This story has been a long time in the making. More than 20 years ago, my best friend walked into a local gun shop looking for a Big Bore 94 XTR chambered in .375 Winchester. I’ll spare you the details about why he was looking for that specific rifle, but he was surprised to find they still had one back on the shelf – still new in its original box. Perhaps more importantly, it still had the original price tag on it as well.

He brought the rifle home, and it would soon become part of the random collection of guns that we would shoot every weekend we could. I made him promise that he would never sell the rifle unless it was to me, but with the closing of the Winchester facility in the early 2000s, the value and demand for rifles like that one went up significantly. And, much like other 90s fads, the old Winchester fell from favor. 

At the time, I couldn’t pay what it was worth on the market. So, despite my broken heart, it left for a new home in the state of Wisconsin. I never forgot that rifle and have longed for one like it ever since. However, I recently found another Big Bore 94 that was nearly identical to that one. I knew that the universe had brought it back to me, so out came the credit card.


Table of Contents

1894 Overview
.375 Winchester
Ammunition Situation
Field Testing
Conclusion

Overview: The Classic 1894

 

Winchester 1894 .375 Winchester Lever-Action Rifle
The classic Winchester lever design stands out, but it also lends itself to nimble work in the field. (Photo: Jeff Wood/Guns.com)


The iconic Winchester Model 1894 has long been revered as a game changer. Over the long century that it has been manufactured, countless game animals have been taken. Chambered in a great many differing cartridges, but very commonly seen in .30-30 WCF, the gun feels fresh out of the old cowboy movies most of us watched growing up.

The Big Bore line of 94s had a much shorter lifespan. They were made back in the 70s and 80s before Winchester’s demise. The rifles use the same lever action as other model 94s but typically with larger cartridges, such as this .375 Win or something like a .44 Magnum.

The rifle I bought was like new even though it’s almost the same age as me. Much like myself, there are certain advantages to being manufactured back in the 70s. The rifle is simple with no safety or locking devices built into it. It uses the old half-cock safety, and the cartridges are fed through the feeding ramp on the right side of the receiver.

It has a fine set of iron sights, but this rifle also came with an offset scope mount and a similar vintage Bushnell 2-8x scope mounted. That was something I wasn’t sure I would like, but I was certainly willing to give it a try.

The .375 Winchester
 

Winchester 1894 .375 Winchester Lever-Action Rifle
With the ammo situation being what it is, I decided to make a few of my own .375 Win rounds. (Photo: Jeff Wood/Guns.com)


The .375 Winchester is a rimmed straight-wall cartridge. It’s derived from the old .38-55 cartridge from back in late 19th century. The more modern .375 Winchester running on smokeless powder can push 200-grain bullets around the 2,400 fps mark, which isn’t an insignificant thing. 

I always dreamed about using this rifle for a sneaky deer hunt, putting the moves on a nice buck deep in the forest. This year, instead, I plan on using the Winchester’s big 200-grain bullets on a bull elk. The deep and dark woods where we pursue elk in the fall are ideal for a rifle and cartridge like this.
 

The Ammunition Situation

 

Winchester 1894 .375 Winchester Lever-Action Rifle
Even with challenges finding affordable ammo right now, the gun offered 2-inch groups at 100 yards with my personal loads. (Photo: Jeff Wood/Guns.com)


A quick look at the ammunition market gave me the too familiar discomfort that you have likely experienced in recent years. Boxed ammunition for this rifle was outrageous, topping $6 a round. Even unloaded brass was more expensive than I would allow myself to spend, so I decided to roll some of my own loads. 

As it happened, I had a set of RCBS dies in my inventory and a few boxes of Sierra 200-grain flat-point bullets. I could fashion the brass from the large volume of .30-30 cartridge cases I had accumulated over the years. With some sizing grease, trimming, and cleanup, I was quickly manufacturing my own .375 ammo.
 

To the Field

 

Winchester 1894 .375 Winchester Lever-Action Rifle
I can feel the hunting woods calling me and this big-bore rifle to adventure. (Photo: Jeff Wood/Guns.com)


It had been more than 20 years since I’d shot a .375 Win, so I couldn’t wait to see how this dream gun from the past would perform. After testing a few of my hand loads for safety, I started shooting at the 50-yard line. I was quickly reminded of why I liked this gun all those years ago. Its small size and easy handling characteristics make it a piece of cake to shoot. 

Yet, when the hammer drops, there is a deep thunderous roar that lets you know this isn’t a .30-30.
I made some scope adjustments to correct the zero on the rifle for my loads. I decided to zero it at about 75 yards. Right or wrong, I did this because I don’t think of this as a long-range rifle for me. The flat-nosed bullets are nowhere near as efficient in flight as our more modern bullets. 
 

Winchester 1894 .375 Winchester Lever-Action Rifle
My sample came with an offset scope mount and optic, so I figured why not give it a try. (Photo: Jeff Wood/Guns.com)


Despite the muzzle velocity of near 2,400 fps, much of that velocity is spent by the time it reaches 200 yards. I figured that even though I could shoot beyond 300 yards, I probably wouldn’t with this rifle. Instead, it was more likely it would be used inside 100 yards. The thick forests where our elk hide can get you into archery range if you are sneaky enough.

After zeroing my rifle, I set to getting good with it. Chances are I was going to have to use it quickly, so I spent a lot of time drawing the rifle, shooting at a pie-plate-sized target before reloading and repeating the shot. I did this until I felt comfortable enough to bet my hunt on it. 
 

Winchester 1894 .375 Winchester Lever-Action Rifle
While it is a wieldy rifle, it also speaks with authority being chambered in the .375 Win. Still, I see it as a closer-range hunter. (Photo: Jeff Wood/Guns.com)


I also spent a good amount of time shooting supported at targets 100 yards out. After that, a 15-inch target at 260 yards was easily hit when supported. The old Winchester felt just as good as it always had, and I was quite confident that if I could get within 200 yards of an elk, I could hit it right.

Accuracy with this old rifle shooting my hand loads averaged around 2 inches at 100 yards. But it wouldn’t surprise me if it did a little better with some more load refinement. That is something I intend to try between now and October. 
 

Conclusion

If you also like to occasionally dabble in more traditional guns, the way I chose to go is not a bad one at all. I love the classic design and smooth operation of this old Winchester. There just seems to be something alluring about the old straight-wall cartridges and these classic levers.

The positive control of the lever-action gives great reliability and finesse to the shooter, which is probably why these rifles are still going strong more than 100 years after their release. I cannot wait to get back into the silent forests this fall, silently skulking on soft black dirt with my palms clutching the hand-checkered walnut from the old New Haven plant. Look for me there.

revolver barrel loading graphic

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