Anyone put a "modern" scope on a BPCR

[218bee]

Been thinking about this for a while. I shoot two trapdoors one in 45/70 and one in 50/70 and really enjoy the heck out of them. Using original sights and black powder of course I am often amazed at how well they shoot if I do my part with my aging eyes. Always thought Id like to try and take one hunting...especially the 50/70 for black bear. But I think trying to see the crude sights, in poor light, against the black fur, would probably not work.
So....I have a Rem "roller" that is looking for a new barrel and was thinking about various calibers mainly the two above or 40/65 or 38/55 and then getting scope blocks put on it and mounting a "modern" scope ie Leupold 3x9 or 4x or 6x for example. I realize this may look "weird" but am not going to use it for period competition or anything.
But I think this would allow me to really see how well these cartridges can shoot and also allow me the opportunity to use it for hunting giving me a better sight picture especially in low light.
So I am asking if anyone has mounted a scope similar to what Im thinkin and how you went about it and any info or suggestions you may have.
Dont really want to go with a "period style" scope as for the price of one of those I feel I can get much better optics going with a "modern" scope and I dont care if it "doesnt look right".
Any thoughts??

[bigted]

LOL...another un-washed...thanks for posting this. short answer is YES.

i have a browning bpcr in 45-70...30 inch half round/half oct...pistol grip butt-stock with a shotgun style butt-plate........this rifle wears a leopold 3.5 to 10x scope. yep its outta place but i also want to squeeze as much accuracy out of my gun as possible...then maybe ill put the globe front and staff wrist vernier on the rear to see what my old eyes can do at the range.

also have another hiwall that i had re-barreled to 38-55 with a #4 style HEAVY oct barrel. this wears a straight grip butt-stock with a deep cresent plate on the rear.......i installed a vintage style 3/4 inch 30 inch long scope but couldnt get comfy with this small diameter scope so it now wears an old unertl 12x scope that is 24 inches long. this is looking more in line with the lines of the rifle but still is not traditionally correct but like you...who cares.......this rifle will shoot into 1 hole groups at 100 with 220 style bullets for as long as i can set there and squeeze the trigger.


more to point i spose is that when i go out hunting...all my rifles now wear glass and new stuff to boot as i want to be able to deliver that killing shot the first time as it still turns my belly to see an animal killed in a in-humane way so it suffers for several minutes before breathing its last. this is exactly why i use glass with my hunting rifles but when out busting rocks or punching paper or blowing up a milk jug full of water...i occasionally do so with open sights...still prefer glass for these ol geezer eyes.

beauty is in the eye of the looker. sorta like a comfy pair of shoes...so ive heard.

[NickSS]

For hunting or just plain target shooting a modern scope works well. I have even used a red dot sight on an H&R handy rifle in 45-70. This makes for a fast handling woods gun. However, if you want to try BPCR silhouettes or long range modern scopes are not allowed. You can use glass but are restricted to 6X and external mounts without click adjustments. So it depends upon what you want to use the gun for.

[rbertalotto]

I do it all the time for load development. (But I hide on the last bench at the range so no one sees me. I wear a fake mustache and a long overcoat!)

[rhbrink]

I once mounted a 6.5 X 20 Nikon on a Browning BPCR mainly to check out load developement worked great.

[218bee]

rbertalotto- nice looking rifle ya got there. Thats what I'm talking about.
Tell me more please about that setup...what caliber??

[rbertalotto]

This Winchester 1885 is in 45-70. It is a limited production rifle with AAA wood, case hardened receiver and a heavy Badger barrel. Amazing accuracy!

There is a fellow in Texas that only God knows how, comes up with new in the box versions for sale.

His name is Wayne and he can be reached at

http://www.texas-mac.com/

They sell for about $2000

You can read a few articles about this rifle and the scope and custom Unertl type mount it nopw wears on my web site

www.rvbprecision.com

[Gussy]

They work as long as you're shooting smokless or short ranges. Start shooting black powder and heavy bullets while going beyond 200 yds and you're going to quickly run out of elevation.

[Bryan Marino]

I once mounted a 6.5 X 20 Nikon on a Browning BPCR mainly to check out load developement worked great.

I did the same with mine but used a B & L 36X. That .40-65 would shoot!

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Sure................Browning did in the early 70's with their B-78 highwalls. Factory drilled & tapped with mounts available . Unfortunately, there were few scopes available then with suitable eye relief, so the scramble was on to fit up extended mounts. Wonderful rifles, but alas, Mirtoku engineers or whoever were not shooters so shooting was like shooting a carry handle AR with a top mounted scope. Crummy! NO CHEEKWELD.

There you have two big problems with early design rifles amd modern design scopes. So pick your rifle and scope carefully as to design compatability. D & T for a modern scope with proper eye relief and low mounting. Then add another set of mounting holes to accommodate an external adjustment set of mounts(they have to be spaced more /less properly) to work well. Weaver bases and Unertyl style bases get along well for mount holes.

But for the best early cartridge rifle shooting, work with iron sights to set them up correctly for your eyesight and game needs.

But more specifically, I once installed a Bushnell Phantom pistol scope on an octagon barreled trapdoor 45-70 I had. It nearly fit up like irons and did solve the problem of loss of iron sight capability in early morning or dusky conditions. But light pipes had not yet been invented as an alternative and in those days the "Phantom" was laughable in appearance.

BvT

[bobthenailer]

I have a 6.5 X 20 Leupold target model on my Browning 1885 bpcr i use the Burris signuture rings that has the different size inserts to offset the scope to + or - 40 " useing 2 .020 inserts

[ph4570]

I have a 6.5 X 20 Leupold target model on my Browning 1885 bpcr i use the Burris signuture rings that has the different size inserts to offset the scope to + or - 40 " useing 2 .020 inserts

What do you use for mounts?

[Dale53]

>>>They work as long as you're shooting smokless or short ranges. Start shooting black powder and heavy bullets while going beyond 200 yds and you're going to quickly run out of elevation. <<<

Not necessarily. It IS a consideration but "bobthenailer" has the answer. I have a Browning BPCR in 40/65 that I shot at 500 yards for load development with a Lyman All American 20 power scope. I routinely got 6-8 inch ten shot groups at 500 yards in good weather with my regular black powder cartridge silhouette load off a portable bench.

Dale53

[218bee]

I guess I wasnt thinkin about the elevation needed for extended range.
I could see runnin scope out of adjustment.
I guess mounts would be the key factor.

[bigted]

if you want a scope that has it all...[larger light gathering,,1 inch body,,fair eye relief,,better then NEW scope looks for vintage like rifles,,external mounts that adjust past 200yds very well] then take a look at the unertl scopes and mounts. i installed a 12x unertl on my 38-55 hi-wall and it works like a dream. the fine wires are good for precision and the 12x power is great for these ol eyes. the body of this scope is 24 inch's long so it looks very nice on my hi-wall. ill get a couple photo's of it and post.

[bigted]

if you want a scope that has it all...[larger light gathering,,1 inch body,,fair eye relief,,better then NEW scope looks for vintage like rifles,,external mounts that adjust past 200yds very well] then take a look at the unertl scopes and mounts. i installed a 12x unertl on my 38-55 hi-wall and it works like a dream. the fine wires are good for precision and the 12x power is great for these ol eyes. the body of this scope is 24 inch's long so it looks very nice on my hi-wall. ill get a couple photo's of it and post.

my browning bpcr with the Leopold 3.5 to 10x scope and the weaver blocks we modified to fit the receiver top.





this is the built browning hi-wall in 38-55 i installed the 12x unertl scope on.







easy cheesy...the unertl took only getting the blocks which were very cheep and having the holes bored and tapped. the browning bpcr was a bit different as i had to scrounge up a couple #17... if memories serve... weaver blocks and then have the rear machined to fit the receiver height wise so they would settle the scope rings without binding the scope...i had to shim the front a bit to align up properly but it works very well...the need for sighting past 200 has not hit yet but im sure it will and then ill have to do something like the unertl for the extended ranges but for hunting ranges and load development it works just rite.

the block height is 1/2 inch for the unertl and it sets the scope up a bit but i have plenty of room between the front bell and barrel to adjust completely height wise. may have been able to survive with 3/8ths blocks and will get them on the way for now the holes are there so just a matter of switch n tackle to get it all just rite...but works for now.......it will shoot the barrel-break-in jacketed into the same small .625 hole [for 5 shots...scrubbing the yellow outta the barrel after each shot n keeping it cool] at 100 for just as long as i want to yank the trigger on them...thinking that it is just about ready for my 250 and 330 grain boolits now and i cant wait to put the first black powder thru her.

[bobthenailer]

What do you use for mounts?

weaver style 2 piece base. made for the browning. If needed you can also use a higher of lower ( not sure which one ) front base with the burris signuture rings to get even more elevation .

[ph4570]

weaver style 2 piece base. made for the browning. If needed you can also use a higher of lower ( not sure which one ) front base with the burris signuture rings to get even more elevation .

Thank you sir.

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Brownells makes sets of shims with mounting holes to fit the Unertyl/Weaver base hole spacing. If front and rear holes are reasonably correct they can be helpful for elevation problems. Further, you can D & T the very back end of the barrel for the rear base instead of using the receiver based holes. Just keep the base off the receiver a little.

BvT