Any Buffalo Classic shooters out there ?

[Buckeye]

Mine is on the way   ,been rolling a few with 405 gr. hard cast and a heavy dose of IMR 3031...waiting......still waiting.... .....

And how many of you fellars put different barrels on yout BC frame

thinking of picking up a 44 mag. barrel.,,, maybe a 22in. 45/70 barrel.

[quickdtoo]

I wouldn't make any ammo for it just yet, most H&R 45-70s are short throated so you won't be able to load them unless you seat the bullets deeper first, just a heads up. I'm a barrel-per-frame Handiholic so I don't add barrels usually, just more Handis!! But the BC frame uses the same SB2 frame, it's just case colored, so it can be fitted with any barrel they offer if your frame was made since 1999 except the 10ga and 12ga slug barrels. 

I have two BCs, one is still a 45-70, I had the other rechambered to 45-120-3¼" Sharps Straight a few years ago, it's a hoot to shoot, and the shock and awe factor is priceless at the range!! Both shoot excellent as do all H&R 45-70s, most shooters use trapdoor loads and stay away from the heavier low to mid 1895 level loads, particularly in the BC due to the unfriendly steel but plate, but even that can be remedied with a leather slip-on or lace-on pad and/or a little weight in the stock bolt hole.

I also have one of the all stainless 45-70 Ultra Hunters, it shoots the 300gr TSX-FB @ 2350fps into well under an inch at 100yds using Barnes Ruger data. One of my 22" 45-70s shoots the 300gr Nosler PP at 2425fps with the same accuracy. The other 22" 45-70 has a WGRS peep and a Firesight up front, it shoots the 350gr Hornady RN with 28gr of 2400 into less the 2" at 100yds with my old eyes, which is pretty good for me, dunno the velocity, but that load is favorite amoung the old timers here and works well on deer from what I've learned, but I've only killed paper with it!!

The 44mag and 45 Long Colt BC carbine barrels are good shooters, the 44mag has a checkered past due to oversize bores, but Marlin produced barrels made since early last year are good. The 45 Colt is also a good shooter, not to be confused with the 45/410 barrel which is kind of a novelty, but useful for many. I rechambered my 45 LC carbine barrel to 460S&W, still working on loads for it, but as a 45 Colt, it shot 250gr Speer GDHPs and SSTs at a little over 1900fps, accuracy was very acceptable at about 2" with a low power scope.

Get em all, just figure out which to get first!!

Tim

[Tencubed]

I'm with Tim on the one barrel per frame thing.  Bought a 17 HMR and had 22 Mag and 22 LR bbls fitted.  They all shoot well now after some tuning but wish I had just bought two more complete rifles. 

Getting a bit more time now and will be able to do some shooting with the BC.  May get another to do the 45-120 conversion with.  Love those big ol long cases.

Mike

[Buckeye]

I'm debating on picking up a tupperware SB2  in 44 mag or 45/70...just for the heck of it. Seems like it would be a great truck gun...My handloads for thr BC are @ Levergun OAL..so they should be fine.  They have a good Dose of IMR 3031 behind a 400gr. LHC ,this load was chrony'ed at 1800FPS out of a Marlin 1895SS...so they are on the stout side.  hopefully the IMR3031 will push it a liitle faster with the long tube.

[Buckeye]

45/120 brass, is it hard to find Pricey

[Tencubed]

Midway has 45-120 Sharps brass for around 185 bucks for 100.

[quickdtoo]

Buckeye,

Be aware that the synthetic stocked 44mag is now available on an SB1 frame, but it can't be fitted with any other rifle barrels, just shotgun barrels, just a heads up in case you were headed that way.

Cabela's has Norma 45-120 brass on sale for $63 per 50, that's about as good a buy as you'll ever find, I paid $176 per 100 shipped for Bell 3 yrs ago direct from Mast when the Bell factory shut down.

Tim

Norma brass

[tykempster]

WHERE WAS CABELAS WHEN I NEEDED MY BRASS?

I shoot a BC in 45-120 as well...the shock and awe factor is certainly there.

[kevinsmith5]

I love my BC and wouldn't trade it for anything short of a Shiloh Sharps at this point, and then only cause their pretty.  I throat reamed mine out about .25 inch so I can fire the heavier loads (a 550 gr flat nose is my heaviest so far).  Still thinking hard about taking it out to 45-90, which is a good compromise with the 45-120 case cost (100 cases at $86).  I've gotten to really enjoy BP loads, in spite of what everyone else seems to think about the shallow grooves in the BC mine seems to shoot cast lead BP loads well.  I think (based on the max spec. dimensions of my chamber) my barrel was cut on a first run with a new cutter, don't know if that would affect the groove depth or not.

Tim is definitely right about the steel butt, the top edge almost cut me my first day shooting, left a healthy bruise.  Lead shot in the bolt hole and a lace on recoil pad fixed that.

PS - if you plan to reload don't buy the Lever Evolution Hornady stuff, cases are way short of spec.

[Buckeye]

Tim thanks on the heads up ,I didn't know abot those 44 Mag.s on SB1 frames..
I think I'll wait and pick up a 35 Rem ...if they ever come out...The add a barrel...

[John Boy]

... I'm just plodding along with a vintage 2003 BC with the 38-55 barrel.  Old 'El Cheapo' and original gunpowder - Priceless!  And it get's out there to 1000yds with groups that not too shabby either.  No fancy scope, just an iron vernier sight of course   

[wrongpaw]

Yet another follower of the one barrel per frame philosophy.
My count is up to 21 rifles and 12 Shotguns. 6 0f the rifles
are Buffalo Classics. I guess I'm a sucker for a good deal.
10 of my rifles are the new HP frames. Only the 3 .500 SW's
are the new extractors.  The BC is a real hoot to shoot with
Black Powder.  Got me a doe here in Pa. with a .525 gr.
Matthews style bullet.

Regards,
Wrongpaw

[OSOK]

I sent my BC back and had a 22" .204 Ruger barrel put on it. It looks really good with that short fat barrel and the BC wood. This was my first varmint caliber rifle, and I have to say that seeing the bullet hole appear in the target before the gun recoils is really neat! I got one of those NC Star cases from Sportsman's Guide...it holds the action and both barrels in a nice, padded, zip-up case. I highly recommend it for a multi-barrel handi.

[phaessler]

Mine started life as a .22-250, sent it back for a fluted .204, and a 32" BC.  Only thing I do different is change the buttstock to shoot peeps, and add a weight in it for balance.  Shoot it often enough to bring barrels and tools with me, and it stays consistent no matter how many times i change it.

Pete

[LONGTOM]

OSOK:

Do they make one of those cases to hold 13 barrels?
Just kidding!
Don't matter, I wouldn't be able to carry it anyway.
I have 9 or 10 barrels in a double rifle suitcase style case and can barely pick it up.
Didn't realize just how much several of these things weigh.


LONGTOM