big bore and .357 and 44 mag for pistol caliber. Some guys use the .22 magnum for pistol caliber but the ammo is mighty expensive....a lot more than center fire ammo can be reloaded with cast bullets.

It's not a cheap game to play. I figure our monthly matches cost me...between gas, convenience store stopping, entry fee and ammo all hits me up for $60-70......but life is short so you gotta play hard.

[AJMD429]

I just hunt and recreationally target shoot, so can't give an answer, but welcome to the forum.

[6pt-sika]

When I was doing it I used a Marlin 1897CB for the 22 event , a Marlin 1894CCL in 32-20 for the pistol cartridge event and a Marlin 336CB in 30-30 for the 200 meter event .

There were a couple guys who shot the matches when I was putting them on that used a Marlin 1894C in 44 MAG for the pistol cartridge and the 200 meter events . One fellow from Fairfax R&G used a Marlin 1894 in 357 MAG for both .

[1894cfan]

When I was doing it I used a Marlin 1897CB for the 22 event , a Marlin 1894CCL in 32-20 for the pistol cartridge event and a Marlin 336CB in 30-30 for the 200 meter event .

There were a couple guys who shot the matches when I was putting them on that used a Marlin 1894C in 44 MAG for the pistol cartridge and the 200 meter events . One fellow from Fairfax R&G used a Marlin 1894 in 357 MAG for both .

Pardon me for saying this, but 1894c is 357 only, regular 1894 is everything else.

[jdad]

Rule #1 - Big Bore and Pistol Caliber Levergun Silhouette and Cowboy Class RF Silhouette are not an equipment game. It's marksmanship. The 200m rams are supposed to fall when hit by a factory 150gr 30-30. Watch what others are shooting.

Rule #2 - It's a "game". Shoot to have fun.

There are a lot more options in rimfire. You can use any "tube fed" lever, pump, or semi auto. I've attained Master class, with a f'ugly 1947 39a. What's important is that you find the ammo your rifle shoots the tightest groups, at 100m.

Rule #3 - Practice

[6pt-sika]

When I was doing it I used a Marlin 1897CB for the 22 event , a Marlin 1894CCL in 32-20 for the pistol cartridge event and a Marlin 336CB in 30-30 for the 200 meter event .

There were a couple guys who shot the matches when I was putting them on that used a Marlin 1894C in 44 MAG for the pistol cartridge and the 200 meter events . One fellow from Fairfax R&G used a Marlin 1894 in 357 MAG for both .

Pardon me for saying this, but 1894c is 357 only, regular 1894 is everything else.

Whatever they used the regular plain jane 1894 in 44 MAG .

[Griff]

and Welcome to THE Forum!

I've only shot Cowboy Silhouette twice... once using an 1873 clone, and once using an 1860, both are .45 Colt. If I were to shoot the rifle caliber match, I'd use my 94 Rifle in .30-30.

Of the matches I've observed, I seen a wide variety of guns and calibers. Pistol calibers ranging from 32WCF to .44Mag and just about everything in-between. Rifle calibers run from .30-30 to .45-70, and again, just about everything in-between. in the Small-bore, 9422s and marlin 39As seem to dominate.

[Dixiejack]

Thanks for all the replies. I guess in the center fire matches that cast bullets are the norm, much like the BPCR Silhouette matches.
It seems that original rifles or out of the box clones are legal as long as they fit the period. Also, I get the feeling that most any type of action works as long as a shoot is not a full blown NRA sanctioned match.
Are tang sights popular or do most shooters stick with factory barrel sights? Are period scopes used like in BPCR Silhouette and Long Range matches?
I apologize for asking too many questions, but I have found that not all shoots follow the NRA rules to the letter which makes shooting more fun.

George

[gundownunder]

I use a 39A Marlin, which seems the most popular choice in rimfire.
Pistol caliber depends on my mood, sometimes my open sighted Marlin 32-20 CL, sometimes my peep sighted Marlin 357 cowboy.
For the rifle caliber match I use my 357 with a 180 gr bullet pushed to 1750 fps, which I think is about all I can wring out of it.
If, like me, you don't own a rifle in a rifle caliber you will be able to drop the rams at 200 with pistol calibers from 357 up.
If I was to choose that rifle again, I would go for the 45 colt with the 24" barrel and load it with Ruger/TC loads for the big bore match.
30-30 seems the most popular rifle caliber, but from what I read on the steel chickens forum, most people over there use jacketed bullets and full velocity. At my local club we have mild steel targets so only cast bullets are allowed. Because of the lower velocities, heavier bullets are a better option over here.

As Jdad already said, this is not an arms race. What you shoot is not nearly as important as how you shoot. It's all about being able to shoot straight whilst standing on your own two feet. Dang, I gotta go back and read that sentence again, I'm sure I could learn something from it

[stubbicatt]

I've only shot at one venue, and a quick comparison between their rules and the NRA rules, they are a little bit more lax. One may shoot a lever actioned repeater, or a single shot, so long as it has an exposed hammer and iron sights.

I shoot cast bullets exclusively. I shoot a Winder musket in the rimfire event, a Uberti 1873 clone in pistol caliber (357 mag), and an 1894 Winchester in 30WCF for the 200 meter event.

Of these I load the 30-30 down pretty far to avoid recoil sensitivity issues and bullet stripping. Again, the club scores any full bullet hit on the 200 meter rams as a hit, whether they topple or not. I don't believe the NRA rules allow this.

It's a fun game. Watching the good shooters is a real education.

[jdad]

Learn the rules and do it right, otherwise you're just plinking with the guys. Optics are not allowed in ANY levergun match. They are allowed in Standard and Hunter class rimfire.

http://rulebooks.nra.org/documents/pdf/ ... r-book.pdf

**

[Washita]

I haven't shot Cowboy Silhouettes for several years, but when I did my favorite guns were a 1946 Marlin 39A for rimfire and a first-year Winchester 9422M for pistol cartridge, both rifles with Marbles tang sights. Plenty of power in the .22 HMR to take down the heavy 1/2 scale rams at 100 meters, and no need to pick up brass. .22 LR is legal for PC but rings an animal every once in awhile. I never shot CF but, if I did, I'd probably shoot a Marlin 336 in .35 Rem. Those full scale rams at 500M take some serious knockdown power, and the heavy .35 cal. cast bullets have got it in spades!

[Blaine]

otherwise you're just plinking with the guys

It's sometimes preferable. I used to do sporting clays, but the "sticklers" and "snobs" ruined it for me. Showing up with a Baikal SxS rabbit gun and finishing up midway in the pack is not allowed.

[Dixiejack]

Like I mentioned in my first post, I have a 9422M in .22 WMR. So I could try it out in the PC's. I have a friend who wants to sell a Winchester 94 in .32 WS that he bought in 1963 or 64. It has some honest wear and the bore is excellent. It would probably go 85%. Thinking about buying it. Then I will start looking around for a 9422 in .22 LR. That would get me started in Lever Action shooting.
I'm not new to shooting by any means. I have been shooting in various rifle competitions for over 50 years. I've have owned a couple of LR's over the years, mainly for hunting. Schuetzen, BPCR, and Long Range has gotten so expensive over the years that I hardly shoot any more. Just got interested in the lever rifle shooting, plus it seems more laid back.
I like what Blaine said about sporting clays. A friend and I went to a sporting clays range which happened to be an "Orvis Endorsed" range. I was told by a few Orvis deck-out shooters that if I wanted to take the game seriously, I needed to get rid of my 1100 and get a shotgun I could compete with. I told my friend who was shooting a high grade Browning O/U. He told me to shake it off and went to his truck and dug out an old plain barrel 870. His wallet was a good deal thicker when we left. All that to say, it's not how much you spend, it's how good you shoot. I think somebody mentioned that in a previous reply.

[gundownunder]

Some of the RMS boys shell out a couple grand on a rifle and a few grand more for a fancy scope, and then at a championship shoot get their collective butts handed to 'em on a plate by a CLAS shooter with a $900 iron sighted Winchester (no, it wasn't me). Really got their knickers in a twist, and I don't think that cowboy will ever be welcome at their range again
CLAS is a lot more laid back, and a lot more fun. Guys there just don't seem to take themselves too seriously. Maybe that's why it is often referred to as a game.
A .22, a .22M, and a 32SPL should be enough to get you into all 3 matches.
Never used a .22M so I don't know if it will be good enough on 100 mtr rams if the wind gets up behind them. Someone else here may know.

[retmech]

I used to do sporting clays, but the "sticklers" and "snobs" ruined it for me.

That's a real shame as sporting clays is great fun. You would really enjoy shooting at our range, great guys and a lot of ball busting going on.

[Shasta]

I shoot all three disciplines of NRA approved Cowboy Lever Action Rifle silhouette every month, and am the Match Director at our club. For Smallbore Cowboy Rifle the most popular is a Marlin 39A, the older the better. At our club the new Henrys are popular and doing well. Our top shooter uses a Marlin Model 57. A receiver or tang sight is a must, especially if you are a "seasoned" citizen. There is nothing like a long sight radius for old eyes!

For Cowboy Lever Action Pistol Cartridge, many top shooters use the .22 Magnum. We have a guy who shot a perfect 60x60 using a Marlin 57M. Most of our shooters use the .32-20 as it is both accurate and easy to reload using cast lead bullets. If you want to save on expenses, a .44 Magnum, .44-40, or .357 Magnum rifle can double as both a Pistol Cartridge and a Rifle Cartridge gun. Again I would emphasize long sight radius. Use a rifle, not a carbine, and get the stiffer octagon barrel!

Around here, the most popular Cowboy Lever Action Rifle Cartridge caliber is the venerable .30-30. It does very well with both cast and jacketed bullets, but does on occasion ring a Ram target with cast lead loads. Popular rifles are the older Winchester commemoratives with 26" octagon barrel such as the 1967 Canadian Centennial. The .38-55 is a better caliber choice and has no trouble taking down those heavy Rams. I have used my original 1880 vintage Winchester Model 1873 in .44-40 in both Pistol Cartridge and Rifle Cartridge with good results.

Regardless of what you use, the Lever Action Silhouette disciplines are a hoot!



Shasta

[Dixiejack]

Thanks for the info. everyone. Shasta, what kind of sights do you use? My single shots sport Vernier tang sights and I've seen a few LA's with Lyman reproductions. The Lymans look to have fairly coarse adjustments.

[Shasta]

Thanks for the info. everyone. Shasta, what kind of sights do you use? My single shots sport Vernier tang sights and I've seen a few LA's with Lyman reproductions. The Lymans look to have fairly coarse adjustments.

Best sights for me are a Lyman 17A globe front with the post & ball insert mated with a Marble's tang rear:





If I were not so financially embarrassed, I would really prefer a Montana Vintage Arms vernier tang rear sight, but they are very spendy!

Shasta

[6pt-sika]

otherwise you're just plinking with the guys

It's sometimes preferable. I used to do sporting clays, but the "sticklers" and "snobs" ruined it for me. Showing up with a Baikal SxS rabbit gun and finishing up midway in the pack is not allowed.

It's all in what one makes of it , be it lever silhouette , skeet , bullseye , cowboy action , trap or sporting or any other defined shooting sport one wants to try and or participate .

I liked lever silhouette , I liked trap and I most certainly liked skeet all at the competitive level . Sporting Clays is ok for fun but after shooting skeet and trap for years one tends to look at Sporting Clays as an exercise in futility . And I say that because 100 straight in a skeet or trap shoot is pretty common place so when you reach a point you expect to break them all , well that isn't the case with the GOOD Sporting Clays shooters generally mid to upper 90's will win most any shoot very very rarely does anyone go clean on a Sporting Clays course .

[AJMD429]

I used to do sporting clays, but the "sticklers" and "snobs" ruined it for me. Showing up with a Baikal SxS rabbit gun and finishing up midway in the pack is not allowed.

I showed up at a charity skeet shoot with my Striker Folder 12 gauge once....got some of the same looks from the classy over-under guys... I figured the goal was to raise charity funds and have some fun... Lots of em finally humbled themselves to ask if they could shoot my EBS though, and has to admit it was kinda fun...

[Dixiejack]

You have a very nice collections of sights. I like the way you have them displayed on those old lever actions.

[41 Redhawk]

Welcome Dixiejack,

Everyone has covered the Leverguns pretty well. I would comment that around here a good many people use the Williams FP Target rear sight.

I would also add that a good many of the clubs that shoot Cowboy Silhouette also shoot Hunter pistol as well as some of the other Pistol silhouette classes. You may find yourself hunting up a Contender or 2 because you find it irresistible!

[3leggedturtle]

It's not a cheap game to play. I figure our monthly matches cost me...between gas, convenience store stopping, entry fee and ammo all hits me up for $60-70......but life is short so you gotta play hard.

Whaddya figure it would cost you to spend the same amount of time and effort at the bar, drinking and chasing women?

[tman]

Nobody's mentioning the 45-70 If, I played the game, I'd go with the .22LR, .357 and the great Winchester SRC 1886 45-70 to knock down those long range rams.

[jdad]

Nobody's mentioning the 45-70 If, I played the game, I'd go with the .22LR, .357 and the great Winchester SRC 1886 45-70 to knock down those long range rams.

Not necessary, nor practical. You will get recoil fatigue, start flinking & missing. How do I know? I shot an 80 shot match. I sold that 45-70 afterwards.

The 200m rams are designed to fall when a 150gr factory 30-30 is fired from a 20" carbine.

[6pt-sika]

Nobody's mentioning the 45-70 If, I played the game, I'd go with the .22LR, .357 and the great Winchester SRC 1886 45-70 to knock down those long range rams.

Not necessary, nor practical. You will get recoil fatigue, start flinking & missing. How do I know? I shot an 80 shot match. I sold that 45-70 afterwards.

The 200m rams are designed to fall when a 150gr factory 30-30 is fired from a 20" carbine.

I think I only ever used the 30-30 , 32-40 and 32 Special . And 90% of that was a Marlin in 30-30 shooting the Ranch Dog 311-165GC bullet .