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Anyone on here do gallery?

Looking to scratch my Winchester itch but I have questions..

I would imagine most people on here have some experience of gallery rifle.
Ask away and I'm sure someone will be able to help.

If you really want classic Winchester fun look at the BWSS

I have a Winchester 64AE .357 for some occasional gallery fun. I'll help if I can.

1066 wrote:I have a Winchester 64AE .357 for some occasional gallery fun. I'll help if I can.

Thanks. Well for me guns are as much about pleasure of ownership, engineering, heritage etc as shooting them. Yes I like to hit bullseyes but I enjoy loading, cocking & firing them just as much.

So with that in mind I’m guessing if I wanted to do gallery rifle I’d be encouraged to buy a slicked up short-stroked Marlin because they get the job done but I’d like to know if it would be viable to turn up with a (Japanese) Winchester ‘73 - albeit I wouldn’t win anything. I assume all the mods could be done to that rifle if I wanted to take things further than ‘fun’ shooting in any case.

Also, would most clubs accommodate someone plugging away with a .38 underlever on a normal rifle range or would that be frowned upon in the same way sniffy clay shooters detest S/A shotguns?

Finally, could I use tang mounted peep sights in gallery if I wanted?

1066 wrote:I have a Winchester 64AE .357 for some occasional gallery fun. I'll help if I can.

I do too but the lifter broke so it's a single shot nowadays!!!

dgw65 wrote:

1066 wrote:I have a Winchester 64AE .357 for some occasional gallery fun. I'll help if I can.

Thanks. Well for me guns are as much about pleasure of ownership, engineering, heritage etc as shooting them. Yes I like to hit bullseyes but I enjoy loading, cocking & firing them just as much.

So with that in mind I’m guessing if I wanted to do gallery rifle I’d be encouraged to buy a slicked up short-stroked Marlin because they get the job done but I’d like to know if it would be viable to turn up with a (Japanese) Winchester ‘73 - albeit I wouldn’t win anything. I assume all the mods could be done to that rifle if I wanted to take things further than ‘fun’ shooting in any case.

Also, would most clubs accommodate someone plugging away with a .38 underlever on a normal rifle range or would that be frowned upon in the same way sniffy clay shooters detest S/A shotguns?

Finally, could I use tang mounted peep sights in gallery if I wanted?

You certainly wouldn't be out of place in our club, and always more satisfying to woop some ar**se with a basic bit of machinery.

dgw65 wrote: Thanks. Well for me guns are as much about pleasure of ownership, engineering, heritage etc as shooting them. Yes I like to hit bullseyes but I enjoy loading, cocking & firing them just as much.

So with that in mind I’m guessing if I wanted to do gallery rifle I’d be encouraged to buy a slicked up short-stroked Marlin because they get the job done but I’d like to know if it would be viable to turn up with a (Japanese) Winchester ‘73 - albeit I wouldn’t win anything. I assume all the mods could be done to that rifle if I wanted to take things further than ‘fun’ shooting in any case.

Also, would most clubs accommodate someone plugging away with a .38 underlever on a normal rifle range or would that be frowned upon in the same way sniffy clay shooters detest S/A shotguns?

Finally, could I use tang mounted peep sights in gallery if I wanted?

I don't know what you mean by a 'normal' range. At our club gallery rifle is mostly shot on our indoor 25m and 50m ranges. We hold an annual long range carbine match out to 300m for some other fun.

I'm very happy using my Rossi '92 for all my gallery shooting because I enjoy shooting it. I'm never going to put in the practice needed to get top scores and I think a scope would ruin it for me. Ultimately it's your choice what you shoot. If you're going to compete you will need to stick to whatever competition rules that apply i.e. sights, mods etc.
My club allows anything that is safe and within the range parameters.
For something different look at PCC (Pistol Calibre Carbine) practical shooting which is just getting going using Lever Action rifles in the UK.
I believe the '73 mechanism is popular with the Cowboy Action shooters too.

Have a look at one of the Bisley 'Action' weekends (or the gallery rifle handbook) and the number of different comps you can shoot.

Who get's sniffy about what will depend entirely on the club. If in doubt ask someone at the club.

You may find you need to be a member of more than one club to cover all the shooting you want to do.

Welcome to the forum.
Any Club should be OK with undlevers of any make. You do not need a trickled up gun. It depends on what type of shooting you want to do. I run a Tuesday evening underlever session on our 25 yard indoor range. I run a competition on the first Tuesday of the month. I have two sections one for standard rifles with original sights and a section for modified or telescopic sights. Its a precision comp not a run and gun thing.
It's popular. I also look after the probationers I have a couple of Club guns for them to use or they can use there own if they have a certificate. Most of them hand load so there is a healthy debate on all things that make them go bang.
Ask away I'm sure someone on the board will be able to help.

dodgyrog wrote:

1066 wrote:I have a Winchester 64AE .357 for some occasional gallery fun. I'll help if I can.

I do too but the lifter broke so it's a single shot nowadays!!!

I must say my .357 Win. is in semi-retirement for just the same reason. My lifter has cracked and is held together by a blob of weld and it's eaten a few ejectors and they are getting hard to by now.

I still shooting it regularly but mostly slowfire on my local indoor range.

38Super wrote:

dgw65 wrote: Thanks. Well for me guns are as much about pleasure of ownership, engineering, heritage etc as shooting them. Yes I like to hit bullseyes but I enjoy loading, cocking & firing them just as much.

So with that in mind I’m guessing if I wanted to do gallery rifle I’d be encouraged to buy a slicked up short-stroked Marlin because they get the job done but I’d like to know if it would be viable to turn up with a (Japanese) Winchester ‘73 - albeit I wouldn’t win anything. I assume all the mods could be done to that rifle if I wanted to take things further than ‘fun’ shooting in any case.

Also, would most clubs accommodate someone plugging away with a .38 underlever on a normal rifle range or would that be frowned upon in the same way sniffy clay shooters detest S/A shotguns?

Finally, could I use tang mounted peep sights in gallery if I wanted?

I don't know what you mean by a 'normal' range. At our club gallery rifle is mostly shot on our indoor 25m and 50m ranges. We hold an annual long range carbine match out to 300m for some other fun.

I'm very happy using my Rossi '92 for all my gallery shooting because I enjoy shooting it. I'm never going to put in the practice needed to get top scores and I think a scope would ruin it for me. Ultimately it's your choice what you shoot. If you're going to compete you will need to stick to whatever competition rules that apply i.e. sights, mods etc.
My club allows anything that is safe and within the range parameters.
For something different look at PCC (Pistol Calibre Carbine) practical shooting which is just getting going using Lever Action rifles in the UK.
I believe the '73 mechanism is popular with the Cowboy Action shooters too.

Have a look at one of the Bisley 'Action' weekends (or the gallery rifle handbook) and the number of different comps you can shoot.

Who get's sniffy about what will depend entirely on the club. If in doubt ask someone at the club.

You may find you need to be a member of more than one club to cover all the shooting you want to do.

By normal I just meant most clubs.. I will look at PCC practical, thanks.