Uberti Rifling twist.

[oldrodder]

Hi guys/gals,
I'm new to this Forum and hoping someone can answer a question. I've been a Ruger#1 fan since they hit the market, way back when!(Mid '60's in Canada)Recently, I fell into a pretty rare one, I'm told, a 1975 1V in cal .300 WM. Having nothing to do with the #1V, here's my question. I have to opportunity to buy a Uberti 1885, caL 45-120. My other option is to buy a Ruger #1S in 45-70 and have the local 'smith re-chamber to 45-120. I know that the Ruger's rate of twist is 1-20 for the 45-70. I don't know what the Uberti is and I'm wondering if a 1-20 twist will stabilize 530 gr boolits? My other reason for contemplating a Ruger, is I love the look and feel of the rifle and it's easier to mount a modern scope, although the Uberti has been profesionally drilled and tapped and bases made to mount a modern scope.
Thanks for your thoughts,

Mike

[montana_charlie]

I can't answer your question.

I thought that Uberti had the rifling twist for their barrels on their website, but that's no longer true.
While looking for that, I ran across this 'blurb' on the 1885 Hiwall page ..

High Wall ammunition: The .45-70 Government cartridge (left) was named for the .45-caliber bullet with a cartridge case holding 70 grains of black powder that was adopted by the U.S. military in the 1870s. The .45-90 (center) held 90 grains of black powder. And the buffalo hunter’s favorite, the .45-120 (right) held a whopping 120 grains of powder.

I really had to smile.
The 45/120 was never the favorite of the average buffalo hunter when chambered in ANY brand of rifle ... and, by 1885 when the Hiwall was introduced, the buffalo herds were a dusty memory.
It was produced principally to satisfy the demands of the growing sport of long-range "Match Shooting", which had opened at Creedmoor, New York in 1871.

CM

[littlejack]

Oldrodder:
Welcome to the CastBoolits.
I have one of the Uberti 1885's, in 45-70. The twist is 1 in 20". You ask if it will stabilize a 530 grain
boolit?
I shoot the Lyman 457125 boolit. It drops at 522 grains. Your question could best be answered, by
asking, How far do you intend to shoot? I have been told, and read that the 1 in 20" will not stabilize
the heavier boolits with the velocities of the 45-70.
Now, with that being said, the 45-120 would be a whole different animal. The velocity would be higher,
so the boolits WOULD stabilize better with the 1 in 20" twist. Whether they will stabilize at long ranges,
I do not know.
I do believe that most BPCR long range shooters prefer the 1 in 18" twist.
Reguards
Jack

[Bad Ass Wallace]

I had a Ruger No1 in 45/70 and it wouldn't shoot 500gn+ boolits accurately at any range. First problem was the slow twist and the second was the rifling was not the deep ballard type necessary for BPCR. My Ruger is fitted with a 10X Lyman Äll American

I rebarrelled to 45/120 with a 1:14" twist which will stabilise boolits to 630gn

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v152/BAWallace/45_120_Sharps.jpg

[Baron von Trollwhack]

The only place I ever found Uberti's firearms twist rates was on the Cimmaron web site. It has been a while since I visited there but perhaps it is still extant.

BvT

[square butte]

The Cimarron website shows it at 1:20 right hand. Go tho the Cimarron firearms website and scroll to bottom of the page - Look for bore twist and groove.

[NickSS]

I shot many long range black powder cartridge matches with a 45-70 rifle including 1000 and 1200 yard matches. All the matches were shot with straight black powder and 520 to 535 gr bullets and all the matches I shot was with my Shiloh Sharps Long Range Express or my C Sharps target rifle. Both rifles were made in the early 90s and both have 1 in 20 Twist barrels. The bullets stabilized just fine out to long range. The 1-18 twist has gotten more popular in recent years due to people wanting to shoot even heavier bullets. I have a couple rifles with the faster twist and they shoot no better for me than my older rifles do.

[littlejack]

Nick, thank you for that information.
Do you shoot PP'd boolits, if so, how much powder?
Jack

[oldrodder]

Thanks Bad *** Wallace. I was wondering about the Ruger's ability to stabilize heavier boolits and you've cleared that up!
Mike

[EDG]

I would not want a 45-120 on a rifle that weighs less than 12 lbs.

[oldrodder]

My Quigley tips the scales at 14 lbs! Definately not a rifle for a 68 year old to freehand!LOL!
Mike

[Bad Ass Wallace]

Not wanting to start a calibre argument here but I had the same problem when I hit 60, what to buy that wouldn't kick the living daylights out of my shoulder. I had years of shooting 45/120, 50/90 but they are just too much.

I bought one of the Pedersoli Hiwalls in 38/55 with a fast twist 1:12 barrel and it is the perfect shooting machine. Loaded with 50gns of Swiss No.2 and a Paul Jones 374gn boolit it will knock down steel as well as any larger calibre. Preparing even further down the track I am presently building an original Hiwall to 32/40 which will be fitted with a Malcome 8X USMC scope!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v152/BAWallace/Pedersolihi-wall.jpg

[Clark]

http://i757.photobucket.com/albums/xx220/ClarkM/257RobertsAckleyimprovedrimmed1885fallingblockrifl tbuiltinOct2012andused10-25-2012.jpg
http://i757.photobucket.com/albums/xx220/ClarkM/Ruger1bipod.jpg

I killed 3 mule deer in 2010 with a Ruger #1 7mmRM original barrel.
I killed 4 mule deer in 2012 with a Uberti 1885 that I rebarrelled to 257 Roberts Ackley Improved rimmed.

The #1 has an extractor AND an ejector, and will fire like a machine gun from the prone position with an ammo belt cheek rest.
The 1885 has an extractor. The ejection is done with the finger nails. This take at least 2 seconds to reload.

So if you want every advantage you can get, use the #1.
But if you have no problem getting deer, use the 1885, it is little more fun to hunt with.