Tom, I’ve been thinking about one of these for the last few years but I’ve been able to resist the urge and temptation… And then you come along with this video and I have to deal with the problem all over again! Great video, thanks for sharing! Beautiful rifle!
I’d be inclined to call or email Winchester before taking a shot with your findings. Just to make it harder for Winchester to wash their hands of if there is a problem. Happy Easter.
Interesting and informative video, but the one thing I'm sure I will take away, is FN and barrels is not a good thing, which is a shame as Remington went through the same thing. And You can't say it's the hammer forging as several companies produce rifles that have no problems, Begara and Weatherby come to mind... I can only guess that FN is now run by bean counters, and the problem is they do not want to pay for decent QA. Something I do not understand, the entire world just watched Remington go bust for a lack of Quality.
Beautiful rifle. I’ve been looking at them for a while now. What I’ve seen on the “interwebs” is they are just ok as far as accuracy. That kept me looking instead of buying. I’ll be following and hope you have an half moa rifle on your hands. Good luck!
Thanks Tom!! Happy Easter!! You had me laughing after the bore scope and expressing your feelings on what you saw. I've personally never broke in on a barrel. Never really thought about it until seeing yours and other's videos on it. For instance one of my latest rifles (Ruger American Ranch 5.56) I took it out of the box, put a scope on it and sighted it in. I was shocked with the very first group I got shooting some match ammo at 100 yards. Now, I'd already shot about 30 rounds through it busting water bottles and such, but I wanted to see how it grouped at 100 yards. With five shots I had two that went in one hole, two more go in one hole right next to the first hole and the last one just to the left of the first two holes. It ended up being a .592 inch group. I literally bought this gun to be a range plinker as it is light and handy as well as the ammunition is currently plentiful and fairly cheap. I did not expect this to have potential as a target rifle, but it certainly does group well. Perhaps one day I'll get me a bore scope and look at how Ruger's quality is with the lands. Any way, thanks for the video and I'm always looking forward to the projects and range time. Good luck turkey hunting. I'm not hearing much of anything so it has been slow this first week.
Nice looking rig! Hope she performs to your satisfaction. The 1885 is my favorite in looks, of the single shots of their day. The originals work slick as glass.
I just want to say I LOVE your videos.. Once I found your channel, its nothing for me to watch hours at a time. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with all of us watching at home. Happy Easter and God bless you.
That is going to be a beautiful rifle, I have been searching for a Ruger No.1 since I watched your video on yours and I'm proud to say I just got one last week, Ruger No.1B in .308! I'm picking a vintage Leupold 2-7x33 VX1 scope up in 2 days to get mounted on it with some ruger rings, I'm shure it will be my new favorite deer rifle, your videos have always been very good and informative but what you are doing now with the voice over is just taking them to the next level, keep up the great work!
Hi Tom. I've just found your videos on this rifle and am so looking forward to watching them in order. I have an 1885 on order but its the Uberti Courtney Hunter in .303 Brit. Nice to see old design rifles reviewed here. Thank you for making these videos. I love watching them. All the best . Kris form the UK.
That's a great looking rifle. I'd be afraid to take it hunting in the woods because it might get scratched or something. Good luck with your project and thanks for the videos.
I bought a 22-250 1885 Browning at a fire sale, had a rust spot on the bottom, halfway down the bore. It shot 3/4MOA at 200 with 55cast Lyman. Then I converted it to 32-40 and a 1" 28" octagon, it shot 3/4moa at 200 too. I have a 223 and a 300H&H highwall at present, really like the 300. I like the way the 1885 swings offhand.
The 1885 has a free-floated barrel. The forearm screws to the separate, cantilevered iron below the barrel. Check by running a piece of paper between the barrel and wood. I found my Winchester Miroku slightly touched before reaching the receiver with the paper. That took 1 minute to get that spot out, but makes a huge difference in repeatable accuracy.
I just got one of those exact Vortex scopes and fit it on an older 700 .222. It’s a tac driver, my best grouping rifle. 20x power certainly helps for my fuzzy eyes.
Never liked north south split rings. Tried some Talley's with a 3-9x40 VX2 Leupold on a Sako AV 375 H&H and they couldn't stop the scope from slipping forward. Sako Optilock's were the same but worse with those plastic inserts. The only mounts that pulled the scope up were east west split Sako Leupold Rings after lapping to achieve nearly 100% contact.
Nice vid as always Tom! Mine's a low wall with 24" button cut barrel in 22-250 (I'm not sure it's possible to hammer forge an octagonal barrel)...My only complaint is that the low wall pg stock is very slim, so the cheek weld is poor. It barely groups sub-moa but I'm still in the process of working up a better load. I too love Leupold but they've become too costly for my retired pocketbook. A set of Talley 1" rings came with the rifle along with the base, so I went with a 4.5-14 Burris (Filipino made) and it's seems real nice (around $300). Please keep us updated on your progress. Thanks!
I think you're going to like the break in video on this one? And the forend looks like it's going to cause some issues for me on this one? As for the Burris, I have a 4.5x14x44 Burris E1 that I've been using for quite a while to do most of my load testing with and I would say it's as good as anything else out there except for the Leupold. And the only reason I like the Leupold better is the eye relief.
I hear that Tom. I'm going on 87 and I still think like a 20 year old. I've been shooting 2-1/2 MOA groups with my 10/22. This week I got to shoot a Remington 541 22LR with some premium ammo. What a difference a real gun and real ammo make. I'm Jonesing for a 45-70. Don't even know if I can tolerate the recoil, but I'm going to find out. Keep having fun Tom.
Also, start with factory loads first and go to your own brew once your scope is settled in. I have a feeling you're going to have that thing shooting better than expected before too long.
SUsquehanna, I'm editing the video for the barrel break in now. And I did exactly what suggested and started with the factory stuff. And after a little work she did start shooting. I think you're going to like that break in video?
I know that everyone uses some sort of optics now but it is my opinion that firearms manufacturers are short changing consumers with these new rifles. This one is an example of that in that the original rifle surely came to the consumer with open sights on it. Now the consumers, because of no open sights, are forced to purchase optics in order to shoot the firearm accurately. This adds hundreds of dollars if not more to the cost of the firearm. Any rifle I buy now days has to have open sights or I don't buy it but I believe a nice banded front sight and a good rear sight or quarter rib adds to the quality of the rifle. I had always heard that scopes are more difficult to securely attach to the barrel of a rifle like this Winchester has, rather than if the mount is attached to the action like bolt actions. I have both and have never seen any difference.
Hello Tom that is the way of a lot of companies now days just as long as they can get it out of the door they don't care because they have got our money and most of the time people just live with it. It's a sad thing that people don't take pride in their work anymore. God bless and have a happy Easter.
I think it is quite a pretty rifle, but it will certainly be interesting to see how well it shoots considering what you found. That being said it may turn out be a great shooter, but it may turn out not to be necessitating a trip back to Winchester. When it comes to accuracy I like to use the standard of 1.5 moa. This is because that is what Weatherby for years guaranteed the Mark V at, and those are no doubt great rifles. Now, is getting a rifle sub-moa nice? Sure, but a modern manufactured rifle that is performing at the standard of the Mark V (before they went to a sub-moa guarantee) is in my view a solid hunting rifle.
I got one in 6.5 creedmoor, I had to sand out the front stock to free float the barrel and torque it at 40inch# 3/4” average all day long with hand load…. Nice rifle Tom
Thanks GC, and I'm working on the break in video now. I think you're going to like that one? This one might actually do under 1/2 and MOA and I'm already looking at the forend and checking the fit!
The 1885 in .30-40 is darned interesting except for the ammo and brass. I was intrigued by one at a gun show years ago. I would be hard pressed to pick a cartridge for one.....A super lightweight 1885 in .30-30 sure has some appeal.
John, that ammo and brass part is exactly why I got this one chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor. I'm not one for jumping on bandwagons but the ammo and brass being plentiful and relatively inexpensive compared to just about everything else out there made the 6.5CM a good choice for me. But I agree there are so many good choices out there for the 1885 that it makes it tough to choose.
@@TomRiverSimpleLiving Just watched a video elsewhere using a 26" Savage .30-30 single shot. Factory Core-Lokt 150s were flirting with 2500 FPS. I think .30-30 in a 26" single shot rifle would be a real slick set up. Your handload options would be vast.... Squirrels to bear and beyond with a bullet change.
Man, you handle everything in stride. You truly are a remarkable man and the world needs more of you! I know you work hard for your money and if you’re going to spend that much on a rifle (or anything) you deserve for it to be as close to perfect as possible. I hate how quality has suffered in a lot of things, but particularly in the gun world. I’m sure this will be unpopular, but with all of these low cost plastic bolt guns becoming popular, it seems it’s increasingly hard to find a new rifle with decent wood and workmanship. I’m starting to sound (and feel) old, but I saved all my umpiring money for an entire summer to buy a Remington 700BDL from Gander Mountain. $449.99 new in 1996. Nearly double today and the wood is nowhere near the same. I stopped caring about guns made after the 90’s. I spend a great deal of time looking for rifles that I dreamed of when I was younger. I have been patient, waiting for the right gun in the right caliber and in the right condition. In reality, I have assembled/am assembling an extraordinary collection of ordinary guns. When I handle, shoot, or hunt with one of those guns and I feel that feeling of staring at it in the catalog as a kid, it makes all of those ordinary rifles priceless to me. I found your channel because this year I finally found my dream model 70 featherweight in 7mm-08. I’m still on the hunt for my 1885, I feel like that one needs to be a .25-06, so even more of a unicorn! I wish you all the best with this rifle, and I hope that Winchester will make it right if you have to send it in. I’m anxious to see the range results!
Ryan, I think you and I are on exactly the same page! Even with the 1885 needing to be a 25-06. I only got this one in 6.5 Creedmoor because I wanted a good target round that I could find brass for. But for a hunting rifle this one should be in 25-06 or 270 win at the very least just to be able to take full advantage of the extra barrel length. And I agree completely about quality just not being what was!
@@TomRiverSimpleLiving I bought a Browning Hells Canyon Speed in 6.5CM for my daughter not knowing much more than I wanted light recoil and that I didn’t want a .243. With the Hornady 143gr ELDX, that thing shoots laser beams! Between her an I, we have taken 19 deer with it. Her first, a 130” 8pt (took me 30 years to achieve that for myself 😂) dropped like a hammer at 125 yards. Since then, every single deer has ran on me, usually just 20 yards or so with a massive blood trail, but I have always shot .30-06 or 7mm Rem and got pretty used to just watching them fall where they stood. I know 6.5cm had its haters, but it’s highly efficient and highly effective in my opinion!
I would notify Winchester of the barrel issues before I even fired it and send them a link to your bore scope footage. Seems to me the chamber is not cut concentric to the bore. I would have dumped it before even mounting the scope. It’s sad to say but in today’s world a true craftsman is said to have OCD and needs to be medicated so he or she will be happy with sub par products and craftsmanship from themselves and in general.
Old gunsmith trick: use powdered rosin on screws (since long before Locktite was invented!) Personally, I use Locktite on EVERYTHING when mounting ANY scope... bases, ring screws, cross bolts (Weaver/ Picatinny) I've wasted ammo and time tracking down accuracy issues/ finding loose screws WAY too many times :)
I agree. Using locktite on bases is common sense. Torquing the screws is worth the little effort it takes, as well. On a lot of setups, once you get the rings and scope mounted, it’s too late to get back to the base screws.
Tom, the Winchester site said those 1885 barrels are button rifled, in the description, but I wouldn't know the difference to look. As far as break-in EABCO sent Some JBs with the 260 Savage Accuracy Barrel and included it as part of break in instructions. The small container was enough to break in 2 rifles. I really didn't scrub with it, back and forth or nothing, Just ran it through on a patch, then cleaned with Hoppes 9 until patches were clean using the 1 shot then clean, etc. For the .222 I'll use a box of Remington Factory. That throat/lands issue is concerning, considering the cost of those rifles.
CBSBASS, thanks for that. I called my self looking on their web site but I never saw where they mentioned how the barrel was made. And that's interesting that EABCO sent some JB with the barrel. I swear by that stuff and if you get a chance to watch the break in process for this rifle you'll see why.
I had assumed all the winchester centerfire barrels were hammer forged. There must not be much difference under the bore scope in the way the rifling looks, as the rifling on the 1885 looks similar to your others that are hammer forged.
My experience with mossberg. They the tech calls it inconsistant rifling. I wasted 3 boxes of shells trying to line it up . I was told the accept 8to10 percent on returns because of labor cost over machine cost . I got a new barrell for my gun and it line up in 10 shells. Good luck
Hi Tom, Do you like the Vortex scopes? I have the DiamondBack and the eye relief is terrible. I have it on a 300 Win Mag. Probably going to sawp it out with a Leupold. I am concered of getting scoped in the heat of the shot lol. Love your videos. Keep up the good work. God Bless!!
Jason, this is the first Vortex I've put on a rifle for myself so I'm still undecided. I've shot several rifles with them and so far I haven't been impressed but for target shooting I think this one is going to do well? But I do prefer the Leupold.
I find that the Vortex mid grade scopes are as good as the older Nikon scopes. It's a shame Nikon discontinued their rifle scopes. With Vortex, you do get a lot for your money.
Tom, Leupold makes a vx freedom 6-18x40mm scope for 499$ with the cds dial. I have one and it is amazing for the price. Just in case you want something lighter than that vortex
@Edward Abrams yep. I have vortex and leupolds and just the eye box and clarity of the leupolds alone are so much better. I just have the budget leupolds. I couldn't imagine how good the glass is on the more expensive models. I have looked through quite a few vortex and have never been super impressed
Sergent DWZ, I wish I had known that sooner. But with that said I'm glad I got the Vortex because it's reminding me of how much more I like the Leupolds! This particular Vortex is better than most I've looked through but still nowhere close to a Leupold. And personally I'm still mad at Leupold for discontinuing the VX-2. Best scope for the money ever made in my opinion. The only reason I use so many Redfield Revolutions is because they were made by Leupold and seem to be identical to the VX-2. They just don't have as nice of a finish. And now they went and sold off Redfield.
@Tom River - Simple Living I couldn't agree more with you Tom. The eye box forgiveness of the leupolds is 100x better than the vortex. That right there makes them worth the money to me
I would expect a better job for a $1600ish rifle. I have a 22rf low wall that's accurate. At least for the few shots I've gotten to shoot. I cannot find out if it's supposed to be an ejector or an extractor. It doesn't throw the spent brass out like an ejector should. For yours, I would suggest fireforming factory brass for that chamber giving it the best chance.
Is winchester bringing back production of the high walls? I can't find any new production rifles from winchester other than the low walls. I checked their website and was hoping they hadn't updated it but I figured I'd be safe and see if anybody had further information or if this was one of the rifles they made a handful of years ago.
I had been told FN had some problem by a few of my gun contacts but since I don’t buy many new guns didn’t pay much attention! But now that your seeing it as well I guess I will stop buying anything from FN until I can determine what years
Edward, they just seem to be hit or miss over really wide range of years? The goods ones shoot great but the bad ones, well. With that sad, I think you're going to really like the break in video for this?
@Tom River - Simple Living Tom, I think the likely reason why you've got lands extending to the throat is that your rifle has an eccentric chamber. If that's the case, I don't think it's going to be a sub M.O.A. shooter. If it were mine, I'd send it back to Winchester / Browning / FN or whoever does the warranty claims.
I agree on all accounts. Ask yourself this question, "What type of barrel-making process is most often shot by the PRS and F-Class professional marksmen. Is it broached, button, or hammer-forged rifle barrels?". If you answered broached and then buttoned, you answered correctly. And in that order. F-class barrels are almost exclusively these two types. If hammer forged is so great, the professionals would have nothing else on that firing line. But nevertheless, you may still have a great shooting rifle. If I were to show you borescope images of any of my hand-cut barrels, you'd be horrified at the sight of them and all of them are sub 1/2MOA with my hand-loaded ammunition. I'd agree that you should shoot it and see if it has any potential. Thanks as always Tom and Happy Easter! May God bless you!
Totally with you Tom on the Chinese Issue. I am of exactly the same mindset. I hate to upset you but Leupolds are now made in China too!. That's the reason I don't buy them anymore. The old ones were 100% US made. I understand you buying Vortex but personally I avoid them at all costs. I really don't like the company. Id rather save up and buy a Swaro, S and B or a Zeiss. If money is an issue take a look at Meopta. These are fantastic quality with schott european glass made in the Czech Republic. The have been making scopes in house since the 30's and make lenses for Zeiss. No Chinese junk there my friend. I shall be watching part 2 of your project video shortly.
Gonna get interesting no doubt. I think you should send it back before shooting it. If they are any count, they should refund your money. Even with a rough bore like that. Holy hell that looks rugged.
I suspect it will shoot fine. I lived in Japan for over a decade and one thing I never saw was people giving things the Friday afternoon treatment. I remember seeing an older man that worked cleaning garbage cans on the street. He went through this process with absolute care, and it made me think that he had been shown this way lord knows how many years ago and he still stuck to the recipe. Somebody in the factory would have checked it over before shipping. I would find it hard to believe if they didn't do a thorough job.
Hi Tom, I really don’t understand, why do you want to develop ammunition loads for any rifle if you only shoot plus minus 3/4/5 animals per year, don’t you think that’s far too expensive than hand loading?? More hunters use a suitable factory load for their hunting than self loading??
A Leopold VX-III 6.5-20 is nowhere near the best. A great scope can cost you $5000.00 plus. Leopold is dated. I own several. I made the switch to Nightforce years ago. 1inch tube. That's 2 generations ago. Now they're making 35mm tubes to gather more light. More than that, you could always get a tapered a base. You would get 20 more minutes of adjustment out it. Most of the things I'm suggesting are 25 plus years old. Not new to the industry. Moreover, I own an 1885 highwall, in 270wsm. Years ago, I had a Cooper 6mm PPC in a model 21. It had tool chatter marks near the muzzle. I loaded for it. It was a tack driving SOB. Regardless, it's a nice rifle. I enjoy your videos. Thank you.
It might seem that way, but think of it like this. The 1885 would have been originally chambered in many of the popular calibers back in the day, and so chambering it in a popular caliber such as the 6.5 Creedmore is in keeping with that tradition.
Troy, it's 6.5 Creedmoor. I showed the rifle in the video I did on the 6.5 Creedmoor and I'm the world's worst about assuming everyone has seen previous videos and then I forget to mention things like what a rifle is chambered in because I mentioned it previously.
You might want to get out a little more John! Having collected, traded and sold thousands of guns over my short 60+ years I have seen all the different gun manufactures make a gun or two that wasn’t up to pare! The vanguard is a great buy for the price one of the best! Since Adam is in charge of Weatherby I have seen quality control drop some even on its high up guns! If you watch the younger guy videos out there you will notice it too!
@@edwardabrams4972 idk I own old one and new ones there all awesome quality. Nothing but mirror inside the bore on every rifle. No machine marks anyware . No burs no zipper noises . Not even the vanguards. IDK think ur wrong . These r awesome. If they weren't I'd say it. I got no problem admitting if they were dropped in quality. They did change things cuz of the move to wy. But Cali is in commie land now . They Didnt t really have a choice.
Just strip it down and return it. You don't pay good money to fiddle with stuff outside of lee reloading stuff. The depression on your voice says it all. Its not like you bought it at a pawn shop as a project. You don't have to deal with that. Its the equivalent of buying a new truck and the frame is all rusted off the lot.
For the money you spent on that Winchester rifle, I would have sent it back with a letter explaining what you found while scoping it! They should be ashamed of themselves selling a rifle that has a chamber that was cut off center!
Personally I feel like you're ruining a beautiful classic by putting the scope on it. I would invest in a top quality Montana arms micrometer tang sight Just my opinion but I feel like that's what's meant to be on that rifle and would be The traditional choice of the Marksman from the time period. Not that they didn't have some scopes back then and I saw some scopes in the pictures you showed but that wasn't common at that time. Your rifle I respect your decision but I could just never do it Good luck with your goal
I would do that for a .38-55 or maybe a 405 Win. or .45 70--something more traditional, like Uberti or Cimarron Arms still offer but probably not for a Creedmoor.
@@cbsbass4142 I don't think it really matters what the cartridge is it's still a classic designed for a Tang sight. You can still shoot 500 yards with sights. You'll find the stock your cheek is going to be way too low to see through the scope it's not designed for a scope even though they put a rail on it. I would have ordered the one without it. To each their own. Just giving you my opinion. Thank you 👍
@@brianlee6849 Well for one thing, Winchester has discontinued all their centerfire rifles (1885s used to come in dozens of calibers) that actually came WITH iron sites, Creedmoor sites and all, and the one he ordered has no front site. The Rimfires have iron sites. Winchester is getting sorry. They're discontinuing everything.
As I've said before, I'll never buy a Japanese made Winchester, it's blasphemy of an American icon. Only made in USA Winchesters or any rifle and shotgun for that matter for me. 👍🏻
I did not have a good experience sending my new rifle back to Winchester. I'm to the point where I want to take my bore scope to the store with me before I buy a rifle. After what I went through, I'm actually afraid to buy a new Winchester!
Хобби
"stop calling them rifles, and start calling them muskets".....priceless !!
Tom, I’ve been thinking about one of these for the last few years but I’ve been able to resist the urge and temptation… And then you come along with this video and I have to deal with the problem all over again!
Great video, thanks for sharing! Beautiful rifle!
Great video!
I’d be inclined to call or email Winchester before taking a shot with your findings. Just to make it harder for Winchester to wash their hands of if there is a problem. Happy Easter.
Great new project. Happy Easter Everyone. GOD BLESS
Happy Easter
Interesting and informative video, but the one thing I'm sure I will take away, is FN and barrels is not a good thing, which is a shame as Remington went through the same thing. And You can't say it's the hammer forging as several companies produce rifles that have no problems, Begara and Weatherby come to mind... I can only guess that FN is now run by bean counters, and the problem is they do not want to pay for decent QA. Something I do not understand, the entire world just watched Remington go bust for a lack of Quality.
There goes the thought of the new Winchesters being better then my pre64! Have owned many of both and prefer the older ones because of quality!
Absolutely beautiful rifle - can't wait to see what she will do!!!!
I think you're going to like the next video GoGish67?
Happy Easter Mr. Tom! God bless you and yours.
Thank you for your honesty and review of this single shot rifle👍🏻👍🏻
I'm glad you liked it James.
Beautiful rifle. I’ve been looking at them for a while now. What I’ve seen on the “interwebs” is they are just ok as far as accuracy. That kept me looking instead of buying. I’ll be following and hope you have an half moa rifle on your hands. Good luck!
Fascinating, what a neighbor to have to hang out.
I picked up one of these Miroku low wall 1885s in 6.5x55 swede. Its super sweet to carry and very accurate with handloads. Love the 1885s !
I would have loved to of found one in 6.5x55. But the deciding factor for me on this one in 6.5 Creedmoor is that I can find brass right now.
Thanks Tom!! Happy Easter!! You had me laughing after the bore scope and expressing your feelings on what you saw. I've personally never broke in on a barrel. Never really thought about it until seeing yours and other's videos on it. For instance one of my latest rifles (Ruger American Ranch 5.56) I took it out of the box, put a scope on it and sighted it in. I was shocked with the very first group I got shooting some match ammo at 100 yards. Now, I'd already shot about 30 rounds through it busting water bottles and such, but I wanted to see how it grouped at 100 yards. With five shots I had two that went in one hole, two more go in one hole right next to the first hole and the last one just to the left of the first two holes. It ended up being a .592 inch group. I literally bought this gun to be a range plinker as it is light and handy as well as the ammunition is currently plentiful and fairly cheap. I did not expect this to have potential as a target rifle, but it certainly does group well. Perhaps one day I'll get me a bore scope and look at how Ruger's quality is with the lands. Any way, thanks for the video and I'm always looking forward to the projects and range time. Good luck turkey hunting. I'm not hearing much of anything so it has been slow this first week.
Nice looking rig! Hope she performs to your satisfaction. The 1885 is my favorite in looks, of the single shots of their day. The originals work slick as glass.
I just want to say I LOVE your videos.. Once I found your channel, its nothing for me to watch hours at a time. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with all of us watching at home. Happy Easter and God bless you.
Thank you so much for that Brandon. And I don't think of it as me sharing my wisdom so much as we're all exploring this stuff at the same time?
That is going to be a beautiful rifle, I have been searching for a Ruger No.1 since I watched your video on yours and I'm proud to say I just got one last week, Ruger No.1B in .308! I'm picking a vintage Leupold 2-7x33 VX1 scope up in 2 days to get mounted on it with some ruger rings, I'm shure it will be my new favorite deer rifle, your videos have always been very good and informative but what you are doing now with the voice over is just taking them to the next level, keep up the great work!
Would you be willing to do a video of a layout and walk through of all your rifles, I now we would all love to see that collection, ty again sir
Hi Tom. I've just found your videos on this rifle and am so looking forward to watching them in order. I have an 1885 on order but its the Uberti Courtney Hunter in .303 Brit. Nice to see old design rifles reviewed here. Thank you for making these videos. I love watching them. All the best . Kris form the UK.
I have several 1885s love them.
Very nice 👌
That's a great looking rifle. I'd be afraid to take it hunting in the woods because it might get scratched or something. Good luck with your project and thanks for the videos.
I bought a 22-250 1885 Browning at a fire sale, had a rust spot on the bottom, halfway down the bore. It shot 3/4MOA at 200 with 55cast Lyman. Then I converted it to 32-40 and a 1" 28" octagon, it shot 3/4moa at 200 too. I have a 223 and a 300H&H highwall at present, really like the 300. I like the way the 1885 swings offhand.
Dave I have been impressed with this one. I was worried about the throat to start with but it has proved to be a shooter.
Happy Easter Tom...
The 1885 has a free-floated barrel. The forearm screws to the separate, cantilevered iron below the barrel. Check by running a piece of paper between the barrel and wood. I found my Winchester Miroku slightly touched before reaching the receiver with the paper. That took 1 minute to get that spot out, but makes a huge difference in repeatable accuracy.
I just got one of those exact Vortex scopes and fit it on an older 700 .222. It’s a tac driver, my best grouping rifle. 20x power certainly helps for my fuzzy eyes.
LOL, it's helping my eyes as well!
Never liked north south split rings. Tried some Talley's with a 3-9x40 VX2 Leupold on a Sako AV 375 H&H and they couldn't stop the scope from slipping forward. Sako Optilock's were the same but worse with those plastic inserts. The only mounts that pulled the scope up were east west split Sako Leupold Rings after lapping to achieve nearly 100% contact.
Nice vid as always Tom! Mine's a low wall with 24" button cut barrel in 22-250 (I'm not sure it's possible to hammer forge an octagonal barrel)...My only complaint is that the low wall pg stock is very slim, so the cheek weld is poor. It barely groups sub-moa but I'm still in the process of working up a better load. I too love Leupold but they've become too costly for my retired pocketbook. A set of Talley 1" rings came with the rifle along with the base, so I went with a 4.5-14 Burris (Filipino made) and it's seems real nice (around $300). Please keep us updated on your progress. Thanks!
I think you're going to like the break in video on this one? And the forend looks like it's going to cause some issues for me on this one?
As for the Burris, I have a 4.5x14x44 Burris E1 that I've been using for quite a while to do most of my load testing with and I would say it's as good as anything else out there except for the Leupold. And the only reason I like the Leupold better is the eye relief.
I hear that Tom. I'm going on 87 and I still think like a 20 year old. I've been shooting 2-1/2 MOA groups with my 10/22. This week I got to shoot a Remington 541 22LR with some premium ammo. What a difference a real gun and real ammo make. I'm Jonesing for a 45-70. Don't even know if I can tolerate the recoil, but I'm going to find out. Keep having fun Tom.
Thanks Howard, and I'm still looking for a 541 stock for my 581. I always thought that 541 was such a good looking rifle with that walnut stock.
Good luck with this one. Hopefully it surprises you in a good way at the range.
Ian it actually did after the break in!
Always enjoyable to watch and interesting. 1/2" at 500 - that there is a challenge.
I said I wanted a challenge for me and the rifle. Maybe I need to be more careful about what I wish for? LOL
"Dead Nuts" lol! Love it.
Also, start with factory loads first and go to your own brew once your scope is settled in. I have a feeling you're going to have that thing shooting better than expected before too long.
SUsquehanna, I'm editing the video for the barrel break in now. And I did exactly what suggested and started with the factory stuff. And after a little work she did start shooting. I think you're going to like that break in video?
I know that everyone uses some sort of optics now but it is my opinion that firearms manufacturers are short changing consumers with these new rifles. This one is an example of that in that the original rifle surely came to the consumer with open sights on it. Now the consumers, because of no open sights, are forced to purchase optics in order to shoot the firearm accurately. This adds hundreds of dollars if not more to the cost of the firearm. Any rifle I buy now days has to have open sights or I don't buy it but I believe a nice banded front sight and a good rear sight or quarter rib adds to the quality of the rifle. I had always heard that scopes are more difficult to securely attach to the barrel of a rifle like this Winchester has, rather than if the mount is attached to the action like bolt actions. I have both and have never seen any difference.
Hello Tom that is the way of a lot of companies now days just as long as they can get it out of the door they don't care because they have got our money and most of the time people just live with it. It's a sad thing that people don't take pride in their work anymore. God bless and have a happy Easter.
I think it is quite a pretty rifle, but it will certainly be interesting to see how well it shoots considering what you found. That being said it may turn out be a great shooter, but it may turn out not to be necessitating a trip back to Winchester.
When it comes to accuracy I like to use the standard of 1.5 moa. This is because that is what Weatherby for years guaranteed the Mark V at, and those are no doubt great rifles. Now, is getting a rifle sub-moa nice? Sure, but a modern manufactured rifle that is performing at the standard of the Mark V (before they went to a sub-moa guarantee) is in my view a solid hunting rifle.
I got one in 6.5 creedmoor, I had to sand out the front stock to free float the barrel and torque it at 40inch# 3/4” average all day long with hand load…. Nice rifle Tom
Thanks GC, and I'm working on the break in video now. I think you're going to like that one? This one might actually do under 1/2 and MOA and I'm already looking at the forend and checking the fit!
@@TomRiverSimpleLiving that’s great! You had me on the edge of my seat after that weird land🤠
@@TomRiverSimpleLiving I can't wait to see how this beautiful rifle shoots.
The 1885 in .30-40 is darned interesting except for the ammo and brass. I was intrigued by one at a gun show years ago. I would be hard pressed to pick a cartridge for one.....A super lightweight 1885 in .30-30 sure has some appeal.
John, that ammo and brass part is exactly why I got this one chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor. I'm not one for jumping on bandwagons but the ammo and brass being plentiful and relatively inexpensive compared to just about everything else out there made the 6.5CM a good choice for me. But I agree there are so many good choices out there for the 1885 that it makes it tough to choose.
@@TomRiverSimpleLiving Just watched a video elsewhere using a 26" Savage .30-30 single shot. Factory Core-Lokt 150s were flirting with 2500 FPS. I think .30-30 in a 26" single shot rifle would be a real slick set up. Your handload options would be vast.... Squirrels to bear and beyond with a bullet change.
I hope you went back and relieved the pressure on your torque wrench.
Man, you handle everything in stride. You truly are a remarkable man and the world needs more of you! I know you work hard for your money and if you’re going to spend that much on a rifle (or anything) you deserve for it to be as close to perfect as possible. I hate how quality has suffered in a lot of things, but particularly in the gun world. I’m sure this will be unpopular, but with all of these low cost plastic bolt guns becoming popular, it seems it’s increasingly hard to find a new rifle with decent wood and workmanship. I’m starting to sound (and feel) old, but I saved all my umpiring money for an entire summer to buy a Remington 700BDL from Gander Mountain. $449.99 new in 1996. Nearly double today and the wood is nowhere near the same. I stopped caring about guns made after the 90’s. I spend a great deal of time looking for rifles that I dreamed of when I was younger. I have been patient, waiting for the right gun in the right caliber and in the right condition. In reality, I have assembled/am assembling an extraordinary collection of ordinary guns. When I handle, shoot, or hunt with one of those guns and I feel that feeling of staring at it in the catalog as a kid, it makes all of those ordinary rifles priceless to me. I found your channel because this year I finally found my dream model 70 featherweight in 7mm-08. I’m still on the hunt for my 1885, I feel like that one needs to be a .25-06, so even more of a unicorn! I wish you all the best with this rifle, and I hope that Winchester will make it right if you have to send it in. I’m anxious to see the range results!
Ryan, I think you and I are on exactly the same page! Even with the 1885 needing to be a 25-06. I only got this one in 6.5 Creedmoor because I wanted a good target round that I could find brass for. But for a hunting rifle this one should be in 25-06 or 270 win at the very least just to be able to take full advantage of the extra barrel length.
And I agree completely about quality just not being what was!
@@TomRiverSimpleLiving I bought a Browning Hells Canyon Speed in 6.5CM for my daughter not knowing much more than I wanted light recoil and that I didn’t want a .243. With the Hornady 143gr ELDX, that thing shoots laser beams! Between her an I, we have taken 19 deer with it. Her first, a 130” 8pt (took me 30 years to achieve that for myself 😂) dropped like a hammer at 125 yards. Since then, every single deer has ran on me, usually just 20 yards or so with a massive blood trail, but I have always shot .30-06 or 7mm Rem and got pretty used to just watching them fall where they stood. I know 6.5cm had its haters, but it’s highly efficient and highly effective in my opinion!
I would notify Winchester of the barrel issues before I even fired it and send them a link to your bore scope footage. Seems to me the chamber is not cut concentric to the bore. I would have dumped it before even mounting the scope. It’s sad to say but in today’s world a true craftsman is said to have OCD and needs to be medicated so he or she will be happy with sub par products and craftsmanship from themselves and in general.
Old gunsmith trick: use powdered rosin on screws (since long before Locktite was invented!) Personally, I use Locktite on EVERYTHING when mounting ANY scope... bases, ring screws, cross bolts (Weaver/ Picatinny) I've wasted ammo and time tracking down accuracy issues/ finding loose screws WAY too many times :)
I agree. Using locktite on bases is common sense. Torquing the screws is worth the little effort it takes, as well. On a lot of setups, once you get the rings and scope mounted, it’s too late to get back to the base screws.
Tom, the Winchester site said those 1885 barrels are button rifled, in the description, but I wouldn't know the difference to look. As far as break-in EABCO sent Some JBs with the 260 Savage Accuracy Barrel and included it as part of break in instructions. The small container was enough to break in 2 rifles. I really didn't scrub with it, back and forth or nothing, Just ran it through on a patch, then cleaned with Hoppes 9 until patches were clean using the 1 shot then clean, etc. For the .222 I'll use a box of Remington Factory. That throat/lands issue is concerning, considering the cost of those rifles.
CBSBASS, thanks for that. I called my self looking on their web site but I never saw where they mentioned how the barrel was made. And that's interesting that EABCO sent some JB with the barrel. I swear by that stuff and if you get a chance to watch the break in process for this rifle you'll see why.
I had assumed all the winchester centerfire barrels were hammer forged. There must not be much difference under the bore scope in the way the rifling looks, as the rifling on the 1885 looks similar to your others that are hammer forged.
My experience with mossberg.
They the tech calls it inconsistant rifling. I wasted 3 boxes of shells trying to line it up . I was told the accept 8to10 percent on returns because of labor cost over machine cost . I got a new barrell for my gun and it line up in 10 shells. Good luck
Hi Tom, Do you like the Vortex scopes? I have the DiamondBack and the eye relief is terrible. I have it on a 300 Win Mag. Probably going to sawp it out with a Leupold. I am concered of getting scoped in the heat of the shot lol. Love your videos. Keep up the good work. God Bless!!
Jason, this is the first Vortex I've put on a rifle for myself so I'm still undecided. I've shot several rifles with them and so far I haven't been impressed but for target shooting I think this one is going to do well? But I do prefer the Leupold.
I find that the Vortex mid grade scopes are as good as the older Nikon scopes. It's a shame Nikon discontinued their rifle scopes. With Vortex, you do get a lot for your money.
You need a Browning A5 16 gauge (Belgium Made) they are the only perfectly made firearms
AMEN.
16 gauge, certainly a gentleman's bore in today's world.
Tom,
Leupold makes a vx freedom 6-18x40mm scope for 499$ with the cds dial. I have one and it is amazing for the price. Just in case you want something lighter than that vortex
Ya much better scope then a Vortex too at the same or less price
@Edward Abrams yep. I have vortex and leupolds and just the eye box and clarity of the leupolds alone are so much better. I just have the budget leupolds. I couldn't imagine how good the glass is on the more expensive models. I have looked through quite a few vortex and have never been super impressed
Sergent DWZ, I wish I had known that sooner. But with that said I'm glad I got the Vortex because it's reminding me of how much more I like the Leupolds! This particular Vortex is better than most I've looked through but still nowhere close to a Leupold. And personally I'm still mad at Leupold for discontinuing the VX-2. Best scope for the money ever made in my opinion. The only reason I use so many Redfield Revolutions is because they were made by Leupold and seem to be identical to the VX-2. They just don't have as nice of a finish. And now they went and sold off Redfield.
@Tom River - Simple Living I couldn't agree more with you Tom. The eye box forgiveness of the leupolds is 100x better than the vortex. That right there makes them worth the money to me
I would expect a better job for a $1600ish rifle. I have a 22rf low wall that's accurate. At least for the few shots I've gotten to shoot. I cannot find out if it's supposed to be an ejector or an extractor. It doesn't throw the spent brass out like an ejector should.
For yours, I would suggest fireforming factory brass for that chamber giving it the best chance.
Is winchester bringing back production of the high walls? I can't find any new production rifles from winchester other than the low walls. I checked their website and was hoping they hadn't updated it but I figured I'd be safe and see if anybody had further information or if this was one of the rifles they made a handful of years ago.
Missed last two on both channels
Just curious why you chose not to go with a Leupold
VX freedom 6-18 x 40?
Curious as what caliber you selected.
I believe it’s a 6.5 creedmore
Liberty or Death nailed it Tom. It's 6.5 Creedmoor. Guess I should have mentioned that part? LOL
I really want this exact rifle but with irons
Happy Eastet Tom
Please tell me how the barrel is attached to the rifle; press or threaded? Thank you.
I had been told FN had some problem by a few of my gun contacts but since I don’t buy many new guns didn’t pay much attention! But now that your seeing it as well I guess I will stop buying anything from FN until I can determine what years
Edward, they just seem to be hit or miss over really wide range of years? The goods ones shoot great but the bad ones, well. With that sad, I think you're going to really like the break in video for this?
@Tom River - Simple Living
Tom, I think the likely reason why you've got lands extending to the throat is that your rifle has an eccentric chamber. If that's the case, I don't think it's going to be a sub M.O.A. shooter. If it were mine, I'd send it back to Winchester / Browning / FN or whoever does the warranty claims.
Jerrold, it turns out they weren't they bad. I'm editing the break in video now and we'll just it's going to be a good video!
I agree on all accounts. Ask yourself this question, "What type of barrel-making process is most often shot by the PRS and F-Class professional marksmen. Is it broached, button, or hammer-forged rifle barrels?". If you answered broached and then buttoned, you answered correctly. And in that order. F-class barrels are almost exclusively these two types. If hammer forged is so great, the professionals would have nothing else on that firing line. But nevertheless, you may still have a great shooting rifle. If I were to show you borescope images of any of my hand-cut barrels, you'd be horrified at the sight of them and all of them are sub 1/2MOA with my hand-loaded ammunition. I'd agree that you should shoot it and see if it has any potential. Thanks as always Tom and Happy Easter! May God bless you!
Totally with you Tom on the Chinese Issue. I am of exactly the same mindset. I hate to upset you but Leupolds are now made in China too!. That's the reason I don't buy them anymore. The old ones were 100% US made. I understand you buying Vortex but personally I avoid them at all costs. I really don't like the company. Id rather save up and buy a Swaro, S and B or a Zeiss. If money is an issue take a look at Meopta. These are fantastic quality with schott european glass made in the Czech Republic. The have been making scopes in house since the 30's and make lenses for Zeiss. No Chinese junk there my friend. I shall be watching part 2 of your project video shortly.
Gonna get interesting no doubt. I think you should send it back before shooting it. If they are any count, they should refund your money. Even with a rough bore like that. Holy hell that looks rugged.
Jstrunck, I just shot it and all I can say is thank God for JB bore cleaener!
@@TomRiverSimpleLiving The ol’ bore butter boogie!
I suspect it will shoot fine. I lived in Japan for over a decade and one thing I never saw was people giving things the Friday afternoon treatment. I remember seeing an older man that worked cleaning garbage cans on the street. He went through this process with absolute care, and it made me think that he had been shown this way lord knows how many years ago and he still stuck to the recipe.
Somebody in the factory would have checked it over before shipping. I would find it hard to believe if they didn't do a thorough job.
Hi Tom, I really don’t understand, why do you want to develop ammunition loads for any rifle if you only shoot plus minus 3/4/5 animals per year, don’t you think that’s far too expensive than hand loading?? More hunters use a suitable factory load for their hunting than self loading??
If I had to keep the gun I would just replace barrel, lock and stock is fine I’m sure ✌️
Thats a bummer I would lose sleep over that I just can't believe the throat!
SWFA good scopes and cheap
A Leopold VX-III 6.5-20 is nowhere near the best. A great scope can cost you $5000.00 plus. Leopold is dated. I own several. I made the switch to Nightforce years ago. 1inch tube. That's 2 generations ago. Now they're making 35mm tubes to gather more light. More than that, you could always get a tapered a base. You would get 20 more minutes of adjustment out it. Most of the things I'm suggesting are 25 plus years old. Not new to the industry. Moreover, I own an 1885 highwall, in 270wsm.
Years ago, I had a Cooper 6mm PPC in a model 21. It had tool chatter marks near the muzzle. I loaded for it. It was a tack driving SOB.
Regardless, it's a nice rifle. I enjoy your videos.
Thank you.
The US Army and Marines used Leica straight 10x for years on their .308s(scope made in Germany).
The Leupold Mark V is anything but dated.
Almost seams sacriligous for an 1885 to be in such a calibre haha
LOL, I thought that to until I realized that 6.5C brass was easy to get and plentiful and then I started to warm up to the cartridge.
It might seem that way, but think of it like this. The 1885 would have been originally chambered in many of the popular calibers back in the day, and so chambering it in a popular caliber such as the 6.5 Creedmore is in keeping with that tradition.
Had flashbacks to watching Justin Wilson proving on every show how close his hand-measured tablespoon was to a spoon-measured tablespoon!
After all that wine he drunk in his shows I don't think it really mattered to him! And please remind me one to show winding sticks in a video. LOL
Im with you. Will not buy chinese when at all possible.
I have one 8n 45-70 that shoots moa.. stop with the bore scope JB bore paste and shoot it 1st.
Chris, I'm editing the video for the break in now and I think you're going to like it?
@@TomRiverSimpleLiving seems the 6.5 is a low wall correct? My 1885 outshoots my Brothers #1 in 45-70 by a mile..
What cal???
Troy, it's 6.5 Creedmoor. I showed the rifle in the video I did on the 6.5 Creedmoor and I'm the world's worst about assuming everyone has seen previous videos and then I forget to mention things like what a rifle is chambered in because I mentioned it previously.
I think borescopes are the devil, and this video shows why.
LOL. Dale, I think they can be! But I also think they can really help us figure out what's going on with a rifle.
If it really mattered you would have purchased the Leupold.
U won't see a weatherby come out w a barrel in that shape. Even the howa made action ,vanguard is held to a high high standards.
You might want to get out a little more John! Having collected, traded and sold thousands of guns over my short 60+ years I have seen all the different gun manufactures make a gun or two that wasn’t up to pare! The vanguard is a great buy for the price one of the best! Since Adam is in charge of Weatherby I have seen quality control drop some even on its high up guns! If you watch the younger guy videos out there you will notice it too!
@@edwardabrams4972 idk I own old one and new ones there all awesome quality. Nothing but mirror inside the bore on every rifle. No machine marks anyware . No burs no zipper noises . Not even the vanguards. IDK think ur wrong . These r awesome. If they weren't I'd say it. I got no problem admitting if they were dropped in quality. They did change things cuz of the move to wy. But Cali is in commie land now . They Didnt t really have a choice.
Good Luck with it.
Happy Resurrection Day To You Yours n All
Thank you Michael, and same to you and yours!
Send it back tom
Dan I think this one just might turn out to be a shooter after the barrel break in for it?
That's disappointing looking at those lands. Sorry, Mr Tom
Agree but we shall see hopefully not that big of issue which will stink
Just strip it down and return it. You don't pay good money to fiddle with stuff outside of lee reloading stuff. The depression on your voice says it all. Its not like you bought it at a pawn shop as a project. You don't have to deal with that. Its the equivalent of buying a new truck and the frame is all rusted off the lot.
For the money you spent on that Winchester rifle, I would have sent it back with a letter explaining what you found while scoping it! They should be ashamed of themselves selling a rifle that has a chamber that was cut off center!
Personally I feel like you're ruining a beautiful classic by putting the scope on it. I would invest in a top quality Montana arms micrometer tang sight Just my opinion but I feel like that's what's meant to be on that rifle and would be The traditional choice of the Marksman from the time period. Not that they didn't have some scopes back then and I saw some scopes in the pictures you showed but that wasn't common at that time. Your rifle I respect your decision but I could just never do it Good luck with your goal
I would do that for a .38-55 or maybe a 405 Win. or .45 70--something more traditional, like Uberti or Cimarron Arms still offer but probably not for a Creedmoor.
@@cbsbass4142 I don't think it really matters what the cartridge is it's still a classic designed for a Tang sight. You can still shoot 500 yards with sights. You'll find the stock your cheek is going to be way too low to see through the scope it's not designed for a scope even though they put a rail on it. I would have ordered the one without it. To each their own. Just giving you my opinion. Thank you 👍
@@cbsbass4142 Think about it if you want a 6.5 creedmoor and a scope why waste the money on a 1885? Just buy a bolt action...
@@brianlee6849 He'd have to spend more just to get a front sight installed. What would he line up the tang site with?
@@brianlee6849 Well for one thing, Winchester has discontinued all their centerfire rifles (1885s used to come in dozens of calibers) that actually came WITH iron sites, Creedmoor sites and all, and the one he ordered has no front site. The Rimfires have iron sites. Winchester is getting sorry. They're discontinuing everything.
Shoulda bought a weatherby.
It was funnier in 1975 when it wasnt REALITY....
I miss the AMERICA I grew up in.
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
With all respect, production rifles are so hit and miss
I do agree with that Dan!
This is a workmanship issue. Not an accuracy issue. If they dont fix or replace, i will never buy a Winchester or Browning product.
As I've said before, I'll never buy a Japanese made Winchester, it's blasphemy of an American icon. Only made in USA Winchesters or any rifle and shotgun for that matter for me. 👍🏻
I did not have a good experience sending my new rifle back to Winchester. I'm to the point where I want to take my bore scope to the store with me before I buy a rifle. After what I went through, I'm actually afraid to buy a new Winchester!
Roger, I completely understand! WIth that sad I'm editing the break in video now and after some work this one is showing potential.
@@TomRiverSimpleLiving I'm glad to hear that, looking forward to the video.