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Post by sixshooter on Apr 13, 2010 8:52:39 GMT -5
The recent thread on 348 got me thinking of another Winchester flop. Namely the 307. Why this one didn't catch on is anyones guess. Seemed like the perfect lever gun cartridge. I want to find a reasonably priced XTR but the auctions have them between $700 and $900. How many were built and are they really that tough to find? Any input is welcome. Thanks.
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Post by Lee Martin on Apr 13, 2010 13:45:38 GMT -5
Nice guns. They were easy to get back in the day. I bought mine a year before they were discontinued (~1997). My dealer had it on the shelf for a long time and eventually let it go for $300 NIB. They were never strong sellers. Back in '92 a local stocker for Winchester went out of business and my dad knew the owner. He ended-up buying a 307 and a 356 @ cost (which I believe was $220). Sadly, they had a dozen or so of each caliber and he only took one of each. What I wouldn't give to go back in time. As you noted, clean Big Bore XTRs are bringing $700+. -Lee www.singleactions.com |
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Post by sixshooter on Apr 14, 2010 13:38:20 GMT -5
Didn't realize they stopped making them in 1998. Guess that's why they're becoming less common. Any idea how many 307 Wins were produced?
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derekr
.30 Stingray
Posts: 353
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Post by derekr on Apr 14, 2010 15:16:23 GMT -5
In his latest book Paco Kelly speaks highly of the .307 and the .356 in the Winchesters. I agree with you....probably the ideal levergun cartridge. Brass availability would be my only concern.
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Post by nonpcnrarn on Apr 22, 2010 20:19:41 GMT -5
I have a 307 in the Winchester Big Bore and after the newness wore off I realized that there were many things that I didn't like about the the Big Bore that Winchester chose to use for the 307. The blocky receiver, the humpbacked stock and the overly heavy barrel of the Big Bore was not the sleek lightweight carbine that everyone liked so well. People chose the 30-30 because it was light and handy and had a fairly flat trajectory compared to the pistol cartridges in the 92 carbines and the 45-70 in the heavier 1886 or Marlin 1895. They would have been better off if they had made the 30-30 AI a factory round and chambered the 94 in that round. They also could have made a midsized action between the 1892 and the 1886 that would have handled the power of a true rimmed 308 Win. The 30-30AI is not that much less powerful than the 307 and the rifle is a whole lot handier. At the ranges the carbines are used at a deer won't know the difference between the two cartridges. Sam Fadala has developed loads that cover animals from rabbits and squirrels to moose with the plain old 30-30 and 30-30 AI. I love the feel of my Puma 92 in my hand and a 30 cal cartridge based on a necked down 454 would make one heck of a deer killer. It would hold more rounds in the magazine and would use the same principle as the WSSMs. Gary Reeder has made a slew of new cartridges using the same principle. You could even use the 475 Linebaugh necked to 30 cal in a Puma based on the 480 Ruger as long as the oal was the same as the 454 Casull. With new technology using CNC machining a mid sized action between the 92 and 86 is feasable. Another thing that didn't help was the invention of the gummy tipped bullets that retain energy at longer distances and have a flatter trajectory in the 30-30. The 307 Big Bore was about 20 years too late as the desire for a more powerful 30 cal carbine waned as people started buying short light scoped bolt actions like the Model 7 Remington. Personally, I would like to see a 454/30 cal wildcat in a 6.5 lb carbine that held 10 rounds. All it would take is a 454 Puma carbine and a 30-30 barrel and some experimentation in cartridge design. I believe Paco Kelly developed a 30 cal round based on the 41 mag IIRC so the principle should work. While they were at it they could get rid of the lawyer inspired safeties and or rebounding hammer and go back to using the carbine carried with the hammer in the half cock position. The square bottomed receiver should be rounded like the original 94s. The 307 Win Big Bore was one of those purchases inspired by the "first kid on the block to get one" mentality. If I am going to carry a rifle that heavy, I'll tote my Marlin 1895 Cowboy.
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cdcash
.30 Stingray
Posts: 169
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Post by cdcash on Apr 29, 2010 18:59:23 GMT -5
Chalk me up as a lover of the Big Bores. The reason I like it is because they feel so much like the standard 94...and despite the thick side walls still feel and look trim to me. In 356 Win. the thicker barrel is not very noticable with the weight...never had the 307 which I'm sure is slightly more heavy. If I saw another for a reasonable price I would snap it up. I bought this one on the left new in 1992 when not a single person seemed to like them. Gun writers poo pooed them from the beginning, but none that did so seemed to shoot it much to arrive at their opinion. I think the 356 Win. is one of the finest lever calibers ever offered. It's a powerhouse in a light, slim, accurate rifle. What else could a guy want? I agree that the ones with the canoe paddle stocks are unsightly.  |
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Post by Tomcatt on May 3, 2010 19:59:55 GMT -5
I like my Big Bore in .375. It seems just as fast handling as a 30-30.
Tomcatt
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cable
.327 Meteor
Posts: 681
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Post by cable on May 4, 2010 18:00:12 GMT -5
The recent thread on 348 got me thinking of another Winchester flop. Namely the 307. Why this one didn't catch on is anyones guess. Seemed like the perfect lever gun cartridge. I want to find a reasonably priced XTR but the auctions have them between $700 and $900. How many were built and are they really that tough to find? Any input is welcome. Thanks. was a nice one at local show recently asking 495.00, would have bought it but already have one in 307 as well as 356 [ and 444 ] |
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