Thoughts on H&R Buffalo Classic

[Texantothecore]

I love my Buffalo Classic, it will shoot anything I load and will shoot them well.

Need a different caliber? Get a new barrel and install it.

It really is a wonderful rifle, a lifetime of entertainment.

[Lefty Red]

I want one, til I win the lottery and get my Sharps!

I would put a Limbsaver on it and cut it down to 28" and scope it. That should make a fun gun for crop control season!

Lefty

[Zubley]

Love my B/C , it's a blast to shoot.For reduce loads i made some 45/50 loads.Cut down 45/70 case to 1.625 and loaded with 12.0grs of Trail Boss.Sweet load on steel targets to 100yds

[f350 caster]

I love my B/C and will never part with it. However I noticed that the leverevolution cartridges kick way worse than some nice 405-500 grain cast. Cant wait to start casting for it (still scrounging lead).

[pls1911]

As noted above, it's light for caliber, but a great shooter with 300-400 grain bullets in the 1300fps range.
Crank it up with heavy bullets and it will hurt you.
Friend made VAST improvements to his with a combination of added lead shot and a mercury recoil reducer normally used in shot guns.
Bottm line, it's a great fun gun which can be made better with very little effort.

[pworley1]

You should be in for a lot of fun. I have had one since they came out a few years ago, and it likes almost any light to moderate load smokeless or black powder.

[chazmatic]

Very good rite up and very good Bible verses

[rfd]

back around one more time ....

not to beat a dead horse, but the buff classic is a really fine s/s rifle that can hang in there with the best of them, if you do your part.

the trigger weight out of the box is Hefty, maybe 6# or so. but that will lessen over shooting time, or you can do as some folks do and manually work the trigger (not dry firing!) with a bit of graphite while watching the boob tube. also, there are at least two good processes of taking the trigger apart and working it down to around 3# or so (thought about doing that, but i think it's a bit tricky and might actually shorten the trigger life, ymmv on that).

i haven't messed with bpcr with this rifle, but will do eventually. currently still using aa5744 under 405 and 535 postell boolits.

love this rifle, and i always bring it along to the range with other rifles and bang out at least a few rounds.

[dlbarr]

Yep, I love my H&R 45/70. Bought it new with the short barrel. Very first shot right out of the box with Remington 350gr HP shot dead center of the bullseye @ 50 yds. (I've never shot that good since)

I've since put a Williams aperture sight on it. And sent it back to H&R for the BC barrel. They both shoot great with any number of different loads, BP or smokeless, cast boolits or jacketed or even RBs. Too much fun. I will say that with the factory butt pad, it was brutal with factory loads. I had a Kick-eez pad installed and it's waaay​ better now!

[Kynoch]

jack19512, Why is one shot a pain? I've never needed more in my 62 yrs of life while hunting. I had a 13 yr old boy ask me a question at the deer camp back in 1986. He said Mr. David why is it that we hear you shoot one time and you come back with a deer and the others shoot a bunch of times and they come back with stories? I've always thought that if you have more than one shot it leads to bad marksmanship. Now I'm not saying that this is you in any way sir as I don't know you. I'm talking in general with the average shooter. When the 742 ruled the woods I would laugh every time a deer came down the stand row. Some shooters were firing faster than it was possible to have a sight picture. I'm also a lover of the lever action rifle and have 4 of them. My point was that one shot is no penalty for hunting.

That would depend what one is hunting. With dangerous game the "penalty" might be a life -- one's own or somebody else.

[Kynoch]

My deer rifle for decades has been a Remington 700 BDL chambered for 30-06. It looks like it's going to be my nephew's favorite loaner so I thought I might look into a H&R BC. Everything looks great to me -- the chambering, the sights, the barrel length and especially the fact it's a single shot (and not because I'm an exquisite shot.)

I only have one question. Is it sort of a kludge of a gun? Are the receivers nothing more than leftover H&R shotgun receivers or are they actually completely different mechanisms? Thanks for any insight on the matter.

[jonp]

That would depend what one is hunting. With dangerous game the "penalty" might be a life -- one's own or somebody else.

Because everyone hunts dangerous game with a 45-70 BC and iron sights

[725]

Kynoch - It's all in the eye of the beholder. It's the same few numbers of bullet proof, so to speak, internal parts in a case hardened frame. Those of us who like the BC, like the BC. It's not a Heeren or Farquharson Falling Block, or a Sharps Borchardt, it an H&R BC. Shoots like a dream for me and makes me smile when I outshoot some of my friends. All of my game, so far, (deer, hogs & bear) have fallen DRT with the one shot. As long as I do my part, I don't see why that performance won't continue.

[Kynoch]

Because everyone hunts dangerous game with a 45-70 BC and iron sights

Who suggested they do? Only you. Who inferred cajun shooter's comments were limited to this specific gun? Only you. Nice try but the comment "My point was that one shot is no penalty for hunting" is bull manure when offered in a universal sense. FWIW, iron sights alone are quite common on dangerous game rifles.

[Kynoch]

Kynoch - It's all in the eye of the beholder. It's the same few numbers of bullet proof, so to speak, internal parts in a case hardened frame. Those of us who like the BC, like the BC. It's not a Heeren or Farquharson Falling Block, or a Sharps Borchardt, it an H&R BC. Shoots like a dream for me and makes me smile when I outshoot some of my friends. All of my game, so far, (deer, hogs & bear) have fallen DRT with the one shot. As long as I do my part, I don't see why that performance won't continue.

I like many aspects of the BC -- simple single shot, 45-70 chambering, nice long barrel, the sights, etc. A very nice change from my semi-automatic/bolt-action world. I was just curious if the gun was a kludge from leftover parts?

I simply found the "one shot" diatribes on this thread to be amusing is all.

[brad925]

I have a BC in 45-70 for about ten years now. Its likes the 300gr HP and 4195 very well as well as the lee 405hb and 3031. Have never tried black in it but that's next. I like to take I out as a confidence booster when I feel crappy about myself and put 5 into one ragged hole. Do I like the gun? That's an understatement. I also have a hiwall and if I can get it to shoot as well as the BC I will be happy but its getting there. I don't compete other than with myself. Point is just because it don't have a high price tag don't mean its ****. Sure the trigger isn't nothing to brag about and it aint too stylish but it does the job it was meant to do and that's hit the bulleye. Now if your looking for a good looking wall hanger with lots of history or to just fit in with the in crowd.........this aint your gun. But hell I never wanted to fit in anyway i'm having to dam much fun just being myself!

[rfd]

imho, the ONLY issue with the H&R .45-70, and ALL H&R rifles for that matter, is the heavy trigger pull, with some above 6#. it's typical for the pull to be about 5.5#, as was on my buff classic. honing the sear and cleaning up/lubing the other wear surfaces and pins might get you down to 4# or so, some have actually been brave enuf to use files and gotten down to under 1#. to do this, you need to completely disassemble the action/trigger and that is not a job for most folks. the metal used for the trigger and hammer is only surfaced hardened and you may quickly have a trigger that constantly drops in pull weight to where it's not hunter nor target friendly. if the trigger was better, and i'd Gladly fork over another $100 on the purchase ticket price. if so, then the buff classic would be an ideal s/s for meat or long range paper.

[ogre]

I am considering getting one of these rifles. An associate has advised me against the purchase because they tend to, in his words, "shoot loose."

Really? Has anyone here experienced this problem?

[rfd]

I am considering getting one of these rifles. An associate has advised me against the purchase because they tend to, in his words, "shoot loose."

Really? Has anyone here experienced this problem?

nonsense. they shoot just fine. if by "loose" he means the action opens - yes, it will do that if you don't snap! it shut with authority. never had a problem with that in the 4 handi's i've owned and shot Lots.

i'll say again - all you really need to know and understand about h&r handi's (including the buff classic) is the hefty pull weight trigger. if you can live with that, the rifle is a winner in every respect.

[dlbarr]

Yep, ogre, same as rfd here. I have 3 NEF/H&Rs. Never had a "shoot loose" event.