Single Shot Rifles

[GunR1950]

Any one out there playing with the 1885 single shot? Either Highwall or Low, I'm thinking of buying one and would like to hear what you have to say.

[moleman]

I bought one about 6 weeks ago. With deer season here, I haven't been able to go to range to really try it out. But, I shot about 10 of my reloads thru it. I was very pleased with the results at about 60 yards. Though the metal , crestent, butt gets your attention after awhile. I sold a Browning Highwall 45/70 to be able to purchase this Uberti. The Browning was great, but I wanted something older looking, with out waiting 40 or 50 years. Sounds crazy, I know.

[GunR1950]

Originally posted by moleman:
I bought one about 6 weeks ago. With deer season here, I haven't been able to go to range to really try it out. But, I shot about 10 of my reloads thru it. I was very pleased with the results at about 60 yards. Though the metal , crestent, butt gets your attention after awhile. I sold a Browning Highwall 45/70 to be able to purchase this Uberti. The Browning was great, but I wanted something older looking, with out waiting 40 or 50 years. Sounds crazy, I know.

[ 12-13-2003, 01:46 PM: Message edited by: GunR1950 ]

[GunR1950]

Thanks for responding, I hope you had a succesful deer hunt. You didn't say much about the gun you have, Cal. style, barrell length and such.I hope after the 1st of the year you have a chance to play with it and can get back to me.
I have a 30-30 highwall that I bought 2 years ago. 28" round brl carbine. I put a lyman tang sight on and use it to shoot cast bullets. Just for fun, to see what I can do. It shoots as well as I can hold. At least as good as a Browning all though not maybe as well fit.
Thanks again for your response.

[bwas]

I just picked up a high wall ,32 inch bbl, 45-120, with soule sites, I've only shot it a few times, it does pretty good with 405 slugs , but you would not believe it with 500 and 535, at 100 yards it keyholes and 4 foot group, it figured it might because it's a shallow groove bbl, so I've got some 385 gr in the works. oh , thats with 5744 powder, hopefully it'll do better with black powder. But I will say the piece really looks great and feels great to shot , off hand it just lays there. I really like it ,I just hope to figure out what it likes to shoot

[Twin Cannons]

I have a 1885 Highwall in 45-70 which I have had for about a year. I bought it to use in Cowboy Action long range shooting. I have used 5744 with 405 gr. lead cast bullets with good result out to 200 yards, and am looking toward trying it out to 300. But when useing Hodgon 777 with the same bullets they tumble at 100 yards, so I've never tried them past that. What I am curious about is the twist rate in my 28 inch round tampered barrel, which I'm am certain is the reason why these bullets and possiblly larger bullets tumble, I'm thinking of useing 300 grain lead bullets to see if this will cure it. Any suggestions or commits, and if some one knows the twist rate it would be appreciated.

[QuickDrawMcGraw]

Discouraging :eek: to hear that some of you have problems with various loads in the High Wall. I was thinking of purchasing one, but I really want one chambered in .45-120. Maybe I need to seiously look at the C. Sharps rifle :confused:

[GunR1950]

I'm sorry it's taken so long to get back to this but it is that time of the year. It appears that we have the same question from both bwas and Twin Cannons, how do I get my 45/whatever to shoot cast bullets out past the goal posts? And now we've scared poor Quicks Draw off without even so much as an answer.
Let me start with Quick Draw McGraw as he is at that crucial point of trying to decide. If you are looking for a good piece of iron to turn into a plow share, by-all-means go for the Sharps. While they usually shoot fairly well, and make for good conversation pieces when hung on the wall. they weigh a lot. and are quite ugly. If you need a plow share or boat anchor Mr.Quigley's rifle should be your choice. But if you are looking for a good shooting easy to carry rifle that will put meat on the table,make you proud at the local target range,AND look nice when your friends stop by. I would suggest John Brownings 1885 single shot rifle. While I think that the Uberti's are the closest to the originals available today, any of the 1885 copies are a pleasure to own and shoot.

Now for the hard part. How do I get it to shoot past 100 yards? The dynamics of shooting cast bullets are way beyond my simple mind. I can only think of 3 things, READ A LOT. EXPERIMENT A LOT. SHOOT A LOT.
Read Veral Smiths "Jacketed performance with Cast Bullets." this book is a must have for any serious CB shooter.
Read "Forty Years With the .45-70" by Paul Matthews. and any of his other CB and BP books that you can find.
Go to the range A LOT!! and talk to any one that even acts like they know anything about CBs.

Start with the basics. Slug your bore and measure it accurately. Size your bullets .002 or so larger than bore dia. Start playing with powders and try to keep relevent records of what works.

Right now I don't own a .45 cal Uberti so this is hear-say. but Cimmarron Fire Arms (another importer of Uberti 1885's) list the barrel twist rate on their .45/70's and /120's as 20". You can check yours with a tight fitting patch on a cleaning rod. Run the rod in, mark a line on the rod at the end of the barrel, slowly pull the rod out until it has made 1 revolution, make another mark and measure in between. Try it 2 or 3 times and take the average,This may not be perfect, but should be with in an inch. Which is close enough.
I am not going to get into lead composition here. It is a well too deep for me today. Just be aware that bullet tumble, in my experience, can be caused by too hard of metal. Lot's of other factors can do it too but the Good Old Boys shot their long range stuff with very soft bullets at about 1200 fps.
Well that's it for today. Have a great time.

[QuickDrawMcGraw]

Actually, I'm not "scared off" at all. I fully understand how to get and gain accuracy out of a properly constructed firearm.

Although I haven't been shooting competitively for about 20 years, I used to be quite active shooting muzzleloader black powder matches in the '70s and early 80's. I cast my own bullets (or round balls and minies for my muzzleloaders). My round balls are pure lead, while my cast bullets are 1:20 antimony lead alloy. All that said, I really am interested in a 45-120 rifle, and the C. Sharps Co. rifles are the only ones I find made commercially. I intend to use strickly black powder loads, so am only interested in single shot rifles. I really do like the Hi-Wall action and suppose I could find one of those and have a chambered barrel fitted by a competent gunsmith. Besides, if I go that route, I can also have the Lyman Creedmore sight installed and not have the rear barrel sight notch cut in the barrel.

If anyone out there knows of another commercially made 45-120, I would love to hear who makes and markets it. Thanks.

[Rollershooter]

QuickDraw, If you are going to shoot the 500 + grain bulletts, you will need a faster twist rifiling. 1/18 is the optimum for the long .45 cals. I shoot an original rollingblock action with a green Mtn barrel 1/18 and 530 gr paper patch and 535 gr Postell. The are nearly 1 hole at 100 and 5-6" at 500 yds.
The 45/120 has a VERY STEEP learning curve but can be made to shoot with the best of them

[wildrider]

I fired just a few rounds with the High Wall of a friend of mine and it was great! Very close holes at 60 yards with a tang sight (my eyes are a little poor). This guy has several old west rifles (Winchester 1892, Henry and Winchester 1885 replicas by Uberti, etc.) and he's very happy of this gun. He choose the old .38-55 caliber.
I don't know if the next rifle I'll buy will be a lever action by Uberti (1866 or 1873, I already have a Winchester 1894) or a 1885. Very difficult choice.

[WarrenC]

I own a current model of the 1885 high wall. Tapered octagon. I installed a globe front sight from MVA and a williams FP with target knobs. With federal factory ammo in 300 gr sp, I get 3" groupings at 300 yds. My rifle does not have the tang. Cal is 45-70 :D

I also own a Pedersoli Sharps in 45-70 with globe front, spirit level and Soule Midrange tang sight. I shoot the same load in it and have had groupings under two inches. However, this is off the bench, not offhand. My model of Pedersoli sharps is the S780 standard sporting with double set triggers. Its a doll to shoot, but I use the highwall for hunting cause the doll is just a bit heavy for a long walk. I am very happy with both guns. ;)

A friend has a C. Sharps in 45-70 and found that it shot poorly compared to my Pedersoli. Was keyholing at 100 with factory loads as above. I have shot it as well and its really a clunker of a gun, and does not have the nice lines of the pedersoli, IMHO.

I have heard awesome things about the 1885 Uberti high wall.

[rimfires]

I had the pleasure of reviewing the Uberti 1885 high Wall for our Target Sports magazine and found it a pleasure to shoot. Although I had not shot .45-70 for several years I managed a 3" group at 100 yards and could have improved that with more time and ammunition. This was with a 405gr bullet and 28 grains of 4198. The Uberti catalogue does not give the twist rate but I'll try to find out next week in Italy.