This is a followup to an earlier blog about installing a new Williams front sight on my 1895 Marlin Cowboy lever gun. I dialed in the new front sight on the Marlin 1895 Cowboy and it was right on the money.
I shot on the 50-yard range at a smallbore rifle target. The top center S target caught my first three shots (with my 405-grain cast bullet load) and they were a touch high, so I dropped the rear sight one click and drifted it slightly to the right with my brass punch and a small hammer. Targets 1 and 2 caught the next six rounds (all with the same 35.0 grains of IMR 4198 and the 405-grain Missouri cast bullet). By Target 2, I was dialed in…dead center and hitting right at the point of aim. Then I switched to another favored but lighter accuracy load, and that’s 16.2 grains of Trail Boss with a 300-grain Hornady jacketed hollow point. I shot that load at the bottom two targets.
The Marlin Cowboy rifle kicks hard with the 405-grain bullet when shooting from the bench, but it sure is accurate. Both loads can shoot one-hole groups at 50 yards if I do my part. I didn’t do as well at 100 yards (the above are 50-yard groups), but I think that was because I was feeling the effects of too much recoil already. That front sight change worked for me, and the 1895 is a good shooting lever gun.
A looker and shooter too. About the most beautiful, coolest rifle I could dream about.