Smallbore Cowboy Revisited

Centerfires, rimfires, pistol cartridges and everything in between.
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GTS
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Smallbore Cowboy Revisited

Post by GTS »

As I mentioned in my previous post on this topic this game is BIG TIME FUN, at least for me. :D

How about a little input from all of you experienced "cowboys" out there. I'd like to know a little bit about how you approach this game.

Ammo - HV or standard?

Sights - iron, receiver or tang and do you use them in combination?

Which rifle and/or action do you prefer?

Any other insights would greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

GTS
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mordecai
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Post by mordecai »

The big three on the line are the Marlin 39A, Winch 9422 and Henry .22's. I'd say the 39A's are the most popular. Good accuracy and good triggers.

Ammo. I've rang too many pigs and rams with Std Velocity and not any more. It's HV from now on. I've hit a few pigs so squarely, that they only moved back on the rail and did not fall. AARRGGHH!!! This hasn't happened with HV (yet!!!)

Sights. Williams and Lyman are common. Tangs are even better but pricey. I've even seen a few Anschutz set ups (kinda undermine's the purpose though, if you know what I mean). Make sure you get a model that has enough elevation. Many that are for the 39A will still need a deeper arm as rimfire drops considerably at 100yds. Typical front sights are the Lyman globe in a dovetail - using the post insert.

I haven't found a good way to "crank" the Lyman and Williams sights up and down for elevation the way I would like. The graduated lines are just not discernable enough. I use hold-over and probably miss a few rams because of it.

As for ammo types, I recommend Federal Lightning HV, Aguila HV, CCI HV - any of these as solids (Lead Nose). If you like shooting copper/brass, feel free - but to me it's just more cleaning.
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Post by nomad »

Ansch
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Post by jneihouse »

My choice of equpiment is the Marlin39A with a Marbles tang sight. SKJagd Standard Plus is the ammo of choice. Most 39A's will need a trigger job (replacement springs from Brownells are a good starting poin and may make it good enough. The Marbles sight is also available from Brownells and has several aperatures. And on the 39A no drilling is required to install the tang sight. You might have to file down your front sight to get a Ram zero, maybe not. For smallbore we use thinner smallbore targets so ringing animals is not a problem. I've shot the Henrys and Winchesters but the Marlin has a proven track record and just seems to "hang" better. On the big bore side the Marlin also seems to be the ticket, with the .357 being the best balance between recoil, flat shooting, and knocking down the rams. Some are using the Lyman receiver sights but the Marbles windage and elevation offers positive clicks and is very repeatable.

Any your are right, these guns are an absolute hoot to shoot at silhouetts.

John
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Post by GTS »

Thanks for the input.

John,

I hope to get up to Ft. Smith a few times this year and shoot with you. Is the match schedule for 2006 posted on your web site?

Greg
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Post by jneihouse »

It should be. ofgc.org should take you there. We are gong through some changes in the web page (nobody wants to do it) so it is hit and miss. We are really predictable though. We shooot cowboy silhouette on the first Saturday of every month starting in March. 9am sight in 10 am match. Guarantee you to have fun or your money cheerfully refunded.
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...

Post by GeoNLR »

Here is my plan for my first year...Any and all coments welcome...

I will be shooting a Henry rifle that I have installed a Marbles tang peep sight on. I found that from chickens it's (2) clicks up to pigs, 8 clicks to turkeys, and (10) frop there up to rams. I will turn sight back to chickens after shooting at each distance. If I ever get lost I will turn the sight all the way down and come back up 48 clicks to my chicken setting...

Any help with this? Is this a good/bad plan for you guys that have been doing this a while?

Do the "clicks" on the Marbles sights wear out after all that adjustment over time? (Hope not for the price...LOL)

I took out the elevator on my factory sight and I can barely make out the tip of the "diamond" insert. This in no way obstructs my sight picture even at chickens...I plan on leaving it that way as to always have a baseline for windage...Good idea?

Sherif Chicken...
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Post by GTS »

Sheriff Chicken :shock:

I think that's a great plan. I'll be sure to verify your tang sight settings for you while you're downrange setting all those animals you've knocked over.

It's the least I can do. :twisted:

I had heard there was a new sheriff in town....just didn't know it was you. :roll:

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Post by GTS »

The Benton Gun Club will be hosting our second Smallbore Cowboy silhouette match this Saturday, Feb 11. Match starts at 9:00 AM. A club 1/2 scale match will be shot at the same time. Pick your poison.

Sheriff Chicken will be out of town at the SHOT show so any of you cowboys with outstanding warrants will be safe. :wink:

Come one, come all. I promise you will have a good time. :)

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Post by LH2 »

Cowboy sounds like a hoot, I don't think my range offers it though. :(

Are the same scale animals used at the same distance as regular SB silo, just no scopes allowed and lever action only?
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Post by nomad »

Cowboy is Hunter's Pistol shot with Cowboy-legal rifles on pistol targets (1/2 scale), using their timing (30 sec ready and 2 minute firing period) and distances (C=40m, P=50m, T=75m and R=100m).

If your range doesn't offer it, ask the short gun shooters if you can shoot with them -- I'd guess that there's a good chance that they'll let you since, for some reason, their attendance seems to be dropping like a chrome-plated bowling ball with the holes filled in. (AFAIK they only had about 70 shooters at their last national championship.)
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