Just to add my $.02 on these rifles:
I bought an 1885 High Wall Hunter from Cabelas on sale around the 2009 time frame. .325WSM, 28" octagon barrel, straight grip, good looking wood. It's a looker, but certainly no light weight. Though, the market place has not been kind to it, the .325WSM is still a dandy elk round.
I had a heckofa time mounting a scope to it. After trying a few options, I finally settled on Burris Pos-Align rings on Weaver bases, with the front base shimmed up to get it close to level with the rear base. I then used the offset plastic inserts in the Burris rings to bring the scope into final alignment with no stress on the tube. What a kludge, and it looks like hell. But it works.
Despite the scope mounting difficulties, the gun is a shooter. I didn't hand load back then, so I was limited to factory rounds. It's been a long time since I shot it, but I remember it putting 5 shots into less than 3/4" with 200gn factory loads. That ugly abortion of a scope mount made me lose interest in it. And, except to cannibalize it for its scope, it has sat in the back of the safe untouched ever since.
It is my understanding that there are specific scope mounts now available for these guns. Mounting the scope properly, and some handloads with this rifle could be a lot of fun . . . .
