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Thread: Winchester High Wall

  1. #1
    Boolit Master ColColt's Avatar
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    Winchester High Wall

    I was looking at the new Winchester 1885 High Wall in 45-70 with a 28 inch octagonal barrel and tang sights. A good looking rifle to say the least but wondered what were thoughts about it if anyone has one.
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  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy

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    I have a Uberti in 38-55 with double set triggers. Except for the curved butt plate it is fun to shoot. Get one with a shotgun butt plate if you want to shoot it from the shoulder as a modern rifle is usually shot. I've put a slip on pad with some extra polymer in the curve to fill it out but am yet to shoot it as see if that is going to work.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by ColColt View Post
    I was looking at the new Winchester 1885 High Wall in 45-70 with a 28 inch octagonal barrel and tang sights. A good looking rifle to say the least but wondered what were thoughts about it if anyone has one.
    Does it have a red rubber butt pad?

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    Depending on price, I would compare it with the C. Sharps '85 Highwall, I would opt for the American made rifle.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    The Winchester will have a light tapered sporter barrel suitable for hunting.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master


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    I have the short rifle. Short throat, but shoots great. Nice trigger too.
    Best,
    Mike

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  7. #7
    Boolit Master
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    I have one. It's extremely accurate, shooting sub moa groups with several powders and j bullets. It will not shoot cast bullets with any load I've tried. I have found many posts on the net about this gun and all owners like everything about it but few, if any, have been able to make it shoot cast bullets. It has a very short/non existant throat, and will not allow much play with bullet oal. A few people have lengthened the throat and have gotten some better results. For me, it's not a problem. I use it for hunting and I'm OK using jacketed bullets since it shoots so well. My Pedersoli rifles all would shoot cast bullets very well and not one of the loads in the Pedersoli would shoot well in the Winchester. The Winchester also has very shallow rifling. I don't know if that makes any difference since it shoots jacketed bullets very well. Over all, it's well made, shoots excellent groups with jacketed bullets and a lot of different powders, has a decent trigger, and all in all is a very well made gun.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master ColColt's Avatar
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    A couple I looked at does have a rubber butt plate. I was thinking of either the Winchester or Browning. Both, especially the Browning, are good looking rifles. I don't know which would do the best with cast bullets. That's not good news about the shallow rifling in the Winchester. If it would shoot cast well it wouldn't matter. I would be shooting BP only.
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  9. #9
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by ColColt View Post
    A couple I looked at does have a rubber butt plate. I was thinking of either the Winchester or Browning. Both, especially the Browning, are good looking rifles. I don't know which would do the best with cast bullets. That's not good news about the shallow rifling in the Winchester. If it would shoot cast well it wouldn't matter. I would be shooting BP only.
    Winchester/Browning offer a BPCR (black powder cartridge rifle) which is an 1885 High Wall but built very differently. It has a pistol grip stock, a different manufactured barrel, and much nicer wood. I understand these guns have different rifling, longer throats, and will shoot cast bullets very, very well. Which gun are you looking at? The BPCR models sell for several hundred dollars more than the "regular" High Walls. Does the one you are looking at have a pistol grip? If not, you are looking at the one with the short throat, shallow rifling. The BPCR is quite a bit heavier since it's primary use is long range target shooting. Both Win and Browning are Miroku made guns and are the same.

  10. #10
    Boolit Man 40-82's Avatar
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    I have the Browning 45-70. It shoots both the RCBS 325 grain and 425 grain cast bullets very well. The rifle has taken about 30 deer. My nephew uses it mainly now. I am overfond of telling him, "Boy, take this single shot rifle and one bullet. If you miss don't come back in and ask 'what's for supper.'" Although I really do relent and allow him to carry spare cartridges.

    I like the automatic ejector on the Browning. I've used it several times for quick doubles. The only thing I don't like about the Browning is that the action is far more complex than the original High Wall.
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  11. #11
    Boolit Master ColColt's Avatar
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    The only done I ran across with a pistol grip was the Browning in 45-90. I haven't seen any of the Winchester's with a pistol grip. Is that all that distinguishes the standard rifles from a BPCR?

    http://www.gunsamerica.com/909841141...Rifle_45_9.htm

    40-82, look like we posted about the same time. What's more complex about the Browning? They should be pretty much the same.
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  12. #12
    Boolit Master
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    I too have found the RCBS bullets shoot well in my Browning and Winchester 86's with the short throats. I do not have the Japanese 85's other than a .38/55

  13. #13
    Boolit Master ColColt's Avatar
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    I'm a little confused here. Do the new Winchester/Browning's shoot well with cast bullets or not?
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  14. #14
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by ColColt View Post
    I'm a little confused here. Do the new Winchester/Browning's shoot well with cast bullets or not?
    As a general rule, no. At least not the "newer" Miruko guns. The BPCR do shoot them well but they have completely different barrels on them. Browning made an 1885 High Wall several years ago (1980s) that is somewhat different than the newer Winchester 1885s. The triggers on all the Miruko guns are different than the original 1885 High Walls. There are a lot of posts on some of the other sites about getting accuracy out of the new Winchester 1885 High Walls. I haven't heard of anyone getting good accuracy with cast without doing something to the throat on the gun. I'm not knocking the gun, I have one and I love it. I got my three Pedersoli's to shoot cast very well but have not found even one load to shoot well out of the High Wall. If someone says they are getting good accuracy, their definition of good may vary greatly from yours or mine. My Pedersoli's could shoot sub moa with cast at 100yds. My High Wall shoots 3-4 inches with cast at best. I may have gotten a couple of groups around 2-3" but that isn't the norm. Do a search on here. I think there were a number of threads on here about it.

  15. #15
    Boolit Master ColColt's Avatar
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    That's not good news but glad I found out now. I suppose it's all in the barrel. I would imagine a 1:18 twist would be better for the 45-70 and related calibers. The only Browning BPCR I found was in 45-90 and I have a Sharps in that caliber and was looking for something a little different. I wished someone made a good rifle in 40-70 caliber that you wouldn't have to wait a year or more for it.
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  16. #16
    Boolit Master
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    The BPCR rifles in .45-70 actually have no freebore. They do have Badger barrels though. I used to have one of the lightweight hunter models but I sold it and now have two of the BPCR models. One in .45-70 and one in .50-90. I have heard that the .40-65 and .45-90 versions have some freebore.

    Chris.

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    The 45/90 would have a little free bore if you were shooting 45/70 in it.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master
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    I believe these Winchester and Browning 85's in .45/70 were designed with the typical hunter in mind. A person who buys a box of factory loads to hunt and shoot on occasions. I am surprised my Browning 85 Traditional Hunter in .38/55 shoots cast bullets so well.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master
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    I shoot nothing but cast bullets in Japanese Browning/ Winchester High Walls in .32-40, .38-55, and .405. I think they're quite accurate, but perhaps my accuracy standards are low. As with any cast bullet firearm, regardless of make, the usual factors like load development, alloy hardness, bullet design, bullet sizing, etc. are pretty important. It may take more than a few rounds to make a true assessment as to accuracy.

  20. #20
    Boolit Master
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    I get sub MOA with my Win 38-55 and Browning BPCR 45-70 with cast boolits and smokeless powder. Both rifles took some load experimentation but no more than usual.
    ph4570

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