For me, Deer hunting has to be done with a vintage Winchester. It is the feel of history in my hands, old cartridges, and using guns that the homesteaders used. This year, I decided to use my original Winchester Model 1873 chambered in what was originally called the 44 W.C.F., but eventually become known as the 44-40. The Cody records show that this rifle was shipped from the Winchester warehouse in 1889. It is in pretty nice condition with at least 85% of the original finish, and the bore is near mint. Before taking it hunting, I gave it a heavy coat of Conservator’s Wax, and then took the can with me to give it more coats as the need arose.
I had cast my own bullets out of clip on wheel weights to get a 200 grain gas checked bullet using a brass mould from Accurate Moulds. Seated over 18 grains of 5744 the muzzle velocity was 1,280 fps, plus or minus depending upon the temperature, which was ranging between freezing to several degrees below freezing with occasional snow flurries. Here is a photo I took of the old ’73 on the second day of hunting.
The second day, near dusk, I saw a nice doe slide like a ghost into view about 85 yards away. I could only see the top half of her body, so took careful aim for a lung shot and pulled the trigger. The doe took off and I went over to take a look. Not the faintest trace of blood, but I tracked her until it was too dark to see anything. The following morning I checked the setting on my tang sight and saw to my dismay that it was set to 150 yards! The bullet would have cleared the doe’s back by a few inches, so I went back and sighted down the flight path of the bullet to determine where it should have gone if it passed just over the doe, then went to the location where the doe had been and after only a minute or so, found the bullet. It had passed almost through the trunk of a small cedar. When I dug it out, I was mildly disturbed to see that it had not deformed at all. I am using pure clip on wheel weights. My reproduction of the 1896 Winchester catalogue states that they used pure lead bullets. I’m sure those would deform better.
The big lesson, that I’m sure the Old Timers knew very well, is to very carefully check the graduation lines on the tang sight to make sure I’m sighted at the proper range. With a 44 W.C.F., and its arcing trajectory, it makes a big difference if a fellow has the wrong setting. Yesterday, I headed out again into snow squalls, but checked the setting on my tang sight numerous times. This time it was set to 100 yards. I was looking down along the edge of the half overgrown meadow when a nice doe emerged about 50 yards ahead of me, roughly where those two smaller spruce trees are in the centre of the photo below.
I squeezed the trigger and she took off, straight toward me, then veered 90 degrees into the brush and long grass. I started tracking her and found her piled up in a Cedar swamp 150 yards away. The bullet had gone right through both lungs and exited out the opposite side. I’ve never had a deer run that far before. I figure if I had used a pure lead bullet, like Winchester used to sell for these Model 1873’s, it would have expanded and the deer would have dropped sooner. Here is a photo of the deer before tagging and cleaning it. Live weight would have been an easy 200 pounds. (there are reflections of the sky and tree branches on the old rifle's receiver, it looks a lot nicer in real life).
After taking the photo, I put this classic old Winchester back into its soft gun sock and then into its hard case to protect it during the long haul back to the farmyard of the friends where my wife and I are staying. It was an hour and a half to haul the deer back after I had gutted it. I would drag it for 15 to 25 yards, depending upon the terrain, and then get my cased gun. Total distance was about ¼ mile through swamp, fallen trees and, finally, grassy or leaf covered trails. Right now, it is skinned and hanging off a large branch on an Old Sugar Maple. Tomorrow, my wife and I will cut and wrap the meat.
Here is an older photo of the rifle that I took shortly after I acquired it. As far as I am concerned, this was its last hunt. From now on, its job will be to look pretty on the wall ...
I had cast my own bullets out of clip on wheel weights to get a 200 grain gas checked bullet using a brass mould from Accurate Moulds. Seated over 18 grains of 5744 the muzzle velocity was 1,280 fps, plus or minus depending upon the temperature, which was ranging between freezing to several degrees below freezing with occasional snow flurries. Here is a photo I took of the old ’73 on the second day of hunting.
The second day, near dusk, I saw a nice doe slide like a ghost into view about 85 yards away. I could only see the top half of her body, so took careful aim for a lung shot and pulled the trigger. The doe took off and I went over to take a look. Not the faintest trace of blood, but I tracked her until it was too dark to see anything. The following morning I checked the setting on my tang sight and saw to my dismay that it was set to 150 yards! The bullet would have cleared the doe’s back by a few inches, so I went back and sighted down the flight path of the bullet to determine where it should have gone if it passed just over the doe, then went to the location where the doe had been and after only a minute or so, found the bullet. It had passed almost through the trunk of a small cedar. When I dug it out, I was mildly disturbed to see that it had not deformed at all. I am using pure clip on wheel weights. My reproduction of the 1896 Winchester catalogue states that they used pure lead bullets. I’m sure those would deform better.
The big lesson, that I’m sure the Old Timers knew very well, is to very carefully check the graduation lines on the tang sight to make sure I’m sighted at the proper range. With a 44 W.C.F., and its arcing trajectory, it makes a big difference if a fellow has the wrong setting. Yesterday, I headed out again into snow squalls, but checked the setting on my tang sight numerous times. This time it was set to 100 yards. I was looking down along the edge of the half overgrown meadow when a nice doe emerged about 50 yards ahead of me, roughly where those two smaller spruce trees are in the centre of the photo below.
I squeezed the trigger and she took off, straight toward me, then veered 90 degrees into the brush and long grass. I started tracking her and found her piled up in a Cedar swamp 150 yards away. The bullet had gone right through both lungs and exited out the opposite side. I’ve never had a deer run that far before. I figure if I had used a pure lead bullet, like Winchester used to sell for these Model 1873’s, it would have expanded and the deer would have dropped sooner. Here is a photo of the deer before tagging and cleaning it. Live weight would have been an easy 200 pounds. (there are reflections of the sky and tree branches on the old rifle's receiver, it looks a lot nicer in real life).
After taking the photo, I put this classic old Winchester back into its soft gun sock and then into its hard case to protect it during the long haul back to the farmyard of the friends where my wife and I are staying. It was an hour and a half to haul the deer back after I had gutted it. I would drag it for 15 to 25 yards, depending upon the terrain, and then get my cased gun. Total distance was about ¼ mile through swamp, fallen trees and, finally, grassy or leaf covered trails. Right now, it is skinned and hanging off a large branch on an Old Sugar Maple. Tomorrow, my wife and I will cut and wrap the meat.
Here is an older photo of the rifle that I took shortly after I acquired it. As far as I am concerned, this was its last hunt. From now on, its job will be to look pretty on the wall ...
and now I am all emotional over the ol' girl's retirement 
