need advice for beginner

[nekshot]

I am totally sold on this black cartridge deal. I am far from done with my 50-80 mauser as I want to work the molds I am using alittle more for better repeatability and I must get a new furnace for pure lead only. I am thinking my best way to proceed is to get a H&R buff gun. I need to stay as light as possible and do want a fixed action at some point but is there any light weight single shots available even in 38-55. My pain increases rapidly when I carry 15 pounds or more so you can understand my desire to stay on the lighter side, and for hunting I will need optics as of my age. Any advice?

[country gent]

Some of the "traditional" BPCRs Sharps, high wall,rolling blocks, and such can be built inthe 8-9 lb range retaining accuracy and useability. The H&Rs are useable and easy to operate light and accurate. A 38-55 wih a 1-14 -1-15 twist will run the heavier bullets and shoot as far as you can see. ( BUddie shoots his C Sharps High Wall in 38-55 out to 500 yds with the 312 rcbs bpcr bullet. Look around and see whats available that catches your eye. 38-55 or 40-65 would work well in the rifle you are considering

[John Boy]

The H&R 45-70 and the H&R 38-55 barrel would be ideal for you. You'll have to find the 38-55 as used for sale. Here's the Site for the BC & H&R Handi-Rifles ... http://www.hr1871.com/Firearms/Rifles/youth.asp
45-70 = 8 lbs
38-55 = 7.5 lbs
You then could mount a scope on each barrel

[Don McDowell]

Pure lead really isn't the best choice in bpcr shooting. 20-1 is about the most universal choice.
You need to take into consideration the recoil of a rifle, will go up when the weight goes down.
If 38-55 is the cartridge you're pining after, I would look for one of the Winchester 1885 traditional hunters so chambered, or failing that you might want to consider giving C Sharps a call and visit with them about an 1875 model.

[nekshot]

Thanks for your info and I looked at the H&R site and I believe I will go that route. I put a 357 barrel in a H&R 12 ga tube this spring and that gun is way to accurate and fun for no more money than I have in it. I like the extra barrels I can get also. Well, tally ho we will press on!

[rfd]

i would recommend the very cost effective H&R .45-70 buffalo classic; i've had two, still have one.

you will want to get and use the H&R scope base that screws right into the barrel. add yer rings and scope, sight in, go kill things.

however, the iron sights that come with it are quite good, but the williams rear barrel peep will limit distance to somewhere between 200 & 300yds. i hear some folks shimming that rear peep to get more distance ... i replaced mine on one of my buff classics with a smith ladder peep that'll do 800yds easy, but it has no on-the-spot windage adjustment and it'll cost near $200. some folks add a stock tang vernier - but since this rifle is a break action, using a tang sight will place it and the front globe sight on two separate movable planes which may hamper consistent accuracy. the lyman front globe needs to be as low as possible and it'll be a krap shoot to see if you get a low one or high one, since they randomly put on three different heights to the stock rifle. there is no sight level, and that will be some measure of a concern sooner or later, remedied by replacing the front globe with one that has a spirit level.

float the barrel - remove the fore stock and place an "O" ring over the barrel screw, between the barrel and fore stock. this floats the barrel easiest & best.

the real issue can be the hefty trigger pull, which is somewhere 'tween 5# and 7#. there are diy fixes for the trigger weight, but none are easy or quick, it is what it is. i just removed the barrel and worked the trigger while watching the boob tube - don't let it dry fire, hold the hammer as you pull the trigger. getting some graphite powder down into the sear area can help as well. the trigger/hammer bearing surfaces are surface hardened only, so beware of doing any filing or abrasive polishing of those surfaces. huge amounts about the buff classic and H&R handi rifles has been written in a separate forum at the graybeards site.

at 8#, you might have recoil issues even with trap door level loads. you will want to add a good pound into the butt stock - unscrew the butt plate, insert lead shot or whatever into the stock hole - i added a 1# mercury recoil tube, it helped heaps. that steel crescent butt plate is a shoulder slammer, i added a kick killer lace-on acton recoil pad, it helped enormously.

as mentioned, you wanna use 1:20 or 1:30 alloy bullets, with sharp plain bases - no bevel bases. i use mostly lyman moulds, #457193, #457125, #457677, #457132. i feel at least one under-boolit wad is mandatory, even with smokeless. you might wanna load some smokeless before going into the black, to get a feel for recoil. aa5744, sr4759 will all yield low recoil loads that are extremely accurate out to 800yds or more. trail boss will produce the lightest recoil but i've found the accuracy isn't all that great (for me) past 100yds. there are proven good methods for loading reduced bp loads, as well.

hope some of this rambling helps ya.