Still

[XWrench]

i debated long and hard between an 1895g Guide gun, and an 1895cb cowboy rifle. i have always liked long barreled guns. but i could definitly see the advantage of a short barrel also. i debated for months about this, until. i ran across a guide gun for just under $500.00. so, i snatched it up. we were on vacation at the time, so i did not shoot it right away. but when we got home, i got a real surprise. with factory remington loads, it kicked me pretty good. but when i shot the hornady leverevoloutions, WOW! the gun kept trying to jump right out of my hands. i am not a wimpy city slicker, i weigh better than 250 pounds, and have shot 300 magnums most of my adult life. and never had anything like this. well, once i started hand loading, and worked up some real full power loads, it was very apparent i needed to do something to tame this beast. so i had a muzzle brake installed, and a nice soft recoil pad. that helped dramatically. but i STILL think i want a cowboy gun. i am curious if, with that long barrel, if they behave better than its bratty short barrel brother with hi powered loads. and, how it really is carrying that long monster in the field. i do not compete, because i can not (that is a whole different story), so what i have serve dual purpose target shooters and hunting rifles. one of the things i have thought, is with the longer barrel, if it would be a better cast bullet shooter. because of the length of time in the barrel to help push it out with lighter loads. eventually, i think i am going to HAVE to buy one. so, tell me, what are all the advantages really of that longer barrel?

[STP078]

I've never shot a CB, but according to the info it should weigh at least an additional pound plus a little more due to the extra rounds in the tube for the first four or five shots. That could be another five or six ounces. Also, it doesn't seem to come with a very good recoil pad, so you'll probably want to change that one out as well. The extra weight should take a good bit of recoil off of your shoulder, but it's still going to push you. The advantages of the extra barrel length beyond that come down to the preferences of the shooter and the load. All things being equal, you should get more velocity, but some rounds only increase velocity so much and some actually slow down depending on the burn rate of the powder (if all of the powder is burned before the bullet leaves the barrel any extra barrel length will serve to slow the bullet back down). Also, some will say that the extra sight radius will make the rifle easier to shoot accurately, but that's really a matter of preference and if you mount a scope then it's completely moot. There's also a school of thought that a longer barrel will whip more than a shorter barrel resulting in less accuracy.

[FourtyFiveSeventy]

I have a 1895cb. It was made in 2002 and I bought it NIB in 2003. I now want another one but I ain't going to pay $950 or more for one when I got mine for $725 shipped and insured. I bought several boxes of Winchester 300gr JHP factory loads for $18 a box when I got it and several more after that. I liked how the gun preformed with these loads. I did my research for what I wanted to buy to start reloading my empty cases. I got my reloading equipment and components. I worked my loads up and have pretty much duplicated the Winchester factory loads with the components that I chose or so I thought. With that said I had put a 3x9x50 Bushnell Banner low light reticle scope on it before I worked up these loads and had it sighted in at 150 yds dead on. I showed my friend joenapa my gun in Dec of 2011 and he had to have one. We looked and looked couldn't find one. He finally found one NIB in Feb 2012 on Gunbroker.com and bought it for $995 + shipping and insurance and the ffl transfer. He also got some Win 300gr JHP factory loads and I am reloading for him also. back in "05" I had bought a pro chronograph but have never used it. He also bought some LeverEvolution factory 325gr loads to try and a Skinner Express Black Gold peep sight and put it on his gun. He really likes how the Hornady 325's shoot. I got my chronograph out, set it up 10' from the muzzle and compared my loads that I rolled and the factory win loads and found that my rolled loads were 125-175 fps faster. He gave me some of the 325 Horndays to shoot and I found that they were about 1850-1950 fps over the chronograph at the 10' distance also. My rolled loads are a might stiffer than the Hornday 325's and I was quite surprised. I have since backed my powder charge off and they are now in the same range as the Factory Win 300gr JHP's. I really liked his Skinner sight so I got one too and took my scope off. I also like how the Hornady 325's shoot so I did my research again and got a set of Hornaday dies and a bullet seater stem for the 325 Hornady bullets so we could reload the empty LeverEvolution cases. I have now replicated a factory LeverEvolution load for our guns. They shoot great! So I now have a set up to load the win, rem, starline and Fed cases and I also have a setup to load the Hornaday cases. I have never shot a 1895 guide gun so I can't compare the difference between that and my 1895cb, but I am 5' 11" and weigh 160# and can shoot these loads one right after another and not be sore. Even the factory loaded Horaday 325's. I have no recoil pad just the hard plastic butt plate. Now with that said you can't just hold the gun and squeeze the trigger you have to love it. By that I mean you need to hold it firmly and securely and it won't hurt you. I also like how quick I can bring the gun up and put it on target with the Skinner Express Black Gold peep sight.

Sorry this is a little long winded. But I really love my CB!

[njcioffi]

I have no recoil pad just the hard plastic butt plate. Now with that said you can't just hold the gun and squeeze the trigger you have to love it. By that I mean you need to hold it firmly and securely and it won't hurt you.

That is a true statement! I AM a wimpy city slicker, but with the proper technique, I can shoot my 1895 just as fast and accurately as anything else. you really do have to hold it tight, and make sure that when you shoulder it you seat the butt real tight against your subscapularis (the meaty web between your pectoral and bicep).

NOW....throw a regular eye relief scope on it and we'll tell you how to stop getting a good punch in the eye every time you go to the range

[FourtyFiveSeventy]

You got that right on the eye relief! I had 3.25" with the Bushnell scope and that was the bare minimum.

[XWrench]

i got used to the recoil and how to hold it pretty fast, AFTER i had the work done to it. as far as recoil goes, i think it is right on line with my 300 Win Mag. it did not want to jump out of my hands anymore (and that really bothered me), but there is still a significant PUSH when i shoot it. especially with very warm loads. i used to shoot nothing but hi powered rounds thru it all the time (which i am sure is contributing to my lever popping open), but after shooting my first deer with it, i have realized that deer do not need the power capabilities of everything this caliber, and these rifles can dish out. i shot it with the Hornady LeverEvoloution ammo, and the bullet was a complete pass thru LENGTHWISE. it entered the front shoulder on the near side, and exited the rump on the far side, takeing a chunk of the spine (and backstraps ) with it. if there had been another deer behind it, i am certain it would have killed it as well. needless to say the deer collapsed on the spot, and did nothing but a few twitches. that is the reason i wanted this gun. i have a horrible back, and dragging a deer out a long distance, AFTER chasing it a long way, can not happen. i simply can not do it. my 300 Win Mag does the same thing. i have even had deer flip over backwards when shot with that. the only explanation for that is the shock destroys the central nervous system. because there is not enough energy transfer with any shoulder fired weapon to do that. MAYBE with a HOWITZER!!! LOL i am also curious if anyone has tried loading up a few shells with SLOW burning powder shot from a c.b. model. with 26" to burn in, it may work very well. if i had one, i would call Hodgdon and ask them before i did it. but right now, it is a moot point.

[jdmselkirk10]

you replyed on one of my posts so you all ready know i have a 1895cb, but in my opinion it is the best rifle ever made. even with the long berral you can move cleanly through the worst brush and compared to most rifles it weighs almost nothing. as far as recoil with hot loads i can only stand to shoot it about 7 or 8 times and it will take a few days to recover from, but with some week loads like ultramax it shoots like a 22. but with thoughs the bullet hits the ground at about 40 yards. i am very proud to own a 1895cb, its a damn fine wepon, and if you could come across one i dont think you would regret buying it.

[Lunarphase]

I have several 1895's from Guide to Cowboys.
By far I enjoy hunting and shooting the Cowboy the most of all of them. I find the kick of the Cowboy to be milder than the rest, the Guide being the worst. The kick of the Guide is much sharper than the CB with the same loads. That is in the field results. I've heard people say otherwise quoting calculations and such, but I've shot mine one right after the other and there is no mistake, the Cowboy kick is not as bad as the guide gun.
I've never felt I was at a disadvantage with the 26" barrel even in brush, hunting hogs.

[njcioffi]

If it were me, I would go with the CB, if for no other reason than that they are not making them anymore and they are beautiful rifles.

[Cowboy gun]

The 1895CB is imo one of the most beautiful leverguns made. True they are not making them anymore, and you can load them mild to heavy. My 9yo daughter loves shooting mine with 350gn cast and 13 gns unique. She can bust some targets, and she hopes to get her first deer with it. I am hoping she is the first to get a deer with it as well.