'92 for deer and bear

[PJ Hardtack]

... after 30 years of playing with 92's I got my hands on a 66 (early uberti 44/40) - if you never jammed your trigger finger rapid firing a 92 you maybe never know the difference and wouldnt understand - Browning/Winchester overlooked it too.     

No, can't say that I've had that experience. I just racked both my B-92 and the new Rossi as fast as I possibly could many times and I'm at a loss as to how you jammed your fingers.

I'm more into to hitting a 'B' zone sized target at 25 yds than I am a speed shooter on 16" targets at 7m. That's the stuff that ruined CAS.

[greyhawk]

No, can't say that I've had that experience. I just racked both my B-92 and the new Rossi as fast as I possibly could many times and I'm at a loss as to how you jammed your fingers.

- not fingers - just me trigger finger - look at em side by side - a lot more room in the lever loop of a 66 forward of the trigger and the trigger has less curl - I always kept my trigger finger inside the loop as I worked it and the soft part of my trigger finger ended up just right where that lil button thingy on the riflemans 92 sets - almost drove the tip of the trigger thru me finger tip as I slammed the lever shut - I was 20 years old at the time - but it hurt enough I remembered - I can hammer a 66 and not even think about it 


I'm more into to hitting a 'B' zone sized target at 25 yds than I am a speed shooter on 16" targets at 7m. That's the stuff that ruined CAS.
yeah agree with that to some degree - mousefart loads dont help either - when ya can hear the hammer fall over the muzzle blast somethin is seriously amiss - I dont shoot CAS - by time I came along the ruin was well established - and for an aussie raised in the bush and round horses the Texas costuming is waaaay over the top - just do a couple of rapid fire events at out local blackpowder club - but we have some fun - start with gun empty, gun and ammo on the ground, and raise as much hell as ya can in a minute (timed) - but target at 25 yards and ya need to stay inside six inches to be competitive - full case blackpowder loads - 20 hits would be seriously good shooting.   

[PJ Hardtack]

Greyhawk

When I first got into CAS, it was the era of one gun, usually a .44 or .45. We all shot serious loads with heavy bullets. Took me years to learn that there were bullets other than 240 gr for .44 Vaqueros.

You had to be able to shoot as the targets were often smaller and further away than is the norm today. It was a matter of pride. Then the late 'China Camp' and his wife topped the heap shooting factory .38 Spl. and the race was on.

The game under SASS has morphed into something I'm sure the founders did not envision with all the categories and classes, a nightmare for shoot organizers. The Rule Book was once a shirt pocket size booklet and under 'Equipment Eligibility' it stated that if John Wayne would use it, it was OK.

For the most part, our club has stayed true to the original idea and we have spread this gospel to the clubs we helped get going north and south of us.

In 17 years, no one has yet shot our annual match clean. We have bobbing targets, poppers, flying targets in most stages that present a real challenge. People like it and keep coming back with friends.

[King Medallion]

In 17 years, no one has yet shot our annual match clean. We have bobbing targets, poppers, flying targets in most stages that present a real challenge. People like it and keep coming back with friends.

Now that sounds like fun!

[PJ Hardtack]

That's why we do it! Shooting hard to miss targets at close range gets old very quickly.

One of our biggest annual shoots used to be the same kind of challenge back in the era of one gun. Then I took a hiatus from the sport, returning in the era of two guns.

Things had changed. Gone were the challenging targets and we were shooting rifles at pistol distances. Accuracy side matches like the Duelling Tree were no longer done because people couldn't hit the plates!

Real loads had given way to pop guns loads where the bullet hitting steel made more noise than the report of the rifle. The .39 Spl. was te calibre of choice.

At a recent SASS Championship, 28 shooters out of 125 shot clean matches. It was no longer an accomplishment like it used to be.

[greyhawk]

That's why we do it! Shooting hard to miss targets at close range gets old very quickly.

One of our biggest annual shoots used to be the same kind of challenge back in the era of one gun. Then I took a hiatus from the sport, returning in the era of two guns.

Things had changed. Gone were the challenging targets and we were shooting rifles at pistol distances. Accuracy side matches like the Duelling Tree were no longer done because people couldn't hit the plates!

Real loads had given way to pop guns loads where the bullet hitting steel made more noise than the report of the rifle. The .39 Spl. was te calibre of choice.

At a recent SASS Championship, 28 shooters out of 125 shot clean matches. It was no longer an accomplishment like it used to be.
[/quote
That is kind of pathetic!-specially if the winners come from the " others" group

[King Medallion]

I got told on numerous occasions to tame my 44-40 load down, hitting the targets too hard they said. At the time my load were 6.5 of green dot, It's what I had at the time. Now I shoot 4.5 Trail Boss.

[PJ Hardtack]

We hear this all the time from pop-gunners, especially our BP shooters. The complaint is that it's too hard on the ears of the RO's!

At least our bullets fully fragment on the steel and don't bounce off.

Lead bullets too hard on steel targets?  Yeah, right ......

[wildman1]

Yep. I was told my full load 45 Colt BP loads were denting new AR 500 steel targets. My home cast bullets were around 8 Brinnel hardness. You could scratch your initials on the bullet nose with your pinkie finger nail.
I haven't bothered going back there.
wM1

[willy]

44 mag. 92 carbine ..240gr. rnfp backed by 22gr. 2400
45 colt  short rifle 250gr JHP or 255gr.rnfp backed by  22 gr. 2400
(((BTW- I only load these  HOT 45 loads in nickel plated cases..so no nickel plated loads are ever fired in any of my SAA guns.)))
All kill deer as well as my 45/70 ...Never shot a bear with any of them....yet.

[PJ Hardtack]

Wow! Keith loads in a '92. Betcha they take down game just fine.

Lately I've been seeing more grouse than deer, so I may carry one of my '92's and start popping grouse.

A couple years back I took four with my 50-70 - three head shots, one body. I thought I must have blown up the bird with that 450 gr bullet, but it just punched a .50 calibre sized hole that seemed to close up behind itself. The exit hole was a flap of meat.

[PJ Hardtack]

Well, as I reported elsewhere on the forum, my Rossi '92 44-40 carbine has proven to be a deadly grouse killer.

I potted one this morning just before noon, a head shot at 15 yds. This afternoon I was bucking up windfall trees and another grouse had the nerve to walk across my driveway.

I swapped the chainsaw for the '92 and added another grouse to the larder. Another head shot, this one approaching 20 yds.

Lest anyone get a false impression of my off hand shooting, I sat to make both shots. It's always been my best shooting position when I want to make a precise shot.

I've shot a few deer and bear while sitting when I've had the time to sit, even slinging up when time allowed. The idea is to make a killing shot, not prove what a great marksman I am.

[dusty texian]

That 92 is tuned in PJ . Is a grouse per person a meal or are the grouse big enough for two ? ,,DT

[PJ Hardtack]

A large Ruffed Grouse = a Cornish Game Hen for size. A Blue Grouse even larger.

Added two more grouse to the larder this am, both head shots with the '92. I stopped the truck on a logging road to check out a quad trail, walking a few yards around a curve. There stood a spike fork Mule Deer as surprised to see me as I was to see him.!

I made a dash back to the truck for the '92, but of course, he was gone into the jungle. I carried on down the trail for 100 yds and that's when the first grouse showed up.

My dogs are quickly becoming accustomed to me showing up with grouse and they have developed a taste for grouse guts. We have killed several grouse with our house, the birds bouncing off the windows stone dead after watering at the lake. I've tried to recover a few, but the oldest dog runs off with them for a feast.

We've had to replace two windows on our community hall as well because of grouse hits. Both birds were found dead on the floor.

[PJ Hardtack]

Added three more grouse to the larder with the '92 yesterday - all head shots. I'm getting bolder and did it off hand. That's seven to date.

I'm thinking of this carbine as my "Grouse Killer". Hope to blood it with a deer soon .....

[PJ Hardtack]

Went to one of my favourite haunts t'other day, a gully wintering ground for moose and deer. You have to know where it is to find it which is getting increasingly difficult as the jungle takes over. I used to walk in on the game trails but now you need to mark your way in with marking tape if you want to find your way out.

Found some fresh buck rubs, so I know there is a buck in the vicinity. The '92 makes a perfect gun for that kind of brushy terrain - light, handiest gun ever to carry. A long shot would be 50 yds in a few places.

Anyhoo, while tippy-toeing into the gully, a few grouse showed up. One did the classic 'helicopter' rise AFTER I had walked past him! That is always a heart stopper. Two others spooked up into trees where I was able to pick them off easily with the '92. That's nine grouse taken with the '92 so far.

I carry six rds on a belt slide - three lead CAS loads for grouse and three Remington factory JSPs for deer. I load the gun with three rds - a chambered grouse load followed by two JSPs. Unloading back at the truck, I noticed that the JSPs had been pushed down into the cases about 1/16th of an inch past the cannelure!

When I got home, I checked the rest of the box for gription and it took only a light tap with a bullet puller to dislodge the bullets. I miked the diameter of a few and they were 426.5" on average. That surprised me. I reseated the loose bullets to the cannelure and ran the rest of the box through a Lee factory crimp die.

Looking forward to going back to find the deer that made those rubs ......

[greyhawk]

Dont have any deer and bear - might be I can find a rabbit
Just a little practice shoot with my 92 project rifle
Converted a 25-20 over to 38-40 - temporarily I used an old 73 barrel sos I could go ahead with the build - I lapped the old brl out with steel wool and jewellers rouge and things were ok but not impressive - RCBS old style boolits at that stage - then I borrowed an RCBS cowboy 38-40 mold off a friend and things went to hell for a bit - put a couple sideways at 50 yards - that was a straight blackpowder load --- back to the drawing board !!! original model 73, 38-40 tubes are slow twist (1:36), the cowboy boolit is a bit longer, blackpowder load was Wano powder (its slow) .................in the middle of all this I encountered ignition problems with my reloads using Remy rifle primers - ..............so loaded another lot using Federal pistol primers, 4 grains of 4227 under a full case of homemade black and the cowboy boolit - have not chronoed this but it sounds and feels like a decent load - no malfunctions so the primer issue is cured - little target is 11 shots at 20 yards - (my backdoor range) one shot in the white at 2 oclock is typical of my targets over many years - If I pull one a bit that is where it goes!!!
The more I mess with this old barrel the better it seems to shoot (the new replacement turned up two days ago) after christmas I
will go on a hunt for a clapped out 73 - that old barrel deserves a home - who knows - maybe get lucky      

[Slamfire]

 20 yds.,,,,all holes ,,round,,no sideways or rip's,,looking "Good",,work it out.






smoke'm if y'a got'm,,,,Hootmix.

[PJ Hardtack]

Congrats for giving an old soldier a new life! Go git them wascally wabbits! That rifle should make head shots easy.

Added two more grouse to the larder this am, head shots with the '92. Flushed five more but they never gave me a shot. Strange they were that geetchy as I was in a spot most people would not care to go.

[Rooster Ron Wayne]

Rossi 92 with Hot hot 26.gr H110 and 300.gr  Hard Cast Keith Bullet  44 Mag .
I will Hunt Anything in America .
Just Sayin
Rooster