Lightening a *slightly* overweight rifle

[Leadville Bill]

My .45-90 LRE came in recently and after weighing it on a certified lab scale to confirm it's legal for BPCR silhouette shooting, it turned out to be just barely over the 12 #, 2 oz limit by a mere 73 grains. Thankfully I can make it competition legal by swapping the Hadley eyecup for the stock one that came with my MVA rear sight, but if I wanted to lighten the rifle so I can use the Hadley, what would you recommend? The rifle has the traditional shotgun steel buttplate and the pewter fore end. I've heard of some guys using an aluminum buttplate- does Shiloh offer one of those i can swap out if needed?

If not, I assume the solution would be to drill a recess in the stock similar to what you'd do for installing a recoil reducer. Can you provide the the centerline reference from the buttplate screws and the hole diameter and depth?

Thanks, LB

[mongo40]

If its that close just get a different forearm, not having that pewter tip would make the difference. I love the look of the pewter also and would never get rid of the one I have but you could just remove it for competition no big deal swapping forearms around and it would keep the pretty one from getting scuffed up at the range. I'd do that instead of weakening the stock.

[bryany]

I'd just change out the eye cup to get weighed at the few (only) matches that weigh rifles. I've never been to a club match that weighs rifles.

45-90 is plenty of cartridge for silhouette. Sounds like a good long range rifle.

Bryan

[SharpsBig50]

I can’t imagine it would take a very large hole drilled into the butt to remove 73 grains of weight. Does it have a barrel sight?

[Leadville Bill]

I thought about switching the fore end about but didn’t want the hassle going back and forth plus the rifle would look odd if the wood didn’t at least somewhat match.

Taking the Hadley off will be my work-around but I would like another option in my back pocket in case I luck out and shoot in a real competition.

Regarding caliber choice- yes, this is overkill for silhouette, but I also wanted a rifle for a once in a lifetime buffalo hunt and wanted to do it with a 45-90. I am also interested in trying a 1000 yd gong shoot someday. So, one rifle for all 3 pursuits.

The rifle doesn’t have the rear bbl sight. When I ordered the rifle from Bill Goodman and asked if it was getting too heavy with a 30” heavy octagon and the sights I’d chosen, he thought it would make weight if the rear bbl sight was eliminated. Made sense to me and he was almost right. Hard to know how much difference the wood density will throw it.

[bpcrshooter62]

HI just a note for you I shoot a 40-65 sharps and have shot it at gongs at 1100 yards and done just fine I have also shot a buffalo with it one shot and he was done. A 40-65 will do all that you think you need the 45-90 for and it does not have a weight problem for competition works just fine for me lol to each there own. Keep shooting and having fun !!

[vikingsword]

Just a thought here, but perhaps you could consider turned half octagon/half round?

[Leadville Bill]

bpcrshooter62: I heard the 40 cals will kill buffalo, I just like the extra factor of safety. As for distance, interesting to see them going to that far. All the commentary seems to be that the 45's, particularly those longer than 2.1" are considered desirable for targets past 800 yards. I can appreciate that a quality rifle with a skilled shooter (which it sounds like you are) can reach out and touch something that far. Anyway, rifle is already built and in my hands so I don't see much use for another at this time.

vikingsword: Always good to hear another WY voice. I spent many years not far from you, up in Worland. I had heard of guys going so far as to do what you are proposing. Seems an extreme way to address 73 grains of weight in my case but I could see it as an option on an exceptionally overweight gun. I think a lightening hole in the stock would be a cheaper (and easier) alternative but I like the thought. My wife wouldn't let me hear the end of it if I had a half/half bbl anyway. When I showed her some of the options in the catalog I believe her response was along the lines of: "what the hell's wrong with that barrel?" I can't complain though. Her first anniversary gift to me was a USRAC Win 1886- with a full octagon. Not many men are so lucky.

[art ruggiero]

drill the stock cheapest and easiest way no-one will know but you art

[John Bly]

I agree with Art. Simplest, cheapest, easiest way to do it. I would not hesitate a minute to do it.