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M94 Scout 35-30

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Ranch Dog View Drop Down
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    Posted: 13 November 2017 at 08:04
How about some levergun love? I've been blessed with a bunch of them in my gunroom and in my hands out in the field. I tend to be identified as a Marlin man but I do have a couple of favorite Winchesters that are probably the most accurate levergun rifles I own; Timber Scouts that are chambered in 30-30 Win and 44 Mag. These rifles were offered in 2005 with only 500 30-30s made and 100 of the 44 Mags.





Yeah, I know, they look the same with the only difference being the hole diameter in the round thing.

My dad, who is 88, was always a Winchester M94 guy. As age crept up on him, I added a B-Square side mount along with a 4X scope and life was good until the offset started to bother his shooting. I gave him a Glenfield 30GT with its center of the receiver mount and all was good. My dad has always been a one rifle guy, and he insisted I take his M94 in trade.

That M94 is an '64 Antique Saddle Ring Carbine that he purchased in 1968 on clearance for $25. He had the choice of 30-30 Win or 32 Win Spl, and he has always said he wished he had taken the latter and for some reason, I have too. Anyway, this rifle has sat for a decade in my gun safe as I haven't had the hunting need to use it and it doesn't have any collectors value as the first of the post '64s. Since I bought the TS levers, the wheels had started to turn on what I was going to do with it. I asked my dad if he wanted it back for any reason and if he minded me modifying it and his answer was to do what I wanted with it.

The first thing I did was send to JES in Cottage Grove, OR where it was rechambered/rebored to 35-30.



When it got back, it went to the press where I drilled and tapped for the Redfield Jr. IER base from the same period of manufacture. This is a quick detach base that allows the scope to be swung free of the mount and the base incorporates an adjustable rear sight. The boxed mount even included the drill and tap for the work!





I also wanted to refinish the stock set. My dad had shoulder problems so I had installed a slip on pad, removing the steel plate, which he had misplaced over the years. The stock had a slight curve to the butt that I removed so that I could install a good pad as I have shoulder problems as well. I started shooting the rifle as soon as I square the stock, without a pad, and even killed a hog with the rifle!



I finally got back to work on the rifle for a few minutes the last couple of days. Made the required adjustments to Miles Gilbert jig and have the pad mounted to verify the fit. Now it is on to the details of the wood refinishing.
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BEAR View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote BEAR Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 November 2017 at 08:16
beautiful rifle.  and a cool set-up.

don't see any of the 35-30 wildcats anymore.  Makes a mild 35 rem.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ranch Dog Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 November 2017 at 14:36
Originally posted by BEAR BEAR wrote:

beautiful rifle.  and a cool set-up.

don't see any of the 35-30 wildcats anymore.  Makes a mild 35 rem.

Thanks, Bear!

I run my 35 Rem Marlin 336D and this rifle at 40.0K PSI so they are similar in performance. The Win is a tad faster than the Marlin with it's 18" barrel. Here is the performance, both ballistic and terminal with the 180-grain Speer.





I also shoot Lee's relatively new 35 caliber offering, the C358-200-RF, cast with 60/40 linotype/wheel weights.





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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Wing master Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 November 2017 at 21:45
Very nice rifle Ranch Dog. 

Wing master
I have always considered myself to be quite the bullshitter, But ocasionally it is nice to sit back and listen to a true professional......So, Carry on.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ranch Dog Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 November 2017 at 06:19
I could and bump the load up a bit with the Speer bullet as it is falling a bit short of 40K PSI (I have the RSI pressure trace equipment). Without looking at my notes, I want to say it is sitting at 37.5K PSI, but I'm a bit lazy and it shoots so well.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BEAR Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 November 2017 at 06:44
Just wondering how you decided on the 35-30 cartridge.  It is a great medium game round and with its rim functions good in the 336 and 94.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ranch Dog Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 November 2017 at 12:50
Originally posted by BEAR BEAR wrote:

Just wondering how you decided on the 35-30 cartridge.

I didn't need or want another 30-30 Win as I have five others and the 35-30 is a simple rebore/rechamber. The only other conversion that is easy is the 30-30 Win to 38-55 Win but I already have a Rossi Rio Grande that JES converted for me.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BEAR Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 November 2017 at 13:10
Sounds good.  always wanted a 38-55 in a 336.  Got a 375 win in a TLC 336.  I wouldn't shoot 4 inches at 100 yards...passed it on.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ranch Dog Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 November 2017 at 21:56
Without getting too far off topic, I consider the 375 Win a complicated cartridge to load. Not so much the load recipe, but understanding the features of the chamber cut vs. spec brass. There is a heck of a lot of freebore in the chamber design, but it is worse than that, there is a heck of a lot of airspace ahead of the freebore that just doesn't make sense. I've owned three Marlin 375s and spent a bunch of time with chamber casts from the rifles trying to understand just want the Winchester guys had on their minds when they designed it. Pure speculation on my part, but I think all that space is intended to dump the pressure off the chamber as quickly. None of that space helps accuracy.



The best way to make a 375 Win perform is to treat it like a 38-55 Win. Lose the 375 Win brass in favor of the longer 38-55 Win (a heck of a lot cheaper) and get the ogive of the bullet up closer in the throat. I've been reloading my 375 Win for about 12 years like this, and a follow pointed out to me that Buffalo Bore started doing the same thing. I found they do a great job of explaining why.

I use the Starline 38-55 Win Long brass, which is 2.125" vs. the SAAMI spec 375 Win brass at 2.020". That should help illustrate just how much space the design guys left in the chamber. Here is my load with my 235-grain bullet.



My 38-55 Win is cut from a Rossi Rio Grande chambered in 30-30 Win.



I had JES cut a .366" bore and .376" so that I could shoot .378" cast bullets. The twist is 18. With it, I shoot a 250-grain cast bullet of my design, a TLC378-250-RF but use the standard length Starline 38-55 Win brass (2.080"). Not all that airspace with that cartridge. It is a shoots very good.



Here in South Texas with our year-round hog hunting finds me out in shorts!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jsgbearpaws1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 November 2017 at 04:03
Dandy! Fine looking instruments! Don't let them talk you into a 6.5-30.....to make it perfect.
...oh yeah! thats gonna hurt!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BEAR Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 November 2017 at 07:32
I have a T/C contender pistol in 375W.  it shoots 1" at 100 yards.  It has killed lots of hogs and 7 or8 whitail deer, all with one shot.

Since it is a single shot I load 270 gr spire point.  and it loves them.  that 270 gr is designed for the 375 h&H so it doesn't expand well; great on boar, poor on deer.
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