Uberti 1885 .40-65 owners

[hk33ka1]

Anybody have a Uberti Highwall No 2 Octagonal in .40-65? I have thought of adding this calibre to the collection but was wondering about the specs of this rifle compared to other modern brands. In .38-55 it has been review as having too large of groove diameter while having too tight a chamber. What molds and sized boolits have worked well for those loading one of these (.406" or .410" etc?) What did yours slug at?

[doubs43]

While I don't own an Uberti 1885 in .40-65, they are supposed to have a bore of .400" and grooves of .408" with a 1:18 twist. That's according the chart you can see at:

http://www.cimarron-firearms.com/boregroovetwist/bore_groove_twist-Uberti.htm

[blindeye]

I haven't slugged the bore or done a chamber cast. I use the same loads with Starline 40/65 brass, un-annealed and .410 bullets as my Browning BPCR Silhouette, with the same accuracy and can interchange the brass. No problems chambering that size bullet. The oct. barrel is closer to a #3 size. If I was doing it over I'd choose a shotgun butt and put up with the 28" round barrel it comes with for shooting comfort. No importer seems to offer a SB with oct. barrel.

[kokomokid]

Might want to compare if you are going to shoot BPCR. I think most are 1:16 twist and deeper rifeling.

[hk33ka1]

blindeye what molds are you using for .410"?

[Blackpowder]

I also have one! havent slugged mine either, but thinks that te figures .400"/.408" are very close to the truth.
Yes it is only 1-18" twist but shoots all 400gn BPCR bullets very well. I have won many competitions with mine.
Currently shoots it with the RCBS 400gn BPS bullet in front of about 51gn Swiss 2F

[bullshot]

I have/had one. A Cimarron. Just had it re barreled. I , first shoot only smokeless. That being said, I could never get acceptable groups from mine unless I used short boolits, like the RCBS 300 CSA with very slow burning powder. I have a Shiloh 40-65 which will shoot most any bullet very well. So now I have Cimarron in 40-70 SBN.

[Dragoon 45]

I have a Uberti Highwall in .40-65 with a 30", 1-16 twist barrel. I believe the barrel is a #3 weight, but am not sure. Mine started out with the crescent buttstock, but I had it modified to a shotgun style and added a recoil pad. My standard load is 60 grns of Goex Cartridge, .030 thick fiber wad, CCI Benchrest LRP, Starline cases, and the Lyman 410663 400 grain Snover bullet. I do not size the bullets, just shoot them as cast, .410 diameter, as that is what the rifle seems to prefer. I hand seat the bullets with no neck tension and can shoot 1 1/2 MOA all day long if I do my part. Bullets are seated with one lube groove showing and touch the rifling when chambered, OAL is 2.933.

I do not shoot smokeless in this rifle anymore so can't give you anything on that. But I would expect it to shoot just as well. When I first got the rifle, I purchased one box of 260 grn smokeless Ten Ex ammo from Buffalo Arms which shot well at 100 yards, but I do not know what powder was used or the charge weight.

[blindeye]

Basically the same as Dragoon except I use WLR primers and Emmert lube. No sizing of case or bullet with BP.
I also use 5744 smokeless with the Snover and a heavy 41mag pistol bullet from Lee 410-240-swc mold which isn't cataloged anymore. I use a couple thousandths neck tension with smokeless. Not as accurate at 200yds. but fine at 100 and close to the original bullet weight. I only have 200yds readily available. In the Spring I'll play with a buddy's NIB, RCBS 40-300-CSA mold. I've been mostly shooting a Lyman 335 in a 38/55 so the recoil should be similar.