Gun Review of the Winchester Model 94

The Winchester Model 94 is one of the most recognizable and well known guns in America. The Winchester Model 94 was used often in the western / cowboy movies and they were carried on screen by the biggest names including John Wayne. Though the railroads and barbed wire had largely cut their path across the west by the time the Model 94 was released by Winchester, it is still seen as a gun of the Old West.

Aside from nostalgia, the Winchester Model 94 was and is a great whitetail deer rifle. Teamed with the equally popular 30-30 Winchester or 30 Winchester Center Fire (30 WCF), the Model 94 is an efficient rifle that has downed deer for over a hundred years and will certainly continue to do so. Though the Model 94 in 30-30 Winchester is not as exciting as modern magnum cartridges, the 30-30 Winchester simply gets the job done. While the ballistics of the 30-30 Winchester are not flashy, the Winchester Model 94 is a light and quick pointing rifle that is pleasant to carry in the woods. Weighing a pound or so less and being about 4 inches shorter than a bolt action rifle, the reduced weight and length of the Model 94 makes it an ideal choice for deer hunters who work in close quarters or have to hike long distances.

The only real problem with the Winchester Model 94 was the required use of an offset scope mount (until angle eject was added late in the production run). However, many people including me learned to shoot the Model 94 with the offset scope and the handicap it caused was greatly exaggerated if you practiced with it. And at short ranges the factory sights worked fine as does peep sights.

While the general rule of thumb is that the Winchester Model 94 is a 150 yard gun for deer sized game, there are ways to squeeze another 50 yards or so out of the Model 94. While the 30-30 Winchester is the traditional caliber, other calibers were of course made. Two interesting cartridges were developed for the later production Model 94s (that had stronger actions) that significantly increases its reach. One is the .307 Winchester and the other is the .356 Winchester. Both will provide 1000 foot pounds of energy out to 300 yards. While neither became overly popular, Winchester still makes ammunition for both. The .32 Winchester Special provides 100 foot pounds of energy out to 200 yards and is one of the original loadings.

Using Hornady LEVERevolution ammunition in a Model 94 30-30 Winchester is probably a better choice for most people than an obscure cartridge. The Hornady LEVERevolution is loaded with a pointed bullet that is soft to allow it to be used in a tubular magazine. The LEVERevolution in 30-30 Winchester carries 100 foot pounds of energy to past 200 yards.

With new and improved ammunition and a high quality scope or standard ammunition and open sights, the Winchester Model 94 is still a great deer hunting rifle.