Burt Humphrey said

dimrod said
Burt,
That’s a marvelous model 1873. Is it chambered in 44 WCF?
Mark in Nome
  

Mark - yes it is

I will never own such a fine original 1873 Deluxe sporting rifle. Yours wears the best American stump Walnut I've seen in a long while. 

Here is its pale shadow.  Thankfully in 44 Winchester. I don't think we have any Muskoxen in Texas but it's hard to know for sure.

Burt Humphrey said

Burt Humphrey said

dimrod said
Burt,
That’s a marvelous model 1873. Is it chambered in 44 WCF?
Mark in Nome
  

Mark - yes it is
  

Mark - I have had that 1873 for 40 years. It is a little too nice to send to Norton Sound on a hunting trip with you!

Oh you say that!  That rifle would be perfect for taking a muskox. I can generally see them from my house when I’m ready to harvest one. It’s a very low impact hunt where she wouldn’t even get a scratch. I have another subsistence tag for this season….

Burt Humphrey said

dimrod said
Burt,
That’s a marvelous model 1873. Is it chambered in 44 WCF?
Mark in Nome
  

Mark - yes it is

Mark - I have had that 1873 for 40 years. It is a little too nice to send to Norton Sound on a hunting trip with you!

dimrod said
Burt,
That’s a marvelous model 1873. Is it chambered in 44 WCF?
Mark in Nome
  

Mark - yes it is

That’s a marvelous model 1873. Is it chambered in 44 WCF?

Mark in Nome

The Watts/Taylor looks like Brontosaurus medicine to me and I can't think of anything I want to shoot badly enough to fire one. That's a spooky amount of 4350 to light off all at once. 

Twenty years ago I picked up a like-new  1980 African and two boxes of vintage WW ammo, softs and solids, to go with it. I've never been tempted to fire it. 

Ian,  You are preaching to the choir. The .303 is a cherry 1931 Model 99F and I blew all my disposable bucks on a 99A 250 and two 99EGs this year, a 1947 250 and a 1954 300. I load for and shoot them all.  Grafs sells Serbian .303 ammo and brass. The ammo is loaded with a 150 grain spitzer over some kind of Balkan witches' brew and recoils more like a .308. 

Bert H. said
Burt,
I suspect that 450 Watts is serious Brown Bear medicine! 
I am working up the 110 grain 30-06 loads for Varmint eradication, which is why I am attempting to develop a 1 MOA load.  Accordingly, my old Model 54 may not be up to the task, but I don't want to give up on it yet... I first hunted Black Tail deer and Roosevelt Elk with it in the Fall of 1974... 52-years ago for those that are counting.
Bert
  

That's all the reason you need.

I suspect that 450 Watts is serious Brown Bear medicine! 

I am working up the 110 grain 30-06 loads for Varmint eradication, which is why I am attempting to develop a 1 MOA load.  Accordingly, my old Model 54 may not be up to the task, but I don't want to give up on it yet... I first hunted Black Tail deer and Roosevelt Elk with it in the Fall of 1974... 52-years ago for those that are counting.

Bert

Zebulon said
Got it. Thanks. I don't have much experience with the 110 grain bullet but, from one session years ago with my M70 Featherweight that was capable of 1.25" to 1.5" 100 yard 3 shot groups,  the 110 bullet (a Speer HotCor) would stay within 1.5", satisfactory for Coyotes that became suspicious and hung back. The Fwt is a hunting rifle and those groups were adequate for the task. I didn't own a chronograph. 
  

Back in the old days I used to spend hours shooting prairie dogs with a 300 win mag and 110 "plinkers". It was fun to shoot , had tremdous velocity and was accurate.  In contrast, I had what we called a .450 Taylor - I have also heard it called a .450 Watts built on a custom stock - the custom RCBS dies I used were labeled .450 Taylor. It was basically a .375 H&H case, nearly straight-walled after running it thru the die with enough taper to tightly hold the .458 diameter bullet. I shot both 350 and 500 grain bullets with not much difference in accuracy. I took a grizzly with it back in the early 70's. Until I had a custom muzzle brake installed, it was wicked to shoot. I used IMR 4350 and did not measure it - just filled the cartridge and added the bullet. Here is a sample round with a 30-30 for comparison. Sorry if I am off-base but its raining like a cow peeing on a flat rock here in Alaska today so I am just rambling and ended up looking at the WACA site. My lever action collection is gone except for one - a nice 73 to remember my passion of over 50 years.

Zebulon said

If I'm able to get out into the field again, it will be with a .33 WCF, a .38-55, or a .303 Savage. Why? Because I can, finally, after all these years. 
  

Three excellent early choices.  I think you should consider adding a .32-40 to the mix, either a Winchester 1894 or a Winchester 1885.  You might also consider a Savage 1899.  (Come to think of it, but I've already hit that trifecta.)

Zebulon said
While ammunition and components have improved enormously since our rifles were made,  there are some limitations inherent in the latter that preclude our meeting current accuracy standards of the industry. 
If we wanted microscopic groups badly enough, we'd give up the fine rifles once made in New Haven and buy space guns ugly enough to make a saint spew.  I'd rather take up Blackpowder or Siluetas and shoot a weapon with some soul and history. 
Mind you, I  don't look down on the precision shooting sports and will cheer on my friends who are enthusiasts. But the romance and history of hunting fuels my collecting and shooting interest, as I'm pretty sure it does yours. 
If I'm able to get out into the field again, it will be with a .33 WCF, a .38-55, or a .303 Savage. Why? Because I can, finally, after all these years. 
  

I'm in agreement with you Bill!

Do what you're able to get out and do! Hearing about you shooting that Shiloh puts a smile on my face, as I had to pass on a Buffalo Hunt, using an ole' original traditional Single Shot Rifle that's just itchin to put some Buff. meat in the freezer! Darn schedule! 

Tony

If we wanted microscopic groups badly enough, we'd give up the fine rifles once made in New Haven and buy space guns ugly enough to make a saint spew.  I'd rather take up Blackpowder or Siluetas and shoot a weapon with some soul and history. 

Mind you, I  don't look down on the precision shooting sports and will cheer on my friends who are enthusiasts. But the romance and history of hunting fuels my collecting and shooting interest, as I'm pretty sure it does yours. 

If I'm able to get out into the field again, it will be with a .33 WCF, a .38-55, or a .303 Savage. Why? Because I can, finally, after all these years. 

Zebulon said
Got it. Thanks. I don't have much experience with the 110 grain bullet but, from one session years ago with my M70 Featherweight that was capable of 1.25" to 1.5" 100 yard 3 shot groups,  the 110 bullet (a Speer HotCor) would stay within 1.5", satisfactory for Coyotes that became suspicious and hung back. The Fwt is a hunting rifle and those groups were adequate for the task. I didn't own a chronograph. 
  

My goal is to develop a 1 MOA load, but if I can get it under 1.5", I will be content.

Zebulon said
Bert, you mentioned the 110 grain .308 bullets were polymer tipped and copper jacketed -- the ones that suddenly produced  16" 100 yard group. That was before you got to 58 grains of 4064. 
For the record, what was the powder charge weight that produced the phenomenon and what was the group size and charge weight just before it on the ladder?
And the brand of the bullet? 
We know the rifle was your 1927 M54. 
Bill
  

Bill,

All loads were IMR 4064, 5-shot groups

55.0 grains = 2" group

55.5 grains = 1.5" group

56.0 grains = 2.25"

56.5 grains = 3+" group

57.0 grains = 6+" group

58.0 grains = 16" group

The barrel was heating up and may have contributed to the problem.

My next trip to the range will be with the following loads;

I am going with a faster burning powder with the light bullets.

Bert