How did I do?

[wcp4570]

I have and enjoy shooting a little NEF Handi rifle in 45-70 but I have been wanting a little higher end gun to shoot. I found a Browning B78 at a local shop a while back and just couldn't bring myself to pay the asking price of $1199.00. That gun called my name every time I was in the shop, I look at and handle the gun on every visit. Yesterday I finally made an offer and to my surprise they accepted my offer, so I'm now a proud owner of a new to me nice Browning 45-70. Here are a few pictures.

[Guy La Pourqe]

What a gem, WCP! Good work!

We will need a range report and more pics!!! :)

[robg]

Pretty

[MOA]

Nice going WCP. Bet it made your day. :-)

[smithnframe]

Very nice! What was your offer?

[Rick Hodges]

I have always loved the originals, and the Miroku's are fine rifles. The price is daunting but I much prefer them to the Ruger #1. That is a fine rifle.

[koger]

I have one with a 28" tapered octagon barrel, and has the shotgun type stock with a recoil pad. Hands down the most accurate 45/70 single shot with open sights, that I have ever shot.

[wcp4570]

Very nice! What was your offer?
Thanks everybody, I still can't believe I was luck enough to own a rifle like this. My offer was $1100 out the door which means I gave $1009.25 before tax and of course my rich uncle had to have his cut. If I would have paid the full asking price the rifle would have cost $1297.92 so I'm happy with my price. Now to see how the old girl will shoot. My old eyes will sure have problems with the open sights but I will see maybe tomorrow morning. I've looked for a peep sight but have not found one I like. The Browning does not have a tang to mount a sight on so I may have to settle for the rear scope mount and go for a williams peep. I have read here that 4759 is a good powder to use in 45-70 and I found 4 pounds not long ago and I will try that. I've put in for a lot of public drawing hunts with the Parks and Wildlife for deer and exotic here in Texas with my brother and if we get luck I will hunt with this gun.

[shortlegs]

That's a very nice rifle! I had one in the late 90's and let it get away, regret it every time I shoot 45-70. I put a globe front site and a peep rear site on mine, the pig target at 300 was a shure hit and the turkey at 400 was always "scared to death". Lyman 457193 bullet around 1400 fps over RE-7.

[sharps4590]

Reloader 7 is a great powder in the 45-70 as is IMR's 4198 and 3031. Browning USED to offer a hunting type tang sight, sort of like the old Lyman but I don't know if they still do. It is windage adjustable. I had one cut down to put on my Shiloh Sharps in 45-90 and I love it. Killed a pile of deer and hogs with that rifle along with some other stuff.

[bigted]

Try THE load in your B71.

55 grains OE black powder in 2Fg granulation ... the Lyman 457193 400 grain boolit lubed with SPG lube ... with 2 - 1/8th inch cork wads or 1- 1/4 inch cork wad over the powder and under the boolit ... sparked up with a CCI or REM large rifle primer.

This load will bring the smile to your mug.

Oh and congrats on your new adoption. I think you will fall in love with your rifle.

The buttstock crescent plate can ruin your day unless you learn rite off how to shoot it. If you try tucking it into your shoulder like you do with flat shotgun style plates ... it will dig rite in and be painful. However if you move your crescent out of the shoulder pocket ... and tuck it over the outer area of the shoulder which is the area just over your arm pit ... it will fit perfectly there AND you will notice a softer recoil impulse.

All in all I think the fun the rifle will bring will bring many hours of pleasure. Congrats again on your adoption.

[Reverend Al]

I've owned 2 of these rifles and still have one of them. The one I foolishly parted with I had installed a Lyman 17 globe front sight and mounted a BSA Martini .22 folding tang sight on the short rounded "saddle" tang behind the hammer. They were designed to be fitted to a similar short, rounded tang and the one I installed was a perfect fit. It did require drilling and tapping 2 holes to mount it, but I was quite willing to do that. It worked great if you can find a similar one of those old Martini sights and had more than enough elevation adjustment to shoot out to any reasonable distance with the .45-70 cartridge.

https://i.imgur.com/BxrzpTY.jpg

The one I kept and still have is mounted with a 6X Leupold thanks to old, deteriorating eyes.

Both of mine shot extremely well and seem to prefer 300 to 330 grain bullets for best accuracy. My "killer" Moose load is a completely full case of IMR3031 with either the 300 grain Sierra HP or 300 grain Hornady HP bullet. Either bullet prints very tight little cloverleafs at 100 yards and the same load worked equally well in both guns. Recoil with that curved steel rifle buttplate is somewhat brutal, but this hunting load was only used for serious field work when I wanted to bop a Moose and have them stay down on the ground.

[Winger Ed.]

Anytime you get something you want---- ya done good.

[wcp4570]

I've owned 2 of these rifles and still have one of them. The one I foolishly parted with I had installed a Lyman 17 globe front sight and mounted a BSA Martini .22 folding tang sight on the short rounded "saddle" tang behind the hammer. They were designed to be fitted to a similar short, rounded tang and the one I installed was a perfect fit. It did require drilling and tapping 2 holes to mount it, but I was quite willing to do that. It worked great if you can find a similar one of those old Martini sights and had more than enough elevation adjustment to shoot out to any reasonable distance with the .45-70 cartridge.

Al that is a nice Martini and I like the looks of that sight. I just looked at my Browning and it does have the short tang behind the hammer that you talked about. That is a good suggestion on putting a Peep on the Browning. Thanks
248384

shortlegs - What type of Peep sight did you have on your Browning?

bigted - I may have to try "The Load" but first I have to find some real BP. I don't have any left from my muzzle loader hunting days in Colorado. I've been wanting to try some BP in the 45-70 for a while now. I just pickup a lyman 457193 at a gun show and purchased a lyman 457191 from evil bay and will be developing loads for those. I sized and lubed a couple hundred 191's last night. I have been shooting the Lee 405RF out of my handi with good results.

I see fun days ahead. Thanks again everybody for the suggestions.

wcp

[Frank V]

I'm late to the party, but that's a beautiful rifle. It'll also handle Ruger loads if you care to they are brutal in any but starting loads.

[shortlegs]

I think it was a lyman peep, mounted on the receiver. Got me disqualified in "cowboy" match. Can't have your sight mounted on the receiver.

[rfd]

beautiful score, congrats. if you want to go the white devil dust route, i can highly recommend aa5744 since sr4759 is no longer sold. in fact, way back when i started BPCR i found the 5744 to be better for my greaser gun loads than 4759. that crescent stock looks Wonderful, but it will most likely cause some shooting pain that a Past shoulder pad would really help mitigate. in the long run, i would heartily recommend doing the gun and you right by loading greasers with real black powder. the flat nosed lyman 457493 at around 405 grains pushed by 65 or so grains of 1-1/2f or 2f would make up into a fine big game hunting cartridge. no matter what, an awesome rifle! 249362

[wcp4570]

beautiful score, congrats. if you want to go the white devil dust route, i can highly recommend aa5744 since sr4759 is no longer sold. in fact, way back when i started BPCR i found the 5744 to be better for my greaser gun loads than 4759. that crescent stock looks Wonderful, but it will most likely cause some shooting pain that a Past shoulder pad would really help mitigate. in the long run, i would heartily recommend doing the gun and you right by loading greasers with real black powder. the flat nosed lyman 457493 at around 405 grains pushed by 65 or so grains of 1-1/2f or 2f would make up into a fine big game hunting cartridge. no matter what, an awesome rifle! 249362

Thanks for the comments and powder/load info. I have 4 pounds of 4759 that I will try along with Lyman 405gnfn and 292grfn and a Lee 405grfn molds. I've never shot any 5744 so I will keep that in mind also. I have always wanted to try loading black powder and may do so if I can locate some but nobody carry's it around my area so I may have to order it on line. I don't want to shoot any heavy loads but just something pleasant to have fun with. My current fun load is 12gr of Unique and very pleasant to shoot.

wcp

[JMtoolman]

I wish someone would take a series of photos of that little Martini sight from all sides. I would love to make one for mine, never seen one in the flesh. Would be nice to have some measurements too, although I could probably come up with something close. This would make a great sticky for Martini's. The toolman.

[Reverend Al]

Have a look at the reference photos on this website for the "smallbore" sights. I don't know if they would give you enough detail to work from to try and duplicate one, but I see that some of the dimensions are listed in a couple of the photos?

http://www.rifleman.org.uk/PH_Service_sights.htm

[iomskp]

I had one the same, for some reason I sold it and have regretted it ever since.

[Dthunter]

Congrats on the score! I love those B78's!

I have three of them now, and stupidly sold my first one back in 1988!

I do not have one in 45-70 though. My 45-70 is an Browning 1885 BPCR.

These rifles are fast becoming my favorites!

Think of all the fun you are going to have tinkering with loads and combinations! HAVE FUN!

[wcp4570]

Congrats on the score! I love those B78's!

I have three of them now, and stupidly sold my first one back in 1988!

I do not have one in 45-70 though. My 45-70 is an Browning 1885 BPCR.

These rifles are fast becoming my favorites!

Think of all the fun you are going to have tinkering with loads and combinations! HAVE FUN!


Dthunter
It took me awhile to decide to buy this rifle, it set in the rack at the gun shop for a good amount of time and I would look it over every time I was in the shop. I really like the rifle and the loads I've shot are pleasant to shoot. My problem is the sights, I can no longer focus on the front and get a good picture in the rear. What sight setup do you have on your 1885 BPCR? I have thought about a fiber sight on the front but I think that would take away from the beauty of the rifle. I really would like to get a receiver or tang sight along with a global front but the rifle does not have a tang.

wcp

[Dthunter]

wcp4570:

I too have had my eyes change on me the last few years. And what I did may horrify some shooters, but I have mounted a tactical scope onto my rifle.

This has allowed me to dial in hits out to 450 yards VERY dependably. I love shooting, but my eyes just cannot shoot the open sights to the precision level I have been capable of in the past.

[wcp4570]

Dthunter
That may be what I have to do. I contacted Leupold to ask for a p/n for the B78 scope mount and they replied that they no longer make one for that model. They told me that Control is the only manufacture of mounts for the B78. I go over to Control web page and they list the same mount number for the B78 and the 1885 BPCR. So I went back to Midway and they list the Leupold mounts for the 1885 so I ordered a set today. Fingers are crossed until I see if they fit. Thanks for replying again.

wcp