Lever action windage adjustments

[lionking]

Hello everybody, this is my 70's Winchester 94, got it as a Christmas present from dad when I was 15.

A couple years ago I took it to the range to see what I can do with it at 100 yds . I had lost and replaced the rear leaf site so I wasn't sure how dead on it was.

Here is what I did that day with 3 name brand ammo. It was off windage so I pushed the front site but now the front site is way left.

This now irritating me and my question is on a lever action can't you tap the rear site for windage adjustments also? I'd like to start over and center the front site and hopefully adjust the rear for corrections.

 

[pirkfan]

You bet. Tap the rear sight in the direction you want the group to move. Tap the front sight opposite the direction you want the group to move.

 

[Float Pilot]

Yeap, what he said.

I wonder how she would shoot with some 170 grain loads?

Also you can change the screw tension on the barrel bands of lever rifles and that sometimes helps with slightly better groups.

 

[WardenWolf]

That doesn't look like a grooved rear sight to me. Rather, it looks like one that's pinned in. I wouldn't do it. I'd recommend installing some adjustable ones. I know vernier sights are available for levers.

 

[rcmodel]

It is 94 Winchester.
It is dovetailed to the barrel.

Tap it over.

rc

 

[DPris]

Windage is TRADITIONALLY done with the rear sight.
As RC says- it's a 94 & both front and rear are dovetailed.

You can do a mix if necessary, tapping either or both if you need to in keeping either from going too far in one direction.
Denis

 

[lysanderxiii]

I don't think you have windage problem....

 

[eastbank]

looks like a pile of dead deer to me. i started hunting deer with shotgun slugs in the early 50,s, talk about big groups at 100yds, like 3-5 feet. eastbank.

 

[AKElroy]

Hello everybody, this is my 70's Winchester 94, got it as a Christmas present from dad when I was 15.

A couple years ago I took it to the range to see what I can do with it at 100 yds . I had lost and replaced the rear leaf site so I wasn't sure how dead on it was.

Here is what I did that day with 3 name brand ammo. It was off windage so I pushed the front site but now the front site is way left.

This now irritating me and my question is on a lever action can't you tap the rear site for windage adjustments also? I'd like to start over and center the front site and hopefully adjust the rear for corrections.

First, yes. You can tap the rear sight to change the Windage. If You are shooting right, move it left. You can use a shell casing and a small hammer to drive it over a bit. Before doing that though, I would shoot a few more groups with the Remmy corlokt, but switch to the heavier 170 gr soft points. I have three model 94's and a Marlin 336. All have strong preference for the corlokt 170's. Also, your groups, while fine for deer, are still larger than any of my .30-30's. Check the front barrel band. They have a tendency to work lose, and that will open your groups in my experience. Crank it down with a dab of blue lock tight or you may be chasing zero until both your ammo and shoulder give out.

 

[AKElroy]

That doesn't look like a grooved rear sight to me. Rather, it looks like one that's pinned in. I wouldn't do it. I'd recommend installing some adjustable ones. I know vernier sights are available for levers.

Nope. It a standard rear buckhorn resting in a dovetail. It will slide OK.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

There are three things you can do:

1. Tap the rear sight in the direction you want the bullet to move, and tap the front sight in the opposite direction. This will cut the displacement of each sight in half and may solve your problem.

2. Get a rear sight with a removable notch plate. Use the smallest notch possible, and adjust your sights by flling the notch wider and deeper.

3. Get a tang sight and mount it on the tang and zero it for windage by shimming the base with little slips cut from Coke cans, causing the sight to tilt one way or the other.

 

[Malamute]

I like the front to stay centered, its much less noticable if the rear isnt centered.

On a pre-64 carbine, I didnt really notice how much the rear barrel sight was off center to the right. Even after I put a receiver sight on it it took a while to realize the center of the peep was about even with the right edge of the hammer. It bothered me at first,...until I forgot about it. Gun shoots great, so I dont let it worry me now.

 

[DPris]

Aw fiddle- just sell the silly thing & buy a Hi-Point!!!!
Denis

 

[Garrobo]

Yep. That looks about average for a lever. Back in the day, before WWI most hunting was done with levers. There have probably been more deer killed and wounded with these rifles than any other firearm in our history. I would suggest that if you are going out to kill an animal that you use a bolt action since they are much more humane.

 

[Doc7]

I would suggest that if you are going out to kill an animal that you use a bolt action since they are much more humane.

Please elaborate?

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Yep. That looks about average for a lever. Back in the day, before WWI most hunting was done with levers. There have probably been more deer killed and wounded with these rifles than any other firearm in our history. I would suggest that if you are going out to kill an animal that you use a bolt action since they are much more humane.

That assumes that an animal that was wounded and got away would have dropped dead if shot in the same place with a bolt action.

My experience -- and I've killed a lot of deer -- is that just ain't so. A bolt action will not make up for a bad shot.

 

[lionking]

quote: " I don't think you have windage problem"

The targets you are seeing are after I pushed the front sight to get it in or near the black with a grouping of 9 to 10 shots each slow fire. All 3 brands tended to give me 5 inch groups of 9 shots @ 100 yds using a front rest. The Federal gave me the best "in the black" over all.

Good point that I should try 170gr

Thanks for the replies I'll get soft tap hammer and start over

 

[Malamute]

If you enjoy shooting it, a receiver peep sight can help get the accuracy your gun is capable of to come out. Yours would use the older type side mount style like the Williams Foolproof or Lyman 66.

I've had several Winchester 94's that would shoot pretty darned good, like under 2" groups @ 100 (3 shot groups), but pretty much all of them would go into 3-4" at most with loads they liked. I'd be inclined to tinker with them if they didnt tend towards the lower end of that range rather than just accept "thats just as good as it will do".

 

[AKElroy]

Yep. That looks about average for a lever. Back in the day, before WWI most hunting was done with levers. There have probably been more deer killed and wounded with these rifles than any other firearm in our history. I would suggest that if you are going out to kill an animal that you use a bolt action since they are much more humane.

My experience in harvesting dozens of deer and hogs out to ranges as far as 175 yards with any of four lever guns suggest your comment is nonsense. Three of my four lever .30-30's shoot easy sub 2" groups at 100 yards. The only one that opens that up is a 16" trapper, and it still shoots far better than the OP's. There is something wrong with either that rifle or the manner it is being fired for groups.

 

[GooseGestapo]

I heard that garbage for years back in the 60's - 80's.
Even lost a few deer. However, it wasn't the rifle or the cartridge's fault.

Poor designed bullets. The .30/30 with average ammo is an excellent Moose and Elk rifle. Most of the ammo/bullets I've used in it are too heavily constructed for effective performance on 100-200lb deer.

Use a Sierra 125gr JHP or factory loaded Federal ammo using the same bullet. Put it where it belongs and the .30/30 is superlative.

My Marlin/Glenfield M30 "carbine" (half-magazine) wears a 4x scope, and is MOA 3-shot groups. Currently sighted +3" at 100yds for 150gr CT-Ballistic Silvertips over max load of LVR for chrono'd 2,400fps.
My Win. M94 wears a Williams "Sourdough" reciever sight and is sighted in roughly the same +3" at 100yds. Either are "point and click" to ~200yds.
I took a doe on the run at ~175yds in 2006. I hit it twice with 3 shots. First shot hit the left leg above the knee. Would have been fatal as it clipped the femoral artery, but I didn't know that...second shot missed, third took it through the chest. Deer ran another 30yds and dropped Load was 170gr Rem Corlokt over enough H4895 to get 2,300fps chrono'd.
I wouldn't hesitate to hunt anything in N.America with the .30/30 except Brown/Grizzly. And, if it's all I had, in a pinch, I'd unload it on those, too...
I've seen several video's/documentaries where individuals subsistence hunting/trapping/fishing carried and used a .30/30 in Alaska.
However, since I have more/better cartridges for larger than deer, I so choose them. Not because the .30/30 is inadequate, just that there ARE better available choices.

But I sure am fond of my LeverActions....
Two Winchester's (.30/30 and .45lc)
Seven! Marlins...(.22lr, .25-36, .30/30, .338MX, .338MXLR, .35Rem., .45/70)

 

[BCRider]

If the sights end up with a lot of windage needed then give the rear sight a close inspection.

In fact tip the rifle over on a flat and level table/work surface and balance it on the rear and front sights. Use a square to check the sides of the action. I'll bet an e-beer that the rear sight in a lot of cases is twisted. If it is then this shifts the notch over to one side and forces a lot of windage offsetting of the dovetails. If the rifle is tilted remove and work the rear sight until the dovetail and top of the rear sight are in alignment and install it again.

If it was off by much and there's no other issues I'll bet you find that the sights end up a lot closer to center.

I've had to do this to two rear sights now. Once on a brand new gun and once on a used gun. Both times the results went from staggering amounts of offset needed to being nearly on the center line.