Vintage Hunting and the 1876

[woody58]

I have an original Winchester 1876 in 45-60. I have been researching to reload some BPC rounds to kill big game and was wondering what ya'll recomended. I already have some 4570 brass cut down to size and some 255 grain lubed bullets. Hoping to purchase a die set for my reloader this week or next and get started.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Woody58;  Check out whether the rim thickness of your brass works in your rifle.  I believe that .45-60 brass was made with thinner rims.

[Joe Lansing]

    What's the diameter of your 255 gr. bullets? 255's are usually for Long Colt. You need .457 or .458.

                                                                   J.L.

[woody58]

The 255 gr bullet is 452. I was told by a gunsmith that it would hurt to try them. I have also been told that the the original 1876's were in the .454- .456 range. I would like to find out exzactly what the diameter is but the gunsmith said that he would have to remove the barrel to slug it. Not really sure i want to disasible.

[woody58]

the rim of the 45 70 case works fine in my gun... of course that is an empty case. May have to do something to them after that have been fired. I have read that the rim maybe to thick but since it's working fine i may wait and fire a couple and see how they eject. As of right now they fly out pretty good. What is ya'll opinion on shooting a small bullet? What would happen to the accuracy with a bullet to small?

[shieldsmt]

Antelope is open and deer and elk next Sunday, been hunting antelope and deer with a 44WCF Uberti 1873 for several years now with good success.  Got the BP loads down, got the accuracy thing down.  Need to lighten the trigger.  The gun is very well built in every way, BUT, the trigger is too heavy.  I'd like to lighten it.  Suggestions please....

[Grizzly Adams]

The 255 gr bullet is 452. I was told by a gunsmith that it would hurt to try them. I have also been told that the the original 1876's were in the .454- .456 range. I would like to find out exzactly what the diameter is but the gunsmith said that he would have to remove the barrel to slug it. Not really sure i want to disasible.

Hi, Woody.

The bore size of the original 1876 is .457.  I have seen the .454 number in Cartridges of the World, but it is an error.  When I first started loading for my original 45-60 I sized some down to .454.  It shot a 12 ft group at 25 yards!

[Buck Stinson]

WOW!!! Not bad for an old gun.

[larryo_1]

Woody58
I can't help but to interject a point here about what you said about slugging your rifle barrel and what that gunsmith told you about having to remove the barrel to do that.  I have slugged alot of barrels over the years some being lever guns and never did that.  I just get a good coating of gun oil in the barrel, get a nice oversize soft lead slug and tap it in the muzzle and then push it down the barrel till it comes out in the breech.  Now if the barrel IS out of the action then you can slug the breech and the muzzle which are the two points that need it anyway.  I also made a tool to insert in the breech for slugging the breech.  with that in then it is a simple matter to tap it out from the muzzle.  I hope this helps.

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy Pards
Hows the Hunting going . I didn't have any luck . My son got a nice Doe , I was proud of Him .

[Dirty Brass]

Rowdy, as you know I didn't have any luck deer hunting during gun season here, but my son did get a nice buck - thought I'd post you a pic of it. Got with a modern rifle, but still - his first buck in 16 years, so he (an I) were pretty proud of it.

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Dirty Brass
Nice Deer ,Glad you posted a picture of that Fine Buck .Have you had any Jerky yet . I love Jerky 

[Dirty Brass]

as a matter of fact, he was having some made. I should call him and see if he got it yet!

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Dirty Brass
My wife gave me a dehydrator for Christmas , and I didn't shoot a Deer the first time in 20 +years . Luckily my Son got a Doe and I will make some Jerky for us .  Enjoy yawls jerky and we will getem next year .

[Joe Lansing]

    Re: using .452's, give it a try. The worst that can happen is you don't hit anything.  Use a full load if you do try it. Soft cast bullets tend to expand to fill the bore with the rapid acceleration that a full charge of BP provides. Read Dr. Mann's book "The Bullets Flight".   

                                                                      J.L.

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy Pards
Spring Bear season is coming up  . Who's going Bear Hunting with a 1876  ?

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy Pards
Deer season is just around the corner , have you shot your rifle on paper lately to know where's it's hitting ? I decided to change my front sight to a Marble's brass dot .  Drove it own and adjusted it and she is ready for Deer season .
 

[shrapnel]

I decided to put an original Winchester sight on my 45-60 and keep the 45-75 with open sights. The best of both worlds...

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Shrapnel
Great pictures , looks like you're ready for hunting season . Good luck .

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy Pards
 The Deer meat is close to being gone . And before you know it , yes it will be hunting season . I can't wait . Will make more Jerky this year .

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

the rim of the 45 70 case works fine in my gun... of course that is an empty case. May have to do something to them after that have been fired. I have read that the rim maybe to thick but since it's working fine i may wait and fire a couple and see how they eject. As of right now they fly out pretty good. What is ya'll opinion on shooting a small bullet? What would happen to the accuracy with a bullet to small?

I have a Chapparal NWMP carbine, and the re-order of the Lyman 457192.  As delivered the mould gave me bullets at .454 more or less.  I then "beagled" the mould so now it delivers bullets at .458.  With fireformed .348 cases the new bullets are capable of four inch grouips with BP and the "Spanish Metre" military style open sights.  Not bad with my 68 year-old eyes, and I can keep the same relative group size out to 300 yards.

I am in the process of altering some more .348 cases and made up some with a few old pre-beagling bullets at .454 for fire-forming.  The result was that the group of 5 "surrounded" the target at 100 yards. (18" group?)  Yes , Virginia, size does matter.

For hunting deer, I`d use my .457122 Gould hollow-point bullet.  It is proven on deer, unfortunately not by me; - Yet!

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Sir Charles
Wish you the best with your 45-75 . Hope you kill a 12 point Buck and set a record in Boone and Crockett . 

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Thanks Rowdy, but I haven't been out in the last 3-4 years.  I'll have to get at'er!

Shrapnel: Maybe an optical delusion, but did you get your tang sight adjusted to vertical.  I had the problem a few years back, and made a "sight square" out of a card tablet backer. I cut a wedge out of one side and relieved it for the action (in this case the dust cover)  Set it on the level part of the action or barrel and use the wide end of the wedge to square up the sight staff.  After sighting in you can pencil in the sight settings for a double check, or when moving sights from one gun to another.  If you leave the narrow end square for about an inch, you could mark the foresight height on the same square as a record, or for calculations. The square could be used when a new sight is acquired, and once completed it stays with that particular rifle.

[shrapnel]

The sight is made for the tang of a Winchester, fits it perfectly and works great...

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

The sight is made for the tang of a Winchester, fits it perfectly and works great...

Shrapnel;
Thats great.  I figured it was an original, but that dern optical delusuion got me.