.40-60 wcf AKA (the wolfers gun).

dusty texian · January 09, 2013, 05:11:11 PM

Installed an old Beaches sight on my .40-60 wcf today ,can see it alot better than the old Lyman hunter small Ivory bead ,and I mean small. The old 1876 .40-60 wcf is needing a trip to the range soon as the rain stops,for a sight-in. Removed the Winchester semi buckhorn rear and replaced it with a blank. The Lyman tang sight and the beaches comes to point real quick and is kind to my eyes. Gonna use the old rifle to do my varmint hunting at the ranches this winter. Will be a little harder than the .22-250 but a lot more fun. Heck the old catalogs say this gun and caliber is favored by the coyote and wolfers. Thats what I'm gomma be the next couple of months. From the desert Badlands ......The Dusty Texian.

Rowdy Fulcher · January 09, 2013, 05:36:06 PM

Dusty
That sounds like a fine rifle you have . Wish you the BEST OF LUCK ON YOUR HUNT .

dusty texian · January 09, 2013, 05:48:34 PM

Thanks Rowdy. Gonna be doing my winter varmint control with the old 76 in .40-60 so that means I'll have to get a little deeper in the brush. Probably gonna come face to face with one of those kitty's .Ha Ha . Oh well . It's gonna be fun. ... Dusty.

buckskin billy · January 09, 2013, 09:29:42 PM

thanks alot dusty, now i want me a 40-60.

dusty texian · January 09, 2013, 11:59:08 PM

Yeah your right, Bucsskin Billy. I should have been a little more careful with that subject.I think we are all afflicted with the I gotta have another one. Right now I cant decide if I need a trapper 1860 or a Colt 1877 41 . I got it realy bad !.....Dusty.

buckskin billy · January 10, 2013, 08:58:16 AM

get both, problem solved

i got a '76 45-75 made by chapperal. its fun to shoot but its rough. i got alot of work to do to it that i keep putting off. i got it second hand and its in very good condition in appearence, has a heavy trigger pull, rough casting inside the reciever making it hard to cycle the action, and someone tried to open the rear site up for a wider view and made it to wide. it has one of the ladder rear sites and i like it alot. i'm going to try a wider blade front site and hope that will "even things out". if not i'll have to get another rear site and i aint been able to find another like the one on the gun

dusty texian · January 10, 2013, 09:17:07 AM

BB, I like your thinking,I have heard that the Chaparral can be smoothed up ,I think Pitchy did his .I have also heard they can be very accurate. Thats another one I am thinking on shoot it and save my original .Would hate for anything to happen to it.But just cant leave it in the safe when its time for WT. deer.The 45-75 wcf is my Favorite cartridge .They are accurate and will flatten the type critters I hunt. Plus they are mild to shoot at least to me in my 28 in. oct 76 Winchester. That rear sight may be just tig welded up and re-cut with file. Should have a local shop near there that could tig that up for you real quick. Good Luck Amigo........Dusty.

wyldwylliam · January 11, 2013, 07:50:47 PM

I been cogitatin on one of them Beaches my ownself to go with the Marbles tang I hung onto my .45wcf. Should you care ta post some tintypes of yourn that wouldnt hurt my feelings.

Of all my guns, thisn of mine is my favourite.

Good huntin'. What's the price o pelts this season?

dusty texian · January 13, 2013, 08:45:01 AM

Here you go Wyldwylliam, this is the Beaches front sight on my 1876 40-60 .Thinking about changing its name from the (wolfers gun),to the (dont like any load gun). I'll keep trying.......Dusty.

dusty texian · January 13, 2013, 08:50:58 AM

This pic may be better Wyldwylliam........Dusty.

Rowdy Fulcher · January 13, 2013, 09:48:46 AM

Dusty
That is one fine looking rifle , would you call that a 2/3 mag ? Now you mentioned it wasn't wanting to shoot for you? What powders are you working with . What bullet ?

dusty texian · January 13, 2013, 09:59:32 AM

Rowdy I'm using 2ff Swiss now. I tried Goex in 3fff and pyrodex 2ff ,been tring anywhere from 50to63 grn. Standard Win. lg. pri. The original bullet 210 grn. .406 dia. About to try some .407 in 260 grn. probably too long and heavy but what the heck. Can get one or two shots before the group spreads . Thinking on polishing the heck out of that bbl. May help. ........Dusty.

Rowdy Fulcher · January 13, 2013, 10:02:52 AM

Dusty
Have you slugged your barrel ? That will take the guess work out of it .

dusty texian · January 13, 2013, 10:13:39 AM

I think thats about a 3/4 mag. I have at the muzzel it's .405 and a couple tenths. The best load that hits point of aim at 75yd. is original bullet 1/20 mix,.406 210grn. 55grn. Swiss light compress one .030 card wad under bullet and std.Win.pri. Get two or three shot in the 4" black@75yd. then the next shot might be anywhere around that blk. and gets worse from there till you swab it out. Those original barrels in 40-60 wcf,are known for shallow rifling. Thinking pollishing the bbl. will help.Can feel its rougher than should be ,or might be thats all she's gonna do. ......Dusty

Arizona Trooper · January 13, 2013, 08:32:24 PM

Keep shooting it! Those old bores can take 100 or more rounds to settle down when you put them back in service. I had a Burnside carbine that did just what you describe, but after quite a bit of range time, it rather suddenly became a tack driver. A Win '95 I rescued a few years ago did the same thing. I was beginning to think it was hopeless, when it suddenly started hitting with almost any ammo I fed it. Like 2" at 100 yards and all in the black at 300! Don't give up too easy.

dusty texian · January 13, 2013, 10:49:26 PM

Howdy Arizona Trooper,Thats good news,I'm gonna stick it out,with this old 76. I picked her up about 9 month ago. It is kinda acting like you describe .It is getting better with every trip to the range.When I got the old gun ,hadnt been cleaned in yrs. A tight patch through the bore ,would come out orange tint and felt rough all the way. I soaked the bore in Kroil and 3-n-one oil and ran patches through it every day for a couple month. It has rifling constant all the way,but does have some pitting. I have the original loading tools for it,and thats what I use.The accuracy Im getting is not bad,for an old gun circa 1884. She just fouls out fast compared to my 45-75 . May be thats what a 40-60wcf does,my first go-around with one.Thanks for the help,I'll keep shooting her........Dusty.

wyldwylliam · January 15, 2013, 07:57:38 PM

Many thanks for the pix of the Beaches Dusty, to my eye that looks real nice and I think it would really help my sight picture with an aperture rear so I'll order one forthwith.

Also, I once had a .40-60 in an original '85 Winchester and never could get it to shoot well. I ended up trading it for a Shiloh business rifle in .45. I'm not the most sophisticated bp cartridge reloader so that may have had something to do with it. I also never shot it enough to find out if it would "shoot in" as has been suggested. Best wishes for success with yours, anytime you can make the originals shoot good is deeply satisfying.

dusty texian · January 16, 2013, 03:24:01 PM

Howdy Wyldwylliam. You are very welcome Sir. I think you will be happy with the sight set-up you mentioned. I have a Lyman tang on that little rifle ,along with the beaches it is very easy to see.Good Shootin ..........Dusty.

Rafe Covington · January 19, 2013, 11:12:53 PM

I used my Uberti 40-60 WCF for some ground hogs the last 2 summers, worked fine enough for me. Goin to try it for fox hunting here in about a week. I was beginning to think I was the only person shooting a 1876 in 40-60 WCF.

Rafe

dusty texian · January 20, 2013, 03:29:36 AM

Howdy Rafe,I'll bet that 40-60 wcf did a number on those ground hogs.The fox will respect it to.I have been working with this one a few months,have found it not very picky about the load ,as far as accuracy. But the bore is old and seen better days .Good bit of erosion at the throat area. Suprising it does ok at 75yd. for a shot ,or two ,but fowls out at three or four. I guess that is what the cleaning rods in the but are for . Good luck on the fox hunt. Its that time of yr. the varmints are running the roost,get out there and help control their numbers.Thats what I'll be doin......Dusty.