My Single shots...........

[Newtire]

newtire, hows that wickeliffe?

Man, when I was young(and dumb)Ray's hardware in dallas had a whole table full of those wickliffes. As I recall they was ~$270. Sure shoulda snapped one up.

Hi hpdrifter. I'm ashamed to say that I really haven't given the Wickliffe much of a workout. I had to hunt around to find the right combination of scope mounts for it as noone had them listed and i had a bunch I won on Ebay that I got to work. Then there was alot of life's surprises handed to me all at once. I plan on doing some shooting with it this summer. It is a nicely built rifle.

[PatMarlin]

Weren't you in the Hurricane down there in LA, newtire?

[rocklock]

Swede Rolling Block in 12.7x44R
Swede Rolling Block in 8x58RD
New York State Rolling Block in .50-70
M74/80 Gras in 11x59R
Kynoch Chassepot conversion in .43 Mauser
1873 Trapdoor Springfield
Stevens Crackshot

[vp146b4]

Just added an Aydt in 8.15 to my collection. Boy does it balance like a dream. Those Germans knew how to make rifles.
Bill

[26Charlie]

Pat Marlin, I read some posts of yours on that conversion. My take is that you could find a .375H&H #1, even new, and sell your #1 .300 Mag. I doubt you would be out half what it would cost for a rebore.
OR, best of all, keep them both - the .300 will shoot cast quite nicely - I've got a couple of .300 H&H bolt guns, and they do very well. In fact the smallest .30 CB group I ever shot was with one of them a M70, the 311467 180 gr. Loverin bullet and 18 gr. of 4227, 5/8" for 5 at 100 yd. I grant you it was one of those fluke groups but it happened and I got it in my records. No reason your .300 couldn't shoot as well. Then you'll have two projects more on your list.
While on the subject of the .300 H&H, I had the other one, a M721, 4x scope with post reticle, at a fun shoot back in October & let the guys shoot it at the steel swinging arm targets at 100 yd. If you haven't seen these, they are a 5-high stack of 4" circles on horizontal swinging arms - the impact of the bullet will swing it to the left, then shoot it again and it will swing around to the right. The load was the Lyman 190 gr. 311334 with 26.0 gr. Scot 4197. Well - they were most impressed that the load always hit right at top of post, and one hit swung ALL the arms from left to right.
Back to the .375 H&H #1 - I used to shoot Cast Bullet Silhouette with it, and it would dump the rams as well as the big .45's did. I used about 40 gr. of 4198 with the RCBS 37-250-GCFP casting about 265 gr., and I used a cornmeal filler.

[PatMarlin]

All good points cept mine is a 300 Winchester Magnum which changes the paying field a bit. I'm gonna still work on it though.

Also my wood is an exibition grade, whilst not in perfect condition, the stocks are awesome.

If I can get good cast performance I'll stay with it, but if not I'll probable rebore, and for $295 I think it'll be worth a shot..

[Scrounger]

Pat Marlin, I read some posts of yours on that conversion. My take is that you could find a .375H&H #1, even new, and sell your #1 .300 Mag. I doubt you would be out half what it would cost for a rebore.
OR, best of all, keep them both - the .300 will shoot cast quite nicely - I've got a couple of .300 H&H bolt guns, and they do very well. In fact the smallest .30 CB group I ever shot was with one of them a M70, the 311467 180 gr. Loverin bullet and 18 gr. of 4227, 5/8" for 5 at 100 yd. I grant you it was one of those fluke groups but it happened and I got it in my records. No reason your .300 couldn't shoot as well. Then you'll have two projects more on your list.
While on the subject of the .300 H&H, I had the other one, a M721, 4x scope with post reticle, at a fun shoot back in October & let the guys shoot it at the steel swinging arm targets at 100 yd. If you haven't seen these, they are a 5-high stack of 4" circles on horizontal swinging arms - the impact of the bullet will swing it to the left, then shoot it again and it will swing around to the right. The load was the Lyman 190 gr. 311334 with 26.0 gr. Scot 4197. Well - they were most impressed that the load always hit right at top of post, and one hit swung ALL the arms from left to right.
Back to the .375 H&H #1 - I used to shoot Cast Bullet Silhouette with it, and it would dump the rams as well as the big .45's did. I used about 40 gr. of 4198 with the RCBS 37-250-GCFP casting about 265 gr., and I used a cornmeal filler.

Or just send it back to Ruger or any good gunsmith for a rebarrel. A lot less than reboring.

[PatMarlin]

So far the way I see it is the gunsmith I'm considering is a specialist in rebores- has an excellent reputation, and his rebores out perform factory barrels. He has the equipment specialized for reboring that many in the industry do not have, and can tailor it to cast shooting specs.

The other thing is the rebarrel costs a little more, and it won't match the rest of the rifle.

There is a risk involved with reboring if it goes wrong, but this gunsmith will not charge for the work if it does, then will offer a substantial discount on a new barrel job, so if you decide to make the move, what have you got to loose?

The cheapest route is to stay with the riflle the way it is obviously.

[Scrounger]

I always found the cheapest/best way was to sell the gun to someone who wants it like it is, and use the money to buy the one you want. That's a lot harder if you have a taste for turkeys... Not that I'm saying you do, I don't even remember what caliber you now have.

[PatMarlin]

You're probably right, but I like this one and don't want to sell it. May even actually work up a load tomorrow..

[StrawHat]

Good post, needs refreshing.

Let's see,

Navy Arms Rolling Block, 45-70, 26" Oct/Rd barrel

German made Martini, 22 LR, 28" tapered octagon barrel

Rolling Block, 50-70, 26" Round barrel

1841 Trapdoor Mississippi (long story made short - Springfield barreled action, italian everything else), 50-70,

Ballard, 22 WCF, 25" tapered ocagon barrel

Those are the cartridge guns, I do have a bunch of muzzle loaders also, 32 up to 69 caliber smooth and rifled.

Next project is a suitable small single shot action to be chambered to the 45 Long Colt for a lightweight rook/rabbit rifle.

[cabezaverde]

And I have added one since this thread started. An 1885 Uberti high wall in 30-40 Krag.

[chuckles]

Just 2 cartridge types but that's the basic new guy!
Uberti Quigley Sharps in 45/70 (really nice wood),
and a H&R 1873, Officer's Model Trapdoor Carbine,(or is a rifle? 26" barrel). 45/70
I've never shot the H&R Carbine.
A couple of front stuffers including a TC Hawken 50 that I built from a kit back in 1976 when I was in college. It's still a favorite.

[outsidebear]

1. Ruger #3: Back in 1982, had 2 Ruger #3's in .223, re-bored/rechamberd to .257Roberts, by Dennis Bellm (P.O. Ackley shop). Gave one to friend in mountains of Wyoming, who has harvested his antelope/deer/elk with it ever since. I took mine back to Alaska for caribou. We both still have/use them. Certainly is a handy lil' .257 Rbts.

2. Ruger #3: Obtained a #3 with an internally 'fiddled with' barrel, so had it re-bored to .308 WCF (cutrifle.com) and is it a tack driver.

3. Ruger #3: original in .30-40, somone had added a Williams reciever/peep sight, so use it as a woods loafing/walking about rifle.

4. CPA Stevens 44 1/2 system: 3 barrels, .22 LR, .32-40, .45-70 target range use.

5. Borchardt 1878 military: .45-70, original military configuration - hoot to shoot.

6. Peabody military: .45-70 Connecticutt, just like that side hammer!

7. Shiloh Sharps: .45-70 military carbine - a dandy walking about iron to actually hunt caribou n' other game with.

8. Varner Favorite: .22 lr, their copy of the old Stevens Favorite, fitted with a Lyman 2 1/2x Alaskan scope.

With others on the horizon...

[PatMarlin]

I'm probably going to have Cut Rifle rebore mine.

I'm curious... How did they remark or stamp your barrel after the rebore?

I hate it when they grind a flat and re-stamp barrels with a big ol' flat area. I just want I little descrete stamping tastefully done.

[txpete]

I only have a few.


encore
223,7.5X55,375 win 25/06
contender 30-30,44

ruger #1


single shots are a hoot.
pete

[Thaine]

As the new guy here, but not to single shots or cast bullets, these are my using single shots (with the exception of the H&A 12 ga.)

4 Ruger 1s in 416 Rigby, 375 H&H, 300 Win Mag and 220 Swift
2 Ruger 3s in 45-70 and 30-40
2 Martini Henrys: 30-40 (Springfield 2 groove bbl.) and one yet to be determined
4 Remington rollers in 7mm to be rebarreled to BPCR calibers
3 Savage 219s in 30-30, 219 Ackley Zipper (was 22 H) and 22 Hornet
Stevens 44 in 32-40 with extra 25 rimfire barrel.
Stevens Favorite in 25 Rim fire (will somebody please make ammo my stash is getting low) and extra 22 LR bbl.
TC Contender with 35 Rem, 30-30, 25-35 pistol bbls and 17 Rem rifle
4 Muzzle stuffers: 58 H&R 158, 54 Knight, 50 CVA Blazer and 45 cal Traditions
Hopkins and Allen falling block in 12 Gauge

[hivoltfl]

Time to revive this thread! Just got back from Oklahoma, picked up a 1873 model Springfield trapdoor thats all original and I consider it in excellent condition with 80% blue still there, I see several folks in this thread have them too, any shooters? (I am sure there are) I have not had the chance to get some ammo loaded, I want to shoot cast only anybody got a boolit to recommend? I see loads in the books are these safe in these old rifles?

Rick

[SharpsShooter]

Probably the best choice would be the Lyman 457125, a 530gr RN design that closely follows the original Govt 500gr boolit that was used circa the trapdoor days. There are many trapdoor level smokeless loads in the books, but you would be hard pressed to beat 55gr of Goex Cartridge grade, a .030" veggie wad and a .030" card wad under that boolit.

SS

[hivoltfl]

Hmmmm I hadnt really considered using Black in it, something to think about, I have to show my ignorance now, I have never used any wads in rifle cases although I do understand the principals of it, thanks for the info on the bullet.

Rick