Wonder What They Thought?

[.22-5-40]

Hello, everyone. For years I had wanted a .236 Winchester-Lee navy rifle..first, a military model, then later, as my taste in firearms changed..a sporter. Now sporters are rare as hens teeth..don't come across militaries often either. Every one I found had a rotted bore from the hot erosive early smokeless & corrosive primers. Finally I found a nice one..bore appears to be shot very little. In respect for it's age (Winchester shipped Jan. 1898), I decided to shoot only cast-bullets. I cast up Ideal 245498..100gr.G.C. That fast 7 1/2" twist had me worried.
I had to wait awhile for the special order RCBS die set to arrive. Than began one of the most frustrating, hair pulling experiances I had ever had with trying to get a firearm to shoot!
For one thing, that throat is long! a bullet with only G.C. in case still wouldn,t reach rifling. Even worse was that tight throat. The bore slugged .2445" the throat at smallest was .244" No matter how tight bullet fit was, they were being pushed back into case...Now with smokeless, I like to size .001" to .002" over groove dia. Not this one... I had to size bullet to groove dia. & size 1st. band to .001" under bore dia. to get to work. The G.C. sprung .001" over groove dia. so I was hoping it would seal. Bullets were lubed with Lyman Super Moly.
What powder & where to start? I found some old data for IMR 4227 in an early Ideal handbook..started low & worked up.
Firing was done at 50yds. on acount of the open buckhorn rear & German silver blade front..and my 50+ year old eyes!
At 10grs., gun was shooting to sights and grouping in 3/4"
I then tried the then new TrailBoss powder..interestingly, 10grs. gave 3/4" groups to sights. I did move back to 100yds. & got a 1 1/4" group..which surprised me..the o'l peepers still have it..(with help from a Merit Disk on glasses!). Recoil & report are mild. This is a FUN gun to shoot!
Which brings me to another thought...In a book on Winchester bolt guns, it mentions one of these rifles was shipped to Chama, New Mexico before turn of century..I have traveled thru that country..beautiful & rugged! Just wondering what the reaction would be if an eastern dude had brought one of these little small-bores into an old time deer camp in the late 1890"s? Those old fellows had probably cut their teeth on a .54 Hawkin..or at least a .40 to .45 Ballard, Remington, or Sharps..wonder if they ribbed that poor dude about gunning for mice?

[Dan Cash]

Some years ago the Huerfano World news paper from Walsenburg, CO reprinted an article from its archives regarding some European fellow that came into that country in the late 1880s or very early 1890s on a hunting trip. He was using the then new 8 x 56R Manlicher and amazed the locals with the ability of the small bore rifle. Remarked was the extreme long range capabilities of the "little" bullet by bringing down an elk and antelope at "well over 200 yards."

The boys around Chama might have joked about mouse killers until the little Winchester-Lee barked. Those early small calibers had to seem like the finger of God reaching out at range and on moving targets.