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Thread: Need Your Advice on a 45-70

  1. #21
    Boolit Master Boogieman's Avatar
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    Ruger #1 , not heavy ,strong, and easy to scope
    The 3 people a man must be able to trust completely are his gunsmith his doctor & his preacher ..,his gunsmith for his short term health ,his doctor for long term health ,and his preacher incase one of the others mess up.

  2. #22
    Boolit Master
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    I had an H&R Buffalo Classic. Between the trigger, recoil and a wandering zero I couldn’t learn to love it.
    Found a T/C Katahdin on the used rack and paid too much for it but it’s a tack driver with my 360gr RD over Varget loads shooting sub 2” groups at 100 yards with a 2.5x scope. Still kicks like a mule with a toothache but just doesn’t seem as obnoxious as the H&R. The 20” barrel does work well in thick woods or the blind. I filled a doe tag with mine last year.

  3. #23
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by NSB View Post
    Unless you're going to be shooting very long range (as in competition, like silhouette), you're probably better off with the faster twist....for two reasons. The faster twist does allow lighter bullets to stabilize better (if you call a 300 or 350g bullets light), and those are a lot easier on the shooting end. Even these "lighter bullets" will completely pass through all but the very largest deer when shot at from end to end. My Win 1885 shoots 350g bullets hunting OK, but it definitely shoots 405g and up a lot better. Since I only use the gun for deer hunting and casual group shooting at my personal range, I'd probably be better off shooting lighter bullets. Even at that, the difference isn't great. I'm getting 1moa with 405g bullets at 100 yards and 1.5" with the 350g bullets. I doubt the deer know the difference.
    This sounds back to the front to me - slower twist for lighter boolits - faster twist for heavier boolits was always the accepted story ??????

  4. #24
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by indian joe View Post
    This sounds back to the front to me - slower twist for lighter boolits - faster twist for heavier boolits was always the accepted story ??????
    Think your right about that /my C Sharps 18 twist shoots 500gr ++++ great , and the Marlin 1895 liked 300-350 grain . Or at least my shoulder did

  5. #25
    Boolit Master Jedman's Avatar
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    I have owned several H & R handis and a CVA break action in 45-70 and they both shot very well.
    I sold the CVA as I own 7 others in that caliber and I can't warm up to black plastic.
    The 45-70 handis have become smokeless muzzleloaders and shoot great with a sabot and 40 cal.
    The Henry wold be my first choice now if I were looking to buy a break action 45-70 single shot.

    Jedman

  6. #26
    Boolit Master
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    I think that 1:14 twist is the standard for the .458 Win Mag. I've heard that the fast twist is not for stabilizing the bullet during flight so much as it's to keep the bullet tracking straight while penetrating through the critter you just shot.

    Chris.

  7. #27
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by indian joe View Post
    This sounds back to the front to me - slower twist for lighter boolits - faster twist for heavier boolits was always the accepted story ??????
    I mis-spoke. Yes, the faster twist is for heavier bullets. I was having a "duh" moment. I just went through this myself with a .357max and a 1:20 twist.....won't shoot heavy bullets as well as the lighter ones.

  8. #28
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    Don't buy anything until you look at a marlin guide gun in stainless.

  9. #29
    Boolit Master
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    What conditor 22 said .got the sbl.

  10. #30
    Boolit Master
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    Well, I jumped in today and bought a H&R Buffalo Classic at our local club's Buy,Sell & Swap Day. It has a few dings on the stock, but looks like it had very little use...I think I got it at a good price.. the trigger is very crisp and I'm guessing about 4#... now I will have to look at the sights...should be easy to put a scope on if I choose that route...I have 3 or 4 Leupolds taken off other rifles that could be used... Thanks to all for your help
    Perhaps my learning skills have diminished in my senior years.. 50 years ago I could read something once and then "have it"... Now I read it about three times, do it a couple of times and then... "have it" only about half the time.

  11. #31
    Boolit Buddy
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    You did good. The BC is an excellent gun. Shoots great and they did have a better trigger. Put a good scope on it and you can do anything with it.

  12. #32
    Boolit Master
    JSnover's Avatar
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    I do hope your BC is as good as everyone else's. Add a scope or some decent sights, bump the weight up, and if all is well you should have a pretty good gun.
    Mine was new in 2008 and I had nothing but trouble with it. Apparently they had some quality issues back then.
    Warning: I know Judo. If you force me to prove it I'll shoot you.

  13. #33
    Boolit Grand Master In Remembrance
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    My "El Cheapo" H&R Buffalo Classic is as accurate as the several other 45-70 Sharps & HiWall's. It's a light rifle and felt recoil will be greater than the heavier rifles but it's accuracy can't be beat. First range test with the H&R using Triple 7, at 600yds shot a 600yd - 5 shot group in the 7 ring that was 4.75 x 2.25" with 3 holes that could have covered by a silver dollar
    Regards
    John

  14. #34
    Boolit Buddy
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    I have had a few single shot rifles in .45/70 that I shot with Black powder and they were amazingly easy to clean. I would imagine shooting Black Powder in any other actions would cause problems and not be a good idea.

  15. #35
    Boolit Master
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    Have you looked at ArmsList for your rifle? I just now found (2) H&R handi-rifles at $275 (wood furniture) and $300 (synthetic) in the first 2 pages of their ads. Call up the website, click on "Agree", pick your state of residence, go to "power search", scroll down to select your caliber 45-70 Government, and tap the "search" button. Shop until you find your selection. You will be facing shipping and transfer costs, but that comes with the territory when buying from another state. Good luck.

  16. #36
    Boolit Grand Master

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    If you have the sharps and are comfortable with it an option would be to rebarrel it with a lighter contour and or shorter barrel. Most of the weight in a single shot is in the barrel itself. A tapered round or half round barrel 28"-30" would get the most out of loads and probably get the rifle into the 8-9 lb range. drilled and tapped a period style scope can be used. Going this light on the rifle a recoil reducer in the stock might be good.

  17. #37
    Boolit Master
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    I'm now covered with 45-70's for the foreseeable future... have the use of my nephew's 74 Shiloh Sharp's and i bought a H & R Buffalo Classic to play with.. now I need to do some casting, loading and shooting... thanks to all for their input
    Perhaps my learning skills have diminished in my senior years.. 50 years ago I could read something once and then "have it"... Now I read it about three times, do it a couple of times and then... "have it" only about half the time.

  18. #38
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    the buff classic is a good gun, and if the trigger is already at 4# then so much the better. unless you'll be building light smokeless cartridges, i'd suggest filling the butt stock with shot or some other weight and get it's 8# up to a good 10#. williams makes a good peep rear for the H&R guns, so does skinner.

  19. #39
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    Quote Originally Posted by funigui View Post
    I have the Henry single shot, and a older H&R handi. At 100 yards I could not ask for a more accurate rifle, they are both strong. Able to handle Marlin level loads. The wood is much nicer on the Henry, and has been great.

    My only complaint is the trigger could be lighter. It's not terrible, but as a single shot they could have lightened it up for sure but decided against it.

    Any direct questions you have on it?

    Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
    Your Henry rifle is absolutely beautiful.

  20. #40
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    with a simple but mandatory spring change, the henry is arguably the better value in a modern single shot.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
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