Winchester '73 and Connecticut Whitetail

[TOOL MAN]

Sorry...one day late, but after a 300 yard drag, perhaps the sensors will allow me a bit of latitude???

As a lifelong CT resident and vintage gun nut, it's pretty hard to resist the allure of Winchester. While I love to bow hunt and shoot flintlock long rifles, the shotgun/rifle season never fanned my flame. That is, until, I bought an original, Winnie '73 with special order 30" barrel and set trigger, in the venerable .44/40 caliber. Just a pure "shooter" mind you, but with a good, strong bore. Fell in love after my first trip to the range. Soft shooting and damn accurate. Found that the black powder cartridges shot better than the modern cowboy action loads, which suited me just fine.

This was my fourth season trying to connect with a CT Whitetail and yesterday at 8:45 the Gods finally smiled. Buck was out at around 160 yards in a 15 knot cross wind. Flipped up the Express sight, dampened the front blade with my saliva -soaked thumb, a la Sgt. York and let the hammer drop. Ok, ok... in my freakin' dreams!! Actually the buck came right up my backside to around 15 yds, winded me, or perhaps heard my knees knocking like two claves!! He did the ol' 180 spin-around, scampered back and gave me an angling-in quartering shot at around 25-30 yds. Saw the silver slice of that front blade on his chest, and like the shot gunner I am, slapped that trigger like a baby's bottom. He tore off, tail down, and then I heard a CRASH and the woods fell silent. Waited a good five minutes for my heart to settle back in my chest and started after him.

No blood....no hair.....SQUAT, for a good 50-60 yards. Elation, turned quickly to the depths of depression. So I pressed onward. Then, out of the corner of my eye I saw the glint of something that turned out to be a blotch of fresh blood, three feet up on a sapling--then another patch on the tree next to it. I looked 5 yards ahead and there he was, piled-up about 10 feet off the trail.
Fairly respectable 8-PT, tipping the scale at 161 lbs., dressed.

I sat there for a good 10 minutes in awe, thinking that after 133 years, the gun was back home in the Nutmeg State AND could still bring home the bacon. They say the cowboys would spend 3 months wages to own a Winchester. It's easy to see why!

[OH Osthaus]

Great hunt

30" barrel - what a find

One off these days I would like to take my 1894 (a mere 90 years old) out and get one with that

[Dean Romig]

You look funny in orange...

Oh, nice rifle by the way - and a fine looking deer too.

[Double Play]

Congrats Steve,
That is a really nice buck and an even nicer rifle. So you bow hunt as well. That is my passion, we need to talk about it some time.

[10 bore]

Nice deer and yes NICE gun too. I have to ask , is the deer going on the wall?(Dean, I can't help it, It's in my blood!) Looks like it should. scott

[Double Lab]

Well done Tool. Whatsamatta, could'nt find a Fox lever action?

[charlie cleveland]

great storey afine buck and whata a rifle..it will be a long time before you get over this...fine rifle by the way and a good deer gun too...charlie

[edgarspencer]

Originally Posted by Steve Cambria

I bought an original, Winnie '73 with special order 30" barrel and set trigger, in the venerable .44/40 caliber. Just a pure "shooter" mind you,

And Alfred Eisenstaedt wasn't bad with a camera, That upside down airplane stamp is a defect, and Meryl Streep aint bad looking.

Set triggers are the single highest adder to a Winchester Lever Gun, Next comes non-standard barrel lengths. These features often trump high grades lacking those features.
Bugger.

[6pt-Sika]

Originally Posted by edgarspencer

Set triggers are the single highest adder to a Winchester Lever Gun, Next comes non-standard barrel lengths. These features often trump high grades lacking those features.
Bugger.

While I agree with what you are saying . Factory engraving does it for me be it a Winchester , Marlin , Parker etc

[6pt-Sika]

Originally Posted by Steve Cambria

Sorry...one day late, but after a 300 yard drag, perhaps the sensors will allow me a bit of latitude???

As a lifelong CT resident and vintage gun nut, it's pretty hard to resist the allure of Winchester. While I love to bow hunt and shoot flintlock long rifles, the shotgun/rifle season never fanned my flame. That is, until, I bought an original, Winnie '73 with special order 30" barrel and set trigger, in the venerable .44/40 caliber. Just a pure "shooter" mind you, but with a good, strong bore. Fell in love after my first trip to the range. Soft shooting and damn accurate. Found that the black powder cartridges shot better than the modern cowboy action loads, which suited me just fine.

This was my fourth season trying to connect with a CT Whitetail and yesterday at 8:45 the Gods finally smiled. Buck was out at around 160 yards in a 15 knot cross wind. Flipped up the Express sight, dampened the front blade with my saliva -soaked thumb, a la Sgt. York and let the hammer drop. Ok, ok... in my freakin' dreams!! Actually the buck came right up my backside to around 15 yds, winded me, or perhaps heard my knees knocking like two claves!! He did the ol' 180 spin-around, scampered back and gave me an angling-in quartering shot at around 25-30 yds. Saw the silver slice of that front blade on his chest, and like the shot gunner I am, slapped that trigger like a baby's bottom. He tore off, tail down, and then I heard a CRASH and the woods fell silent. Waited a good five minutes for my heart to settle back in my chest and started after him.

No blood....no hair.....SQUAT, for a good 50-60 yards. Elation, turned quickly to the depths of depression. So I pressed onward. Then, out of the corner of my eye I saw the glint of something that turned out to be a blotch of fresh blood, three feet up on a sapling--then another patch on the tree next to it. I looked 5 yards ahead and there he was, piled-up about 10 feet off the trail.
Fairly respectable 8-PT, tipping the scale at 161 lbs., dressed.

I sat there for a good 10 minutes in awe, thinking that after 133 years, the gun was back home in the Nutmeg State AND could still bring home the bacon. They say the cowboys would spend 3 months wages to own a Winchester. It's easy to see why!

Very nice !

Larger then anything that's had the misfortune of walking in front of me this year !

I never have killed a deer with a vintage Winchester lever just a few with Pre 64 Model 70's . I have however killed several with Pre 1920 Marlin's in variouse calibers all shooting handloaded homecast bullets . And I gotta say it's a charge to kill one with an old classic especially when you loaded the ammo and cast the projectile !