Santa Arrived a few days early

[cpt dan blodgett]

Could not wait to put under tree.  24 inch round barrel 8.8 lbs 45-70 arrived today from Grant Nebraska

[Trailrider]

Twenty-four inch barrel? Are you sure it's not 26", which was standard. Nice present, whatever!  One of the best designs John Mose did!
Stay well and safe!
Merry Christmas!

[cpt dan blodgett]

busted out the tape it is 24 inches.

[Buckaroo Lou]

Looks like one of Winchester's new 1886 short rifle models. If so it should be a very nice rifle. Very nice.

I have one with the pistol grip stock and it too is the short rifle. Mine shoots great and is very accurate. Much better than my old eyes can see to shoot.

[cpt dan blodgett]

we will see what these 70 yo eyes with the new lenses installed a few years back can do.  Should hit range in the new year.

[cpt dan blodgett]

Hit the range with the 86 today.  Shot 300 Sierra JHP and 350 LRN Sierras over Varget.  Used Max Load from Lyman Manual 1873 Trapdoor data with the 300 Jhps went max, -.5, -1.0, -1.5, -2.0.  With the 350, went Max, -.5 , 1.0, -1.5.  Was Kind of strange the 2 lowest loads for the 300 Jhps shot to left maybe 3 inches the -1.0 shot to point of aim with a shot good for elevation I pulled right.  The groups opened up and moved to the right for the 2 highest charge loads, which are not fun at all with the cresent but plate.  My best accuracy and group for the 350 grain bullets was the -1.0 load, the max and -.5 were not real fun and opened up from maybe 2.5 inches to like 6 inches.  May have flinched but don't think so. 

Think my next time out to the range I will take some 100 yard reduced high power repair center targets and shoot using a 6 O'clock hold which is much more repeatable than the cover the bull with the front sight bead method I was using today.  70 yo eyes and all but must say having the cataract surgery a couple of years back lets me see the front sight pretty well with or without my glasses and as luck would have it the right eye is stone 20/20 and my right lense is plano except for the bifocal part that does not come into play shooting a rifle. With the 3 lowest power loads I consistently put 2 rounds within and inch and the 3rd 2 to 3 inches out of the group.  Some attributable to not a precise point of aim covering bull and some probably poor technique on my part.  The rifle wants to shoot.  Having basically used all my Jacketed 45/70 bullets will have to try cast next range trip.  I do have 2 rounds left of most loads to shoot at 200.  Who knows when more projos will become available and available at a reasonable price.