How About a Model 94 vs. Model 336 Shoot?

We have had a lot of good banter about the two all time favorite deer guns, but how about a member shoot off, via 9" paper plates at 50 yards, standing unsupported? You can sling if you want, but no bench, and no support (bipod, tree, etc), just stand and deliver. Five shots, no time limit. I'll post mine as soon as I get free to get out to the back 40 and set up a paper plate. We could even go one better and do the honor system regarding failures of any kind; feeding, ammo, jams, breakage, etc, and include those in general comments. Sound like fun?

Ha! I thought this would be easy! Found out my Model 94 (a fairly recent purchase a month and a half ago), a 1952 production, has a glitch. I had shot it at the range, sighting it in and testing 25 & 50 yard zeros, but was loading it single shot from the top. Went out today and found that I have a serious feeding problem, with half the cartridges seizing up at the critical groove in the guide. I guess this is why this 1952 rifle survived in such great condition....it never got shot. I'm no gunsmith, so I'm going to find a guy that is good with Winchesters (any recommendations?) and send it out. Meanwhile, 5 shots wnt into a paper plate at 50 yards. My rifle is totally stock, with original buckhorn rear sight, front bead. Results as shown....................................................................................................... [/IMG]

I just thought it would be a good exercise to get all the interested members STANDING UP and firing their guns the way they are SUPPOSED to be fired. At least now and then a standing shot is called for, and the handling characteristics contribute to how well the shooters does, too. If we see a trend in groups size, etc, with a particular brand (given averaging the shooters results with each rifle, in general), who knows? Whether we ever get definitive or not, we still got a little practice, and showed ourselves what we could do. That's really who we are competing with....ourselves. Just nice to have others for comparison. PS: Let's make it ANY lever action!

Here's how I figure it. 50 yards is one of the shorter rifle distances, but still a challenge for standing unsupported. If a guy has a scope on his brush carbine, he still has to stand steady to get hits....he might have a little advantage, but not a lot, so why say "iron sights only" and exclude the scope guy? Whether you shoot a pistol round, .30-30, or .35 Rem, you still have to be able to shoot. A paper plate is not an index card, but if a guy can shoot all five on an index card, they should be nicely grouped on the paper plate. KISS.....Keep it simple. As stated above, we are really in competition with ourselves. We aren't going to prove who is the best shot, as anyone of us can be having a bad day, but just participating gets us out and demands no more time than setting up the plate, and banging out five rounds (I did it in 10 minutes easy). Ammo shortage or not, we ALL can expend five rounds. All in all, it would be hard to be simpler, or more inclusive than that, since you can fire anything, iron sights or scope. The standing unsupported brings us all together with similar demands on ability, and the practice makes us better than we would be without practice. I could probably have done better if I had kept shooting groups, but mine was an example of grabbing my rifle, and going out and shooting. I think I would have bagged a whitetail at 50 yards with that group.