H&R Springfield Stalker .58

[Double 30]

Traded a just out of cosmo No4Mk2 for one NIB with papers from the original owner who claims less than 20 rounds fired.Paid $ 375 for the No4 and am curious if this was a good trade? The rifle is very well made and is a good looking weapon , its 4 notch tumbler tells me they used the same locks on their repop 1873's.Not sure what the twist rate is.Looks slow though, but her bore is .578 and groove .590 so I'll be casting minie's soom.Fired 3 535 gr Lyman Great Plains slugs ( 70 gr 2F Swiss) into a 2 inch 50 yard group.Very difficult to load though.Btw SHE KICKS! This is the first rifle of this type I've seen and am wondering about general impressions about them from current and former owners as well as an approximate value.Looking foward to flattening something with her come October.Shot several deer with a repop 3 band .577 P-53  Enfield and results were...impressive. .58's make an impression...

[Sourdough]

I have one I bought back in the late 70s.  We shoot Minnie Balls through it.  Stock is a little short for me, I'm 6'2", my nose or lip keeps getting in the way and bleeding after I shoot it.  Wife took it over, she loves it.  Fits her well, and she can handle the recoil.  She has killed two mulies, one antalope, and one Black Bear with it, while we lived in New Mexico.  She wants to take a Moose with it, just has not had the oppertunity yet. 

[jakflak]

please reply with particulars on the H+R stalker 58 cal.muzzle loader rate of twist,butt length,ie trigger pull,loads, bullet and diameter etc.etc.etc. Thank You

[PHATINJUN]

Do a Google search also as there is information on the web about them. They also had a run of I think 100 or 1000 special for the 100yr H&R commemrative around the mid 1970's .I think they were called Officer Models. I had looked for one for quite some time that was worth buying .The one I found I think I paid like $385 for IIRC never even shot it and sold it to another guy for a whole bunch more than what I paid...he made an offer I could not refuse. Value of the non Officer Model might be as high as $650 for a very good one depending on how bad someone else may want it but typically I would think in the $350-$500 range. I don't know where I put it but there was a set of the Officer Models for sale a couple of yrs ago on I believe gun broker that had consecutive ser.#'s I think the buy it now price was like $12,000 needless to say I don't think they sold . I would still be looking hard for one but I found a near perfect .45 Huntsman that keeps my intrest now along with the 2 .58's. Kurt

Sorry after writing this I relized you were talking about a .58 Stalker and I was talking .45. You did fine on the swap whats the ser # on it? Kurt

[quickdtoo]

Ya had me confused there for a bit Kurt!!! The Officer's Model referred to is a 45-70 trapdoor breech loader, the Stalker is trapdoor look alike muzzleloader, right? 

Tim

[PHATINJUN]

I thought they were both muzzleloaders the stalker is just a precussion lock? Now I am more confused and at work and can't research what I had before on the officer models. I'll have to find the info in the morning at home.Or maybe I just didn't pay that close attention as I knew I could not afoard it anyway.  :)Kurt

[PHATINJUN]

Yes you are right about them being trapdoor models No wonder they are so pricey I didn't think they had that much nice hardware on them Kurt

[quickdtoo]

Here's some nice pics of the Officer's Model 1873.

Tim

http://www.theothersideofkim.com/index.php/ggps/8241/

[PHATINJUN]

Sweet!!!!! I was just checking to see if you was paying attention...yea that's it just checkin ya. Boy my reading comprehension sucks Kurt

[wwpete52]

Traded a just out of cosmo No4Mk2 for one NIB with papers from the original owner who claims less than 20 rounds fired.Paid $ 375 for the No4 and am curious if this was a good trade? The rifle is very well made and is a good looking weapon , its 4 notch tumbler tells me they used the same locks on their repop 1873's.Not sure what the twist rate is.Looks slow though, but her bore is .578 and groove .590 so I'll be casting minie's soom.Fired 3 535 gr Lyman Great Plains slugs ( 70 gr 2F Swiss) into a 2 inch 50 yard group.Very difficult to load though.Btw SHE KICKS! This is the first rifle of this type I've seen and am wondering about general impressions about them from current and former owners as well as an approximate value.Looking foward to flattening something with her come October.Shot several deer with a repop 3 band .577 P-53  Enfield and results were...impressive. .58's make an impression...

If you have an owner's manual for the Springfield Stalker I sure would be happy to pay you for a photo-copy of it.

[Antietamgw]

I never had one of the Stalkers.  I do shoot an H&R Huntsman in .58 and have had a few other .58's in the past. I think you will find that a light load can be worked up and that recoil won't be a factor. Check out the North/South Skirmish folks for target loads. Many of them are in the 30gr FFg area for target use. One fella passed on an interesting load to me a few years back. It used the Lyman 20 guage shotgun slug over 40 gr FFg. He said it shot better in his musket than any of the minie designs. He gave me a dozen or so and I found them very accurate. Never had a mold or I'd be inclined to work up a hunting load with it. Enjoy, that's a classy muzzleloader!