The 45/70 arrived today

sundance44`s · March 14, 2006, 02:46:34 PM

Finally after a bout with the brown truck ppls and a FFL transplant from NJ. its in my hands today ! much easyer buying black powder guns....... this H&R buffalo classic isn`t a bad lookin rifle if H&R would ever figure out how to fit a stock to a frame ... lol but thats H&R .. and it does come with a hard case and williams sights with extra site fixin`s ... i started loading some bullets yesterday but stopped figured i better slug the barrel first .. i slugged it today looks like i need to seat my 405 gr meister bullets to the top of the last lubeing ring that`ll have the bullets enguage the rifleing ... these meister bullets have 4 lubeing rings and the top one wasn`t lubed ..i left it bare figured the 3 lubed was enough . well if`in she shoots as well as she looks that 200 yrd bobcat thats been buggin the horses better find another place to watch me shoot at him ...... i just might be able to reach out and touch him with one of these ..

Steel Horse Bailey · March 15, 2006, 04:50:03 AM

Sounds good!

Dick Dastardly · March 16, 2006, 08:01:53 AM

Ho Sundance,

If ya take a long look at that H&R, how hard would it be to re-stock it? I'm thinkn' it mite look great with a full length forestock and maybe some matching figured walnut in the butt stock. Your opinion?

DD-DLoS

sundance44`s · March 16, 2006, 08:58:28 AM

Thats right Dick .. it would be easy to fix , i like the fact its made in the good ole USA .. but they just never have been able to impress anyone with their stock fix .. it isn`t a bad looking chunk of wood i like the cut and the checkering job the stock to rear of frame fix looks like a bulge though ... hahaha ..i know they all come that way from H&R .. and hey your idea on more fore arm is a good idea that would improve it . im not sure i`m gonna like the williams sights eaither , but i`m not sure yet , haven`t lit her off yet maybe today if the weather holds like they are saying .... but all in all for the money and american made , i feel like it was a deal . i`m not sure but i`m thinking to make it shoot the 38/55 all i would need is the barrel ..and they list it for 113 bucks , thats a plus too maybe . I `ll post more oppion on it after i sight her in today .

Pappy Hayes · March 16, 2006, 10:38:10 AM

Sundance,

Pardon my ignorance, what does H&R stand for? Can you get a picture on here for us to have a look at it?

Dick Dastardly · March 16, 2006, 11:40:05 AM

H&R used to stand for Harrington and Richardson, a fine old US gun making firm. I'm not sure who the parent company is now, but H&R still makes good guns that deliver very high value for the dollar.

DD-DLoS

TAkaho kid · March 16, 2006, 11:40:55 AM

That H&R (Harrington & Richardson should serve you well. One of my favorite loads is a good old 550 paper patch over 70 grains of swiss. Sure get attention.

For those who think the simple break open H&R has no historical link check this out
Its a classic Wurfflein rifle made by the Wurfflein Bros. of Philidelphia

photos here:
http://www.pbase.com/halp/wurfflein

Camille Eonich · March 16, 2006, 11:48:06 AM

Wurfflein rifle

TAkaho kid · March 16, 2006, 11:57:54 AM

Thanks Camiell,

I tried to post that picture but the darn thing just wouldn't cooperate!

D.D.
H&R is owned by Marlin Incidently H&R uses Green Mountain barrels on the Buff. Classic. Green Mountain is getting quite the reputation for high quality barrels.

sundance44`s · March 16, 2006, 12:58:01 PM

I didn`t know that about the Greenmountain barrel being on my new H&R good to know , i`ve put Greenmountain barrels on all my front stuffers , they are pretty much top of the line for serious muzzleloaders .. only one i have better is a custom barrel with round bottom rifleing we had put on the wife`s new custom rifle ... the round bottom rifleing makes it easyer to clean it doesn`t shoot any straighter than the Greenmountain barrels ... makes her a pro though ..so i tell her .

sundance44`s · March 16, 2006, 01:06:13 PM

Well put a few rounds through the H&R today ... made 2 mistakes ...first off i didn`t take a recoil pad for my old shoulder and second i didn`t take the little bag with the extra front sights in it ... the one they had in it ..i didn`t like at all not a good one for my old eyes .. i see a post type in the bag that will give me the same sights like on an m1 garand ... better for me . The gun shoots tight i only fired 4 shots and could have covered 3 with a half a dollar ...of course this was at 50 yrds .. i`ll try further after i change the front sight , and put the padding on my old bones. ...it was BRILL

El Paso Pete · March 18, 2006, 12:19:34 AM

Glad ta hear she shoots OK, lookin like yer goin have some fun with it. I been wantin one for a spell but up till now have managed to resist the urge but now with all yer postin I'm startin ta weaken. Don't know how much longer I can hold out.

sundance44`s · March 18, 2006, 07:09:15 PM

No doubt ELl Paso for the money .. i couldn`t have done any better for the bucks invested and with the 45/70 being such a forgiveing cartrage to load .. it is brutal on the recoil with 65 gr black and the 405 gr bullets i loaded ... but they all flew straight and grouped in side a inch at 50 yrds ... haven`t had a chance to shoot any further yet ..maybe soon . and all the front site configurations they give ya for the front site aperture i did find 2 in the little bag i like .. it comes with a williams rear site ..not a good one no clicks for adjustment just quiet slideeeeeeeeee ... but for 62 bucks they sell a much better williams rear with good solid click adjustment . something else i noticed my fired brass ejects looking like new ...no blow back at all ! i mean none ! cleaning her up was a snap ! i do intend to try some lighter bullets , to reduce the recoil a bit .. no elephants around here ..lol

TAkaho kid · March 19, 2006, 09:11:05 AM

Hello Sundance,

I feel your pain. Yesterday I took my Buff. Classic out and blasted off about 30-40 rounds - 63 grains Swiss - 500 grain bully and a handfull of 550 gr. Paper Patched over 70 grns. followed up with about a dozen full house rounds from my son's 405 WCF in a Ruger #1. ICE PLEASE!!!

As for sight options I use the Smith Enterprises sight on mine. Its pricy but works well. The Buffington sight from a trapdoor will work fine too but you do have to have a few holes drilled and tapped to mount it. These you can find for about $80.00 or so. Just make sure its complete and functions well. Another option is the rear sight from the Krag. It matches the barrel contour of the buff perfectly. Again you will need to drill and tap some holes.

Another option is Lee Shaver can inlet a tang so you can mount a vernier sight. I am thinking of going this way when funds allow. You might also want to think about installing the optional stock weight that H&R offers. I beleive last time I looked it was about $17.00 installed by H&R. At the same time you can have the plastic trigger guard and spacer at the hinge point replaced with case hardned pieces for about $65.00. Throw in an extra $127.00 and they will fit the 38-55 barrel.

You cannot complain with value like that and it shoots real fine too........enjoy!

sundance44`s · March 20, 2006, 08:14:18 AM

I didn`t buy any bullets heaver than the 405 gr i figured with my shoulder problems the 550 would send me looking for a doctor and a shot ....i bet ya was sore ! my first shot out of mine caught me off guard i didn`t have the butt pushed into my shoulder like i should have .. you can probally understand what i felt ..brutal !

john boy · March 24, 2006, 11:16:22 PM

I'll jump in on the Buffalo Classic and also with the 38-55 barrel ...

First, there is a separate forum on Graybeards Outdoors devoted to the H&R's ...
http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/phpbb2/viewforum.php?f=126&sid=7fec25eea4a2fd85cea3c39ec2334302

Excellent information there - make sure you look over the tips and tricks in the reference section.

I started out shooting the DD/PRS 500gr Big Lube with mine ... has a vernier rear sight. Last Summer, had 5 rounds left from a test load (60gr H777), so I went over to the 600 yard range at the Club. Of the 5 shots, all in the 8 ring, 3 were a 2.4" group, the other 2 were 3" to the left and 4" to the right of the little group. I shoot it at 600 - 500 - 300 and 200 yards with good groups using black powder... Lyman 457123 and presently testing the Lyman 457661 bore rider. This bore rider has been producing 3-5 MOA groups at 300 yards.

As for the 38-55 barrel, been using it this Spring as my Gallery Rifle. Been shooting downloaded Lee 375-150's and 380 round balls. I'm not a great Off Hand shooter, but my weekly scores aren't the last one on the score sheet either.

Been neglecting the 38-55 for BPCR long range lately, but I've load 50 rounds of the Lyman 378674 (BP of course) and am waiting for the weather to break so I can send a couple of full days at the range testing the 38-55 and a mess of 45-70 loads( flown to 600 yards).

Dollar for Dollar ... it's a deal. Only downside IMHO is the the chamber could be opened and the groove depth deepened on the 38-55 and chamber lengthened on the 45-70.

PS: I have a friend that owns not one but 4 ... Wurffleins and 1 is just as nice as the one Kid posted... drool!