Guns – Page 18 – The ExhaustNotes Blog

A .300 Weatherby Vanguard Safari

I’m a shooter and a collector. I’m old enough and I have enough toys that each time I buy a gun I’m pretty sure it will be my last. Occasionally a friend will ask if there’s anything I still want and usually the answer is no. But then something comes along and I decide I have to have it. The Weatherby Vanguard Safari is a rifle that fits that description, except it came and went before I even realized Weatherby had offered it.

Okay, let’s back up a bit and do Weatherby 101. Weatherby offers two basic rifles. The high ticket, fancy-schmancy rifle is their renowned Mark V. This is the original Weatherby and it’s a beautiful rifle. I’ve written about them here on the blog before, and I’ll give you the links that will get you to those stories at the end of this one. Then there’s the other Weatherby, and that’s the Vanguard. The Vanguard was originally conceived as a way to offer Weatherby rifles to someone who’s not a movie star, a head of state, or a blog writer. The funny thing is, though, that the Vanguards are usually more accurate than the Mark V. There’s a bunch of technical reasons for that I don’t need to get into here, and like always, I’m sure there’s an army of Internet assholes out there who will take issue with this conclusion. That’s fine. I own both and I will tell you that a Vanguard will usually shoot tighter groups than a Mark V. If you disagree you can leave a comment, or better yet, start your own blog and write an article about it.

A Weatherby Mark V chambered in .300 Weatherby Magnum.

Look, I like Weatherby rifles, and I make no excuse about that. I met Roy Weatherby 40 years ago and I’m still talking about it. I am a Weatherby fan boy.

Okay, so on to that collecting thing…in 2018, Weatherby offered a Vanguard model they called the Safari, and it was really something special. They were only available for about a year and only in three chamberings (.30 06, .300 Weatherby, and .375 H&H), and then Weatherby discontinued the model. That made me want one even more, but there were none to be had. Then the pandemic was on us, and they were really gone. As in POOF!, no more. I called Weatherby (they are in Wyoming) and offered to pay up if they would make one for me, but they wouldn’t. Absence. It made my heart grow fonder.

I kept my eye on Gunbroker and the other gun sites, but I had not seen a Vanguard Safari for sale in the last two years. I kept looking, and I kept getting frustrated. Finally, on a whim, I did a Google search a couple of weeks ago (“Weatherby Vanguard Safari for sale”) and what do you know, a small gun store in Oklahoma City had one. I called, and yes, it was new, and yes, they still had it. It was chambered for the mighty .300 Weatherby Magnum and that was what I wanted (I would have been okay with the .30 06 or the .375 H&H, too, but I wanted the .300 Weatherby). The price was $699, which might have been a mistake on the dealer’s part ($699 was the price for the non-Safari walnut Vanguard, another excellent rifle, but as Lloyd Bentsen might say to the regular Vanguard, “You’re no Safari, Senator.”

I asked the dealer they could do anything on the price and they knocked off $30 (which brought it down to $669), so I did what people do with guns and I pulled the trigger. I really scored.

Last Friday, my cooling off period ended and in the eyes of the Peoples Republik of Kalifornia, I had achieved the mandated state of acceptable chill. That’s nanny-state speak for my 10-day waiting period ended and the rifle came home with me. I’d never seen one in person before this.

The Weatherby Vanguard Safari. Ooooh, it’s nice.

With apologies for the disheveled state of my reloading bench and the iPhone photos, this blog includes some first look pics. The rifle looks even better in person than it does in the photos. The trigger is excellent. Weatherby calls it a two-stage competition trigger. It’s light and unlike that other political party, it is creep-free. There’s about 1/8-inch of slack takeup, then it breaks super clean at what I’m guessing is about 2 pounds. It’s exceptional for a factory gun. It would be exceptional for a custom gun, too.

A classic Weatherby stock profile. People said it was too Hollywood when Weatherby first introduced it, but it works.

The checkering is laser cut, but Weatherby did an above average job on it. There’s no fuzz like you would normally see on laser-cut checkering and it’s fairly sharp. I like the fancy pattern (fleur de lis, they call it) and the contrasting rosewood grip and fore end accents. The Weatherby website claims these rifles have an oil finish and that’s a plus for me, too. (In case you were wondering, fleur de lis is French and it means flower of the lily.)

NIcely laser cut fleur de lis checkering. It is well done.

Pistol grip checkering on the Vanguard Safari.

A closer shot of the laser-cut checkering. Weatherby’s supplier has this process dialed.

The 26-inch barrel is free floated and I believe the action comes from the factory glass bedded, but I can’t see enough to confirm that from the outside. Weatherby appropriately relieved the area behind the stock tang, which is good (it will prevent the stock from cracking).

The free floated barrel. There’s plenty of clearance here. Free floating prevents the barrel from moving as it heats, which prevents successive shots from walking or stringing (or so the theory goes).

Relief around the rear tang. You want this so that the tang doesn’t act as a wedge and split the stock under recoil.

Everything is subdued, including the satin oil finish and matte bluing. The walnut figure is not fancy, but I like it anyway. There’s just enough contrast to make it look good.

I called Weatherby to learn more about the Vanguard Safari line, and wow, I was impressed. The nice lady I spoke with told me the .300 Weatherby Magnum Vanguard Safari was only offered for about a year. Weatherby shipped 146 in August 2018, and then another 4 in 2019, so this is a relatively rare puppy. I guess that makes it worth more, but it’s a moot point. This one is not for sale. Still, it makes me feel better knowing I have something other kids on the block don’t.

I have a new Leupold FXII 4X scope that I essentially got for free from Leupold and I am going to mount it on this rifle. I bought a set of Leupold rings and mounts after I bought the rifle, and I will probably mount the scope in the next day or so. Then it’s out to the range. I have a bunch of .300 Weatherby ammo already loaded. I’ll let you know how it shoots.

Take a peek at an earlier blog on three rifles chambered for the .300 Weatherby Magnum!

Three .300 Weatherby rifles. Click on the photo to read the story.

What’s it like meeting Roy Weatherby? Hey, take a look!

Roy Weatherby in his office in the old South Gate facility. I met Roy in that office and had a nice conversation with him. Click on the photo to get the story.

How about a Ruger No. 1 in .300 Weatherby Magnum!

One of the world’s classiest rifles…a Ruger No. 1. This one is chambered in .300 Weatherby. You can get to that story by clicking on the photo.

Hey, how about an earlier standard Vanguard in .300 Weatherby Magnum!

Bought used but in as new condition, this Tupperware-stocked Vanguard is unusually accurate!

More gun stories? You bet! Just click here!

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Books

That photo above? My good buddy JBFLA posted it on the Chinariders.net forum a few years ago along with the following comments:

I finally received Moto Baja. Another good read by Joe Berk. At 116 pages of light reading with lots of photos, it can probably be read in one sitting. It took me 3 sittings, with time spent perusing the excellent photos, and my mind wandering…imagining a ride to Baja…..and being chased by wild dogs.

Seeing that comment again got me to thinking about what the next book might be. I have the urge to write. I just have to decide about what.

My two favorite topics? Motorcycles and guns. I’m thinking about a gun book, as I’m about tapped out on riding books. Maybe a photo book featuring fancy walnut gunstocks. The problem with a photo book, though, is that it cries out for color and books printed in color get expensive fast. And expensive books don’t sell.

Fancy walnut on a .257 Weatherby Ruger No. 1.

We’ve done a lot of stories on gun stuff here on the blog; maybe a collection of favorite stories with just a few photos might work as a gun book. It would be easy to put together. Another thought is a Mini 14 book. There are a few Mini 14 books out there, but none of them look interesting to me. When we blog about the Mini 14 blog we get a ton of hits. There might be a market for a Mini 14 book.

I’ve been trying to talk Gresh into writing a book. He’s got a ton of good stuff that would work well as a set of collected works. I mean, the man can make a 50-year-old air compressor story interesting. Joe is that rarest of human beings: A writer who sees things most of us miss. And Gresh can describe these things so they become visible to us (and then make us wonder how we missed what Joe makes seem obvious).

Gobi Gresh, in (of course) the Gobi Desert. The Gobi Desert, man!

I’ve been after Gresh to write a book for years. Help me out here, folks.

Want to read more from Gresh? It’s right here!

Want to order any of our books? Hey, give a click!

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Marlin 1895 Cowboy Revisited

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.

More Tales of the Gun are here.

Gardner’s Powder-Coated 185 gr SWCs

Here’s a quick look at some new 185-grain powder-coated semi-wadcutter bullets I received from my good buddy Jim Gardner. I loaded 50 with 5.0 grains of Bullseye in mixed brass to get a feel for how they shot. They did great!

This was a quick look with zero load development; I just used the load that had worked well for me with cast-and-lubed 185-grain semi-wadcutter bullets. The distance was 50 feet.

The two targets on the left were just to get a feel where the load shot, and then I put the remaining 40 rounds through the silhouette target. Interestingly, there was no leading and no blue paint residue in the barrel. I like these Gardner bullets!

More Tales of the Gun, including our favorite loads, are right here!

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A Favorite 1911

The 1911 is an all time favorite handgun for me (and a lot of other people, too). I’ve owned several 1911s over the last few decades, I carried one in the Army, and I enjoy shooting them. One of the best I’ve ever owned is a bright stainless steel Series 80 Government Model I bought new back in the mid-1980s. Mine has been customized by good buddy TJ (of TJ’s Custom Gunworks) and it’s the one you see here. I have no idea how many rounds I’ve sent downrange with this gun, but it’s been zillions. Maybe even gazillions.

TJ’s Custom 1911 Touches

My bright stainless 1911 has had a number of TJ’s custom touches. The fixed Millet sights are probably the most obvious.

Front and rear Millet sights on my 1911. You’re actually supposed to focus on the front sight and the rear should be blurred when shooting (just the opposite of what you see here). I’ll post more on that in a later blog.

TJ polished and ramped the gun’s internals so it will feed anything, he added a Les Baer match grade barrel, and I had him engine turn the chamber (I love the look).

I like it so much I photographed it twice!

The original Colt front sight wouldn’t stay put on my 1911 (probably because of the number of rounds I was cycling through it), and after having the front sight restaked twice, I knew something more permanent was required. The Millet red ramp from sight has two stakes, they are each larger than the single Colt front sight stake, and TJ JB-welded them from underneath after staking. They are on there for the duration. A lot of folks prefer a dovetailed front sight and that would have worked, too, but I’m partial to these no-longer-made Millets. I just like the look.

The rear sight is a fixed Millet dovetail and it has a bright white outline that works well with the red ramp front. I’m not normally a fan of gimmicky sight doodads like red ramps and white outlines, but these just flat work. They’re quick to acquire and they put the bullets where I want them to go. Millet sights are no longer in production, but they are some of the best ever made and TJ keeps a stash in stock for his customers. I imagine he spends a lot of time on Ebay hunting for these things.

One other thing TJ did on my 1911: He fitted the extractor. It was very rough as delivered from Colt and difficult to remove for cleaning. Now (after TJ’s magic touches) it inserts and removes easily, and extraction is flawless.

1911 Accuracy

Close enough for government work, most folks would say, and maybe that’s so. When I slow down and do my part, I can tear one ragged hole at 50 feet with my 1911, and that’s good enough. If I’m shooting for fun with a bit of speed, it’s not problem to put an entire box of ammo through one big ragged hole with the odd flyer or five like you see up top.

The Millet sights print where I want them to, and I like the simplicity of fixed handgun sights. It’s a good setup.

Getting a Grip

My 1911 didn’t need a trigger job, and TJ recommended not trying to improve the trigger after he felt it. The gun came with the rubber Pachmayr-type wraparound grips from the Colt factory, and I added a Pachmayr rubberized rear grip housing. Those two items (the rubber grips and rear grip housing) are, in my opinion, as good as it gets in the 1911 game. I don’t think that rear grip housing is available any more. I wish I had bought a few extra when Pachmayr was still making them.

Appearance Is Everything

I’m not normally a shiny objects kind of guy, but when I first saw my bright stainless 1911 in that gun store 35 years ago, I knew I had to have it. The gun just looked cool and it’s a conversation starter. It’s easy to pick up minor scratches that I can see before other folks do, but they come right out with a bit of Flitz (a superb stainless steel polish) and a little elbow grease.

My Three Favorite .45 ACP Loads

The target you see at the top of this blog? That’s 50 rounds at 50 feet with one of my favorite loads for this and any other 1911 I’ve ever shot: 5.0 grains of Bullseye under a 185-grain cast semi-wadcutter bullet. I’ve got a couple of other favorite loads, too. One is the 230-grain cast roundnose over 5.6 grains of Unique (that load is 100% reliable in any 1911). Another for target work is 4.2 grains of Bullseye and a 200-grain cast semi-wadcutter. All three loads are as reliable as taxes going up under a Democrat, and they all work with the same recoil spring. In my case, that’s the spring that came with my Colt 1911.

230 grains (in this case, bullets from Xtreme), 5.6 grains of Unique, and good times.

If you’re interested in learning how to reload .45 ammo, here you go:

Reloading Part I
Reloading Part II
Reloading Part III
Reloading Part IV

We have more good stuff on our Tales of the Gun page, and if you enjoyed this piece, you might take a look.

Safe Queen, or Shooter?

Some folks won’t shoot a commemorative or high end custom gun, and instead relegate the firearm to a life of being on display or taking up residence as a safe queen. Other folks espouse a manly “I won’t have a gun I don’t shoot” attitude. I’m a few days away from having to make that decision with the Lyman Ruger No. 1 you see in the photo above. What’s your feeling, and why?

Let us know here in the comments section and don’t waste any energy posting on Facebook. This is where the cool kids hang out and we want to know what you think.

More Tales of the Gun are right here!

45 Colt New Service (by Guy Miner)

Good buddy Guy Miner, former US Marine and retired law enforcement officer, enjoys following the ExhaustNotes blog and in particular, our gun stories. Guy has a very cool 1909 Colt and he wrote a guest piece on it for us.

Pressed into service by the Army, Navy and Marines early in the twentieth century, the Colt New Service revolver also served in various police departments and of course as a sturdy handgun for many outdoorsmen. This particular revolver was my grandfather’s and I’ve been caring for it the past 35+ years. The old Colt is a big revolver, with a 5 ½” barrel and those gaping 45 caliber holes in the cylinder. Grandpa, a WWI veteran, got this Colt after it was sold as surplus by New York. The backstrap is marked NYST for New York State Troopers. He carried it as part of his WWII era security duties with the Home Guard.

When it became mine, I replaced the bulky custom grips that fit the frame poorly and my hand worse. A pair of recent manufacture, original looking grips better suit both the revolver and my hands. I wasn’t expecting much in the way of accuracy and was pleasantly surprised on my first trip to the range with it. The first ammo I used was Federal’s 225 grain LSWC hollow point which produced modest recoil and good accuracy.

All of the major ammunition makers support this wonderful old cartridge. It was originally a low pressure, big bore tossing a heavy lead bullet at modest velocity. For this revolver, that’s exactly how I load it. Typically I’ll use the soft swaged 250 grain Speer LSWC loaded with 8 grains of Unique and a CCI 300 primer for about 830 fps.

One caution when loading for these fine old revolvers – they’re not meant to handle the very stout 45 Colt loads intended for use in Ruger’s much newer and stronger revolvers. Stick with loads for the old 45 Colt, which approximate the power level of a 45 ACP.

I treat the old gun gently, shooting only a few boxes of ammo through it every year. Now and again I’ll shove it into a holster and haul it along with me on a camping or fishing trip, though I prefer a smaller revolver for those duties. Mostly it gets hauled along out of a sense of nostalgia. Handling it, I can’t help but think of my grandfather, of the trooper who carried it long ago, and of the history wrought by these grand big bore revolvers.

Guy, thanks very much for your guest blog. I always enjoy reading about vintage revolvers. Your Colt has an interesting provenance and a great family history, and the grips you put on it look great. I always wanted a 1909, and your story makes me want one even more. You write well, my friend.

Check out our other gun stories on Tales of the Gun!

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A Note From Bob on TJ’s Custom Gunworks

My good buddy Bob, who enjoys playing with things that go bang as much as I do, followed the stories I’ve done on my TJ-modified revolvers and pistols. Bob wrote to ask if the guy really is that good. He is, I said. In fact, he’s better.

Bob took the plunge and had TJ refine several of his guns. Bob sent this note to me after he took his TJ-modified automatics to the range.

Joe,

I got my Berettas back from TJ. I initially took him a M-1951 and a 92 and when he was done with those I picked them up and dropped off another 92 for a Level 1 package and a Radom P-64 that I was having trouble with. Picked those up a few weeks ago and finally got to the range yesterday. Took the M-1951 and both 92s and what a difference. Just wonderful.

You were totally right about TJ. And I would like to do a guest blog at some point. Any tips?

Bob

Bob, thanks for the note and the photos, and the offer to write a guest blog. We always love receiving them. As for tips, if the question refers to writing, my advice is to just be yourself. If it refers to shooting, that’s easy: Focus on the front sight. And thanks again!

Hey, all of our gun stories are here on our Tales of the Gun page! Revolvers, autos, milsurps, lever guns, single shot rifles, reloading, and much, much more!

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Check out my custom guns from TJ’s Custom Gunworks! I’ve had six handguns and a rifle customized by TJ, and every one of them is a stellar example of his craftsmanship. These include my Model 59, a bright stainless Colt 1911, my MacManus Colt 1911, the Rock Island Compact, a Model 60 Smith and Wesson snubbie, a Ruger Mini 14, and my new Colt Python. TJ’s emphasis is on reliability and perfection and he’s met both of those objectives in every case. When it comes to custom firearms, TJ is in a class of one!

Colt Walker: The Official Handgun of Texas

Governor Greg Abbott of the great state of Texas is a leader who gets it…he understands what “common sense” gun laws should be. Need proof?

Good buddy Paul alerted me to Governor Abbott’s proclamation, and I like it. I used to live in Texas, you know. Sometimes I wonder why I moved.

In case you were wondering, here’s what the Resolution for such an act looks like:

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The original 1847 Colt Walker pistol was
historically crucial to the early survival of the great State of Texas; and
WHEREAS, The original 1847 Colt Walker pistol was an essential tool in the defeat of the Mexican army during the Mexican-American War to reclaim Texas, the 28th state of the Union; and
WHEREAS, The co-inventor of the original 1847 Colt Walker pistol, Samuel Walker, was a captain in the Texas Rangers, the first state police agency in the country; and
WHEREAS, The original 1847 Colt Walker pistol was America’s first pistol to hold six rounds, otherwise known as a “six-shooter”; and
WHEREAS, The original 1847 Colt Walker pistol is still the most powerful black powder pistol in existence; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 87th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby recognize the original 1847 Colt Walker pistol as the official handgun of the State of Texas.

That’s pretty cool.

We’ve written about the Walker Colt, its history, and the Uberti replica of that great gun before. I haven’t shot mine yet, but that’s a character flaw I aim to correct in the near future. When I do you’ll read about it here on the ExNotes blog. At the risk of being redundant, here are a few excerpts from our previous Colt Walker blogs:

And one more…a photo I like a lot. It’s my Uberti duo…the Colt Walker and a Single Action Army.

There’s more good gun stuff here, folks.

Never miss an ExNotes blog…guns, motorcycles, bicycles, reloading, Baja, the Compleat Concreat comrade, and more!

Marlin Cowboy Front Sight Replacement

About a dozen years ago I bought an impressive Marlin 336 Octagonal in 30 30, but that’s not the rifle you see in the photo up top. I didn’t realize it at the time, but that 30 30 Marlin was a collectible rifle and I got a hell of a deal on it. I’ll give you a link to that story at the end of this one.

When I started the Peoples Republik of Kalifornia paperwork on the 336 Octagonal, I saw a brand new 1895 Cowboy Marlin at the same gunstore with the John Marlin proof and exceptional walnut. And that, my friends, is the rifle you see in the photos here. I’m not in the habit of buying two rifles at the same time (in fact, you can’t even do that here in Nuttyland any more), but wow, that 1895 was pretty and I bought both the 336 and the 1895. That Marlin rang all the bells for me…an octagonal 26-inch barrel, the .45 70 chambering, and killer wood. The time to buy a lever gun with superior wood is when you see it, and that’s what I did.

Wowee! A Marlin Cowboy in .45 70 with super walnut and a John Marlin proof mark!

Over the last dozen years, I only had the Cowboy on the range a couple of times, and that was enough for me to know the sights were way off. A couple of weeks ago, I decided to find out exactly where it was printing with my favorite .45 70 load (more on that in a bit). The Cowboy grouped superbly well (it coverleafed rounds at 50 yards), but I had to go to the very top of the adjustment range on the rear sight to finally get the bullets to hit at the point of aim at 50 yards. In the rear sight’s middle elevation setting, the point of impact was 10 inches low at 50 yards. I couldn’t adjust the rear sight any higher, so I knew I needed a lower front sight.

I tried to call Marlin to ask for a shorter front sight, but all I got was a message telling me to go to their website. I struck out there, too. The website said that Ruger (Marlin’s latest and current owner) isn’t in a position to service Marlins or provide parts yet and they don’t know when they will be. Hey, at least they were honest, and that counts for something.

The lollipop front sight as the rifle was delivered from Marlin. It was way too high, which caused the bullets to hit way too low.

I gently tapped the front sight out with a brass drift and a hammer.

The front sight that came with the rifle was 0.505 inches tall. That’s too tall for my loads.

Okay, I reasoned, this should be no problem. I called Williams, the experts on iron sights, and I hit paydirt. The Williams guy told me that in recent years Marlin put whatever front sights they had in stock on their rifles with no thought given to where the guns would print. That’s what happened on my rifle.

Getting the correct front sight once you know where the rifle is printing is simple. The height of the front sight that came with the rifle was about 0.500 inches, and it was printing 10 inches too low with the rear sight as high as it would go. It’s an a/b=c/d calculation. If you know the sight radius, the front sight height, the distance to the target, and how low or high the point of impact is, you can calculate the required change in front sight height to move the point of impact the amount you want. I’d like to say it’s advanced engineering, but the truth is it’s a 7th grade algebra problem (and I made it through the 7th grade successfully, aside from a ton of time in detention). The calculation goes like this:

Required change in front sight height =
(desired shift on target/(50*36))(sight radius)

where

- - - 50*36 is the distance to the target in inches (50 yards * 36 inches/yard)
    - The sight radius is 23 inches
    - The desired point of impact on the target is 10 inches up (the rifle was grouping 10 inches below point of aim).

I did the math, and the required change in front sight height was a drop of (10/(50*36))(23) = 0.128 inches. That meant I needed a front sight about 0.372 inches tall.

What you see above is what Marlin should have done when they selected the correct front sight for this rifle, but they didn’t and I did. I bought two new front sights. One would raise the point of impact about 13 inches at 50 yards, and the other that would raise it about 5 inches at 50 yards. I knew that one of the two should work. The cost for both was only $35, and in the grand scheme of things, I always figured I can’t have too many gun parts to play with.

Williams had .341 and a .410 front sight. You can’t get the exact height you want but that’s okay…that’s why the rear sight is adjustable. So I bought both rear sights. The rear sight height adjustment would give me the room to dial either in. The .341 front sight would give me more than I needed; the .410 would give me a little less than I needed, but either one should get me into the adjustment range.

The two Williams replacement front sights on the left, and the original Marlin front sight on the right.

The front sight mounts in a dovetail on the barrel, and it has to be fitted. It’s an interference fit, but it has too much interference as delivered. You have to gently sand material off the bottom of the replacement sight so it goes into the dovetail with just a little interference. Easy does it is the mantra here (you can take material off, but you can’t put it back on). You want enough interference so the front sight has to be tapped in with a brass drift and it won’t move around due to recoil or normal hunting knocking about.

Sanding the front sight base down, a thousandth or two at a time.

The Williams 0.341 inch front sight ready for installation.

A white dot (which I greatly prefer over the brass dot) front sight, on station and ready for duty.

So how’s it all going to work? I’ll let you know after I get to the range. Oh, and my favorite .45 70 load? It’s the 405-grain Missouri Bullet Company cast bullet, crimped in the cannelure, with 35.0 grains of IMR 4198.

One more thing…that 336 Marlin Octagonal I told you about? It’s right here, along with a bunch of other cool lever gun stuff! You’ll want to go there…the 336 Octagonal is an interesting firearm.