OK Pards,
What I’m about to suggest is probably blasphemous, but I have acquired the subject rifle several years ago before I became a reformist from formal shooting to action shooting. I found in the used gun rack for a penance at the local establishment that takes most of my expendable assets. I always wanted to get a 45-70 but really wasn’t aware of the replicas available. (Even when I became aware I couldn’t justify the $1500 or more for one. I know, I know, after I put everything on this to get it to shoot, I bet it would have been more economical to go ahead and bite the bullet and get one. And here I am a reformed NRA High Power rifle shooter with a lot more expensive modern space guns too).
So after I discovered Cowboy shooting, I became more interested in the different matches. And after seeing “Quigley Down Under”, I wanted to give it a go. After researching the Quigley rifle (anywhere from $1500 to over $3000 depending on the manufacture) I was having second thoughts. Then I remembered I actually had a 45-70 that I didn’t have to give an arm and a leg for.
Anyway, I picked this H&R (actually marked Wesson & Harrington) up for about $150. It came with no sights. I found one on e-bay for $25 ( it was for a model 30-40 kreg made in 1896 – has a nice ladder and a little lever on it that allows to release the sight for windage.) The front sight blade came from Buffalo arms. I got my local gunsmith to mount the kreg sight on the barrel in front of the hump of the chamber. The sight sits high enough to see over the hump. The only problem the sight is mounted a tad high, so when the ladder is down, using the open “Vee” set @ 100 yds. the front sight isn’t high enough to keep the rounds at point of impact at 100 yds. It shoots about 8 inches high. So back to the drawing board. I have used several different globe sights from Lyman that work very well, but it just doesn’t feel right. So I guess I’ll just have to make a front sight blade out of a dime and a Winchester style base I can get from Dixie.
I sent the receiver in to H&R to have the steel trigger guard put in to replace that plastic piece of buffalo chip the original rifle came with. I also had my gunsmith buddy modify the spring loaded ejector to a manual extraction to be in compliance with the SASS regulation. Before when you unlocked the barrel, the spent case would literally fly out to about 10 yards behind you.
The rifle does shoot well. 4 or 5 rounds within a 2 inch group using 405 grain cast with 26 grains of H4198 @ 100 yds using the little peep hole of the ladder sight. I haven’t discovered the sweet spot with black powder cartridges yet. Nor have I had the opportunity to take it to my clubs range with my load and “shoot for calibration” for the ladder beyond 100yds. (after all, it is marked for the 30-40 balistics).
Bottom line is that I have about $450 tied up in the rifle. It shoot great!......My only complaint is the God awful trigger pull and the rifle is fairly light so when I shoot heavy hitting loads, it’s kinda like the old joke of the elephant hunter with his 6 bore rifle, when he pulls the trigger, who ever gets up first on either side of the rifle is the winner……….
Now, only if I could learn the mysticism of the black……………….
I haven’t had the opportunity to go to any of the buffalo style matches with it yet, still messing with the ammo combination and sights. Anyway, I’ve been sentenced to cold labor for about two years buy my company to Alaska. But this summer when I return to the sweltering heat of my home country of Tejes, I will certainly give it a shot. I have read some article in other boards that have mixed emotions about the rifle.
Well, that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.
Any comments out there? Good? Bad? Or Ugly?