Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots Browning BCPR in 45-70

I put the following posting on the Big Bore site and got no responses. I guess they don't want to talk about 45-70's and seem more focused on .416's, .375's, etc. That's OK. Just want to share my 1885 high wall project and maybe you guys will better understand what it's all about.

"Since Louisiana opened their primative weapons season to include certain centerfire rifles, I've been pursuing the ideal set up. On the allowed list is the John Moses Browning designed 1885 single shot rifle. I found a good used Browning BPCR w/o the vernier BP sights and adapted it to modern 45-70 loads. I mounted a Burris Fullfield II 4.5-14x42 with Ballistic reticle. My best load, so far, is 250 gr. Barnes TSX FN bullets over 53 gr. Vv 120. This load chrono's at 2,500 fps from the 30" barrel. It shoots around 1" at 100 and it just so happens that the reticle marks correspond perfectly to 150, 200 and 250 yds, and with the pointed top of the post, dead on at 300 yds. So, by sighting on the top of the duplex part of the vertical wire, I can put three rounds on a pie plate (approx 5" group) at 300 yds. Thus, this 12+ pound 1885 single shot BPCR is a bonafied 300 yd. 45-70 "primative weapon" per Louisiana regulations. Really, not that primative and deadly to anything in the path of that gaping, hollow point Barnes bullet".

Dirtfarmer

That sounds like a great rifle and that you've done a good job on your research into "primitive" weapons.

Sounds like a well performing rifle. It is not BPCR though. Crank up some black powder loads if you want some fun and a challenge too.

Definitely not BPCR, just what Browning calls that model of their 1885 high wall. I have a spread sheet with numberous BP loads, including duplex loads, worked up by the previous owner. It would be real easy to put some of those together. For just BP shooting, I have a deluxe, engraved Davide Petersoli Sharps as imported some years back by Cabelas. It has a coin finished, engraved receiver and beautiful walnut, checkered with a deluxe finish. It is wearing a Lee Shaver Soule vernier rear and a bubble level globe front sights. Nice BP rifle. The 1885 high wall is much stronger than the Sharps and can handle near Ruger #1 pressure loads. That's the only way this gun could handle a 250 gr. bullet at 2,500 fps, which I would think would be in the 40K+ pressure range. In this application, it's in a different class from the Sharps.

Great gun and a joy to develop as a primative weapon. Just one of those times when a plan came together. I will use it this weekend, deer hunting, and whatever ends up in the scope is in deep trouble, potentially in the freezer.

DF

From the Shiloh Sharps pages, I believe their company is fine with white powder loads in their 45-70's. Not so in the 90', 100's, 110's, and 120's. I do know a couple of folks that hotrod 120's, but if the maker says "no," I'm inclined to follow directions. Too expensive of a rifle to risk.

1minute,

What pressure levels do they recommend/allow? As you know there are several levels of performance with 45-70 loads, trapdoor, Sharps, 1895 Marlin, and the Ruger #1. From everything I've read, the 1885 High Wall is super strong, close to the Ruger #1. I've also read that it's equivalent to the Marlin 1895. It's probably in between those two. Even a well made Sharps with modern steel may not be up to modern High Wall pressures. I'm just not sure about the details.

DF

Dirtfarmer:
I personally run black in my 45-90. In that case, it's as much as one can pack in there with 500+ grain slugs. Shiloh supports a forum and a couple of their techincal staff are constant contributers. I believe a gentleman named Kurt would be the authoritative source. One will get some flogging for discussing smokeless, but they will offer up a definitive answer. A very dedicated and more focused bunch there. Shiloh forum link

Check out about the 6th paragraph under the "Hunting" header.
Smokeless powder warranty

Dirtfarmer:

Don't know if this was you or not on the Shiloh Forum, but it was answered by one of the company folks.


Question: Is a Shiloh able to be loaded up to Ruger pressure levels with smokeless?

Answer: Yes, if it is a B serial gun.

1minute,

Thanks for that heads up. I'll have to check it out. Wonder how close the Pedersoli Sharps will come to the B series Shiloh strength? Pedersoli makes some really nice Sharps and their barrels are really good. They may not be in the same class with a Badger Barrel, but to me, they look just as good as a Badger through a Hawkeye borescope. And, they can't be faulted on how they shoot.

DF

Addendum on the Burris Fullfield II 4.5-14x42 with Ballistic Reticle. As you read above, I was very happy that the trajectory of the 250 gr. Barnes TSX FP at 2,500 fps worked out perfectly with the Ballistic Reticle out to 300 yds. Well, last weekend, I was looking at deer at near twilight and couldn't see very well. For the Ballistic Reticle to work, the scope needs to be at full power. At that setting the exit pupil is so small that I just couldn't see much.

Bottom line, this Burris (my only Burris) will soon be on Ebay, replaced by a Leupold VX-3 3.5-10x40 CDS. I'll get a custom ballistic turret from Leupold to match this 45-70 trajectory. With the CDS set up, I can turn the power anywhere and the turret system will still work. Just more flexible than the other set up. I would like this scope with the 50mm objective, but that one has a shorter 1" tube to mount the rings and I can't make it work. May need an offset Leupold ring set to make the 40mm version mount properly. The longer Burris was easier to mount than these short Leupolds.

DF