Dear All,
I've just recieved my BC 45-70 from Walmart via their special orders. It took a few weeks, but the great price ($312.50) kept my wife happy, so it was worth the wait. Anyway, I want to put a scope on it and I was wondering if I have to buy a base from H&R/NEF, or can I simply buy something suitable from Midway or Midsouth? If so, can anyone make some suggestions regarding bases and scopes for the BC?
I intend to shoot my own cast projectiles in the 400gn to 500gn range, at low to medium velocities. That said, does anyone have any low-velocity heavy weight loads they can give me?
I know I should slug the bore first. Any other tips and tricks for my BC?
Thanks, Albatross

Congrats on the new BC!! You have only 2 choices on bases, those from H&R and the Weaver #82. The Weaver is $7 locally at BiMart, but lacks mounting options and the rear slot is where the second slot is located on the factory bases.

For load data, I'd pick up a copy of the 45-70 LoadbookUSA at Sportsmans Warehouse or Midway for $7, it has all bullet and powder mfr data. There's also online data at Hodgdon, Accurate, Imr, and Speer.

Where ya located?? I've got a couple BCs myself, although the iron sighted one has been rechambered to .45-120.

Depending on how much you want to spend on the scope, the Weaver K2½x20 is a nice little scope and not expensive at less than $120. I have a Bushnell Elite 3200 10x40 Mildot on mine for some long range shooting I'd like to do with it. After that's done, I think the Weaver is going on it.

Tim

NEF/H&R Forum

Weaver scope on my Topper .30-30



http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=694314

top to bottom: H&R Standard, Ultra, Weaver

Wrongtarget: I have one of these in .38-55 that I am very fond of, and had one in .45-70. How do you like your .45-120? Recoil issues?

Bill,

I love it, it's everything the .45-70 is, plus a lot of shock and awe at the range, there's a lot of satisfaction stoking that big cigar size cartridge in the chamber!! In reality, tho, smokeless loads in the .45-70 can do just about anything the .45-120 can except when using the heaviest of bullets. If using blackpowder tho, the .45-120 is king.

No problems with recoil, I have a lead filled pipe in the stock bolt hole, also use the Galco recoil pad and a Past Magnum shoulder pad.

I have a .38-55 Target also, but I had it R&Rd to .405 Winchester.

Tim

525gr Beartooth Piledriver


That little cartridge on the left is a .45-70!!!

Thanks for the info and pictures. I think I'll be ordering a base from NEF then. I'll definitely be adding a recoil pad to that curved steel butt plate.
Regarding the 45-120....the "Ron Jeremy" of 45s....yikes! Those old time buffalo hunters must have been perpetually concussed.
Albatross.

Howdy ... new here ... but thought I'd ask ...Ijust bought a buffalo classic also .. was wondering what willams you had mounted... wanted something with target turrets... and , do you think a Classic could be rechambered to a 45-120...? would it handle it...?

Old Fart, Please read this entire thread, one of my BCs is rechambered to .45-120, the SB2 frame can handle a lot more than the .45-120 brass can. Here's a thread on available sights..

http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=64605

If you are interested in also mounting a tang sight to your H&R, I used the following procedure.

I fitted a tang sight to the stock of my daughter's .38-55 H&R as a starter BPCR silhouette rifle. I used one of the short base Ukranian Soule sights from Buffalo Arms so that I would not need to get back into the comb of the stock.

I made an adaptor plate out of a chunk of 1/4-inch square stock, inletted it flush into the top of the wrist of the stock, and glass bedded it in. The first thing that I did was drill and tap the plate for the sight base. I started filing after the holes were established to contour it for the base of the sight and ended up with the plate about 3/8" thick. It helps if you scribe witness lines down either side of the base and a center line down the top to guide your drill holes and filing. To increase the hold of the plate into the stock, I filed a grove parallel to the top in each side of the plate and undercut the stock inlet for the glass bedding compound to get a better grip. After the plate was finished, I cold blued it. I used a 1/2" Forstner bit to establish the butt end of my inlet, and then carefully chiseled out the wood forward to the action.

The front of the base should have a "V" shape to mate into the shallow "V" at the back of the action. I wish that I had done this, as there is a slight gap at the front of my daughter's.

The whole job took about 1-1/2 hours.

Dave

Sounds like a nice job, Dave!

Here's an alternative to DIY...

http://www.handirifle.com/articles/mybuffalo.htm

And another option for sights, Buffalo Arms and Brownells are both out of this sight right now, tho, mines been on backorder for a month!

http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/4,4191.htm

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/productdetail.aspx?p=18735&s=

Here's a couple pics of a friend's. The front sight on both of ours is the .404" tall 17A, the factory installed sight is a .584" tall 17A.

Great information , Thanks alot everyone , a new sight comming...LOL.. soon ..
Just might have to invest in another Classic for a rechamber... Wouldn't a octagon barrel be nice on these.....

wrongtarget how well do Performance Gas Check group ? I have a box to load 50-110 525 gr

quote:

Originally posted by Old Fart:
Wouldn't a octagon barrel be nice on these.....

As a matter of fact, yes!!!..

http://www.angelfire.com/ma/ZERMEL/257wp3.html

quote:

Originally posted by concho:
wrongtarget how well do Performance Gas Check group ? I have a box to load 50-110 525 gr

All of the gas checked bullets I've shot do 1½moa or better, both Cast Performance and Beartooth.