Lee Loader

Got the sight on and lined up with the factory sights , alas a surprise head cold and the Easter Bunny kept me off the range .

The sight picture looks good and is easy to find . If I were so inclined I could zero out to 300 yd I think with the available elevation .

RBHarter wrote:I'm told by an accuracy and speed oriented gun smith that has tinkered an 1886' Winchester to death having run 5000 plus rounds through it with a precision fitted ,match chambered bbl , that 3" is about all a lever gun in 45-70 will do. I'll take his word for it but keep fussing with it . On the other side I'm pleased that this rifle is so fickle about what it likes .

It looks like you are getting your "G" rigged up, looks good!

Regarding the accuracy question of a 45-70 Govt levergun, I think that they can do a bit better than 3". I no longer have any of the records from my 1895G, but I do have nine different powder/charge combinations that I have shot with my Rio Grande using my TLC460-435-RF (sized at .458"), and the average MOA of these groups fired at both 50 & 100 yards is 2.42. Groups are five to nine shots. This would sound big to the long-range precision shooter, but the reality is that seven shots into a 2.42 MOA hole at 100 yards is tough to measure. There is not much of the target left. My Rio Grande has no problem ringing 6" & 8" gongs out to 300 yards are I would not hunt with it. I do have a 1.5-4.5x32 scope on the Rio Grande.

As a note, my Rio Grande absolutely loved the Beartooth Pile Driver, a 525-grain bullet. The shooting results yielded an average 1.410 MOA. To have a measurable group given the .458" hole, I had to shoot only two shots and then put up a new target. In that I used digital scoring, I was able to overlay all the paper targets on the screen of my PC and measure the string. Muzzle velocity was 1437 FPS at 35.0K PSI. I don't like pushing the Rio Grande any harder than 35K.

I think some of the 3" has to do with the loose nut behind the trigger .
With the factory sights I had trouble keeping the bead in the U consistently .

The smith is one I trust . He says the 1895 G series is the best to work with for an accurate rifle but that there is just something about the 45-70 cartridge that doesn't click in the lever guns . He put a 336 30-30 together for his pastor last winter that shoots 10 shots into a lopsided 1.5" .

Anyway, yep it's coming along and if this sight gives me what I hope it will then I have a piece of blank rail that I will get cut up to keep the peep but allow a critter light and an optic of some sort of I need it .

I've tried all but 2 of these . 2.5-3" from plink to buffalo slayer . The new sight is easier to focus on but alas no help with groups except that the hot bbl doesn't string as big with the sight on the receiver vs the bbl .

I've had another go with this and decided that if I'm going to do load development and accuracy testing that a scope is the only way to make it happen .

I finally got the M-P mould to cooperate and give up some good bullets , brass takes time to to settle down I guess .
I shot a few of the HB 462-420 which is in my case 460-414 PB and 380 gr HB .

Over a slightly compressed load of 55 gr of I 4350 (not found in print Varget is the slowest published data) the HB gave 1600 fps and 2 figure 8 groups of 2 about 8" apart . No ideas where the 5 th shot went . So the PB is out for going full bore .

I shot some of several bullets over 11 gr Unique . The paper patch 350 was a wreck but 1000 fps . The M-P HB delivered the same and similar groups .
The M-P PB shot a little better but the champ was ............... 458193 . Both of these were clocked in a 925 to 960 . The 458193 scales 417 gr and turns out that at 1100 fps would make the 1000@100 limit .

Great work, I'm glad you dove back into it.