Historical 39A accuracy

[Roverguy]

BTW, I'm no expert, but I'd use something more than .22LR. Never been 'yote hunting (which is why I'm no expert), but my impression is that one rarely gets a clean enough shot for a clean and humane kill with a .22LR.

Depends on locale. Western coyotes are pretty small. A lung shot with 22lr will do the needful. Eastern coyotes can be much larger and would merit a centerfire cartridge. I too would counsel something larger and faster for Western coyote as well, but 22lr will do the job if you can place the shot.

 

[tubeshooter]

BTW, I'm no expert, but I'd use something more than .22LR. Never been 'yote hunting (which is why I'm no expert), but my impression is that one rarely gets a clean enough shot for a clean and humane kill with a .22LR.

Agreed - frankly, sounds like a good job for a .223 bolt gun.

Or even (sigh) an AR...

 

[GooseGestapo]

I had a 39A back in the early’80’s that wasn’t particularly accurate. 1.5” at 50yds with CCI Minimags. My Current 39M is 1” or better but wears a Weaver SourDough receiver sight so it’s dependent upon good lighting. I got a 1/2” group at 25yds with CCI subsonic 40gr when sighting in. It holds zero.
Most fun gun to shoot I own!

 

[PapaG]

Normally I use my Contender Carbine in 223 but have a tower blind right over one of their nightly paths.

 

[Grunt]

I got a 39A back in ‘92 when I was stationed at Camp Lejeune from a pawn shop out on town. The rear sight was missing the elevation elevator so I replaced it with a Marbles buckhorn sight. Several years later I got a good deal on a 39M carbine. That one had problems extracting because the prior owner did a little too much dry firing and had burred the chamber but that was an easy fix with a few strokes from a round file. My 39A is a tack driver although my 39M isn’t quite as good. Not bad, just not as good as the longer barreled A version.

One thing I found is that after taking them apart is that I have to return the thumb screw back to the same orientation as when I zeroed it. Found that out the first time I zeroed in my 39A, took it apart for cleaning and the next time it was shooting way off to the left. Torqued it down a little and my groups started moving back to the right. These days, I just finger tighten the nut then torque it down just enough that the screw slot is vertical and now I don’t have that problem anymore.

 

[PapaG]

Thanks, all

 

[Howland937]

My only 39A is a 1946 model. It wears an old Kollmorgen (predecessor to Redfield) scope from the same era that's severely lacking in magnification and optical clarity. Off a good rest, it'll shoot .5's at 50 yards with CCI SV often enough that I'd bet on it. That may be all it'll do, or it might do more with better ammo, glass, and operator.

 

[Tentwing]

Several of mine wear Aperture sights which really help with my aging eyes. I also have a couple that wear period correct (old) 4x scopes . After everything is said and done they are a lot of fun and cheap to run. The best part is that my grand kids have already started calling dibs

 

[dfariswheel]

I have a predecessor to the 39: an 1892 made at the turn of the century. Has a period Marbles tang sight and is remarkably accurate at 100 yards.
View attachment 1251305

Don't shoot the older Marlin's with High Speed ammo.
That will break the bolt. Shoot these with Standard Velocity ammo ONLY.

The Marlin 39 of the mid-1930's with a serial number that starts with "HS" or the 39-A is good with any .22 ammo.
Any older versions of the 1897 or 39 is NOT safe and will cause the weaker bolt to break.