Gentlemen:
I have an old high wall single shot made in 1889 in .50-110. 30" no3 octagon barrel, crescent butt and target sights.

Is the short bullet in the .50-110 conducive for long range shooting? I have been told the short bullet of 300 grains has poor accuracy at mid to long range and the rifling won't stabilize longer 450- or 500-grain bullets.

What say you fellas? Is it a shooter or should I pass it on?
Cheers and thanks for your attention.
Cal

What's the twist rate of your barrel? If it's fast enough you can stabilize heavier bullets. Be aware that means a lot of recoil and a crescent butt plate will hurt.

Hi Cal,

Great article on "Loading & Shooting 12- and 10-Bore Double Rifles" in the latest BPCnews.

Winchester 1885, eh?
If twists in the 1885 High Wall were same as those in the 1886 LA, they are reportedly:
.50-110-300 Winchester: 1:60" twist
.50-100-450 Winchester: 1:54" twist
Same 2.4" brass case and different bullet weights and twists.
Slow twists for conical bullets by earlier standard of the .50-70-450 Govt. with 1:42" twist.
Have you checked the twist yourself?
If the "shooter" factor outweighs the "cool" factor of a rare collector gun, you are probably going to want to pass it on.
But not before you check it out thoroughly and write an article about "Loading & Shooting the .50-110-300 Winchester Model 1885" please.

Rip

Cal, Ross Seyfried has written extensively on the uses and shortcomings of the "express rifles." If I can find any of his articles I will scan and forward, but I have jettisoned a lot of my firearms archives in the course of a couple of moves. Cartridges of the World 11th says the .50-100, .50-105 and .50-110 twist rate was 1:54, which is unfortunately slow for any but the lightest bullets. The Trapdoor Springfield in .50-70 had a 1:42 twist. As I recall, the express rifles were designed for use on thin-skinned game at under 200 yards, never for heavy or dangerous game. Their relatively flat trajectories for the time telegraphed the "laser flat" trajectories soon achieved with the .30-30 Winchester as the smokeless era got seriously under way.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill/Oregon:
... Cartridges of the World 11th says the .50-100, .50-105 and .50-110 twist rate was 1:54 ...

Bill,

Good reference, thanks.
Some say that 1:54" was used in the .50-100-450 1886 LA with 450-grainers, same chamber as the .50-110-300.
With an 1885 High Wall here might be hope of lobbing 450-grainers faster than in a .50-70 Govt. Trapdoor and getting the bullet to spin faster with higher MV?
But has the former owner tried that and told Cal to stick with 300-grainers?

I looked through my "Seyfried File" and noted his great work with .500-3" BPE/NFBPE, in HANDLOADER and RIFLE, but not much applicable to this.

Rip ...