I am looking for opinions on whether the .45 Long Colt would make an accurate target round in a low wall Single Shot Rifle. Browning made a run of these a couple of years ago for the Cowboy Action crowd, and I guess there's still some sitting around in gun shops NIB waiting for a home.

My Dad has the Browning 1885 High Wall in .45-70 and gets great accuracy using reduced loads (he's 85 -- but still shooting twice a week!)

I'd like a SS rifle to shoot along with him, or to plink at the steel silhouettes at the local gun club, and I have to admit I like the lines of the trim little low wall action. The lower price of the low walls in .45 LC is also better for my budget than the higher-priced .45-70's.

My thinking is, with the right bullet and lube, the shorter case of the .45 LC would give me better load density. So I would hope for decent accuracy, using a tang sight of course.

Sure would appreciate any thoughts or feedback on this. Thanks!

Old No7

I have a Browning Low Wall Traditional Hunter in .45 Colt. The best load I have come up with so far is 7 grains of TiteGroup under a 200 grain Lasercast SWC. I can shoot about 1 1/2 inch groups at 50 yards with this load, but it leads the barrel something terrible. I am currently in the process of moving, and all my reloading gear is in storage; but when I finally get it out, I am going to try jacketed bullets.
Pete

Old No7 - Uberti now makes a Schuetzen low wall in 45 Colt, complete with palm rest and hook buttplate for about $1000. It only has barrel sights so you would have to add a tang sight.

I was thinking along the same lines as you, but the problem is the rate of twist in the 45 Colt. I don't know what it is in the Uberti, but I'd guess that it is slow - too slow for the longer 45 cal bullets of 480 gr and up. It is probably suitable only for pistol bullets of around 250-400 gr. It would still work, of course, and maybe if you could find a decent round-nose bullet of about 400 gr you would be OK, but I think you would be at somewhat of a disadvantage, especially at the longer ranges.

Now if Uberti would chamber that Schuetzen model in 32-40 (or even 30-30)!

With a good cast 300-350gr bullet you should be setup for 200yd shooting. I've shot nice groups w/ my 45colt pistols out to 100yds, so the SS rifle should get you a bit further.
Try 2400 or H110 under a hard cast 300grFPGC.

Thanks all for your thoughts... I am now focused instead on getting a Browning or Winchester Ltd. Edition Mdl 1885 High Wall in .38-55.

Ah, but finding one in my price range.........

But maybe that will be easier than making a .45 LC into a tack driver!

Tight groups!!!

Old No7