Winchester Model 94 Octogon Barrel 30-30

Winchester Model 94 Octogon Barrel 30-30

When we had a 100-yd session on the farm, my friend was most interested in sighting in his Winchester 1894 Octogon .30-.30 lever action, tube-feed rifle.  It is a real beauty.  The Model 94 is famous but this one is OLD!  We cleaned the bore and lubed all the moving parts before taking it out back.

He first shot a group of 3 and hit the 8-ring with one, signalling hopefulness for a good day.  This shot was only 2 minutes high and 2 minutes left!  He wasn't able to post a 3-shot group with all three hitting the target, and neither could I!  He hit one 8 minutes high and 3 to the right and another 8 minutes high and 5 to the right, but on different groups.  I tried a 3 shot group carefully aiming at the lower left corner, thinking the gun was shooting high and to the right, and none of mine hit the paper! 

I am sure that he wants to try and group this gun later in the summer, because it is his deer gun for brush areas, being shorter barrelled.  If he does, we will probably start at 50-yds and see just what the heck is going on, before moving it out with some sight adjustments.  It was real fun shooting a 30-cal lever action.  30-30 means, of course, .30 caliber and 30-grains of powder.  Don't know if that latter number is adhered to anymore with modern powders, of course, but it sure is a fun gun to shoot.