I've got a 1885 Lowwall .260 Remington that I've used for a few years. Got one Coyote and one Deer with it using 129gr Hornady bullets. Just wondering if anyone is using a Lowwall to hunt with.

I use a highwall 454 casull. see the post about four down in this section for pics.

Thomas,

A number of folks hereabouts hunt with Low Walls. I know that IanVa does, as does Hondo64D. I have Low-walls in .22 K-Hornet, and .243 Win. My score for the K-Hornet is GH- 1; Woodchuck-0.

I've never hunted with the .243. I wanted a .260, but couldn't find one, so bought the .243. I'm going to have it bored to .260 Rem.

Grasshopper

Horrible deer hunting rifle Thomas. Especially in the 260.

I'll trade you a nice reliable Remington 700 30-06 right now so you can have a dead right there cartridge and a follow up shot in case you hit a mystery bush with the first one ...

;-)

Although one may not want to hunt adverse conditions with such a pretty little package. A scratch could cost you a couple hundred bucks.

Seriously, my only possible beef with the low wall in 260 is the slow 1 in 10" twist. It may have issues with bullets longer than the 129 gr. Then again, you can cleanly take any deer on earth with that cartridge/bullet combo so who cares?

PM me when you're tired of it!

GE

I use an original highwall that was .38-55 and is now .38-72.

I also use a Sharps single as well, and soon an original Ballard Pacific.


Brent

You sure about that? I'm pretty sure mine has a 1:9 twist.

John

Both my wife and I have shot a bunch of deer with my<oops...yes dear, our> .260 lowwall. It does shoot the 129 grain hornadys better than 140 grain bullets.... but then shoots 160 bullets into bug hole sized groups...go figure?

Haven't measured one myself, but IIRC that is what the literature and some cyber-experts have said.

HOWEVER before I am "Lee Piled" here ... If somebody would be so kind to ship me a Low Wall in 260 Rem I will be more than happy to use it exclusively on my big game hunts this fall (yes, including my once-in-a-lifetime Minnesota Moose tag) AND will post pictures of me and dead critters taken with said "inferior weapon".

Any takers?

GE

GE,

Nice try!


GH

I'll have to measure mine and see for myself. My Low Wall also shoots 129gr Hornadys well, but absolutely hated 140gr Speers, so I suppose that could be a twist issue.

Wish I could help you out with your field test, but I plan on killing some more stuff with mine this year...

John

So, your going to make a once-in-a-life-hunt for a Moose with a 260?

I have no doubt the .260 could take a Moose If every thing goes perfectly.

However, it still seems a little on the light side, if every thing isn't perfect.

Good luck on your hunt...!

Bill

Bill,

IF somebody would send me a 1885 low wall in that chambering I'd do it. WISH I had one for the mission.

Besides, I'm Swedish. I'm genetically predisposed to kill big critters with a .264 bore!

Right now will be using something between a 6.5x55 with a 130 TSX @ 2925, a 280 with a 140 TSX @ 2975, or a 7x57 or 7mm08 with a 140 TSX @ 2800. Any of which will do the job. Just depends on which rifle is shooting and will look better in the "hero picture".

Of course a 1885 Low Wall makes ANYTHING into a "hero picture"

GE

I like this one..........

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=78591816

Wow, starting bid of $2000.00!

2muchgun Jays up in Clare, had one 3-4 years ago for about $700.00, I almost bought it! Been kicking myself ! John

Thomas,

My .260 1885 is just about my favorite "deer and under" hunting rifle. The load that does everything for me from Northern WI bucks to grey squirrels is Nosler's 100 gr. b-tip and ~40gr. of IMR 4064. I have a 140gr. bullet picked out if I ever chase anything larger than whitetails, but untill then, this little 100-grainer does just fine.

Another neat thing is this load matches PERFECTLY Burris' regular (non-magnum) balistic plex at the various ranges (confirmed empirically).

Best of luck,
Ian

Does Browning still make these rifles and if so, where can you buy one?
Been looking for a 1885 for awhile.

no they deep sixed them years ago. they do come out with a special run every now and again though.

Not only a start bid of $2K ... but it is at 2,050 with an upcoming bidding war at the deadline for The NIB 260 Low Wall.

That is INSANE!

GE

Who was it that said, "A fool and his money are soon parted?"

Or is it what P.T. Barnum said; "There is a sucker born every minute...!"

One of those two is correct for this situation...!

Bill

wow! 2K for a rifle. It would have to go kill, clean and grill the venison for me.

I'm a cheap sob.

My 6.5x55 custom #3 -- the one of the delayed picture fame -- has a 1 in 9 twist and puts factory 140s under MOA. But the throat is not as long as most Swedes either.

I too have lusted for a Browning in .260 and even think IIRC that I tried to buy one from Thomas a few yearas ago but failed in that unsolocited bid. So, I went ahead and built my own single shot in the Swede. It did cost leas than $2000.

Whatever kept Browning from making more of them and maybe a few in .257 Roberts to boot? I guess all its corporate remakes just kept it from learning a potential market existed.

1B

How are the other 1885's on the market? I see Uberti makes one and Winchester also.

When i see one of these rifles, I think Buffalo gun. I would like one in a 45-70 with the ajustible peep sites. That would be a blast to try and perfect out to 500 yards. That may even get me into reloading.

just what I need, another hobby in the barn.

Hoot, they aren't buffalo guns. The buffalo were dead and gone when the 85s first rolled out.

The modern Winchester is the equivalent of the modern Browning. Neither are like the original Winchester.

the Uberti has a decent reputation and is probably closer to the original.

Brent

Wish I could post a picture of my refinished 1885 lowwall with a oil finish. (I'd have to get the wife involved and than isn't going to happen, what's in my safe is my business) I think it looks better than the NIB $2,000.00 one. And I still have the box. I'm not selling, but even with the scope I wouldn't ask more than $1,500 and if I wanted to buy one I wouldn't pay more than $900.00.

If you don't want to pay more than $900.00 for a new Winchester/Browning 1885 low wall or high wall, you won't be buying many.

It seems that everybody thinks they are worth over $1500.00 for the used rifles now. Some, the BPCR's, are going for $2300.00 or more.

Personally, I agree with your pricing opinion. And, I am looking for a 357 low wall, and a 30-40 (30 US Army) high wall.

Right now, I have eight Winchester/Browning Model 1885s. Three are low wall's and five are high wall's. Fortunately for me, I bought them before Winchester/U.S. Repeating Arms was put out of business by FN.

Bill

I don't think your being CHEAP, has anything to do with it.

Trying to rip a person off, with an GROSSLY INFLATED PRICE, is a CLEAR CASE OF GREED...! And a window into the sellers FRAME OF REFERENCE...!

Bill

Thomas...what type/kind of powder are you using with that 129gr Hornady?..Looks like I won't be working this fall and will get a chance to hunt with my .260...
thanks,
mike

I haven't got into reloading. I have bought from a company called Alabama Ammo. They used to have a good website, but now I think it only gives some basic phone info. The way ammo is starting to cost I may need to start reloading.

I bought one years ago in 22 Hornet. Had it rechambered to K-Hornet then got smarter and had it rechambered to 221 Fireball. Still shoots better than MOA and I have killed countless game including a few deer with it. I know it is not a good deer caliber. I just like it so much I find it in my hands at the most opportune times.
Greg Harrison

A close friend of mine uses one, a 260. He's got it set up with a Leupold Vari-X III 1.5-5x20 and I've witnessed him shoot sub-2" three shot groups at 300 yards with it. I write this proudly because I made the ammo.

mathman

My 223 Low Wall will someday be a classy 25/35 and I will sit on stumps and kill Black-tail deer in my old age with it. The thing shoots Federal HP generic ammo into itty bitty groups, but someday...Bill

It''s not a low wall but close. I have Browning B- 78 I had rebarreled to .20 Bobcat for varmint hunting. Had the old plastic finish removed and refinished and re-checkered as well.





Michael

I took my 223 low wall out last weekend, but nothing big enough to shoot. I just scored a 260 low wall, and am waiting for it to arrive. AFAIC, you have the perfect deer rifle.



In my mind it only matter what the gun is worth to you.