A little play on numbers

[daytime dave]

I had a few minutes today and wanted to do a little shooting. Rain was forecast, but I went out to the back pasture for a play on numbers.

I really like the combination rifle/shotguns. I have three of them. An earlier Stevens 22-410, a Savage model 24 and a Savage model 42. There is the play on numbers. Today I took the two Savages out to shoot some .22s out of them. The model 24 and the model 42.





I have never shot either of these guns. I have carried them out in the pasture/woods, looking for squirrels with the .410 barrel. I haven't seen any squirrels while carrying these guns. The Walnut and blued and case hardened model 24 always appealed to me. The Stevens isn't bad either. The only appeal of the 42 is the fact that if it gets dinged up, who cares. It's polymer stock and unjoined barrels just don't have the same looks as it's predesessors.
It started to rain before pictures of the results could be taken. I wanted to get the model 24 in before it got wet.

As is usually the case, a used gun usually is sighted in for my eyes from the previous owner. The model 24 was no exception. At 50 yards rested on my shooting bag, it shot where I aimed. One shot in the center of a 3" hand drawn square and two shots at 6:00 o'clock, right where I held. The bottom two were touching.
The model 42 shot high and looked like it needed a small allen wrench, which I didn't have with me. A bit of Kentucky windage brought a group of three down almost to where they needed to be, but they were 1.5 inches apart. About what I expected.

I was glad to get a few minutes to shoot these two today. Next time I'll take a few shots with the .410s.

[Sir Henry]

I envy you owning three 410/22 over/unders. I had one as a teenager and loved it. Great to hear you got to shoot it and 1.5 inches at 50 yards is quite respectable.

[North Country Gal]

Good for you, Dave. I love those old Savage 24s. Got to shoot one very much like yours back in the day when a local farmer had us kids go out and try to shoot rats around his corn silo. That 22 barrel was pretty darn accurate, but we loved using the 410 on those big rats.

When one of those 24s comes up for sale around here, it goes very fast and bring top dollar. Very popular gun up here.

[graywolf]

Dave, looking forward to your results when you shoot the model 42. The 410 barrel. I have one and do pretty good with the .22, considering the sights on it, but I wish the 410 was choked some.

[daytime dave]

I was able to shoot one shell in the model 42. It was a 2 1/2" shell of #8s. I shot from 25 yds and it had a very even spread dead center. I didn't take any photos as the lighting wouldn't have shown the pattern.
As far as the 1.5" group with the model 42, I was spoiled by the much tighter groups of the Stevens and the Savage. I managed to get all three of my combo guns out for a .22 lr comparison shoot. The Stevens 22-410 came to me without a rear sight. I haven't tracked one down yet so I used a lot of guessing. When I figured out where it was shooting, I got sub 1" grouping with no rear sight. I did get the model 42 to get down to about an inch using a makeshift rest.
I did take their photograph all together.




Of all of them, I like the model 24 the best. Which one will go with me the most, probably the model 42. It's not vintage and scratches and dings won't bother me. I find it pretty handy around the property riding in my leather scabbard on the ATV.
b
I also have a sling on the model 42. When grouse opened and I was walking my stepson's bird dog, I took the model 42 with us. As I bent under a tree that is across the path, I inadvertently opened the action with the under the gun lever as it was slung on my shoulder. When I arrived at their house, I found the gun empty. I retraced my steps and found the shotshell on the ground just after where I ducked. The .22 lr round was not far off. I'll have to pay attention with that gun slung over my shoulder from now on.

[North Country Gal]

The 24 would be my choice, too, for sentimental reasons and that's an early one with that barrel selector. Later ones had the barrel selector up on the hammer.