45/70 Build question

[Francis]

I have been thinking about a custom 45/70.

Option 1: Buy a Buffalo Classis, buy the synthetic forend and stock and put them on it on it.
Question: Will the synthetic stock and forend fit on the BC?

Option 2: Buy a 45/70 synthetic and buy a BC 45/70 barrel and have it fitted.
Question: Will the BC barrel fit on a 45/70 synthetic?

I thought the 32" barrel would make a more accurate long range 45/70. Especially if I load some custom loads.
Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

[petemi]

How far do you want to shoot?  My 22 inch barreled .45-70 rifle shoots dead on at 300 yards.  It's just a plain wood stock.  Nothing fancy or expensive.  If you want to shoot targets at 500 or 1000 yards. you may want the longer barrel.  To some folks, long range is anything over 100 yards; to others it is really way out there.  IMHO, for most hunting situations encountered, the 22 inch barrel is fine.

[Francis]

I have 1, 45/70 Handi, and 2, USH 12 ga's. I just wanted to build a rifle that had really good long distance, if so desired. If I can build it as previously written, I would like to put a muzzle brake like the AR-30/50's have. Just thought it might be fun. Once again, any help would be appreciated, thanks.

[quickdtoo]

All stocks fit all frames and barrels with exception for the 10ga based barrels.

Tim

[ncpreacherboy1]

why not buy the ss ultra in 45-70. it has a 24" barrel and is a great shooter from what i have seen.

[Slufoot]

I just wanted to build a rifle that had really good long distance, if so desired. Once again, any help would be appreciated, thanks.

Hello Francis, I have a 45-70 Handi with a 22" barrel and synthetic stocks that has turned in several MOA groups at 100 yards. I really like the 45-70 and have another rifle chambered for it also, but if I wanted a Handi "that had really good long distance". I would go with 30-06, 280, 270, 25-06, etc, etc.

GOOD SHOOTING!
Slufoot

[Badnews Bob]

Yes You can do what your asking. I wood use wood myself it seams to absorb some of the recoil better IMHO, If you want the look of syntetic paint the pallet wood satin black. If you want to stay plastic I think I'd put alot of shot in the buttstock.

[Francis]

Thanks for all the information. To answer why not get 30.06, 243, etc. it is because I really just like a 45/70 round. You can load it with a "smaller" 300 gr or go over 500 gr. It is not the fastest round, but I basically like a sledgehammer over a "zinger". I deer hunt, and only use my USH 12 ga. Guess it is the old Marine in me, one shot and all. If you hit a deer with a 650+ gr @12-1400 fps, it does not take much time to track. The 45/70 is just a fun round. Punching paper is great, and so is smashing cinder blocks. Thanks again.

[Lazermule]

I just shot my new Handi 45/70 yesterday.  Mine is the wood with the 22" barrel.  I mounted a Nikon 3-9x40 BDC scope on it  I haven't had the chance to make use of the BDC part of the scope yet, but it shot great out at 100 yds.  I worked up my own handload for it that I plan to use for deer.  I loaded up Barnes X 100% copper hollow point driven hard with VV-N133 powder to 2400fps.  That ought to do the job on WI whitetails next weekend.  One would think that the load kicks like a mule, but it honestly wasn't bad. 

I plan to expand in this load and put the BDC feature of this scope to use shooting some long ranges after deer season.  I am going to try to find a decent bullet to sub in for the Barnes bullets as I will use them just for hunting as they are spendy.

Kind of a neat gun, I am pretty impressed so far.

LAZER

[JDMANN]

In my experience, barrel length has little or no effect of accuracy.  If using open sights, longer barrels give longer sight radius, giving better precision, not accuracy.  All of my shooting with Handi's shows barrel cleanliness having the biggest affect on accuracy.  I sighted in 23 45-70's this fall.  All, without exception showed worse accuracy after 20-25 rounds.  Clean it, and it shoots as well as before.

[Lazermule]

My 45/70 seemed to give its best accuracy after one fouling shot.  The first shot was always the flier even when shooting off of the lead sled.  I cleaned it every 3 rounds as I was breaking in the barrel, so I was able to reproduce this multiple times.

I think I am going to fire it once before I take it hunting this weekend.

Has anyone else experienced this?

LAZER

[duckmorgan]

Lasermule, you are so correct. If the barrel has some oil in it especially the first shot is low and off.  I always shoot a fouling round at the beginning of a hunt and then do not clean the barrel  till I come back from the hunt.

I understand that the larger the bore diameter on rifles the more this is true.