Poor Accuracy

[Big Oly]

I have a shooting partner that purchased a Uberti 76 new in 45-60 quite a few years ago, and is about to give up on it. As a very experienced re loader he has tried different powders, both black and smokeless, different bullets and lubes still this rifle will not shoot any closer than 14 inches at 100 yards. Has anyone else had this problem if so what is the correction. Thanks

[Trailrider]

Has he slugged the barrel to see what the actual groove diameter of the rifling is?  Has he also checked the rifling twist? He may be trying to use too heavy a bullet for the rifling twist. The .45-60 WCF was designed for a 300 gr. bullet. Not sure what Uberti used for twist in their replica.

[Mike]

Mine is 1-20 and took awhile to find a load, I use a lyman 298 grain with my mix. I also reduced the case length so I could crimp in the grove.
Mine just wont shoot black yet. I had to remove factory sights and replace both front and rear sight, replaced rear with a lyman tang and front with a very tall front.
The gun look ok but shoot much better.
This all took about eight months. It is the worst gun i have had to reload for, all the orthers i have been able to get shooting in weeks

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[doketx]

Oly,

     I have that rifle also, and it won't  shoot 405 grain bullets worth anything, but before it blew up, I was getting one inch groups with 292 grain bullets, so it might be the bullet weight that's the problem.  Also, like previously suggested, you might slug the barrel to see if your bullets are the right size.

[Mike]

I am useing SR4759 in mine, tried Varget 4895 4198 3031.
i here 4759 is not going to be produced any more, glade i bought a case.
Correct crimp is also a factor with this load and you will have to find the sweet spot.
I am looking at getting a 76 in 45-75 but the issues i had with the 45-60 have me thinking in the negitive. Would rather find an origanal.

[mehavey]

before it blew up....

   

[Coal Creek Griff]

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,53590.msg650320.html#msg650320

CC Griff

[Big Oly]

Thanks for the replies I will pass them on.

[Grapeshot]

I had a Chappy '86 in 2009.  I had no problem with accuracy with any bullet from 300 to 405 grains.  I could keep them on an 11 inch frying pan at 100 yards.  I was using Black powder and substitutes for my testing and was using 50 grains by volume with the 405 grain bullets.  The 300, 350 and 375 grain bullets I was using 60 grains by volume for those.  Trust me when I say that 777 is definitely energetic in this rifle.

The Rifle Barrel had a 1:20 inch twist so it will stabilize a 405 grain lead bullet just like the Army's Trapdoor carbines.

[Thomas (Tom) Horn aka James Hicks]

Not all '76 replica's are the same, whether it be Uberti or Chaparral.  A lot of folks bought Chaparrals, they were cheaper than the Uberti '76. Some were good and some were bad, I was lucky the Chaparral '76 (45-60) I have shoots as accurate as my Uberti '76 which is also in 45-60 caliber. The true Winchester Centennial Rifle was a 45-75 which was introduced by Winchester in 1876. The 45-60 caliber rifle was marketed a few years later along with 40-60 caliber. Trailrider states in his post above that the 45-60 was designed for a 300 grain bullet. But if you check history of this rifle Winchester used a 292 grain bullet setting on top of 60 grains of BP. not that much difference between a 292 gr and the 300 gr.  The 300 grain bullet is more popular today by the bullet makers. Lymon sells the 292 gr bullet mold. Having said all of this... SOME '76's just DO NOT SHOOT VERY ACCURATE both in Uberti and Chaparrals this accuracy disparity is in the RIFLING. I suggest for Big Oly: Tell your friend to SLUG THE BARREL. Ifn the lead slug is TIGHT ALL THE WAY THRU THE BARREL there should not be an accuracy problem. If the barrel slugs out at say, .0458 then he should use bullet size .0459. Bullet sizing is not a problem in my rifles... I use both 0.458 and 0.459 and I get the same results.  But if the slugging lead is loose at the front of the barrel and tight the rest of the way, he will have accuracy problems. If the slugging lead is tight at the front and just forward of the chamber but loose in the middle of the rifling there should be no accuracy problem. I have shot many different powders in both of my '76's. The powders that I have found to produce the best accuracy at 200 yards is Trail Boss, 4198, 2400, 4895. 5744 and Varget to name a few. Both rifles shoot the HB very well, I just do not like the clean-up after using the HB. I have shot bullets that were Gas Checked and my accuracy was no better or worse about the same as regular bullets. I have not had good results with soft leaded bullets, so I would recommend the hard cast bullets. I also "Fire Lapped" the rifles and that helped in getting tighter shot groups.  Of all the powders used I have found that my rifles have the best accuracy (tighter shot groups) at 200 + yards using a 292 gr RNFP or a 300 RNFP or a 350 RNFP on top of 22 grains of 2400 using toilet paper as a filler to keep the powder on the primer. I also use Kelley Soule Sights when shooting Long Range.  But lets face it... some rifles will just not shoot accurate... SOLUTION: Change out the barrels or Sell the Rifle. My opine... Tom Horn

[larryo_1]

Haven't been on for awhile but when I read your comment on the accuracy problems, I must say that even though I do not have a 45-60--rather a 45-75, when I got my rifle, I did slug the barrel and use 0.458 slugs.  Of course,I make my own alloy which is 16:1 and cast out of a Hoch mold at 350 grains.  I did find,however, that through trial and error that that load of 22 grains of 2400 is one good load.  instead of toilet paper, though, I use Kapok for the wadding which works for me.  the other load that I like, but a bit stiff on recoil is 76 grains of Swiss 1½ BP. So--to further answer poor accuracy, in that rifle, I agree with Horn.  Slug it, work with it or get rid of it.