Talk me into a 45-70 single shot.....

[teddy12b]

Every so often I get looking at old style single shot rifles like the 1885, sharps, falling blocks, and whatever else falls into that category. Usually this happens after I've watched Quigley Down Under, even though I know he didn't use a 45-70. For plinking uses I think it'd be fun to get out an old school single shot with either some kind of a ladder sight, tang sight, or something that's better than buckhorn style and has elevation adjustment because any gun I have will get shot at distance, just for giggles at a minimum. I'm not a black powder guy and really don't want that clean up, so I'd be sticking to smokeless powder. I'd also be more than happy with the light loads the old rifles can handle rather than cranking up the pressure to something that only a Ruger #1 or similar can handle. Bonus points if the rifle has any US Military history or something I can use to teach young people a history lesson. Ideally, this would be a rifle made in the USA, but I have no idea where Cimmarron, Pedersoli, or a Winchester in this category is even made now.

I know there's some guys here who can show me where should I focus my limited time to research and looking these old rifles. Thanks in advance.

 

[Gingerbeardman]

Well I think they're awesome. I love the history, I love the slow pace of shooting, the simple engineering, and the challenge of learning the ladder sight. I bought my Pedersoli 1874 off a member here, maybe he'll pop in the chat. He is a wealth of knowledge about the .45-70!

 

[Creedmoor]

Seriously look at the Browning BPCR 1885 series rifles. 40-65, 45-70 and 45-90 all came with Green Mountain barrels and are good shooters.
Heres one of mine, in 45-70 with Montana Vintage Arms Buffalo LR sights on it.
Edit
The Browning's will easily eat all of the higher pressure loads, and that includes the 1886 models.

 

[Farmerjon]

There is always the "Alaskan Derringer" with the top barrel shooting 45's, 410's as well as 45-70!!!!!

American Derringer Model M-4 Alaskan Survival .45-70 Gov Variant-2

www.genitron.com

 

[Hookeye]

Ruger #1S w a peep on the quarter rib.
Not a target gun but a whitetail thumper.

Well, thumper on both ends if you load it up.
Some folks find that fun, younger folks usually.

 

[Hookeye]

Ive shot Marlins, 1886 Miroku remake, Ruger #1.
Just not a .45-70 fan like my bud from out west.
He grew up in buffalo territory.

 

[Hookeye]

Id peep sight. #1 in .44 mag or .460 though

 

[bgcatty]

Go for it! .45-70 is a blast to shoot and reloading for it opens a world of possibilities vis-a-vis loads for whatever you want to shoot at.

 

[ghuns]

My dad has a Springfield Trapdoor that some amount of greats-uncle carried in the Spanish-American War.

The uncle was something of a f**k-up post-war and never married or had kids so there is some elaborate family succession plan about who the gun gets passed down to. Somehow it skips me but will go to our boy kid.

It a fun piece of family history and a lot of fun to shoot.

 

[Creedmoor]

My dad has a Springfield Trapdoor that some amount of greats-uncle carried in the Spanish-American War.

The uncle was something of a f**k-up post-war and never married or had kids so there is some elaborate family succession plan about who the gun gets passed down to. Somehow it skips me but will go to our boy kid.

It a fun piece of family history and a lot of fun to shoot.

Lol, don't feel bad. We had a family farm skip a generation.

 

[Michigan Slim]

I like mine. Lots. A bunch. Pedersoli.

 

[Aszerigan]

Seriously, it tames the recoil significantly.

 

[Tradesylver]

I've got two a C Sharps 1875 and Uberti Winchester 1885. You could talk me out the Winchester. Just got 250 brand new 45-70 brass from Starline, just need to cast some bullets and off to the range. I load with black powder.

 

[Mgderf]

Not the history you're looking for, but I have a CVA single shot, Break action .45-70 that will easily handle anything but Ruger only loads, and it's much less money.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Not the history you're looking for, but I have a CVA single shot, Break action .45-70 that will easily handle anything but Ruger only loads, and it's much less money.

My only 45-70. Summit Frontier (Enfield conversion). It will handle Ruger only loads.

 

[Expat]

You really need a 45-70. No one can truly be happy without one. Admit it, every day you are wondering what you would do if you ran across a marauding bison. When one escaped down south of us I explained to the wife how our lives were in danger and bought a Marlin 1895 lever action.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

You really need a 45-70. No one can truly be happy without one. Admit it, every day you are wondering what you would do if you ran across a marauding bison. When one escaped down south of us I explained to the wife how our lives were in danger and bought a Marlin 1895 lever action.

Yeah, but just my luck... Had bison all over the yard, and as soon as I got my 45-70, poof! They disappeared.

 

[Leadeye]

Bought this Pedersoli rolling block a few days ago. What was broken turned out to be an easy fix, had it flinging the 100 yard plate around this afternoon.

 

[Creedmoor]

Not the history you're looking for, but I have a CVA single shot, Break action .45-70 that will easily handle anything but Ruger only loads, and it's much less money.

Gotta ask, Please, where did you find this data? CVA?

 

[Creedmoor]

Bought this Pedersoli rolling block a few days ago. What was broken turned out to be an easy fix, had it flinging the 100 yard plate around this afternoon.

View attachment 347308

I bought my Thing 2 a midget Rossi Rolling in 22 Hornet when he was little. It hasn't been out in a long time.