Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots Browning 1885 Low Wall caliber ???

I have purchased a 22 Hornet Low Wall. It has beautiful wood and I’m thinking of having the barrel bored and rifled to a round for deer hunting. I’m having a tough time deciding which cartridge for chambering. I have a ton of LAPUA 6 BR brass. I also have a 6 BRX reamer and a 30 BRX reamer. Sounds about right for a low recoiling light weight deer rifle. I’ve also got tons of 30-30 brass. Hey, that’s more traditional and you I could always make it Ackley Improved for a little more zip. Has anyone ever done such a crazy project and how did it turn out?
Thanks

I would leave it as is and purchase something to deer hunt with . Low wall in Hornet is too classy to screw it up.

This. ^^^^^^^^^^
I just bought one of the fancy Ruger #1's with the case colored receiver in 22 Hornet because I couldn't find a low wall in a Hornet. Had one in a 243 and regret selling it.

I am glad others spoke up first. If the OP decides to sell the Hornet, I recommend the 6.5x55 currently listed for the Low Wall.

I dont know if the OP can find one, but; that is how I would go to meet or exceed all the qualities of the 2 rounds the OP mentioned.

Good advice.

There is now a Low Wall in 243 Win. listed on gunbroker, currently under $1,000.

Absolutely! ^^^

Sounds like the advice is steering me into NOT messing up this rifle. I understand the reasoning BUT I’m not too concerned with preserving “ a low wall MUST be only this caliber” type thinking. I just really like this rifle but not so much the caliber. This rifle is what I want to carry hunting in the fall. What about some straight wall rounds?
Is the BRX idea just too crazy or too bastardizing for comfort. I certainly can take some criticism and I don’t take it personally. Any other ideas?

Sell it and buy what you want. I have a High Wall in 38-55 thats a nice rifle.

What caliber do you want? I don't know how much meat is in the octagonal barrel that you can eat up through the reboring process. A re-barrel job will cost a significant % of what a Low Wall will cost, if you replace the octagonal barrel with an octagonal barrel.

Do what you want but they only made so many of the Low Walls in each caliber and there won't be any more. I would really like to see the Hornet preserved. Maybe someone here will trade you a Low Wall in a deer caliber for the Low Wall Hornet...

I bought one a long time ago. I put a new Douglas barrel in 250 Savage. My gunsmith had to put in new extractor parts.
I still have the old 22Hornet barrel and parts, if I want to convert it back. I like it the way it is now.

^^^^^^
This

Wow! If it’s in prime condition, that a steal of a deal!

You’ll (or at least I would) shoot and hunt with a hornet way more often than most folks would with a deer hunting cartridge.....

I always thought a LW in .30/30 or .25/35 would be a great stalking rifle, but I wouldn’t chop one to get there. Here, I could just use a .223 with good bullets, or even the Hornet for does, if I can find some Barnes 45s.

I have a Hornet and a .44. Just put a See All Micro sight on the .44, which will allow me to hunt without glasses, as well as be much better in low light than the tang peep or barrel sights. If I can hit okay at 100, I’ll be satisfied. I used a Skinner dovetail adapter to mount the See All.

I think the Barnes 45's would work well.

I've owned any number of High-Walls



This is my first low wall.It is chambered in the 223 Rem.

Usually they are hard to find at the price I am willing to pay,

I mounted a scope and took it to the range to try it out.

Shooting light is over at 8:30 and I did not get around to "zero" until a skosh after 8 PM.

Only had about 15 minutes but I did not want to leave before I had a chance to shoot it.



on paper and adjusting to zero.



I think it is going to do fine.

Ya!

GWB

Looks like it'll never be a shooter. You should let me take it off your hands...

Ditto. That's one that has so much charm as-is that I couldn't bring myself to mess with it. If a LW in a "hunting caliber" is desired, I would sell the Hornet and buy a different one. There are lots of guys out there that would love to have a LW Hornet, me included.

Got another question.
I’m also thinking of shortening the barrel from 24” to 20” and maybe shorten the LOP a little to. I have a small low power scope that I plan to mount. I am looking to make it a very handy go to rifle that’s fun to hunt with. I once had a Blaser K95 that was a great rifle and this Low Wall might be that kind of rifle but more of an American classic.
Anybody ever had a STUBBY LOW WALL?

Arghhh!!! That'll wreck the balance for sure, and create a loud ear ringer. Remember that since it doesn't have a bolt action or even a lever action-length receiver attached to it, it isn't much longer as is compared to a 20" barreled something else. If you want a butt heavy gun that doesn't handle well, go for it. I have hunted the jungle-like laurel and brush of the Appalachians all my life with long barreled guns including Pennsylvania long rifles and 30" barreled SxS shotguns and never once felt handicapped. If you're in stuff that's so thick you can't shoulder a regular length barrel, you got other more important issues to deal with.

I looked at a couple High Wall Trappers recently and found them to be a joke, which is probably why those guns go begging everywhere they're offered for sale.

I’ve got the Hornet, have the above mentioned Swede on order. Late fall is expected delivery.

I’d leave the Hornet alone, but to each his own.

I've thought about doing something like a 460 S&W or even a 405 Win. in a 20" barreled High Wall.

I've had numerous short stubby single shots........



Martini, in 218 Bee

ya!

GWB

Winchester once made some "Lightweight Carbines' with 15" barrels on Lowall actions in .44-40, .38-40 (few) and .32-20 WCF (few) many of them were sold in Australia under various trade names like "Stinger." Handy little guys and the cheapest Winchester centerfires of their time. So a 20 incher doesn't seem so stubby....

As mentioned, it'll likely be more than a simple rebore and chamber job.

Keep it and get one of the new ones offered in 6.5x55 Swede.

I'm trying to get mine to the shop for a rebore from 22-250 to 250 Savage.
A 14 twist 22-250 has little appeal for me, I bought it for a song, and the 250 Sav conversion should be straightforward. Otherwise I'd be in line for one of those Swedes.

Oh dear Lord. If you're going to cut on both ends, why don't you sell it and buy and Encore with multiple barrels.

There is no way shortening the LOP on the Low Wall is going to Make you think you're holding a K95.

Oh no, I certainly agree about the K95. It’s incredible. That’s funny that you mentioned going the Encore route. I would, but I think that they are butt ugly. Wait a minute…… am I creating a butt ugly version of the Low Wall? Maybe I need to stop and think about that. I like classic guns BUT I like to put my spin on them. That’s really why this whole thread was started. To get your ideas and opinions. Keep it coming.



Anybody ever had a 308 Browning Low Wall ? How was the recoil?

For the price it's hard to beat a pre-enjoyed NEF.



NEF Handi-rifle (IIRC) 444 Marlin




NEF 12 Ga., 3" Slug Gun

Not so Butt-Ugly Contender



7-30 Waters & "The Dragon's Kiss"

ya!


GWB

Find yourself a T/C TCR Aristocrat and you can have your choice of several big game calibers in addition to 22 hornet, 222 Rem and the like. It's a very handsome and elegant rifle and you can add barrels as they become available. I have 4 bbls. 22 Hornet, 222 Rem., 22-250 & 7mm-08.

I have a couple of the 1885 Browning's in .223 and .243. I had one in .260 Remington. That's one I regret selling, but I was offered crazy money for it. The Gent was going to case color the receiver. Made me kinda sad as few as they are. But it was his to do whatever with.

I'm a sucker for color case hardening, and have had it done on various projects over the years, but would question doing it on a Miroku Low Wall. Mind you I'm just thinking out loud here.

The new Low Walls are dependent entirely on state of the art steel metallurgy for safety - the old design was never intended to hold things like .243's, .260's, 6.5's, etc. and would indeed become hand grenades in short order if such a thing were tried. I wonder if the heat treating protocols for case hardening would upset the apple cart of the carefully rendered metallurgy of the steel that is currently containing those 50+K PSI cartridges safely and efficiently in the Mirokus?

I don't know, but I would get an opinion from a crackerjack metallurgist before doing it, and not the opinion of a couple guys with a shop in an alley who are looking to make a few bucks. Other falling block single shot designs (as well as a whole universe of other types of actions), like the High Wall, Number 1, etc., that are like bank vaults due to their designs can shrug off a little dodgy metallurgy - but can the Low Wall?

I am now considering chambering the re bored barrel to a plain old 308 Winchester. Is the modern Miroku low wall strong enough?

Sell the low wall and buy a Ruger # 1 in the caliber of choice.

I know it has been chambered in .243 and .260 from the factory

I would certainly think so but I'm not qualified to tell you. I'm sure there are some here who are.

I would leave the Hornet alone like others have posted. A 25-35 or the improved version of it would be interesting. The low wall should be fine in 308 but that just doesn't seem interesting to me while the 260 or 6.5x55 are definitely interesting.

Not sure about the color case hardening I thought some low walls came with it like the Black powder express high walls.

Riflemen are loonie! Why can't we just leave a beautiful little rifle alone and get something else to chop shop into an oddball caliber. I've got a Miroku LW .357 that is just such a little beauty and a tack driver to boot - and all I can think about is converting it to 357 Max or a 35/30x30 Imp. Stoopid thinking!

Welldone,
Get yourself a T/C Encore/Contender or a Brown Model 97 and leave the LW as is.

Okay, now it's your turn to tell me to leave my 357 alone...

Actually, it’s my turn to tell you to sell it to me at a nice (for me) price.

I have a .44. See .45s for sale all the time. .357s are at least as scarce as the .260s, ones for sale anyway.

I’m struggling with the idea of having the .44 drilled for Talley mounts. The struggle is as much about the expense as the sacrilege.

I can’t help you. I’ve even considered the 357 MAX ! I still am hanging onto the 22 Hornet Low Wall. I also have my eye on a 30-06 B78 Highwall. I just might let it be my deer rifle and either sell the Low Wall. As I get older, I just really don’t care for heavy recoiling guns. I’ve had UltraMags and Weatherbys when I went though my long range hunting phase. Didn’t seem to notice too much back then but now I couldn’t even talk myself into pulling the trigger on one. I think that the 30-06 B78 would be about all I’m want to handle.
As far as the Low Wall goes, If I do have it bored and chambered , I leaning towards the old favorite 30-30. Not Akley Improved just plain old 30-30.

Welldone, I'm going to make you a mafia offer...

I'll trade you my CVA Apex with custom 357 Max and 250 Savage barrels, 308 factory barrel and 50 Black Powder barrel for your 22 Hornet. The Apex has a new stock and there are appropriate forearms for the barrels, including the black powder barrel. All barrels have scope bases.

Wow. What a deal. That is very generous and usually I would jump all over it but I’m gonna have to decline your offer. I now have a new love for WALLS……low and high.

Depending on where you hunt and hunting style, I sure would like a low wall in 357 Max...

True Loonies don't desecrate fine firearms. Nope, they go buy something like what they have with the chamber they want.

BTW, killing a hornet might be a painful experience if its buddies catch wind of it.

Like……. other hornets may come AND sting me? Or do you mean something else? Just not sure. I just bought a Browning B78 chambered in 30-06. It’s a great rifle. IT will be my deer slayer in a couple of months. The 22 HORNET is for sale! All of you Browning Low Wall loyalist made me cave to peer pressure and NOT butcher it. As bad as I want to keep this LowWall I’m letting it go. I now have my eye on a one of a kind Remington Rolling Block. Can you say “ Intervention”

Our work here is done. Mission accomplished.

I'm interested in buying the Low Wall Hornet. pm has been sent.

Cliff, I'm telling Blaser!!! :-)

I'm not sure they care anymore.

welldone there is a place that sells a real nice cobby rolling block new for 1,000 or so Beauchamps or Flintlocks inc Up East. Pedersoli Dist. have a look. site doesn't nav too great.

There’s a big difference in the weight and balance of a low wall and a high wall, but that’s your demon to wrestle......

I love the lines and balance of the Browning low wall rifle. It took me years to find one and it took a fellow shooter here on 24 to make that happen. OSU, if he buys your hornet will take good care of it.

I doubt that there’s enough meat in the factory hornet barrel to bore to .308. Just thinking out loud here.

My .260 loves the Hornady 129 sp interlock bullet and it loves elk

OSU,

If you buy the hornet and need the Talley base and rings, let me know.
I have a set off my .260 that I’m not currently using.....

Good move, i have one and it's very accurate. I once shot a 3/8" group with remington factory ammo and the 28" barrel will do 3,000 fps with a 40 gr ballistic tip and little gun

Thanks. I'll take them. Will pm you with address. Tell me how much to send you for them.

I was quite late to the Rolling Block game. I now have two fine #4’s, a .22 & a 45-70. I am looking so forward to working with them very soon.

May I say, as much as I enjoy my Encore collection, an Encore cannot even stand in the shadow of an 1885.....ever.