Practical Cannon Management

[Guy La Pourqe]

Hey fellas.

Question for you hardcore BPCR boys: have any of you ever gone afield with your heavy barrelled big bores? Are proper shooting slings even worthwhile to consider?

I have a heavy barrelled Rem roller repro and I love it! But...good gravy! The thing is a pig to shoot offhand and a bear to carry! If any of you have any experience in this regard... I’d love to hear it!

The other option is to rebarrel it. It’s a Pedersoli; is a barrel of the same length but a lighter contour possible? Any idea what a smith might charge?

[Outpost75]

Sorry, I read the thread title and was thinking one of these:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hptx6Cz0fmM

249072

[Winger Ed.]

Wish I could help.
I made a shoulder sling for my big bore, but quit using it when the thing kept banging on my knee while carrying it.
After that, I went back to the sling I used before with a engine crane.

[koger]

I have 3 heavy single shots. 2 Remington rollers, and Sharps. They all shoot great, but are a handful. I hunt a lot out of blinds or stands, so I usually have my wife drop me off, or drive a 4 wheeler within 100yds. I also have a Browning Hi wall, 45/70 with a 28" tapered barrel, that I find myself carrying it afield more and more. It is as accurate as the big heavy rifles also.

[country gent]

For hunting from a stand they work very well. A set of cross sticks or mono pod / staff can be a big benefit when actually shooting. The buffalo and market hunters back in the day carried the rifle to the blind on horse back or wagon, and used sticks to be accurate. With practice and proper position these rifles can be very accurate off hand. Its putting in the time and practice to learn and build the position. Dry fire 15-20 rnds twice a week with a range visit once a month and shortly your offhand will get better.

Hunting from a blind allows a stool and sticks making for a very solid position. The trick is to spend some off season time in the blind so you know there are deer there and where there likely to be coming from. Then the issue is getting these brutes to and from the blind.

I would set up in side the edge of the woods in a corner looking over the hay field here. comfortable stool and cross sticks then when the deer came to feed I had my pick of them. My sharps goes 14 lbs in 45-70 so it was a chore to carry stool and sticks stayed in blind during season.

Now for me its even easier since I cant walk and use a PMD I mount the rifle sticks a cooler with snacks and drinks on my track chair and head out. I actually "carry" very little now when heading out or in. Being disabled does have some advantages LOL.

[upnorthwis]

At 68 years old, I quit walking with a rifle about 30 years ago. Nothing but elevated stands for me now. C. Sharps .45-90 works great.

[samari46]

Some years back one of the members posted a short barrelled roller I think in 45 colt. Couldn't take my eyes off it. probably 24" long barrel and don't remember if he used the original wood or outsourced it. Course calibers can be changed along with their barrels.If I ever get finished with some major honey do'os That will probably my next project. Since I don't hunt anymore 44 special should at least pick a couple hundred FPS with a longer barrel.Nothing fancy like engraving, fancy wood or gold plated trigger. And a lot faster twist than the current makers of modern lever actioned rifles. In todays world we've been stuck with twists severly limit of a modern lever actioned rifle or carbine. Sights remain open as I do not really know what's out there.Frank

[EDG]

Just buy a lighter rifle. The cost of rebarreling a rifle adds little to nothing to its value so you will never get that money back. That money is considerable. You might be looking at $500 for a tapered round barrel and $650 for a tapered octagon. That cost will go a long way towards paying for another rifle.

Another option is to work out a little to strengthen your arm, leg and back muscles. Most of us could stand to lose more than the weight of a rifle or two or three.

Third if you are going to shoot an authentic BPCR you should wear buckskins and ride a mule to and from shooting it. Let the mule do the hauling for you.

I have a heavy 45-70 Browning BPCR and not so heavy Browning Highwall 1885 standard weight model. Both rifles have the same action so shooting one is similar to shooting the other. Plus the 1885 standard model came from the factory with sling swivels. So carrying it is the same as any other hunting rifle.
A Ruger #1S is similar as far as lighter weight and sling swivels goes but it cannot easily mount a good tang or receiver sight.
I would never attempt to carry the heavy rifle in the field since I have lighter rifles that are just as accurate.

[Walter Laich]

when I bought my roller I knew I would never be carrying it farther than from the truck to the shooting tables.

[Rick B]

35 years ago I did quite a bit of Dall Sheep hunting in Alaska. Used a heavy barrel Sharps Borschardt. Hunted exclusively with this rifle for 5-6 years. Rifle weighted 11 pounds 11 ounces with barrel sights. Never considered putting a sling on it. Carried it for the most part with the forearm on my right shoulder and the barrel facing forward (unloaded). Used my right hand to grasp the barrel and counter balance it. In this carry position, I was able to cover a lot of country with this rifle.
Rick

[M.A.D]

Oh, a real gun....... Im machining up one of those out of a huge billet of 4140

[Rick B]

Would like to see pictures of the completed project. In regards to Field Carry, the shoulder carry described above is a very practical way to carry a heavy rifle of an kind in the Field. Always carried it unloaded when I used this method.

[Alcast]

Coming in late but here is my 2 cents;for shooting off the bench,my Sharps 45-70.For hunting(I walk the woods searching for my prey),my Ruger no 1 in 45-70

[John Taylor]

I have taken my canon out. Even took it to Canada for a shoot 40 years back, took first place. As for my roller I don't handle recoil very well anymore so it got re-barreled to 38-55 with a heavy long (35") barrel. I don't hunt anymore so it does not get packed far. My bench gun is a 300 Win mag that weighs 17 pounds. Very low recoil with a break.

[BigEyeBob]

35 years ago I did quite a bit of Dall Sheep hunting in Alaska. Used a heavy barrel Sharps Borschardt. Hunted exclusively with this rifle for 5-6 years. Rifle weighted 11 pounds 11 ounces with barrel sights. Never considered putting a sling on it. Carried it for the most part with the forearm on my right shoulder and the barrel facing forward (unloaded). Used my right hand to grasp the barrel and counter balance it. In this carry position, I was able to cover a lot of country with this rifle.
Rick

This method works for me ,when afield with my 500NE double rifle .Even though the rifle has a sling which is used more for stabilizing the rifle when shooting off hand .

[Rapidrob]

I have a .50-110 Roller with the duel straps off of a back pack that I use when Elk hunting. The rifle rest between the shoulder blades and can be carried for a long distance without being too much of a burden. The rifle sits sideways at a slight angle so as not to hit the back of your head.
The rifle can be ready to go in a few seconds,not Combat speed, but pretty fast. I try not to make sudden movements when un-slinging the rifle. Elk have really good eye sight.
Once the Elk has been seen, sitting cross-sticks are used to steday the heavy barrel. If you prefer standing cross sticks, they also make a really good "walking stick" when climbing up steep slopes.
The .50-110 really does not tear up the meat as you'd think it would, more so a nice round hole with decent expansion. Few ever get up to run again before they bleed out if the bullet shock does not kill them out right.
I'm almost 70 and can carry the rifle for several hours up/down the mountains.

[725]

Mono pod / walking stick. Good to have a long stick once in a while while walking and with a little practice it's a great solid rest for shooting. Sling the beast when covering ground and resort to the stick when needed.

[Green Frog]

I took my original Winchester high wall with 28” barrel, #3 octagon in 32-40 deer hunting one time! There are some things that are old fashioned and fun... this is not one of them! YMMV, if you are built like Arnold Schwarznegger!

Froggie