Looking at 1885 low wall

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charlesb
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Looking at 1885 low wall

Post by charlesb » Sat Oct 05, 2013 11:53 pm

Winchester is now offering the 1885 low wall in centerfire calibers again, with an octagonal 24" barrel.

I'm considering a .222 Rem in part because I already have some .222 ammo and in part because the last .222 Rem I owned, a CZ bolt gun was so pleasant to shoot, and so cheap to reload.

From what I understand, it is not difficult to load the .222 Rem down to .22mag level for some very inexpensive shooting, cheaper per shot than a .22 mag and with a heavier bullet.

I'm scared of .22 Hornet because the brass is pricey and very thin, so it doesn't last long. In the past, I experienced case separations in a Navy Arms .22 Hornet rolling-block pistol, and that kind of put me off on the cartridge. The brass on those things is paper-thin.

I believe that lightly loaded .222 brass would hold up a lot longer, and there would be the option of full-boat .222 loadings if a varmint hunting opportunity popped up.

They also offer the low wall in 6.5x55, which would do for most big game hunting with the right scope. - It weighs 7.5 pounds before you scope it.

I'm not certain about the 1885, they are very nice but they are pricey too. I'm trying to sell my M1A Scout Squad, which ought to pay for an 1885 but there wouldn't be much left over for a good scope. - I'd have to either use my 1" Unertl 10/12x for the .222, or steal the Nikon Monarch 4-16x42 off of my .243 Savage bolt gun if I got a 6.5x55.

Money is tight here, most of it goes down the hole as I get my shop organized and outfitted. Just about everything is expensive in this desert community, it all has to be trucked in from bigger towns, even basic stuff like lumber, hardware and concrete, etc..

I've been able to resist the Winchester 1885 for years now because they were only available in either big, honking black-powder cartridges or little pipsqueak rim-fires... Now that they are available in a few regular centerfire cartridges though, that threw a monkey-wrench in the works.

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charlesb
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Post by charlesb » Fri Nov 15, 2013 9:25 pm

I found a buyer for the Unertl scope, so progress is being made.

So far the best price I've seen on the new Winchester 1885 low wall is around 1.6 kilobucks, they're pricey.

There are a lot of new high walls available with 28" barrels in .375 H&H for around 1k, but that's too much gun for me in more ways than one. - Too heavy, and too expensive to reload.

Still can't decide between .222 Remington and 6.5x55. - They both have a nice long neck, easy to reload and with a reputation for accuracy. In fact, the .222 looks like a scaled-down version of the 6.5x55, the general shape of the two cartridges is similar.

I'll probably get another Nikon Monarch 4-16x42 side-focus scope with a BDC reticule for 6.5x55, or a mil-dot for the.222.

The one with a BDC reticule that I've had on my Savage .243 has been most excellent, it compares well with the Leupolds that I have traditionally used over the years.

Lately I've been looking at Swift scopes. They are not as expensive, but I get mixed signals out of the reviews on them... They're either as tough as nails, or they won't hold the zero and have to be sent back. Everybody seems to agree that the optical quality is way above its price range. Customer service is apparently very good on them, and they have a good guarantee so I may take a chance on a Swift if I run short on bucks.

One thing I do know is that Swift makes a great stereo microscope. I've had several and they've always been really nice.

The Winchester 1885 comes with scope mounts - but boy are they tacky! There's a big ear sticking out of the top with a screw going through it.

I'm hoping that Conetrol or at least Leupold will have mounts for the 1885.

Nobody around here has an 1885 that I can look at, handle and evaluate, so if I get one it will be sight-unseen.

It won't be the first time I've done something like that. - One time my pickup truck threw a rod, so I bought a new Ford Escort wagon over the phone, and had a neighbor give me a ride to the Ford dealer in town when it was ready to go.

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