Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots My First 1885

I have a thing for single shot rifles. I’ve always enjoyed hunting with my Ruger No. 1A in 270. I happened across a NIB Winchester/Miroku 1885 Traditional Hunter in 45-70 and bought it on impulse. It still has the sticker on the barrel. I’m not sure if I’m having buyers remorse or if I kike the No.1 that much better. I was holding out for a No.1S in 30-06, but I had been watching lots of westerns and I bit on this rifle. After transfer fees, I’m into this rifle for almost a grand.

A NIB Winchester 1885 Traditional Hunter for "almost a grand" is a really good price, most 1885's are selling for two to four hundred more - at least those are the asking prices. The Traditional Hunter comes with the Marble's peep sigh, right? Those are okay, at least they do the job, but I upgraded mine (38-55 Traditional Hunter) with a Shaver soule type peep sight which is a real improvement.

Give it a fair chance and I think you'll like it more and more. They are accurate and have a good trigger and most all the ones I've seen have a sight better wood than your average No. 1 these days. After playing with mine I keep looking for another one. They obviously weigh a bit but I suspect that weight will come in handy when you light off much more than a "traditional" .45-70 load.

This rifle does have a tang sight. Surprisingly, its also tapped for scope mounts. That seems like it would be almost blasphemous on a rifle like this. The rifle has very nice metal finish. The stock is dark and straight grained. It doesn’t have the figure of my No.1.

Nice snag.

May I suggest a "sissy bag" to put between your shouder and the "butt plate of death" while shooting from the bench.

I have a .44 Low Wall model as sold by Browning a couple decades back, with lovely wood. The .45/70 B78 I had in the '80s had dark, pretty plain wood like you describe. I get a yearning for another, in .38/55 or .32/40 from time to time, but in all honesty the .44 will do all that needs doing in iron sight range for me and doesn't require a gunbearer. I like Rugers too, but the 1885s are nicer overall in general IMHO, unless one gets very lucky with Ruger wood.

I bought a Traditional Hunter .38-55 at least twenty years ago and later bought another in .32-40. These are fine quality rifles and quite accurate. I use mine for cast bullet shooting.

What is the barrel length?

My "primitive" season WT rifle is a .45-70 BPCR. I have a VX-3 with CDS all set up for the 250 gr. TSX over Barnes' 1895 load, pushing that bullet at 2,550 fps. I can keep them on a paper plate all day long at 300 yds.

Not too primitive, but adheres to the letter of the law.

DF

Very nice DF!

Sorta heavy, OK from a box blind. That bullet at that speed is a killer.

DF

Dirtfarmer, have you had any trigger work needed or done on your Browning 1885's?

It was a used cowboy action gun, already had a wonderful trigger. Not sure what all was done, but it’s about perfect. Seller had removed vernier sight, I got it with no sights. I crafted bases and mounted the VX-3, had the CDS set up for my favorite load with Vv 120.

Seller sent a spread sheet with a bunch of loads. Didn’t use them, developed my own.

The 250 TSX has a huge HP, puts a serious whack on hogs and WT’s.

DF

Thanks. I have Talley one piece mounts on my Low Walls. I think its the best looking mount one can get for it